Material Editor, Materials, and Maps > Maps and Shaders > Using Maps and the Environment as Material Components > 
Orientation Map
 
 
 
Command entry: Material Editor Standard material Maps rollout Orientation button (appears only for the Anisotropic or Multi-Layer shaders)
Command entry: Material Editor Raytrace material Maps rollout Orientation button
Command entry: Material Editor Arch & Design material General Maps rollout Surface Property Maps group Anisotropy Angle button
Command entry: Material Editor Other materials that have an Anisotropy Orientation component

You can use a bitmap file or procedural map to control the Orientation material component. Orientation controls the position of the anisotropic highlight. Using an Orientation map changes the highlight's position.

Black and white values in the map have little effect, but maps with a high percentage of grayscale values, such as Noise or Falloff, can be very effective. You can also achieve effective results using the same map for Orientation and Bump values.

Using anisotropy orientation

NoteIn a Standard material, the Orientation parameter is available with the Anisotropic and Multi-Level shaders. In a Raytrace material, it is available only with the Anisotropic shader.

Reducing the Amount value of the Orientation map on the Maps rollout reduces the map's effect, thus increasing the effect of the Orientation value on the Basic Parameters rollout. When Amount is 0 percent, the map isn't used at all.

The effect of an Orientation map, like Anisotropy, is not very apparent unless Specular Level is fairly high and Glossiness is fairly low.

TipUsing the same map to control both anisotropy and orientation can give you good control over anisotropic highlights. On the Maps rollout for a Raytrace or Standard material, you can drag and drop the map button; in the Slate Material Editor, you can wire a single map node to both components.

Procedures

To use an Orientation map:

  1. Click the Map button for Orientation.

    3ds Max opens the Material/Map Browser.

  2. 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.)

  3. Use the map controls to set up the map.

Alternatively, you can use the Slate Material Editor to wire a map node to the Orientation (or Anisotropy Angle) component.

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