Material Components

Iray for 3ds Max provides a number of approaches for creating and using materials. Material Libraries are provided as a simple means by which to add fully-realised, complex materials.

Another approach provides example material components in our Iray+ Material, which supports a more generalised starting point based on non-specific practical types of material (such as Rubber, Gel, ThinFilm etc). These High-Level Components can be quickly worked into your own complex material based on our Material Structure layer concept.

These High-Level Components are based on Low-Level Components. These are the basis of all materials in Iray, describing the fundamental physical properties behind every material and the effect of light on them. One low-level component can be used to create a set of high-level components. Each high-level component is, effectively, an instance of a low-level component with a different set of parameter values.

When you construct a material, you will use high-level components as a starting point. The low-level components are referenced in this documentation as a method of showing the shared parameters and flexibility that these have.

Structure

At its simplest, an Iray+ Material must contain a Geometry layer and a Base layer. Optionally, you can add Decal, Surface, and Coating layers on top of these, in any order, to add complexity.

Geometry

Geometry refers to the underlying structure of every material. At this level, some fundamental characteristics of your material can be defined:

• Opacity: set an overall opacity value for the material or add a map to define opaque and transparent regions of the material.
• Displacement: set the displacement amount or add a map to define the affected regions:
  • Displacement amount may have a positive or negative value. At render time, a positive value offsets geometry in the direction of the smoothed surface normal; a negative value offsets geometry in the opposite direction.
  • When adding a map, grayscale values modulate the displacement amount. Regions mapped with white are offset by the full displacement amount; black regions have no offset. Some maps can return negative values which reverse the displacement direction.
✱  Note: A material's displacement amount is clamped by the Max Displacement. For more detail, see Object Properties.
• Corner Radius: soften the edges of corners without having to alter geometry. Most real-world objects do not have perfectly sharp corners. You can only use either a Normal Map or Corner Radius on a Geometry layer. However, you can also combine Normal maps on other layer types with Corner Radius enabled on the Geometry layer.
• Normal: set a bump map to simulate surface detail and control the intensity and orientation of the effect.

Emission

• On: toggle Emission on or off without losing chosen settings.
• Use Profile: add a photometric/IES file to define characteristics of the emission. (Note: you cannot use an IES profile in conjunction with a textured emission map.)
• Template: choose from a dropdown list of common lighting types with fixed, accurate values.
• Lighting Type: choose common lighting types with manual control over intensity and tint.
• Custom: control temperature and intensity parameters manually:
  • Color Temperature: specify color temperature in Kelvin.
  • Tint: specify a color value or textured emission map to act as a 'gel' or projection in front of the light.
✱ Note: IES/Photometric profiles are not compatible with textured emission.
• Intensity:
  • Lumens: define intensity value in Lumens - the intensity is absolute, regardless of the size of the geometry.
  • Lux: define intensity value in Lux - the intensity is based on Power per Unit Area, and so takes account of the size of the geometry.

Base

Base is the core component for creating realistic materials as you define the basic form of the material (wood, metal, plastic, etc.).

The material examples available in the Base layer presets dropdown in the 3ds Max Material Editor provide starting points for almost any material.

