Compatibility with 3ds Max

This page defines which functionality in 3ds Max is supported by Iray for 3ds Max. Some features are supported directly by existing 3ds Max UIs, others are supported through an Iray specific interface. Other features are not functional in Iray for 3ds Max.

Additionally, Iray for 3ds Max provides tools to convert your existing mental ray® or Autodesk scenes into Iray. See Scene Conversion for details.

Contents

Render Setup

• Render Setup panel
• Settings
• Iray+ renderer
• Iray+ Interactive renderer
• Iray+ Render Elements:
  • Render Layers
  • Light Path Expressions
• Iray+ Tone Mapping

Rendering Misc

• Environment & Effects
• Particle Systems

Render Windows

• ActiveShade Mode Window
• Production Rendering Mode Window

Iray+ Lighting

• IBL
• Physical Sky

3ds Max Standard Lights

• Target and Free Spot
• Target and Free Directional
• Omni
• Skylight
• mr Area Omni
• mr Area Spot

3ds Max Photometric Lights

• Target and Free Lights
• mr Sky Portal

3ds Max Cameras

• Target and Free
• Physical

Iray+ Materials

• Iray+ Material
• Iray+ Metal
• Iray+ Ocean
• Iray+ Conversion Materials

Other

• 3ds Max Standard Maps
• mental ray® Maps
• Iray+ Noise Maps
• Texture Spaces

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Render Setup

Common

Supported

• Rendering single and multiple frames as defined in the Time Output panel.
• Output Size as defined by Width and Height.
• Filename and type in Render Output.
• Area to Render. (Production Rendering Mode only).

Not Supported

• Options.
• Advanced Lighting.
• Bitmap Performance and Memory Options.
• Scripts.

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Iray+ settings

Supported

• Assigning CPU and GPU resources dynamically during a session.
• Assigning a remote server IP address.
• Defining cloud video format, bitrate and maximum frame rate.
• Adding paths to custom MDL.
• Choosing the environment from a list of active environments.
• Previewing environments in viewports using shaded or realistic mode.
• Displaying Iray build information.

Not Supported

• Preview of DOF in viewports using shaded or realistic mode.
• Rendering multiple environments.

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Iray+ renderer

Supported

• Rendering using local GPU/CPU.
• Rendering using remote server.
• User–defined frame completion criteria (number passes or time elapsed).
• Caustic Sampler.
• Noise reduction of Fireflies (white spots).

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Iray+ Interactive renderer

Supported

• Rendering using local GPU/CPU.
• Rendering using remote server.
• User–defined frame completion criteria (number passes or time elapsed).
• User–defined ray depth.
• Approximate bounced light.
• Approximate area lights.
• Noise reduction of Fireflies (white spots).

Not Supported

• Rendering the irradiance canvas.
• More than 32 (procedural) texture functions per material.
• Illumination of the scene from emissive geometry; but it is considered when the geometry is hit directly (or hit via a perfectly specular reflection or refraction). That is, whilst it will not illuminate the scene; the object itself will be shown illuminated
• Caustic Sampler.

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Iray+ Render Elements: Render Layers

Supported

• Adding and removing standard Render Elements from the active list.
• Rendering standard Elements to file in 8, 16 or 32bit file formats:
  • Beauty.
  • Alpha.
  • Depth.
  • Distance.
  • Normal.
  • Texture coordinates.
  • Object ID.
  • Material ID.
  • Diffuse.
  • Specular.
  • Glossy.
  • Emission.
  • Irradiance. (Iray+ renderer only.)
  • Ambient Occlusion.
  • Primary Tint.
  • Toon.

Not Supported

• Render Elements with ActiveShade.
• Merging Render Elements.
• Output to combustion.
• Ability to disable tone mapping.
• Display of Render Elements within Production Rendering Mode window.

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Iray+ Render Elements: Light Path Expressions

Supported

• Adding any number of Light Path Expressions (LPEs) from a predefined set to be rendered as separate files.
• Creating new LPEs and rendering them to file.
• Add and remove LPEs from the active list.
• Globally turn LPE renders on or off.
• Define whether to apply LPE to beauty, alpha or irradiance passes.
• Syntax checking and error reporting of incorrect LPEs.

Not Supported

• LPEs with ActiveShade.
• Rendering using the Iray+ Interactive renderer. However, the predefined Render Elements — Diffuse, Specular, Glossy, and Emission — are available.

