Creating Volumetric Clouds - Part 1

Level: Advanced
Recorded in: 3ds Max 2011
Files used: http://areadownloads.autodesk.com/wdm/3dsmax/HTM-DFX_3D-clouds.zip
Decription: This movie shows you one way of simulating 3D clouds. It relies on a combination of particles and judicious material management. This first part shows you how to set up your particle system to get interesting cloud concentration.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Autodesk
• 3d
• 3ds
• max
• design
• tutorial
• howto
• how
• to
• Particles
• PFlow

[LesiureBoy]

how the hell do u know so much and remember so much?

[3dsMaxHowTos]

@LesiureBoy as the saying says: "practice makes perfect" :)

[LucaZecchi]

Hi, i ran into a slight problem using 3ds max 2012... when i generate a standard material, i generate a noise map, i attach it to the box but then the particles won't change. i tried varying all the noise map's parameters, but still nothing whatsoever. what's the problem here? i even tried using other XYZ maps but it still doesn't work...

Thanks in advance

[3dsMaxHowTos]

@LucaZecchi how did you apply the material to the particle system? You cannot apply it the usual way, into the viewport. You have to use a material operator in the Particle View, either a Material Static operator, or a Material Dynamic operator if the material (noise) is animated. Even then, you may need to refresh the operator by turning it off and on in order to see the material in the viewport.

Hope it helps.

[lolgametime]

You're the best!

[3dsMaxHowTos]

@lolgametime thank you, glad you enjoyed the tutorial :)

Cheers.

[LucaZecchi]

@3dsMaxHowTos (part 2) but if use the same characteristics on your material the whole thing doesn't work anymore. the particles fill up the box in an almost homogeneous way, instead of a "cloudy" silouhette. how can i set my noise map as a parameter for the material's noise (to achieve the cloudy effect) but with your kind of clouds?

[LucaZecchi]

@3dsMaxHowTos thanks man i made it! i've got another question though: i loved the way you rendered clouds so i downloaded your project and saved the material onto my computer, but when i apply it to my project's material operator, the particles won't change like the noise map does. basically, if i render (all within the same project) a noise map with the same characteristics you used in the video, it all turns out fine, all the particles render in a cloudy-esque manner. (part 1)

[hexsoap111]

after watching almost all the tutorials in your channel, I realized I really don't know much about 3ds max lol

[eclectique]

@LucaZecchi

you need to turn on the "density by material" checkbox in the position object rollout

i also had to set the size of the noise map really high (500) in my case to see the effect

after i did both of those it works for me in max 2012