Textures and Materials in 3ds Max with instructor Steve Nelle takes an in-depth look at the art of creating lifelike skins and textures for three-dimensional surfaces using 3ds Max, one of the world’s most widely used 3D packages. This course covers popular material and shader types, including mental ray ProMaterials, methods for properly positioning maps, and some of the lesser-known advanced features of the Material Editor. Techniques are demonstrated using three practical project examples. Exercise files accompany the course.

Topics include:

Creating surfaces and textures with maps
Making 3D object surfaces look believable
Mapping sub-object materials
Layering images with composite maps
Creating realistic glass and reflections
Using mental ray Arch & Design and ProMaterials
Exploring the Material Library