Deconstructing the Elements with 3ds Max, 3rd Edition

       12 Mars

Introduction

In this tutorial we’ll attempt to create a planetary surface. Normally with planets, the general tendency is to simply source a diffuse map, wrap it around a sphere, add a bit of falloff, and finally render. Unfortunately, the results aren’t brill. Firstly the falloff; a fair number of people just apply it to the entire model, so even the dark side of the planet is mistakenly illuminated! Secondly the atmosphere; getting a decent density, size, and color is a difficult task, which is something we’ll tackle in this tutorial. There’s also the case of air desaturation. And last but no means least, NO BUMP MAPS!! Or stars ...