3D Studio Max & Arnold RenderingADD - An introduction to the workflow and good practices for rendering with 3D Studio Max 2020 using Arnold

By Archontia Manolakelli

12/02/2020

Part II Architectural Assistant & Design Researcherat Atkins

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•Introduction -Whatis3DStudioMax? -WhatisArnold? -Whyuseit?

•3DSMaxWorkflows -Importingfilesfromothersoftware -Workingwithlocalgeometry

•Arnoldfor3DSMaxTutorial -Arnoldinterfacebasics -Settingup&positioningcameras -Lighttypes&lightingscenes -Workingwiththematerialeditor -Exportingimages

•Questionsandanswers

Lesson Breakdown

Introduction to Rendering with 3D Studio Max & Arnold

Whatis3DStudioMax,whatisArnoldandwhyshouldIuseit?

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Autodesk 3ds Max, formerly 3D Studio

and 3D Studio Max, is a professional 3D computer graphics program for making 3D animations, models, games and images.ItisdevelopedandproducedbyAutodeskMedia

andEntertainment.

It hasmodeling capabilities and aflexible plugin architecture andmust be used on the Microsoft Windows platform.Itisfrequently

used by video game developers, many TV commercial studios, and architectural visualization studios.Itisalsousedformovie

effectsandmoviepre-visualization.

(source:Wikipedia)

What is 3D Studio Max?

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Arnold isanunbiased, physically based, ray tracing 3D rendering application createdbythecompanySolidAngle.

ThesoftwareworkswithLinux, Windows and MacOSandhasbeenusedIthasbeenused for a variety of animated filmsincludingMonster

House,CloudywithaChanceofMeatballs,Alice

inWonderland,Thor, CaptainAmerica, X-Men:

FirstClass,TheAvengersandmore.

TheArnold for 3ds Max plug-in is provided free-of-charge with a license whenrenderingwithinaninteractive3dsMaxsession.

(source:Wikipedia&Arnoldrenderer.com)

What is Arnold?

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Arnold isbundledwith3dsMax2018or later,

providingabridge to theArnold renderer from

within the standard 3ds Max interface. This

makesitawell supported rendering pluginfortheotherwisealreadywell-established3DSMax.

Good integration with 3ds Max shapes, cameras, lights and shaders.

Provided free-of-charge with a 3DS Max license. The combo is also provided to you

for freeby theuniversity throughyour student

licence.

(source:Arnoldrenderer.com)

Why should I use Arnold for 3DS Max?

+

3D Studio Max Workflows

Importingfilesfromothersoftwareandworkingwithlocalgeometry.

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Area 01

IntheRibbonyoucanfindtoolsthathelpyouselect,move,rotateandscaleobjectsaswellastheundo-redobuttons.

Area 02

IntheViewportArea,VieportoptionsallowyoutochangethespecificviewyouareworkingwithegfromLefttoPerspective,andprovidesomeoptionsthatassistwithrenderingsuchasShowSafeFramewhichreconfigurestheviewporttotheareaoftheimagewichwillberendered.

Area 03

Viewportsettingsthatrelatetothedisplayofthemodelinthatspecificviewportegshaded,wireframeetc.

Area 04

ViewCubeallowsyoutorotateyourmodelthroughtheviewportwhenyouarenotusingthekeyboardshortcuts

Key Tools & UI(brief introduction)

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Area 01

TheSceneExplorerallowsyoutoseealistofalltheobjectsascenecontainsincludinglights,cameras,3Dobjectsandimportedmodels.Youcanhideandunhidethembyclickingontheeyeiconnexttothem.Youcanalsoedittheirpropertiesbyright-clickingoneachoneandselectingthePropertiesoption.

Area 02

ThecommandPaneliswhereallthetoolsforcreatingandeditingobjectswithinascenecanbefound.

Key Tools & UI(brief introduction)

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Step 01

UndertheCustomisetablocatetheUnitsSetupoptionandselectit.

Step 02

SelectMetricandMilimetresoryourpreferredunits.Remembertousethesameunitswhenexportingfromdif-ferentsoftware.

Setting up Project Units

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Steps 01, 02 & 03

UndertheFilestabselectImport>Import

Step 04

Onthewindowthatopensyoucanlookforthefileformatthatyouhave/iscompatiblewith3DSMax.Ifyourfileisnotcurrentlycompatibleyouwillhavetolookintowaysyoucanexporttherightformatwhichmayincludejumpingbetweensoftwareuntilyougettotheoutputyouarelookingfor.

