Self-Illumination Map

Command entry:

Material Editor

Standard material

Maps rollout

Self-Illumination button

Command entry:

Material Editor

Raytrace material

Maps rollout

Luminosity button

Command entry:

Material Editor

Arch & Design material

Special Purpose Maps rollout

Self Illumination Color button

Command entry:

Material Editor

Other materials that have a Self-Illumination or Luminosity component

You can use a bitmap file or procedural map to control the self-illumination value. This makes portions of an object appear to glow. White areas of the map render as fully self illuminating. Black areas render with no self-illumination. Gray areas render as partially self illuminating, depending on the grayscale value.

Using a Self-illumination map

Self-illumination means that the glowing area is not affected by lights in the scene (its ambient color component goes away), and does not receive shadows.

Procedures

To use a Self-illumination map:

Click the map button for Self-Illumination.
3ds Max opens the Material/Map Browser.
Choose from the list of map types, and then click OK.
(If you choose Bitmap as the map type, 3ds Max opens a file dialog that lets you choose the image file.)
Use the map controls to set up the map.

Alternatively, you can use the Slate Material Editor to wire a map node to the Self Illumination component.