Standard Material and Related Materials (Non-Photometric)
 
 
 

This section describes the Standard material and other materials that are not photometric. These materials can be suitable for games and animation, but not for physically accurate lighting models.

  • Shading Type

    The Standard and Raytrace materials let you specify a shading type. A "shader" is an algorithm that describes how the surface responds to light. One of the most noticeable features of each shader is how it generates specular highlights.

  • Standard Material

    The Standard material type provides a fairly straightforward way to model surfaces. In the real world, the appearance of a surface depends on how it reflects light. In 3ds Max, a standard material simulates a surface's reflective properties. If you don't use maps, a standard material gives an object a single, uniform color.

  • Raytrace Material

    The Raytrace material is an advanced surface-shading material. It supports the same kinds of diffuse surface shading that a standard material does. It can also create fully raytraced reflections and refractions. It also supports fog, color density, translucency, fluorescence, and other special effects.

  • Matte/Shadow Material

    The Matte/Shadow material allows you to make whole objects (or any subsets of faces) into matte objects that reveal the current background color or Environment map.

  • Compound Materials

    Compound materials combine two or more sub-materials for a variegated look, especially when used with maps. Compound materials are similar to compositor maps, but they exist at the material level. You load or create compound materials using the Material/Map Browser.

  • Ink 'n Paint Material

    The Ink 'n Paint material creates cartoon effects. Rather than the three-dimensional, realistic effect most other materials provide, Ink 'n Paint provides flat shading with “inked” borders.