Viewport Switcher is a maxscript for 3dsMax that allows you to quickly change between viewports.
Assign the macroscript to a hotkey. Space bar for example. A menu will appear around your cursor that allows you to quickly switch to different views.
For the installation simply drag and drop the mzp file to the viewport. Go to Customize/Customize User Interface/ Keyboard. And under the group Norman3D select Viewport Swtich and assign it to a hotkey.
GoMax is a tool that emulates and in some instances enhances GoZ functionality.
Features:
- Export from Z-Brush to 3dsMax with one single click
- Import from 3dsMax with one single click
-Subtool export/import
- Diffuse Texture, polypaint, normalmap, displacement map, matcap
-DirectX, Standard and MentalRay Material
- Script will automatically update when new versions are released
- Compatibility with 3dsMax 9, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011
Currently the tool is being developed by Björn Albihn and me, with the help of many others. For more up to date information follow the thread at ZbrushCentral.com
First of all, what is Spherical Environment Mapping? Go over here for detailed info. SEM, has mainly been used to fake reflections for many years and has been replaced by cubemaps in this generation of videogame development.
Pixologic, on the other hand is still using the technology in ZBrush for their materials. The results are very good and very performance efficient as well. So why not use them in Unreal 3? You could fake SSS, speculars, reflections, things that otherwise are difficult to control or may get lost because of lighting conditions.
So where do you get these spheremaps? Well, you can paint them yourself, render a sphere in 3dsmax or simply use zbrush matcap feature. Or… take an existing zbrush material and extract the spheremap.
In Unreal you will have to create a material like the one described here.
In these examples I have used a scan of a face that you can find here. I have also used various zbrush materials that can be found in the internet and retouched some of them. I used the UDK and took the sandstorm map as my testing ground.
You can also notice in these screenshots how the normal map is taken into account when mapping the sphere on the surface. (This is all in unlit mode, light will be calculated as usual)
Here is an example of the statue in Sandstorm and a typical sphere map
Here are some comparison shots. First row is without SEM, second row with SEM applied. Remember the spherical map is view dependent!
So get creative, use it to fake reflections in your characters eye, maybe SSS, cool metal reflections, transparency? glow maybe?
Also go and check out the UDK here. Have fun!
2 responses so far
I have recently been playing with MaxScript and I quickly came up with a script that automatically sets the best viewport settings for 3ds Max. If you have 3ds Max 2010 you will get some extra unsupported features unlocked, like realtime bounced lighting.
Head up to Scriptspot for more info!
2 responses so farMarch 2nd — Added new tutorial.
Go check out this thread at ZBrushCentral to discuss this tutorial and learn further ways to implement and combine this technique with other workflows.
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