topic Disabling shading in 3ds Max Forum

Disabling shading

Anonymous — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 19:12:37 GMT

Hello. I am trying to render a scene in which there are multiple shapes with wireframe materials. Is there a way to disable the default shading. By shading, I mean shapes appearing darker in areas depending on their angle. I am trying to save an image with an alpha background and this is, unfortunately, leaving an undesired effect on the finished render.

Thank you

Re: Disabling shading

Daf — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 20:00:17 GMT

Hi,

You don't mention whether you have lights or what renderer so the solution below is for standard material, standard light and scanline render.

The shading your seeing is actually shadow - whether default lights or scene lights. To remove any shading select your light and in the Advanced settings check Ambient Only. This will give you a "Flat Shading" which is what it sounds like you are asking for.

Probably the same effect regardless of material, light or renderer should you be using something other than above.

Daf

Re: Disabling shading

Anonymous — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 20:11:46 GMT

Sorry for leaving out these details.

I am using standard materials and mental ray as the renderer. I have not added any lighting to the scene.

Thanks.

Re: Disabling shading

Daf — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 20:23:34 GMT

Easy enough then. Add a standard light - can add anywhere, doesn't matter - in the Advanced settings check Ambient Only. Do a render and it should be flat (no shading). I don't have MR any more so if for some reason it doesn't work that way with MR try the scanline render.

Daf

Re: Disabling shading

Anonymous — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 20:43:39 GMT

Unfortunately, it does not work. I added the lighting, checked Ambient Only. Now, some parts of the scene appear lit while others do not. It looks as if half of the image is dark while the other half is lit. This is happening with both mental ray and the default scanline renderer. The reason I have not attached any screenshots is that this is an important project and I cannot share it. I will create another scene and attach screenshots because it will better show what's happening.

Re: Disabling shading

Daf — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 21:34:38 GMT

If you have multiple objects you want to go into each object properties (right click object) and disable shadows. I was using a single object as test.

Re: Disabling shading

Anonymous — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 22:10:50 GMT

By disable shadows, you mean to uncheck receive/cast shadows, right?

I have done this for all the objects and some objects appear lit while others do not. It seems like the position of the light is having an effect on this.

This truly is a strange problem.

Tomorrow I will create a scene and share screenshots. Thank you.