1.4.1.2 Materials

1.4.1.2.1 Glass


Start of with a Standard-Blinn, Diffuse and Ambient locked together, and select the color of the glass. For Specular Level and Glossiness choose some high values like 110/70. Check 2-Sided. Under the Extended Parameters tab at Index Of Refraction (IOR) input 1.56. This is the Glass IOR. Here you will find a list with other IOR's. Under the Maps tab, in the Refraction slot choose VRayMap. Here select Refract, and play with the parameters, especially Filter Color and Fog Color.

1.4.1.2.2 Gold

For gold, start with a Standard-Metal. The Ambient color is dark green, Diffuse color is a goldish yellow. Specular Level and Glossiness at close values, something like 75-80. Under the Maps tab, in the Specular slot put a b/w bitmap resembling metal scratches. The value of the slot is something like 20-30. At Bump, same map, but with a value of 5-7, considering it's a polished object.

At Reflection slot choose a simple Falloff. In the second slot put a VRayMap, select Reflect and with a very light Filter Color.

1.4.1.2.3 Marble

The marble on the main sphere is standard Max, Stones_Benedeti, and the one on the stand is Stones_Traverti, with the exception that in the Reflection slot it has a VRayMap with Reflect selected and with Filter Color very close to black, but retaining some reflectivity. Also check Glossy, as the reflection on marble is somewhat blurry. The values I used are 250 for Glossiness and 25 for Subdivs.

1.4.2. V-Ray Enviroment

Select Rendering > Render.

Make sure V-Ray is selected as the default renderer, and click on the Environment slot. There check Override MAX's, and click on Map.

Select VRayHDRI Map.

Here we notice that we can select the type of HDRI map. We have Angular Map (standard format for HDR files, the one that looks like a sphere) and Spherical Environment (we used it for our HDR map in the Longitude/Latitude format). This choice can seem to make HDRShop redundant. Redundant but not so. Here we have some images rendered with the two formats. The first one is rendered with the original rnl_probe in Light Probe format, with Map Type set to Angular, and the second one is rendererd using padure.hrd(longitude/latitude format) with Map Type set to Spherical Environment. In my opinion, the second one looks a lot better. You've set the Environment from Vray, now hit Render to test it and if all ok, Render the final version.

1.4.2. Brazil Enviroment

Now this is another story, which will be covered in depth in the second part of this tutorial. You will not be able to render properly now, because you've used a number of vraymaps and vraymaterials which are not compatible with Brazil r/s. If you want to render with Brazil, just make a new set of materials, using either standard materials or Brazil's own(i recomend using Brazil's, it's faster and they are REALLY good). final version. Now let me tell you how to set the environment using Brazil.

In Rendering>Render make sure Brazil is selected as the current renderer, open the Brazil Luma Server slot, check Skylight under Direct Illumination and check Enabled and Skylight at Indirect Illumination. In the SkyLight section if you check Use Environment Settings you will use the Environment Map you made earlier. If not you can put a map in the slot next to Color, and redo the steps you took when you made the Environment Map.

1.5. Conclusion

This concludes the first part of this tutorial. It covers MOST things you should know about IBL and HDRI, but it focuses on V-Ray. The second part will probably be more like an addendum, helping you make the materials in Brazil, and helping you select the right parameters.

For more info you can find me in this forum using the nick Azra, or email me.

I would love to hear your opinions, corrections and see your final images. Enjoy!