Part 6 – The 3DS Max Daylight System

Daylight System, the Fast Environment

OK, now that we have set up one of our models, let’s quickly get a nice looking environment created.

1. Create a new scene by pressing the new button  in the upper left corner of the screen 
2. Xref your STR-RACK-01.max scene by pressing the File button > References > Xref Scene > browse to STR-RACK-01.max
3. Create a ground plane. Click Create > Geometry > Plane and drag your test plane out so the it is larger than the STR-RACK-01 model.  Create a simple white material that will be the ground for now.

1. Create a daylight system. Click Create > Systems > Daylight and drag the compass out so that it is an acceptable size for you (The compass size has no bearing on the environment lighting.).  When you release the mouse button, the Daylight System will create the sun light.  Simply move your mouse to adjust the height of the light.  The height of the light from the ground plane is irrelevant, however the angle is.

1. Click Yes on the Exposure Control dialog box
2. In the modify tab, change Daylight001’s Sunlight and Skylight options to Mr Sun and Mr Sky respectively.
3. You will be prompted to add a mr Sky Environment map, click Yes

Your scene should now look something like this.

1. Adjust your scenes light appropriately.  You can choose to position the light by location/time of day or manually position it by selecting the Manual radio button.
2. If you choose location/time of day – be sure your compass is facing the right direction.

• Part 1 - Asking the Right Questions
• Part 2 - Grate Expectations
• Part 3 - Exporting and Importing to 3DS Max
• Part 4 - Delete AutoCAD block objects in 3DS Max
• Part 5 - The Material Library
• Part 6 - The 3DS Max Daylight System
• Part 7 - Viewport Lighting