Note:Thishoweverisnotrecommendedifyouareplanningtomakechangestotheoriginalmodelbecauseitwillmeanallyourprogressin3DSMaxwilllikelybelostwhenre-importing.

Steps 01

IfyouareworkignwithRevit,youcanlinkyourfileswith3DSMaxhichwillallowyoutomakechangestotheoriginalmodelandautomaticallyupdateyourMaxfilesalso.

Importing or Linking files from other software

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Step 01

The‘+‘buttonallowsyoutocreatetheobjecttypesistedintheboxbelowegprimitives(box,sphere,coneetc),splines(lines,circles,arcs),lights,camerasetc

Step 02

Byselectingthebuttonnexttothe‘+‘youcanmodifyavarietyofattributsofyourobjectandapplymodifierstofurtherrefinetheshapeyouarecreating.

Step 03

Adjustthesizeattributesofyourobjectaswellasthesegmentsitismadeupof.

Step 04

UsemodifiersthataffectthegeometrysuchasChamferortheappliedtexturesuchasUnwrapUVW.

Create & Modify Objects(brief introduction)

Arnold for 3DS Max Tutorial

Interfacebasics,cameras,lighting,materials,exportingimages

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Step 01 + 02

UndertheRenderingtabselectRenderSetup.

Step 03

OnthethirdrowselectArnoldasyourrenderer.Youwillseethesettingsbelowchangeasyoumaketheselection.

Step 04

UnderAreatoRender,youcanselectbetweenView,Selected,Region,CropandBlowup.TheviewoptionwillrendertheviewportthatisselectedeachtimewhereastheSelectedoptionwillrendertheselectedobjectinyourviewport-thesetwoarethemostcommonoptionshere,IusuallygoforViewforthis.

Step 05

UnderOutputSize,youcanselectthesizeofyourimageorthekindofcameralenseyouwanttouseforyourrendering.ByselectingShowSafeFrameinyourviewportasdescribedbefore,youcanseethissizewithinyourviewporttoadjustyouroutputimage.

Arnold Interface

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Step 01 & 02

ClickonyourmaterialeditoriconorpressM.Oncetheeditorwindowopensclickononeofthematerials.

Step 03 & 04

SelectthebuttonannotatedasStandardtoeditthematerialattributes.Oncethepop-upwindowopens,scrolldownuntilyouseeArnoldbeinglistedundertheMaterialstab.Clickonthetabtoexpand.

Step 05 & 06

OntheexpandedArnoldtabclickonthesurfacetabandselectStandardSurface.Plressokayandyouwillhaveaslightlyshinierwhitematerialintheplaceofthepreviouslygreysphere.THismaterialisnowanArnoldmaterial.

Step 07 + 08

ToapplyatexturetothematerialclickonthegreyboxunderBase>BaseColor.Oncethemapbrowserwindowopens,selectBitmapandlocateatextureimageinyourcomputerwhichyouwouldliketouse.Pressokay.

Step 09 + 10

Youwillnowhaveatexturedmaterial.ClickontheGotoParentbuttonoverbitmaptogobacktothematerialeditor.

Material Editor

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Step 01 & 02

Selectthe+buttonontheCommandPanel(panelontherightsideofthescreen)andclickonthecameraicon.

Step 03

UnderStandard,selectthePhysicalcamera

Step 04

ClickonthelocationyouwanttoplaceyourcamerawithinyourTopviewportanddragtowardsthedirectionyouwanttopointtowards.

Step 05

YouwillseeyourcameraappearintheSceneExplorer(panelontheleft)asitisnowaphysicalobjectwithinyourscene

Camera Setup

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Whenplacingacameraremembertofollowtheruleofthirdssothatyoucanhaveabalancedcompoition.

Youareideallylookingtowardsplacingyourhorizonaroundarea01andyourfocalpointseitherat02,03,or04asillustrated.

Howevertheserulescanbebrokentoachievecertaineffects.Lookingupcommongoodpracticesinphotographywillhelpyoucreatebetterrenders.

Camera Setup

https://corona-renderer.com/blog/the-riyadh-residence-oaoa-architecture-associates-by-so-on/

1

2

3 4

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Step 01, 02 & 03

Selectthe+buttonontheCommandPanelandclickonthelightbulbicon.ClickonthedropdownmenuwhichwillbesettoPhotometricbydefaultandselectArnold.ThiswillshowyouthelightoptionsthatareprovidedwithintheArnoldenvironment.SelecArnoldLighttoseetheoptions.

