Material Combinations: Using Blend to Create a Floor Material

Set up the scene:

• Continue from the previous lesson, or open the file, kitchen_with_brick.max located in the \tutorials\designviz folder.

  Note: If you see the File Load: Units Mismatch dialog, choose the option Adopt The File's Unit Scale. This will change your system unit, so be sure to reset your system unit after completing this tutorial.

Setting Texture Coordinates Preferences:

1. From the Customize menu, choose Preferences.

2. In the General tab, under the Texture Coordinates group, make sure the Use Real-World Texture Coordinates option is turned off.

   

3. Click OK to exit the Preferences dialog.

Create the floor material:

1. In the Material Editor, select an unused sample slot.

2. In the material name field, enter Floor Tile.

3. Click the Material Type button to the right of the material name field. (Initially, its label says “Standard.”)

4. In the Material/Map Browser, double-click Blend in the list.

   A Replace Material dialog is displayed.

5. Choose Discard Old Material, and then click OK.

   Like the Multi/Sub-Object material, a Blend material is a container for other materials. The Multi/Sub-Object material apportions sub-materials among different sub-objects. The Blend material, on the other hand, blends the colors and other attributes of its sub-materials. You can also control the amount and the method of blending.

Configure the sub-materials:

1. On the Material Editor toolbar, open the Material/Map Navigator.

   The Material/Map Navigator is a dialog that shows the components of the material in the active sample slot. For complex materials such as Blend, it can help you to visualize and navigate the material hierarchy.

   

   Note: The Navigator is one way to move about the hierarchy of a complex material. Another is to use the Go To Parent and Go Forward To Sibling buttons on the Material Editor toolbar.

2. In the Material/Map Navigator, click Material 1.

3. In the material name field of the Material Editor, rename this material Grout.

4. In the Material/Map Navigator, click Material 2.

5. In the material name field of the Material Editor, rename this material Tile Surface.

   Sub-material names are automatically updated in the Material/Map Navigator.

Set the texture and color of the grout:

1. In the Material/Map Navigator, choose the Grout material.

2. In the Material Editor > Blinn Basic Parameters rollout, click the blank map button to the right of the Diffuse color swatch.

   

   The map button is the gray square to the right of the diffuse color swatch.

3. In the Material/Map Browser, double-click Noise in list.

   This applies a Noise map as a texture for the Grout material.

4. In Noise Parameters rollout, change the Size to 3, and choose Turbulence as the Noise Type.

   This gives the Grout material a grainy texture, as you can see in the sample slot if you turn off Show End Result in the Material Editor toolbar.

   • When the Show End Result button is on, the final result of the top-level material is shown on the sample sphere.

     

     Show End Result turned on - Background turned on for clarity.

   • When Show End Result is off, you are shown only the material level you are working on. That way it is easier to view your adjustments to a specific map.

     

     Show End Result turned off.

5. In the Noise Parameters rollout, click the Color #1 color swatch (black by default).

6. In the Color Selector, change Color#1 to R=232, G=219, B=197.

7. In the Noise Parameters rollout, click the Color #2 color swatch (white by default).

8. In the Color Selector, change Color#2 to R=196, G=170, B=159.

9. Close the Color Selector.

Add a bump pattern to the grout:

1. In the Material/Map Navigator, choose the Grout material.

   Previously, the Noise map was active.

   Note: You can also click the Go to Parent button to move up one level to the Grout material.

2. Go to the Utilities panel. Click Asset Browser. Answer OK to the warning dialog, and then resize the Asset Browser window so you can see both the Browser controls and the Material Editor.

3. In the Asset Browser, navigate to the \tutorials\designviz folder.

4. In the Material Editor, open the Maps rollout for the Grout material.

5. Drag the file glasblkb.gif (the image looks like a tile pattern) from the Asset Browser to the blank (“None”) Bump map button in the Material Editor. Release the mouse.

