Artist q&A
Your CG problems solvedOptiMAl intErActivity
Keep your distribution object simple. Using a highly fragmented mesh will slow down
interactivity quite considerably whilst editing. Choose ticks or dots for your Viewport
Display in the Particle Array Basic Parameters>Viewport Display to keep display
regeneration optimal.
ExpErt tip
01
crEAtE thE
diStributiOn ObJEct
Make a simple polygon object in the
form of the bush you wish to create. The
faces of this polygon will later be used to
distribute leaves so any faces not seen
could be deleted. To make the object
invisible at render time, right-click on the
screen, open the Object Properties and
un-tick Renderable.02
MAkE thE
pArticlE ObJEct
Create a simple leaf form as a flat-planed
polygon with as little faces as possible.
Add a UVW modifier and collapse back
down to an editable poly.
Then under the Editable Poly Selection
parameters, copy the object into different
positions and rotations to finally create a
small cluster of leaves.03
tExturE yOur lEAvES
Create a new Gradient Ramp
texture with Linear selected for Gradient
Type and Interpolation, and with Explicit
Map Channel selected as the Texture
under Coordinates.
Aim to make the far ends of the
gradient ramp a light-green colour that
fades to a darker colour towards the
middle. Then apply this material to your
leaf cluster.04
SEt up pArticlE ArrAy
Under the Geometry list select
Particle Systems and then PArray. Drag
an icon onto the screen. Under Basic
Parameters select Pick Object and select
the distribution object from the scene.
Scroll down to Particle Type and select
Instanced Geometry. Scroll down
further to Instancing Parameters
and Pick Object and then select the
leaf cluster in the scene. In Mat’l
Mapping and Source click on Get
Material From with Instanced
Geometry selected. In Particle
Generation, select Use Total and
put in a figure of around 15,000.
Under Particle Timing change
Emit stop to 0 and alter the
size to around 0.02mm. Scroll
to Rotation and Collision>
Spin Speed Controls,
put in 100 for Phase and
Variation and add a value
to the Axis controls.StEp by StEp USe PArTiCle ArrAy TO CreATe TOPiAry
In order to help ensure optimum
performance with your computer’s
hardware limitations, here’s a way to keep
things moderately under control using
Particle Array in 3ds Max. This method
references a single object and copies
it over a chosen target object, allowing
variants in its size, rotation and position.
Because the object creates instances
of itself, the computer will only make
calculations for that one single object
when recalling all the copies into the
viewport or at render time. Let’s apply this
method to creating topiary bushes.
Here we have created some detailed topiary shrubbery without
causing too much strain on our computer’s hardware