3ds Max - Controlling Texture Quality in Viewports

[#1]

In this tutorial, learn how to control the quality of viewport feedback when displaying textures and background images.

Notes

• Recorded in: 3ds Max 2016
• This tutorial is intended for use with 3ds Max version 2016 or higher.
  

Transcript

00:00:07 --> 00:00:15
In this tutorial, you take a look at controlling viewport quality, especially when it comes to textures and background images.

00:00:15 --> 00:00:18
Viewport feedback has come a long way in 3ds Max.

00:00:19 --> 00:00:28
This can be mostly seen in the relatively new "Realistic" mode where you can now display real-time feedback of textures, light effects and shadows.

00:00:29 --> 00:00:33
The scene named vp-quality.max seen here is a good example.

00:00:33 --> 00:00:40
It shows two square planes mapped with blueprints of a WWII airplane to aid with modeling.

00:00:40 --> 00:00:51
You can clearly make out the textures, shadows as seen in the top view, and AO effects in the perspective view after a refresh.

00:00:51 --> 00:00:56
This kind of feedback is mostly welcome but not always helpful.

00:00:56 --> 00:01:03
For modeling purposes as is the case here, you may opt to remove shadows from the top view for example.

00:01:03 --> 00:01:07
This can be done by disabling shadows in realistic mode, 

00:01:09 --> 00:01:13
or you can revert to the old and familiar Shaded mode.

00:01:13 --> 00:01:20
What's more significant in this case is the bitmap quality of the blueprint, if you are to use it to model.

00:01:21 --> 00:01:28
From a distance, it looks fairly reasonable, but as you zoom in, it may start to break.

00:01:30 --> 00:01:36
The Fighter Plane lines become blurry and jagged as you start looking into the details.

00:01:37 --> 00:01:43
To fix this problem with older versions of 3ds Max, you would invoke the Preferences dialog.

00:01:44 --> 00:01:54
In the Viewports tab, under Display Drivers, you would normally use the Configure Driver option to increase the quality of the bitmaps in use.

00:01:54 --> 00:01:59
This option is now grayed out when the newer Nitrous driver was introduced.

00:02:00 --> 00:02:05
This doesn't mean the option to increase quality has gone away; merely that it's been relocated.

00:02:06 --> 00:02:13
Cancel the Preferences dialog, and then click the Plus (+) sign in the top-left corner of any viewport.

00:02:14 --> 00:02:20
Choose Configure Viewports and then go to the Display Performance tab.

00:02:20 --> 00:02:24
The relocated options for image quality are in the top area.

00:02:25 --> 00:02:31
The two most important options are for Texture Maps, which are bitmaps used in material definitions,

00:02:31 --> 00:02:35
and other images you plan to use as environment backgrounds.

00:02:35 --> 00:02:39
Here you can enter the memory allocation you want to reserve for these options.

00:02:40 --> 00:02:46
The numbers that you punch in also have to do with the performance of your system and mostly your graphics card.

00:02:46 --> 00:02:57
In this case, doubling the Texture Maps value from 512 to 1024 and clicking the Apply button should yield immediate results.

00:02:58 --> 00:03:07
Conversely, bringing the value down to 256 increases video performance but bitmap quality takes a bad hit in the process.

00:03:07 --> 00:03:14
Putting too high a value may not help much with quality but may affect performance.

00:03:14 --> 00:03:25
In this case, setting the texture map value to 1024 or 2048 does not seem to make much of a difference, so it's up to you to find that sweet spot.

00:03:26 --> 00:03:31
This can also be affected by the type and resolution of bitmaps you use in the scene.

00:03:32 --> 00:03:36
The effect of viewport quality can be even more dramatic with viewport backgrounds.

00:03:37 --> 00:03:42
To demonstrate, dismiss the dialog and reset your 3ds Max scene.

00:03:44 --> 00:03:50
Using Windows Explorer, browse to the folder where you have downloaded the support files for this tutorial.

00:03:51 --> 00:03:55
Drag the monpazier.jpg image into the Perspective view.

00:03:56 --> 00:04:01
When prompted, use it both as a viewport background and an environment map.

00:04:02 --> 00:04:12
If you are in the mood for a bit of history, Monpazier is a 13th-century bastide, or fortified town in the Dordogne region in France.

00:04:12 --> 00:04:17
For a while, it was home for Eleanor of Aquitaine and Richard II of England.

00:04:17 --> 00:04:23
This particular panorama was taken at Place des Cornières, which is the very center of the marketplace.

