The settings for an Architectural material are physical properties, so it provides the greatest possible realism when used with photometric lights and radiosity. With this combination of features, you can create lighting studies with a high degree of accuracy.
Architectural materials used with photometric lights and a radiosity solution create a realistic rendering with accurate lighting levels.
It is not recommended that you use the Architectural material with standard 3ds Max lights in the scene, or with the Light Tracer. The point of this material is to provide accurate modeling. Use it with photometric lights and radiosity. The mental ray renderer, on the other hand, can render the Architectural material, with some limitations described below.
When you create a new material, you can choose from a variety of templates. A template is simply a set of preset material parameters, which approximates the kind of material you want to create, and gives you a starting point. See Templates Rollout.
Rendering Architectural Materials with the mental ray Renderer
The mental ray Renderer can render Architectural materials. There are some limitations, as follows:
The Templates rollout gives you a list of material types to choose from. A template is simply a set of preset parameters for the Physical Qualities rollout, which approximates the kind of material you want to create, and gives you a starting point. Once you choose a template, you can adjust its settings and add maps to enhance realism and improve the material's appearance.
When you create a new Architectural material or edit an existing one, the settings on the Physical Qualities rollout are the ones you are most likely to need to adjust.
When you create a new Architectural material or edit an existing one, the settings on the Special Effects rollout let you assign maps that create bumps or displacement, adjust light intensity, or control transparency.
The settings on the Adjust Radiosity rollout let you adjust how an Architectural material material behaves in a radiosity solution.
