My latest Art Project

[Robbie]

Yup...3d Studio Max 2008...Mental Ray is my renderer...and I'm using the Architectural & Design Materials.

Here's an update for tonight...I'm goin to bed...will probably model the sundial and the latitude adjustment indicator tomorrow and MAYBE get the etching for the sundial parts done...then I gotta add screws.

Render time 4:36 minutes...its gonna go up a lot though once I increase the samples and add Global Illumination, caustics, and final gather.

[Robbie]

I lied...I did a little more modelling before bed...NOW I'm going to bed for real.

Tomorrow I'll do the etchings and finish up the actual scene.

[ravells]

Really beautiful! I wish I could make 3d models like that!

Ravs

[töff]

Are you using a displace for your compass face? What's your mesh density?

wish I could make 3d models like that!

You can, if you invest a jaquillion hours learning Max.

[Robbie]

Nope, just a carefully crafted bump map...I used a combination of diffuse color and bump map with motion blurred noise in various different directions to create the metal material...I can share the material with you if you'd like it?

In the meantime, this morning I did the sundial face etching and applied it. Now I need to do the etching for the latitude adjustment guide and add the compass needle stopper, and the hinge for the sundial face...the screws, and some other minor details...Of course I've dedicated this to the Cartographers' Guild

[Robbie]

forgot to mention my mesh density...its not very high at all...I'm relying on some of the new mental ray shader effects to do most of the work...for example, I have absolutely no modelled in chamfered edges...all my edge chamfering is done with the rounded edges mr_A&D shader effect. It even has a blend with other materials option, so I can create a clean merge between two pieces of geometry just by overlapping them...which you can see where the compass housing merges into the compass base, and also where the little cylinders that hold the gnomon in place merge with the sundial face.

Here's a screenshot of my workspace and a high resolution render of the current model. As you can tell, its not really that dense except for the number of segments on all the circular pieces...none of the chamfering is modelled which really makes things easier to work with.

Also from this high res, the bump map on the glass is a bit too intense...gonna have to reconsider it.

[töff]

absolutely no modelled in chamfered edges

I noticed those. They're a great touch! I almost asked how you had modelled them.

my mesh density...its not very high at all...

Doesn't need to be, the way you're doing it. Dense meshes are a soak of resources. I don't have a nice enough compy to do anything with them.

chamfering is done with the rounded edges mr_A&D shader effect. It even has a blend with other materials option, so I can create a clean merge between two pieces

That sure is handy! Obviously there's quite a bit I need to explore in the new Max.