00:04:24 --> 00:04:31
If you're ever in that area, consider visiting on a Thursday which is the day the market takes place; the experience is well worth it.

00:04:32 --> 00:04:40
Back to our project. With the camera hovering over the Perspective view, press Alt+W to maximize it.

00:04:40 --> 00:04:45
Although the panorama is spherical, it comes in as a 2D background in the viewport.

00:04:46 --> 00:04:52
Even so, you can already see that the image quality of the background leaves a lot to be desired.

00:04:53 --> 00:05:01
Hold Alt and use the middle mouse button to orbit and adjust your view. Try a test render or two.

00:05:04 --> 00:05:08
If you want, increase your render resolution for a better view.

00:05:14 --> 00:05:21
You will notice two things: First, the background image in the viewport does not respond when orbiting the view.

00:05:22 --> 00:05:28
Second, the rendered backgrounds do not match the viewport background.

00:05:28 --> 00:05:33
Again, this is because the viewport background is currently a fixed 2D image,

00:05:33 --> 00:05:39
whereas the rendering background is based on a 3D spherical environment.

00:05:39 --> 00:05:45
To set the background to match the 3D environment, press Alt+B.

00:05:45 --> 00:05:54
In the Viewport Configuration dialog > Background tab, set the background to read the Environment you set in the scene and click OK.

00:05:55 --> 00:06:00
The environment was set earlier at the same time you dragged the bitmap in the viewport.

00:06:00 --> 00:06:05
The display in the viewport changes but if anything, the quality is much worse.

00:06:06 --> 00:06:12
Again, this is something that can be adjusted by clicking the Plus (+) sign in the top left corner of the viewport.

00:06:13 --> 00:06:19
Go to Configure Viewports > Display Performance and adjust the memory allocation for the viewport background.

00:06:20 --> 00:06:25
Here, you will see a significant improvement by going from 512 to 1024,

00:06:25 --> 00:06:30
or even to 2048 if your graphics card can handle it.

00:06:33 --> 00:06:41
This time, as you exit the dialog and try orbiting around, the background will properly update the view.

00:06:51 --> 00:06:56
In a Perspective view, you can also adjust the Field-of-View, 

00:
3ds Max - Controlling Texture Quality in Viewports
 
 

 
Download Package Assets
 
 
 
 
00:00:07 --> 00:00:15
In this tutorial, you take a look at controlling viewport quality, especially when it comes to textures and background images.

00:00:15 --> 00:00:18
Viewport feedback has come a long way in 3ds Max.

00:00:19 --> 00:00:28
This can be mostly seen in the relatively new "Realistic" mode where you can now display real-time feedback of textures, light effects and shadows.

00:00:29 --> 00:00:33
The scene named vp-quality.max seen here is a good example.

00:00:33 --> 00:00:40
It shows two square planes mapped with blueprints of a WWII airplane to aid with modeling.

00:00:40 --> 00:00:51
You can clearly make out the textures, shadows as seen in the top view, and AO effects in the perspective view after a refresh.

00:00:51 --> 00:00:56
This kind of feedback is mostly welcome but not always helpful.

00:00:56 --> 00:01:03
For modeling purposes as is the case here, you may opt to remove shadows from the top view for example.

00:01:03 --> 00:01:07
This can be done by disabling shadows in realistic mode, 

00:01:09 --> 00:01:13
or you can revert to the old and familiar Shaded mode.

00:01:13 --> 00:01:20
What's more significant in this case is the bitmap quality of the blueprint, if you are to use it to model.

00:01:21 --> 00:01:28
From a distance, it looks fairly reasonable, but as you zoom in, it may start to break.

00:01:30 --> 00:01:36
The Fighter Plane lines become blurry and jagged as you start looking into the details.

00:01:37 --> 00:01:43
To fix this problem with older versions of 3ds Max, you would invoke the Preferences dialog.

00:01:44 --> 00:01:54
In the Viewports tab, under Display Drivers, you would normally use the Configure Driver option to increase the quality of the bitmaps in use.

00:01:54 --> 00:01:59
This option is now grayed out when the newer Nitrous driver was introduced.

00:02:00 --> 00:02:05
This doesn't mean the option to increase quality has gone away; merely that it's been relocated.

00:02:06 --> 00:02:13
Cancel the Preferences dialog, and then click the Plus (+) sign in the top-left corner of any viewport.

00:02:14 --> 00:02:20
Choose Configure Viewports and then go to the Display Performance tab.

