3ds Max: Rendering with Arnold

Learn how to use the core features of Arnold, the high-quality rendering engine in 3ds Max, for lighting, texturing, and rendering 3D scenes.

Introduction

• Welcome
• Using the exercise files
• Updating the MAXtoA plugin

1. Concepts

• Course prerequisites
• Introducing Arnold
• Arnold rendering concepts

2. Processing and Interactivity

• Setting 3ds Max preferences
• Creating a default template scene
• ActiveShade rendering
• Tuning sampling quality
• Controlling global illumination Ray Depth
• Preview materials with GPU rendering

3. Environment Lighting

• Image-based lighting with scene environment
• Image-based lighting with a skydome
• Daylighting with Arnold Physical Sky
• Using multiple Skydome lights
• Setting color temperature of an environment
• Improving light samples
• Using Environment Advanced mode

4. Studio Lighting

• Creating an Arnold Quad Light
• Setting Arnold Quad Light parameters
• Rendering self-illuminated surfaces
• Setting Arnold Properties for an object
• Improving skydome interiors with Portal mode
• Control distance intensity with a Light Decay filter
• Emulating sunlight with an Arnold distant light
• Creating an Arnold spot light
• Focusing Lens Radius for a collimated beam

5. Materials and Maps

• Creating an Arnold Standard Surface
• Base color and specular roughness
• Mapping material parameters
• Surface relief with bump mapping
• Rendering metallic surfaces with metalness
• Mapping opacity
• Refracting light with transmission
• Shading with ambient occlusion
• Building an Arnold shading network

6. Rendering

• Test rendering with the utility map
• Mesh subdivision with Arnold Properties
• Render adaptive displacement
• Optimize subdivision with frustum culling
• Control displacement with Arnold Properties
• Panorama rendering with a spherical camera

Conclusion

• Next steps