How do I get more materials in 3DS max...

[Frostillicus]

I have a little experience with this program, but for the life of me I can't figure out how to get more than like 24 materials at a time in my material pallete.  I would think there'd be a way to have dozens  and dozens or hundreds of materials at a time....am I just missing something?  Any insight appreciated  

[)p(]

I have a little experience with this program, but for the life of me I can't figure out how to get more than like 24 materials at a time in my material pallete.  I would think there'd be a way to have dozens  and dozens or hundreds of materials at a time....am I just missing something?  Any insight appreciated  

that is your active pallette...you can switch them at any time with materials from your material librarys or from the scene...look at them as a selection of all the materials available...

peter

[Frostillicus]

Oh.  that makes sense - I messed with it a bit and I think I have it now..
Thanks  

[Howard_Casto]

Just in case you are thinking of making cabinet models for 3darcade.... some guidelines.....

Marquee and screenshot polys should be at the top of your object hierarchy.  

Each material (and material map and sub material ect...) you use MUST have a unique name.  By unique I don't just mean unique to the other materials used in that model, I mean unique in regards to any possible material ever used on any model displayed in 3darcade.  So your best bet is to name them after the model... (like sf2-black instead of just black).  

These rules also apply to may other engines, so I was just giving a heads up.  Good luck.  

[caykroyd]

I'm thinking about modelling in 3DStudio.  What is the basic concept?  Do you draw out you individual pieces of wood, then rotate and connect them, etc.  Or do you draw it out as a whole?

[Howard_Casto]

depends upon the cabinet..... usually I use the line tool to make the profile of a side, extrude it to 3/4 inches, clone it and move the clone to the right to set the width of the cabinet.  Then i start filling in the middle with the control panel being made seperately in many cases.  

[Frostillicus]

That's kind of how I did it, too.  Though I used Illustrator to make the splines and lofted them.   I was using a 3/4" path when I guess I could have extruded it and just specified .75 inches.  The whole thing was a learning process for me - that program is waaaay more complicated than anything else I've used.  
But I think I did fairly well Example (this took forever to make, BTW   )
It is a great way to visualize what it will all look like, and to see if all the parts will fit.

[)p(]

That's kind of how I did it, too.  Though I used Illustrator to make the splines and lofted them.   I was using a 3/4" path when I guess I could have extruded it and just specified .75 inches.  The whole thing was a learning process for me - that program is waaaay more complicated than anything else I've used.  
But I think I did fairly well Example (this took forever to make, BTW   )
It is a great way to visualize what it will all look like, and to see if all the parts will fit.

looks good  

if you want try to let it show up in 3darcade in addition to what hc mentioned about the material names use group to uhm group all meshes together and give it a unique name then export it to w3d using the groupname.

for more info and export settings see:
http://3darcade.mameworld.net/frontend/fereadme.htm#Arcades

max w3d exporter can be found here:
http://3darcade.mameworld.net/3ds_maxr4_exporter.zip
copy and paste link


peter

[GSXRMovistar]

My cabinet was also designed in Max, think I may give that exporter a try, would be nice to see my cabinet in Emulaxian.

[)p(]

My cabinet was also designed in Max, think I may give that exporter a try, would be nice to see my cabinet in Emulaxian.

one more thing that might be helpful... I used generic units but as a metric system so 180 units will be 180 cm or 1.80 meter


peter