3ds Max 2012 Bible - Kelly L. Murdock [485]
Caution
If the Interactive option is enabled and the Rendering Effects panel is open, the image is re-rendered in the Rendered Frame Window every time a change is made to the scene. This can slow down the system dramatically. •
The Currently Updating bar shows the progress of the rendering update.
The remainder of the Rendering Effects panel contains global parameters and rollouts for the selected render effect. These rollouts are covered in this chapter, along with their corresponding effects.
Cross-Reference
The Hair and Fur render effect offers the ability to add hair and fur to models. The Hair and Fur features—including the render effect—are covered in Chapter 29, “Adding and Styling Hair and Fur, and Using Cloth.” •
Creating Lens Effects
Of the eight available render effects, the first one on the list will be used perhaps more often than all the others combined. The Lens Effects option includes several different effects itself, ranging from glows and rings to streaks and stars.
Lens Effects simulate the types of lighting effects that are possible with actual camera lenses and filters. When the Lens Effects selection is added to the Effects list and selected, several different effects become available in the Lens Effects Parameters rollout, including Glow, Ring, Ray, Auto Secondary, Manual Secondary, Star, and Streak. When one of these effects is included in a scene, rollouts and parameters for that effect are added to the panel as well.
Several of these Lens Effects can be used simultaneously. To include an effect, open the Environment and Effects dialog box with the Rendering⇒Effects menu command, click the Add button, and select Lens Effect from the available effects. Then go to the Lens Effects Parameters rollout, select the desired effect from the list on the left, and click the arrow button pointing to the right. The pane on the right lists the included effects. Use the left-pointing arrow button to remove effects from the list.
Global Lens Effects Parameters
Under the Lens Effects Parameters rollout in the Rendering Effects panel is the Lens Effects Globals rollout. All effects available in Lens Effects use the two common tabbed panels in this rollout: Parameters and Scene. These two tabbed panels are shown side by side in Figure 46.16.
FIGURE 46.16
The Parameters tabbed panel of the Lens Effects Globals rollout lets you load and save parameter settings. The Scene tabbed panel lets you set the effect's Size and Intensity.
The Global Parameters tabbed panel
The Parameters panel of the Lens Effects Globals rollout includes Load and Save buttons for loading and saving parameter settings specified in the various rollouts. These settings are saved as LZV files.
The Size value determines the overall size of the effect as a percentage of the rendered image. Figure 46.17 shows the center of the Star Lens Effects with an Intensity value of 500 and Size values of 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100. The Size value increases the entire effect diameter and also the width of each radial line.
FIGURE 46.17
These Star Lens Effects vary in size.
The Intensity value controls the brightness and opacity of the effect. Large values are brighter and more opaque, and small values are dimmer and more transparent. The Size and Intensity values can be locked together. Intensity and Size values can range from 0 to 500. Figure 46.18 shows a glow effect with Intensity values of (from left to right) 50, 100, 200, 350, and 500.
FIGURE 46.18
Lens Effects also can vary in intensity, like these glows.
The Seed value provides the randomness of the effect. Changing the Seed value changes the effect's look. The Angle value spins the effect about the camera's axis. The Squeeze value lengthens the horizontal axis for positive values and lengthens the vertical axis for negative values. Squeeze values can range from –100 to 100. Figure 46.19 shows a Ring effect with Squeeze values of (from left to right) –30, –15, 0, 10, and 20.
FIGURE 46.19
These Ring effects vary in Stretch values.
All effects are applied to light