Step 04

Onceselectedapanelwithmultiplelighttypeoptionswillcomeup.UnderGeneral>LightingPropertiesmakesuretheOncheckboxistickedsothatyourlightisvisibleandrenderable.

Step 05

UnderShapeyoucanselectthelighttypeyouwanttouse,aswellasitsize(QuadXandY)andSpread.UnderColor/Intensityyoucansetthecolourtoaspecificshade,adefaultlighttypeofdecideonthecolourtemperature(Kelvin).

Note:Rememberthatifyoucannotseealight,itmightbehiddenbyanotherobject,theOncheckboxmightnotbetickedoryourlightistoosmallornotintenseenoughfortheschene.Youcanmovethelightoredititspropertiesusingthispaneltofixtheproblem.

Placing Lights

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Thiskindoflightprovidesanambientilluminationwithoutanysharpshadows.Iusuallysettheintensityandexposureto0.1dependingonthescaleoftheprojectwhichprovidesadulllightverymuchliketheoneyouwouldgetonacloudyday.

Light Types: Skydome

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Thiskindoflightprovidesilluminationwithsharpshadowssimilartothatofthesunonaverybrightday.Iusuallysettheintensityandexposureto0.5dependingonthescaleoftheprojectwhichprovidesaighcontrastoflightandshadow.

Light Types: Distant

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Thiskindoflightprovidesanartificialilluminationwithsoftershadowsofhighcontrast.Theintensityandexposurecanbesetto2or3dependingonthescaleoftheproject.Howeveralltesemeasurementswillneedtobefinetneddependingonthecontetyouareworkingwithandtheresultyouwanttoachieve.

Light Types: Point

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Toachieveamorerealisticlightinyoursceneyouwillneedtocombinemultipletypesoflights.Inthscontext,theSkudomelightisusedasindirectillumnation,thedistantlightasthesunandthepointlightasalocalpointofillumination(e.gstreetlight).

Thisisonlyoneofthewaysyoucanlightthescenehoweverdifferentvisualisersfollowavarietyofdifferentmethodswhichyoucanexploreasyoulearnmoreaboutthissoftware.

Light Types: Combination

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WhenrenderinginteriorshotsitisimportanttoaddQuadSkyportalontheoutsideofallwindowsinordertomakeiteasierontherenderertorenderyourscheneandcreatemoreuniforminteriorlight.Todothis,selectQuadlightandcheckthePortalcheckboxundertheShapetab.MakesuretoadjustthelightdimensionsQuadXandQaudYtomatchyourwindowopening.

Light Types: Quad Sky Portal

https://docs.arnoldrenderer.com/display/A5AFMUG/Light+Portal

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Step 01, 02 & 03

ClickontheRenderSetupbuttontorevealtheRenderSetupwindow.CheckthedimensionsyouwanttohaveforyourimageifyouhavenotdonesopreviouslyandpressRendertorendertheimage.Selectingsmallerimagesizewhenrunningtestrendersisadvisedtosavetime.

Step 04

Whenyoupressrender,aprogresswindowwillshowyouwhatpercentageofyourimagehasbeenrendered.

Step 05

Apreviiewofyourimagewillalsoappearallowingyoutocheckforanyissuesearlyonintherenderingprocess.

Rendering Settings

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Step 01 & 02

Averycommonissuethatpeopleencounteristhatofgrainyrenders.Ifyoulookatthelargerrender(1)youwillnoticetheimageisnotclearandpixelsappearindifferentareas.Image(2)doesnothavethisissue.Therearemultiplereasonsforthis:

Step 03 & 04

Oneofthemmigthbebecausethenumberofraysusedtocapculatethelightinthesceneisverylow.TryincreasingtheDiffuseSamplesandRayDepthto2or3andcheckagaintoseeiftheproblemisfixed.SimilarlyyoucanincreasetheTransmissionSamplesandRayDepth.

Step 05

Ifthisdoesnotfixtheproblem,tryalteringthepixelfilteringtypeandrunafewtestswithdifferentoptionstoseewhichoneworksbestwithyourscene.

Grainy Render?

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Step 01

Toexportyourimage,clickonthefloppydiskiconontheleftsideofthewindow

Step 02

Awindowwillopenpromptingyoutosavethefileinafolderofyourchoice.Choosethefiletypeyoupreferandclicksave.

Exporting Images

Questions & Answers

Ifyouhaveanyquestionspleaseemailmeat:

archon.man@hotmail.com