Introduction to mental ray in 3ds Max 2009

Pluralsight

Course Summary

Learn an essential workflow to rendering with mental ray and techniques for fully utilizing the tools available inside 3ds Max to save time and see better results. Software required: 3ds Max 2009 and up. Software required: 3ds Max 2009 and up (required to open project files).

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Course Description

Learn an essential workflow to rendering with mental ray and techniques for fully utilizing the tools available inside 3ds Max to save time and see better results. Contains over 2 hours of project-based training for artists new to mental ray and experienced artists seeking a refresher. Popular highlights include: mental ray Overview; Global Illumination Workflow; Final Gather Workflow; Caustics Workflow; Emitting GI Photons from Light Sources; Photon Energy and Decay Parameters; Controlling Final Gather Accuracy; Adding Secondary Final Gather Bounces; Mixing Final Gather and Global Illumination; Saving and Reusing Lighting Data; Image-based Lighting; HDR Exposure Controls; Emitting Caustic Photons from Lights; Optimizing Caustic Photon Use; Subsurface Scattering Shader; Ambient Occlusion Shader; mental ray Architectural Material; Utilizing the Material Editor; Contour Line Rendering; Using Render Elements; Scene States; Compositing Rendered Passes. Software required: 3ds Max 2009 and up. Software required: 3ds Max 2009 and up (required to open project files).

Course Description

Learn an essential workflow to rendering with mental ray and techniques for fully utilizing the tools available inside 3ds Max to save time and see better results. Contains over 2 hours of project-based training for artists new to mental ray and experienced artists seeking a refresher. Popular highlights include: mental ray Overview; Global Illumination Workflow; Final Gather Workflow; Caustics Workflow; Emitting GI Photons from Light Sources; Photon Energy and Decay Parameters; Controlling Final Gather Accuracy; Adding Secondary Final Gather Bounces; Mixing Final Gather and Global Illumination; Saving and Reusing Lighting Data; Image-based Lighting; HDR Exposure Controls; Emitting Caustic Photons from Lights; Optimizing Caustic Photon Use; Subsurface Scattering Shader; Ambient Occlusion Shader; mental ray Architectural Material; Utilizing the Material Editor; Contour Line Rendering; Using Render Elements; Scene States; Compositing Rendered Passes. Software required: 3ds Max 2009 and up. Software required: 3ds Max 2009 and up (required to open project files).

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Course Syllabus

Introduction and Project Overview
- 1m 39s

—Introduction 1m 39s

Introduction to mental ray in 3ds Max 2009
- 2h 52m

—Setting Mental Ray as the Default Renderer 3m 12s
—Using Photon-based Global Illumination 11m 7s
—Adjusting the Photon Properties of Lights 8m 16s
—Using Final Gather in Mental Ray 13m 33s
—Combining Global Illumination and Final Gather 5m 1s
—Saving and Reusing Indirect Illumination Data 9m 45s
—Setting up Image-based Lighting in Mental Ray 10m 0s
—Using and Optimizing Caustic Photons 12m 28s
—Exploring Mental Ray's Architectural Materials 10m 23s
—Overview of the Mental Ray Car Paint Shader 7m 7s
—Using Subsurface Scattering in Mental Ray 11m 19s
—Utilizing Ambient Occlusion to Enhance Shadows 9m 28s
—Adding Depth of Field Effects to Renders 8m 17s
—Rendering a Depth of Field Pass for Compositing 8m 4s
—Special Mental Ray Light Parameters 7m 47s
—Understanding Contour Outlines 12m 7s
—Using Render Elements for Compositing Purposes 7m 24s
—Compositing Multiple Render Passes 7m 59s
—Using Scene States to Output Multiple Renders 8m 46s