Hi all.

I´m something like a noob in 3dsmax, and I´m with a problem trying to figure out how to achieve a nice rendering result.

I´m using 3DS Max v.8.

I have this two images :





The first one is a "professional" image rendered somewhere else, and have, IMO, a nice texture and looks something like real. I dont need the "dirt" appearance, but a clean one.

The second image is my model, and the difference between them is obvious.

I need to achieve the same result as the first image.

Please, someone could give me some tips or point me tutorials where I could learn how to get the same quality of the first image ?

I also tryed uysing Vray renderer, and got this result :



But the image gets "poor", I dont know how to set Vray to get a "wow" image like the ones I see everywhere.

I cant have the latest 3dsmax and Vray versions, all I have is what the company gave me to work, and they really cant spend one more dollar in softwares.

Any help will be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

You need to learn about UV mapping and the material editor in 3D Studio Max. The basic steps are:

1. create model (done)
2. apply texture coordinates
3. paint a texture or alter a photo image to fit over the coordinates
4. create a material in the 3DS material editor (which includes your texture) and apply it to the model
5. render
(There are many many options for materials within the material editor; some are procedural.)

Also, to improve your render without or in addition to UV mapping (or texture coordinates) and a texture map, you should adjust the "normal" value on the polygons/faces that make the ridges or threads of the screw. You need to select the faces that make the thread and edit the mesh normal values-- perhaps 20 or so. It looks like the normal value is above 30 which is "smoothing" them out. Also, when you make your material you will need a high "specular" value; this will make your object shine more like metal and less like flat paint.

A detailed answer is beyond the scope of a forum post. Again, you must set out to learn about the UV coordinate/texture coordinate application and material editor first. As for rendering-- for real time rendering you'll need access to good shaders. For pre-rendered images as you've displayed, you'll need to put that on the back burner until you get the other stuff sorted out. You can't judge the render too much without coordinates and a map. 3D Studio Max is a quality program very capable of producing an image like the first one. The web is full of tutorials for this sort of thing. A quick google search will get you started. Good luck.

Thankyou for your reply, Vertex.

Yes, something like this goes much beyond of a forum post.

I also searched a lot in google, and found lots of tuts and resources about this, and finally, I got a better result :



But, its still far from what I need.

The main problem on UV mapping this thing, its I hace to model 120 different parts in 30 days

Its so important to me that I´m now for 2 complete days & nights working on it.

With this, I think that using a Vray material would do the task, I just dont know how to work with it. All I did by now was set a Vray scene & lights, and try different materials downloaded from the web and see the result.

well, I think this will be very very difficult

Maybe you can speed things up while using procedural textures. I dont have any clue about 3ds max, but in Lightwave or Modo I can use procedural textures and can layer them that way, that I can fake noise, dirt, bumps and structure. That way it can look very photo-realistic as well. Some gradients can also help to add additional effects.

go to http://www.turbosquid.com

load some max files for screw | bolt | spike ... what ever...

Then the secret TIP!

Look in the "settings" that these people use.

Play with it

and you need not V-Ray for this

maybe a bit more gloss .. and a thinner specular
the environment could be HDRi with environment image.. or something.. to break the tone