High-Level Component	Low-Level Component used	Link to Component
CarbonFiber	AnisotropicDielectric	Details ▶
CeramicTiles	Dielectric	Details ▶
CeramicWhiteware	TwoLobeDielectric	Details ▶
Clay	TwoLobeDielectric	Details ▶
Cloth	Diffuse	Details ▶
CloudyGem	SubsurfaceScattering	Details ▶
ConcretePolished	Dielectric	Details ▶
ConcreteRough	Dielectric	Details ▶
Diamond	PhysicalTransparent	Details ▶
Gel	PearlescentSSS	Details ▶
Glass	PhysicalTransparent	Details ▶
GlassDispersion	PhysicalTransparent	Details ▶
GlassFrosted	PhysicalTranslucent	Details ▶
GlassThin	ThinwallTransparent	Details ▶
Glossy	Dielectric	Details ▶
Lampshade	DiffuseTransmission	Details ▶
Leather	TwoLobeDielectric	Details ▶
Masonry	Dielectric	Details ▶
Matte	Diffuse	Details ▶
Metal	Conductor	Details ▶
MetalBrushed	AnisotropicConductor	Details ▶
MetalPolished	AnisotropicConductor	Details ▶
MetalSatin	AnisotropicConductor	Details ▶
Mirror	SpecularReflection	Details ▶
Paper	Diffuse	Details ▶
PaperTranslucent	DiffuseTransmission	Details ▶
Plaster	Diffuse	Details ▶
PlasticOpaque	TwoLobeDielectric	Details ▶
PlasticTranslucent(FastSSS)	DiffuseSSS	Details ▶
PlasticTranslucent(SSS)	SubsurfaceScattering	Details ▶
PlasticTransparent	PhysicalTranslucent	Details ▶
Rubber	Dielectric	Details ▶
Satin	WovenAnisotropic	Details ▶
Skin	MultiLayeredSSS	Details ▶
Stone	Diffuse	Details ▶
StonePolished	Dielectric	Details ▶
Velvet	Backscattering	Details ▶
Water	PhysicalTransparent	Details ▶
Wax	SubsurfaceScattering	Details ▶
Wood	Dielectric	Details ▶
Woodgrain	FibreAnisotropic	Details ▶
WoodVarnished	Dielectric	Details ▶

Decal

A Decals is a sticker or image that can be applied at any level within the material hierarchy.

High-Level Component	Low-Level Component used
BrushedMetalFoil	AnisotropicConductor	Details ▶
BrushedPlastic	AnisotropicDielectric	Details ▶
Matte	Diffuse	Details ▶
MetalFoil	Conductor	Details ▶
Mirror	SpecularReflection	Details ▶
Satin	Gloss	Details ▶

Surface

A Surface layer can represent Dirt, Scratches, Rust, or other imperfections found in the real world.

High-Level Component	Low-Level Component used
DeepScratches	Diffuse	Details ▶
Dirt1	DiffuseTransmission	Details ▶
Dirt2	DiffuseTransmission	Details ▶
Dirt3	DiffuseTransmission	Details ▶
DustStreaks	DiffuseTransmission	Details ▶
DustUniform	DiffuseTransmission	Details ▶
DustVariable	DiffuseTransmission	Details ▶
HeatStainedSteel	InterferencePattern	Details ▶
LinearScratches1	Gloss	Details ▶
LinearScratches2	Diffuse	Details ▶
LinearScratches3	Gloss	Details ▶
LinearScratches4	Gloss	Details ▶
RadialScratches	Gloss	Details ▶
RustPatches	Diffuse	Details ▶
RustUniform	Diffuse	Details ▶
Verdigris	Diffuse	Details ▶

Coating

An Iray+ Material can have any number of Coating layers, representing finishes such as Varnish, Paint, or Glaze.

High-Level Component	Low-Level Component used
Anodised	Conductor	Details ▶
CeramicGlaze	Dielectric	Details ▶
Clearcoat	Dielectric	Details ▶
Flakes	GlossFlakes	Details ▶
FlipFlopPaint	Flipflop	Details ▶
Galvanised	GlossFlakes	Details ▶
GlossFinish	GlossLayer	Details ▶
GlossVarnish	Dielectric	Details ▶
HammerPaint	AnisotropicDielectric	Details ▶
MatteFinish	Diffuse	Details ▶
MatteVarnish	Dielectric	Details ▶
MetalPlating	Conductor	Details ▶
PaintEggShell	AnisotropicDielectric	Details ▶
PaintGloss	AnisotropicDielectric	Details ▶
PaintMatte	AnisotropicDielectric	Details ▶
PaintPearl	AnisotropicDielectric	Details ▶
PlasticCoating	AnisotropicDielectric	Details ▶
PowderCoating	AnisotropicDielectric	Details ▶
ThinFilm	InterferencePattern	Details ▶

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