Materials and Maps Problems in Max Design 2012

[jniessen]

We have just upgraded from Max 7 to Max design 2012 (we went with the design version so we could get all the AutoCAD products). I am having a few problems in the conversion that I thought I would ask about here. Particularly two problems.

First, is the start-up of the materials editor. When you open materials the basic setup (all the sample spheres) have Arch and Design as the material type. I would like the samples to all be standard. Is there a way to force this at opening?

The second problem I am having is with maps. When I take a sample sphere, change it to a standard colour, add a diffused map (an aircraft blueprint for example) the map is tiled so many times that it doesn't show on the sample sphere. If you zoom in you can see that it looks like the map has been tiled 1000 times. We have figured out that if we put a uvw map on we can change tile value of around 0.01 - 0.001 to make the map into a single larger map. Do any of you have a fix for this? It would be nice to set up some planes for modeling and place a map onto it without having to put a uvw map modifier on.

Thanks in advance

[loydg]

The answer is "yes!" You are lucky to be able to get your model to open nicely with that far back in versions. So here is the break down on your two issues:

1) Standard Materials as Default (or VRay, etc.) can be set up by going to Customize > Custom UI and Defaults Switcher and select Max in the Initial settings for tool option field. Click "set" and ,ost likely restart Max.

2) Since Max 2010 bitmaps are set to use "Use Real-World Scale" as a default for all maps loaded. Simply uncheck that. No doubt there is a way throught and INI file to reset the default to "off" but I will have to do some digging to find it.

On a side note, I like to use the Real-World Scale so I dont have to scale my UVWs for each object with the same material. Something I got used to when it was introduced way back when. Let us know if that wasn't it or if something else comes up!

[jniessen]

Great info. I found the customize Max start option on the weekend (same as you suggested). So this morning I had all the kids set the computers for this to be the start up option. Then I found out previously started projects still use the Max design materials. No biggy for this project and fixed for the rest.


I also noticed that with the start-up materials option changed I found there is no problem with the maps. The Real-World Scale button is already off. However, you have me thinking about how to handle the map materials I am using. As per your quote below wouldn't you have the same problem I was? How do you handle a material on a sample sphere that is tiles so many times you can't see it? Isn't that what you would get if the Real-World scale button was on?

Thanks again for your help.

"On a side note, I like to use the Real-World Scale so I don’t have to scale my UVWs for each object with the same material."

[loydg]

Teacher? Awesome! Kudos to you my friend.

Real World Scale is actually pretty cool once you get used to it. The trick is corresponding the material to the object's UV coordinates. What's really cool about it is that most modifiers (i.e. Extrude, Bevel, etc.) and simple primatives have the "Real World Map Size" as a check box under their UV settings. Simply check that and no UVW modifier is needed. Even better, on modifiers like Sweep (which I use a lot) the UV respects curves and will follow in mapping.

What's valueable is that once you set up a material, especially one used throughout a scene on muliple objects, you only need to check the Use Real-World Map Size on those object and bingo. No scaling or sizing of UVW modifiers.

The drawback, as you found, is that it doesn't show up nicely on the material sphere if the scale is small. I will usually set the map to display in the viewport and check to see how it looks there.

[jniessen]

So now I have a new problem. Once I changed the start up materials to max (standard) the transform icons, among others, have greyed out. See the attached picture.

Any thoughts?

I have looked around for a button that allows this but the closest I have found is the "use large toolbar buttons" button I had thought to send this to Autodesk as a possible problem.

Thanks

[loydg]

Now that's just weird. Gremlins are at work. Here's something that you may try:

• Close 3dsMax
• Go to: C:\Users\*USERNAME*\AppData\Local\Autodesk\3dsMaxDesign\2011 - 64bit (or whichever version you are running).
• Delete the enu folder
• Restart 3dsMax and the folder will rebuild itself with "default" settings

You may have to redo the Standard Material setup and see if the issue repeats. If so, contact Autodesk.

[paul.grimston]

If it's any help, you can set the size for the sample sphere in the material editor's options.

Right Click a sample slot and choose options - although it sets it for all sample slots, not individual ones. I think it defaults to 3000 units from memory!

Paul

[jniessen]

The media techs here are not too thrilled that I have had all the kids change this feature but it needs to be done. Since doing the things above, I have decided this is an Autodesk glitch. Once changed the buttons stay greyed out. Mnu reset or not. I gather our media guys have sent this into Autodesk and are awaiting an answer. I'll let you know if it ever comes.

In the meantime i did find a pretty good solution. Looking through a different site I found these instructions.

"This is part of the customize menu. Note the blue selected option. I had to change the scheme from "use standard" to custom then lowered the saturation to 70%, check the Invert box with transparency at 75%. You might want to play with the transparency and sat. buttons to get the look you want. If too high the icons just get darker. I saved this scheme as Default jnie. Saving it gives you the option of reverting back to the default or you could use the reset buttons."

It works pretty well. I have included a word doc with a screen shot of the buttons looking brighter and the dialogue boxes were the features are that you need to change.