A quick question about material

[Anonymous]

Hi. I have yet to get to the tutorials for applying materials, but I'm really in a hurry for a project I'm working on so I have no time to delve too deep into it. So I just need to clarify to make sure that if I select object A that's not attached to object B in a scene, and apply material ID to object A as #1, 2, and 3, then in object B, grouping materials by #1, 2, and 3 is independent of object A correct? If this is not the case, will I have to give object A #1, 2, and 3, then object B receive #4, 5, and 6?  

[Anonymous]

If you have one (multi-sub) material in your material editor with 3 materials, and you put this material on your object A & on your object B they will look the same.

Because even if you have material ID 4, 5 & 6 on object B, your multi-sub material has only 3 materials; 4 will be 1, 5 will be 2 and 6 will be 3.

Example:

multi-sub material:

slot 1 = black

slot 2 = red

slot 3 = yellow

Object A will look like:

material ID 1 = black

material ID 2 = red

material ID 3 = yellow

Object B will look like:

material ID 4 = black

material ID 5 = red

material ID 6 = yellow

(supposition) Object C will look like:

material ID 7 = black

material ID 9 = yellow

material ID 20 = red

[Anonymous]

Ok, I understand that part. Currently, I have many separate 3D models (objects) but also many materials in the Slate Material editor with no particular IDs (I simply apply them to the selected polygons), making things confusing for me to handle. For objects A, B, and C for example, for each materials, I have assigned materials from #1 - 5. In the slate materials, I didn't assign any ID to any of the materials (simply drag and apply). Thus far, this method of working has not had any problems, but I can't keep track of them all in one neat place. So my question is:

a) Is there a way to keep the materials and the objects (including individual polygons) they are assigned to in a neat way in 3ds Max?

b) Is it a problem to assign materials whose numbers are the same? (For example, both Material A and B is #0, and Objects A and B is also #0, but I applied Material A to Object A as 0, and Material B to Object B as 0).

Sorry if this is a bit confusing, as I am confused as well even after reading some manuals.

[Anonymous]

I don't really understand your problem to be honest. 

But do you know the "Material" modifier ? This way you can give a 3D object with this Material modifier a certain Material ID. This is what I usually do with scene's with a large amount of objects.

I have a few multi-sub-material type of materials (usually grouped by "type" of material, example: a "multi-sub-material" for wood, where you have different sorts / colours of wood, on for metal, etc. etc.)

And then you apply the particular multi-sub material to your 3D object, and on your 3D object you tweak the material ID with the "Material" modifier to have the correct material.

Does this help ? 

[Alfred.DeFlaminis]

Hello @Anonymous,

You really only need 1 multi-subobject materials with a single copy of each major material in it.  Then you apply that MSO to each model and set the material ID's to the appropriate material.  

I have a video here below I recorded for another case that had similar questions, I think it answers the majority of the problems you are having but if you have questions please let me know.  It's pretty short but it does go over material ID's and changing them as well.  Check it out!  

Best Regards,

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

Despite my initial claim that I didn't have time to delve into it, I had to dig deep anyways because that's what my project required. I was very confused for awhile because there were so many things in applying Materials to objects in 3ds Max that I didn't know how to narrow everything down.Check out my answer here: https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/3ds-max-forum/how-to-give-unwrap-uv-to-multiple-material-ids/m-p/6977...

Peace!

[Alfred.DeFlaminis]

Thanks for the information @Anonymous.  Would you consider your last post a solution to your problem?  Or, is there anything I can do to help or answer any questions you might still have?  Thanks for the information!

Best Regards,