|
Contents
Introduction MaxMounts is a MaxScript for creating realistic mountains in 3ds Max, in a single click. Several tweakable parameters have been provided to get an infinite variety. MaxMounts is not a simple random noise modifier on a plane, it is a sophisticated algorithm for generating realistic mountain models. Script includes readymade procedural textures. The script also has an Enviornment creation function to create Sky, Sun and Clouds with correct colors depending on the Sun's position in the sky. All the renders in this help document were done with Max's default Scanline renderer. With this script you also get sample texture maps, full support and one free upgrade.
Feature List Current version has these features:
|
 |
Running the Script
Supported versions are 3ds Max 9 or above. It may or may not run properly in lower versions.
Simply drag the script file into 3ds Max. Or click on menu MaxScript->Run Scriptand select this script. No installation is needed.
The script can be placed anywhere, but its most convinient to copy it in your default scripts directory. If you wish to launch this help from the script, keep this htm file in the same folder as that of the script.
Quick Start
Its that easy.
But to see the script in full action:
Try creating a few more mountains. You will never get the same mountain again, it creates a unique one each time, so if you like a particular mountain save it.
Mountain Presets
Mostly for some scenes you don't need to adjust anything, but if you need a particular kind of mountain, you can quickly create one using a Preset. These presets are available at the moment:
In this version there is no Save/Load Preset functions yet. But they will be there in next version.
|
Default
|
Hill
|
|
Plateau
|
Volcano
|
|
Piller
|
Low Poly
|
Mountain Parameters
If you are still not satisfied with the Preset mountains, go ahead and unleash your creativity, tweak the parameters to get what you want.
Height : Sets the height of the mountain peak.
|
Height = 200 |
Height = 500 |
Height = 750 |
Steepness : Sets the steepness of the mountain
|
Steep = 75 |
Steep = 85 |
Steep = 97 |
Flatness of top : Lets you flatten the top or make it extra steep or make it a crater instead.
|
Flat = 0.9 |
Flat = 1.3 |
Flat = 1.8 |
Expense : More or less expensive mountains or bigger or smaller in horizontal size (At constant height)
|
Expense = 60 |
Expense = 100 |
Expense = 300 |
Roughness 1 : Controls the basic shape of the mountain. Higher values gives a more twisty and rough mountain and low ones give a much smoother one.
|
Rough1 = 0 |
Rough1 = 60 |
Rough1 = 100 |
Roughness 2 : Controls the details on the mountain.
|
Rough2 = 0 |
Rough2 = 30 |
Rough2 = 80 |
Ridges : Although this parameter is called Ridges, it actually controls the number of sides a mountain has. E.g. with 3 Ridges you will get a tetrahedral mountain, with 4 you get a pyramidal. More Ridges will make it conical and also make it heavy in terms of polys.
|
Ridge = 3 |
Ridge = 5 |
Ridge = 8 |
Detail levels : Controls how much detail you want on the mountain, this is actual geometry not the bump map. A value of 0 gives you no details at all and anything over 3 will probably crash your 3ds Max.
|
Detail = 0 |
Detail = 2 |
Detail = 3 |
Roughness extent : Determines up to what height the rough terrain goes. A high value will make the whole mountain jaggy and rough and a low value will make only the peak jaggy
|
Rough Ext = 0.5 |
Rough Ext = 1.3 |
Rough Ext = 2.5 |
Roughness scale : Controls whether the bumps are finer or bolder on the geometry.
|
Rough Scale = 0.5 |
Rough Scale = 2.0 |
Rough Scale = 8.0 |
Optimize : Same as 3ds Max Optimize modifier. It will optimize the mesh.
|
Opt = 2 |
Opt = 5 |
Opt = 10 |
Vertical segments : The number of "steps" from top to bottom. More of these means more detailed mountain and more polys too.
|
VSeg = 2 |
VSeg = 4 |
VSeg = 16 |
Mountain Materials
MaxMounts provides three kinds of preset materials. After creation, these materials are placed in 3ds Max Material Editor, where you can tweak them further, if needed and assign your own textures etc. Some example textures are provided with this script in a folder named MaxMounts Textures.
The names of the materials are self explanatory.
|
Snow Rock Grass |
Snow Rock |
Top Bottom |
Enviornment
This is a little value addition to the script and is very useful for quickly setting a scene.
Sun : Check this checkbox to enable Sun. It creates an Omni light with shadow maps and with an Inverse falloff. The color of Sunlight is controlled by how high the Sun is in the Sky. You can also set the color by clicking on the swatch next to this checkbox and override the auto color. Another Omni light is also created to simulate the glow of the sky. Its intensity is auto set based on Angle of the Sun.
Angle : This spinner specifies the angle of the Sun in degrees above the horizon. At 0 degree it is at the horizon (Z = 0) and at 90 degrees it is exactly overhead (X=Y=0).
Sky : Check this checkbox to enable Skydome creation. It creates a hemispherical dome with flipped polys and assigns a procedural map to it. You can find that map in the material editor. There are three swatches besides this checkbox for assigning the high, mid and low altitude colors to the Sky. The Sun Angle setting will auto set the colors for you, but in case you want to override them set the colors manually here or after creation, in the material editor.
The Lock button : It toggles the link between Sun Angle and colors of Sun, Sky and Clouds. Click it to set everything by hand.
Clouds : Enables the cloudy/clear sky. You can tweak the clouds in material editor. They are simply the built in noise functions in 3ds Max.
Camera : Creates a Target Camera, so that you don't have to ;-). The placement of camera is only approximate and you will get a good shot only with default settings, so place it in a good position if you have used your own settings.
Please note that whenever you create a new Enviornment, the old Enviornment is deleted.(If any)
|
Angle = 0 |
Angle = 15 |
Angle = 30 |
Angle = 60 Angle = 90 No Clouds
Sun Set Sun Rise Noon
Night Moon Lit User Textures
About MaxMounts
|
MaxMounts Version 1.0 (c) Oormi Creations 2010, All rights reserved. |
 |
Contact and Support
For any bug reports, requests or queries please contact on oormicreations@gmail.com
One upgrade of this script is free for registered users. To get the free upgrades simply send an Email with your name and location for registration.
Full support for registered users will be provided via Email or GTalk.
Customization requests are most welcome. So if you need extra features in this script for your project please contact with full requirements.