00:02:20 --> 00:02:24
The relocated options for image quality are in the top area.

00:02:25 --> 00:02:31
The two most important options are for Texture Maps, which are bitmaps used in material definitions,

00:02:31 --> 00:02:35
and other images you plan to use as environment backgrounds.

00:02:35 --> 00:02:39
Here you can enter the memory allocation you want to reserve for these options.

00:02:40 --> 00:02:46
The numbers that you punch in also have to do with the performance of your system and mostly your graphics card.

00:02:46 --> 00:02:57
In this case, doubling the Texture Maps value from 512 to 1024 and clicking the Apply button should yield immediate results.

00:02:58 --> 00:03:07
Conversely, bringing the value down to 256 increases video performance but bitmap quality takes a bad hit in the process.

00:03:07 --> 00:03:14
Putting too high a value may not help much with quality but may affect performance.

00:03:14 --> 00:03:25
In this case, setting the texture map value to 1024 or 2048 does not seem to make much of a difference, so it's up to you to find that sweet spot.

00:03:26 --> 00:03:31
This can also be affected by the type and resolution of bitmaps you use in the scene.

00:03:32 --> 00:03:36
The effect of viewport quality can be even more dramatic with viewport backgrounds.

00:03:37 --> 00:03:42
To demonstrate, dismiss the dialog and reset your 3ds Max scene.

00:03:44 --> 00:03:50
Using Windows Explorer, browse to the folder where you have downloaded the support files for this tutorial.

00:03:51 --> 00:03:55
Drag the monpazier.jpg image into the Perspective view.

00:03:56 --> 00:04:01
When prompted, use it both as a viewport background and an environment map.

00:04:02 --> 00:04:12
If you are in the mood for a bit of history, Monpazier is a 13th-century bastide, or fortified town in the Dordogne region in France.

00:04:12 --> 00:04:17
For a while, it was home for Eleanor of Aquitaine and Richard II of England.

00:04:17 --> 00:04:23
This particular panorama was taken at Place des Cornières, which is the very center of the marketplace.

00:04:24 --> 00:04:31
If you're ever in that area, consider visiting on a Thursday which is the day the market takes place; the experience is well worth it.

00:04:32 --> 00:04:40
Back to our project. With the camera hovering over the Perspective view, press Alt+W to maximize it.

00:04:40 --> 00:04:45
Although the panorama is spherical, it comes in as a 2D background in the viewport.

00:04:46 --> 00:04:52
Even so, you can already see that the image quality of the background leaves a lot to be desired.

00:04:53 --> 00:05:01
Hold Alt and use the middle mouse button to orbit and adjust your view. Try a test render or two.

00:05:04 --> 00:05:08
If you want, increase your render resolution for a better view.

00:05:14 --> 00:05:21
You will notice two things: First, the background image in the viewport does not respond when orbiting the view.

00:05:22 --> 00:05:28
Second, the rendered backgrounds do not match the viewport background.

00:05:28 --> 00:05:33
Again, this is because the viewport background is currently a fixed 2D image,

00:05:33 --> 00:05:39
whereas the rendering background is based on a 3D spherical environment.

00:05:39 --> 00:05:45
To set the background to match the 3D environment, press Alt+B.

00:05:45 --> 00:05:54
In the Viewport Configuration dialog > Background tab, set the background to read the Environment you set in the scene and click OK.

00:05:55 --> 00:06:00
The environment was set earlier at the same time you dragged the bitmap in the viewport.

00:06:00 --> 00:06:05
The display in the viewport changes but if anything, the quality is much worse.

00:06:06 --> 00:06:12
Again, this is something that can be adjusted by clicking the Plus (+) sign in the top left corner of the viewport.

00:06:13 --> 00:06:19
Go to Configure Viewports > Display Performance and adjust the memory allocation for the viewport background.

00:06:20 --> 00:06:25
Here, you will see a significant improvement by going from 512 to 1024,

00:06:25 --> 00:06:30
or even to 2048 if your graphics card can handle it.

00:06:33 --> 00:06:41
This time, as you exit the dialog and try orbiting around, the background will properly update the view.

00:06:51 --> 00:06:56
In a Perspective view, you can also adjust the Field-of-View, 

00:06:58 --> 00:07:01
and have the background respond to that change.

00:07:11 --> 00:07:16
As a last note, remember that viewport quality does not affect final rendering.

00:07:17 --> 00:07:24
So based on your system, you can adjust that quality so that it gives you the best trade-off between visuals and performance.