Let's have a look at the Shaders of materials in 3ds Max and VIZ that control the shape of specular highlights. The shape is affected by the molecular makeup of the material and surface conditions such as, scratching, oil and film, dust, or other layers of paints and clear coats.   more »

Joep van der Steen has announced the End User Event to be held 13-14 September 2007 in Utrecht, Holland. This is certainly evolving into one of Europe's premier training events for Autodesk's Media & Entertainment. The majority of classes are held in English and a trip do Holland in September is a wonderful thing!   more »

The specular highlights in the material are the first indication to the viewer in identifying the hardness of the material. The color, the brightness, and the size are primarily a function of the molecular makeup of the material and are a key factor in creating convincing materials.   more »

Learn about the Diffuse and Ambient color swatches and how they can be used in material definitions. I'll also talk about the Ambient color swatch in the Environment dialog; a potentially useful, but also potentially dangerous setting. Environment Ambient color should be left black or be used with very low settings to avoid washing out your materials and scene lighting.   more »