Escalight - 3ds Max tutorial, Photoshop, Flash, V-Ray, Blender, Free 3D models, etc

by Didik Wijaya
This tutorial needs you to understand basic use of 3dsmax.

In Part 1, we have created particle system for waterfall using Blizzard. Now, in Part 2 you will texture this waterfall. There are two area need to be textured, one is the particle system itself and the other is the river (the plane in the middle). Let's start this Part 2 tutorial.

1. You may continue your exercise in Part 1, or simply download Part 1 finished file here (39kb, zipped, 3dsmax 8 format). We will try to texture particle first. Select particle in viewport. Open Material Editor (press M in keyboard). Select one of empty material slot. Name this material "falling water". While particle still selected, click Assign Material to Selection button. This material will be applied to particle. Activate Show Map in Viewport button if you wish.

In Shader Basic Parameter, activate Face Map. This option will apply each particle with the same material. You must activate this option, or else you can't have nice water effect. Click color box right next to Diffuse. Change its color to pale blue (R=208, G=219, B=236). After that, click small button right next to Opacity. Material/Map Browser window will appear. Choose Gradient by clicking it twice. You will then go to Gradient Parameters rollout.

2. In Gradient Parameters rollout, change Gradient Type to Radial. Leave other settings as default. When finished, try to render Perspective viewport.

3. Next step, you will create another material for the river. First, select Plane and got to Modify Panel. Add UVW Modifier. Use Box as mapping type.

4. Open Material Editor again. Select an empty material slot. Name this material "flowing water". Apply this material to Plane and activate Show Map in Viewport if you wish. In Blinn Basic Parameters, click small button right next to Diffuse color box. Material/Map Browser window will appear. Choose Noise by double clicking it. You will be sent to Noise Parameters rollout.

5. In Noise Parameters rollout, select Noise Type=Fractal and change Color #1 to dark blue (R=82, G=109, B=163). After that, go to Coordinates rollout above, set Tiling in X axis to 3.

6. Click Go to Parent button once. Open rollout Maps. Click and drag Map# (Noise) button from Diffuse, and release it on Bump. Use Instance as duplication method. Now, you have a copy of the same material in Bump map. Don't forget to set Bump amount to 100.

7. Try render Perspective viewport. Image below shows textured waterfall. Not quite like a waterfall? Don't worry. We will fix that later in Part 3. By the way, waterfall Part 2 finished file available here (42kb, zipped, 3dsmax 8 format).

Waterfall Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3

Any question or comments regarding this tutorial should be sent to:
Didik Wijaya, email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Discuss this tutorial