   

   The image in glasblkb.gif

   

   The Maps rollout with glasblkb.gif assigned to the Bump map button

   Just as you can search for geometry models, you can use the Asset Browser to find bitmap files and use them in the scene. The Asset Browser also gives you the freedom to search for models and bitmaps anywhere on your local hard drives or across the Internet.

6. Minimize the Asset Browser.

7. In the Material Editor > Maps rollout, change the Bump map’s Amount to 50.

   The Grout material now has a grid-like bumpiness.

   

Set the texture and color of the tile surfaces:

1. In the Material/Map Navigator, choose the Tile Surface material.

2. On the Material Editor toolbar, click to turn off Show End Result.

3. In the Material Editor > Blinn Basic Parameters rollout, click the blank map button to the right of the Diffuse color swatch.

   

   The map button is the gray square to the right of the diffuse color swatch.

4. In the Material/Map Browser, double-click Noise in list.

   This applies a Noise map as a texture for the Tile Surface material.

5. In the Noise Parameters rollout, change the Size to 10.

6. In the Noise Parameters rollout, click the Color #1 color swatch. (Black by default.)

7. In the Color Selector, change Color#1 to R=220, G=197, B=181.

8. In the Noise Parameters rollout, click the Color #2 color swatch. (White by default.)

9. In the Color Selector, change Color#2 to R=162, G=132, B=111.

10. Close the Color Selector.

    The tile surface is also “noisy” or rough, and somewhat darker than the grout.

Change the shininess and bumpiness of the tile surfaces:

1. In the Material/Map Navigator, choose the Tile Surface material.

   Previously, the Noise map was active.

2. In the Blinn Basic Parameters, go to the Specular Highlights group. Change the Specular Level to 15. Leave Glossiness set to 10.

3. In the Maps rollout, click the Bump map button.

4. In the Material/Map Browser, double-click Noise in the list.

5. In the Noise Parameters rollout, change the Size to 1.

6. Click Go To Parent.

   This takes you to the parent Tile Surface material. The highlight in the Navigator indicates the change.

7. In the Maps rollout, change the Amount for the bump map to 15.

Combine the two materials by using a mask:

The Blend material now has two sub-materials, Grout and Tile Surface. You will use a bitmap file as a mask to combine them.

1. In the Material/Map Navigator, choose Floor Tile (Blend).

   This is the top level of the material. The Blend Basic Parameters rollout shows the two component sub-materials.

   

2. Restore the Asset Browser.

3. Drag the file glasblkb.gif from the Asset Browser to the Mask button on the Blend Basic Parameters rollout.

4. Minimize the Asset Browser.

Rename the mask:

1. On the Blend Basic Parameters rollout, click the Mask button.

2. In the material name field, rename the mask map Grout Lines.

Adjust the blending:

1. In the Material/Map Navigator, select the Floor Tile (Blend) material.

   

   Floor Tile, the blend material, is the top material in the tree.

   The Navigator now shows all component materials and maps of the Floor Tile material.

2. In the Blend Basic Parameters rollout > Mixing Curve group, turn on Use Curve.

3. Change the Transition Zone Upper amount to 1.0 and the Lower amount to 0.0.

   This gives a crisp appearance to the grooves.

Apply the material to the floor:

1. In the viewport, select the Floor object.

2. In the Material Editor, click Assign Material To Selection.

Assign coordinates to the floor:

1. With the Floor still selected, go to the Modify panel.

2. Open the drop-down Modifier List and choose UVW Map.

   This guarantees that the floor has mapping coordinates the Floor Tile material can use, and gives you a means to adjust them. You will need to, as the following steps demonstrate.

Render the scene:

• On the toolbar, click Quick Render.

  The floor has a tiled appearance, but the tiles are far too large.

  

  You will correct the tile size in the following lesson.

Save your work:

• On the menu bar, choose File > Save As. Name your design mykitchen_with_tile_floor.max.

  You can use this file in the following lesson.