What you'll learn

Learn an essential workflow to rendering with mental ray and techniques for fully utilizing the tools available inside 3ds Max to save time and see better results. Contains over 2 hours of project-based training for artists new to mental ray and experienced artists seeking a refresher. Popular highlights include: mental ray Overview; Global Illumination Workflow; Final Gather Workflow; Caustics Workflow; Emitting GI Photons from Light Sources; Photon Energy and Decay Parameters; Controlling Final Gather Accuracy; Adding Secondary Final Gather Bounces; Mixing Final Gather and Global Illumination; Saving and Reusing Lighting Data; Image-based Lighting; HDR Exposure Controls; Emitting Caustic Photons from Lights; Optimizing Caustic Photon Use; Subsurface Scattering Shader; Ambient Occlusion Shader; mental ray Architectural Material; Utilizing the Material Editor; Contour Line Rendering; Using Render Elements; Scene States; Compositing Rendered Passes. Software required: 3ds Max 2009 and up. Software required: 3ds Max 2009 and up (required to open project files).