Version 0.7 Last Modified 29th July 2002
Applying Surface Properties to Polygons
To apply surface properties to polygons in 3DSMax, it is necessary to apply smoothing groups to the polygons on your object.
Smoothing groups are modifiable through the "Smooth" modifier, or the "Edit_Mesh" modifier in Sub-Object "Face" or "Polygon". At the bottom of the control menu is the smoothing group editing panel. Its basically a panel of 32 number buttons which you can push down or push up. Beneath the numbered panel you will see a "Clear All" button, this is the first thing to do for any object you make as MAX often automatically assigns smoothing groups to the objects. It is essential then that all these automatic SG's are cleared, otherwise very strange things may start to happen to your models. To clear the auto assigments select all the polygons in your model (with Edit Mesh) and then press the "Clear All" button. You may also notice that your object becomes faceted when you remove all the smoothing groups, these facets will only be carried into Re-volt if you apply ENV mapping to your object with -ali and then only if you don't apply another smoothing group first.
Lets say you wanted to make a group of polygons into grass, open up the Smoothing Group Definitions and find out the Smoothing Group for Grass, it will be 16 for -morph and 12 for -ali, choose whichever is appropriate for the method your using (either -ali or -morph; you can't mix these switches). Now select those polygons that should be affected and press the appropriate number button down on your Smoothing Group Panel. If you try to select more than one surface type for a polygon selection, Max will allow it, but the ASE tools will always choose the highest smoothing group value should two surface properties be applied, or two transparencies for that matter.
You can as you would expect mix Smoothing Groups that have different functions, for example:
-ali polygon e.g. = 12,31 SG's applied.. Makes a polygon Grass, and Double Sided
-morph polygon e.g. = 16,24,31 SG's applied.. Makes a polygon Grass, 33% transparent, and Double Sided