3DS MAX Creating a Snow House in 3DS Max Tutorial (part 2)

Step Hundred

Add a Free Camera in the Front viewport as shown.

Figure 100.  Click here to view larger image.

Step Hundred and One

Adjust its position and orientation.

Figure 101.  Click here to view larger image.

Step Hundred and Two

Assign the camera to Perspective viewport.

Figure 102.  Click here to view larger image.

Step Hundred and Three Further adjust the camera viewport with the camera navigation tools.   Figure 103.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Hundred and Four Choose Rendering > Effects.   Figure 104.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Hundred and Five Add “Depth of Field” effect from the list.   Figure 105.  Click here to view larger image.

Step Hundred and Six Adjust the Depth of Field parameters after assigning this effect to the Camera01 (by Picking the Camera in the viewport).   Figure 106.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Hundred and Seven Render the scene.   Figure 107.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Hundred and Eight We need a little bumpy effect for the snow material. So, select the material and assign “Cellular” map to its Bump slot.   Figure 108.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Hundred and Nine Set the size to 0.1.   Figure 109.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Hundred and Ten Go to Parent and lower the Bump value to 5.   Figure 110.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Hundred and Eleven Render the scene again.   Figure 111.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Hundred and Twelve Let’s assign the snowy material to the trees as well. Select all the tree groups.   Figure 112.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Hundred and Thirteen Choose 8th empty material slot. Then drag the earlier composite (brick-wall + snow in the lower portion) material to this new material slot.   Figure 113.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Hundred and Fourteen Change the name to Snow Tree. Then drag the green material to the Mat1 slot of this copied Composite material.   Figure 114.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Hundred and Fifteen When asked, choose “Copy” option.   Figure 115.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Hundred and Sixteen Click on the Mat.2 materials slot.   Figure 116.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Hundred and Seventeen Under Maps roll-out, click on Opacity map slot (Gradient) to edit the gradient parameters a bit.   Figure 117.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Hundred and Eighteen Adjust the parameters as shown.   Figure 118.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Hundred and Nineteen Assign this composite material to the selected tree groups.   Figure 119.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Hundred and Twenty Render the scene. Needs lesser bumpiness.   Figure 120.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Hundred and Twenty One Click Go to Parent button.   Figure 121.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Hundred and Twenty Two Decrease the Bump value to 10. Render again.   Figure 122.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Hundred and Twenty Three Let’s apply a MeshSmooth modifier to all the trees to see if smoothness imposes better impression for these trees.   Figure 123.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Hundred and Twenty Four Adjust the MeshSmooth parameters as shown.   Figure 124.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Hundred and Twenty Five Render the scene again. Keep experimenting (but not today, you may be a bit tired) and hopefully you will be able to make much more nice snow house than mine. I just wanted to show some techniques in this tutorial and I will be happy if those can be helpful for your 3dsmax learning. If you can get better options to make such scenes please don’t hesitate to share it with us.   Figure 125.  Click here to view larger image.