- How to Cast Shadows in 3D Studio MAX 3
- Shadow Parameters
- Turning shadows on and off
- Setting the shadow type and color
Setting the shadow type and color
Shadow maps create soft-edged shadows. They are the default for all types of lights except Sunlight Systems. Ray-traced shadows render more slowly, but they make excellent shadow studies because their edges are so crisp.
To create ray-traced shadows:
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Select a light.
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Open the Modify menu.
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Open the Shadow Parameters menu.
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Turn on Object Shadows.
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In the Object Shadows drop-down menu, choose Ray Traced Shadows (Figure 5).
Figure 5 Use the drop-down list to change the shadow type.
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Render the scene (Figure 6).
Figure 6 Ray-traced shadows have hard edges.
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You can set shadow color independently of illumination for both types of shadows.
To set shadow color:
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Select a light that casts shadows.
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Open the Modify menu.
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Open the Shadow Parameters menu.
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Click the Color swatch (Figure 7).
Figure 7 You can achieve special effects by changing the shadow color.
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Choose a color in the Color Selector: Shadow Color dialog box.
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Render the scene.
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Repeat steps 5 and 6 until you are satisfied.
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Tips
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To mix the color of the light with the shadow color, check Light Affects Shadow Color in the Shadow Parameters rollout.
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To project a map into a shadow, check Map and click the None button.