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Iray+ Tone Mapping

Supported

• Enabling/Disabling of Tone Mapping.
• User parameters for exposure value (EV), highlight recovery, shadows and saturation.
• Predefined white balance settings.
• User–defined white balance color.
• On-the-fly parameter changes while rendering in ActiveShade.

Not Supported

• Photographic tone mapping.
• Animation of tone map parameters.

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Rendering Misc

Environment & Effects

Supported

• Environment Maps/Backplates with Screen mapping.

Not Supported

• Any Environment mapping other than Screen.
• Exposure control. (Use Iray+ Tone Mapping.)
• Atmosphere & Effects.

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Particle Systems

Not Supported

• Any Particle System using 'Constant' particle type. This will not work as Iray is physically accurate, and Constant particles are always the same pixel size regardless of their position in relation to cameras in your scene.

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Render Windows

ActiveShade Mode Window

Supported

• Rendering with Iray+ Interactive or Iray+ renderers, either remotely or locally.
• Rendering a fixed view or the currently selected viewport.
• Updating interactively with environment, view, geometry, light, texture space and material parameter changes.
• Updating interactively using the Iray+ tone map parameters.
• Closing the ActiveShade Mode window at any time.
• Standard 3ds Max ActiveShade Mode window controls functions (clone, save, etc.).
• ActiveShade Mode continues to render once Production Rendering Mode has completed.
• ActiveShade has priority over material thumbnail rendering.
• In-viewport rendering as well as rendering in a separate window.

Not Supported

• Concurrent renders with either material thumbnails or a Production render.
• Area to Render options.

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Production Rendering Mode Window

Supported

• Rendering with Iray+ or Iray+ Interactive renderers.
• Render any viewport or camera including orthographic views.
• Supports all Production Rendering Mode window controls except sub-area rendering.
• Area to Render options.

Not supported

• Render preset dropdown options.

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Iray+ Lighting

IBL Lights

Supported

• Matte Shadows and reflections in the XY plane.
• User control of shadow intensity.
• User control of reflection intensity and glossiness.
• User control of ground height.
• Equi-rectangular latitude/longitude image (HDR) for the environment.
• Intensity scaling.
• Turning viewport preview on/off. (Shaded and realistic modes.)
• Shaded or wireframe preview of the dome/sphere. (Shaded and realistic modes.)
• Hemisphere or Sphere environment types.
• Defining the radius in display units.
• Adjusting the camera height in display units.
• Standard 3ds Max transformations (rotation and translation) in the viewport using environment gizmo.

Not Supported

• Ground or cube type environments.
• X or Y up vectors (world coordinates).
• Arbitrary up vectors.
• Rotation other than around the Z axis.
• Viewport preview in wireframe mode.
• Bump maps in matte shadows or reflections.

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Physical Sky

Supported

• Matte Shadows and reflections in the XY plane.
• User control of shadow intensity.
• User control of reflection intensity and glossiness.
• User control of ground height.
• Manual sun positioning using azimuth and altitude parameters.
• Automatic sun location based on date, time and location.
• Wireframe preview in viewport.
• Animation of sun location via azimuth/altitude or date/location parameters.
• Physically realistic daylight values by default.
• Automatic sun intensity and color adaption based on height above the horizon.
• North direction defined by rotating the Physical Sky gizmo directly in the viewport.

Not Supported

• Visual Cloud effects.
• Atmospheric effects.
• Bump maps on matte shadows/reflections.
• Viewport preview in wireframe mode.
• Up vectors other than +Z (WC).

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3ds Max Standard Lights

Target & Free Spot

Supported

• General Parameters rollout:
  • Light Type parameters.
• Intensity/Color/Attenuation rollout:
  • Multiplier. (Note: Intensity is multiplied by a factor in Iray to bring the light into the physically correct space where intensity is defined in Lumens.)
  • Color.
• Spotlight Parameters rollout:
  • Falloff/Field.

Not Supported

• General Parameters rollout:
  • Shadow parameters. (Shadows are always on.)
• Intensity/Color/Attenuation rollout:
  • Decay. (In Iray, Spot lights have a physically realistic inverse square decay as you move away from the light source. This cannot be changed.)
  • Near/Far Attenuation.
• Spotlight Parameters rollout:
  • Overshoot.
  • Hotspot/Beam.
  • Circle/Rectangle.
  • Aspect.
• Advanced Effects rollout.
• Shadow Parameters rollout.
• Atmosphere & Effects rollout.

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Target & Free Directional

Supported

• General Parameters rollout:
  • Light Type parameters.
• Intensity/Color/Attenuation rollout:
  • Multiplier. (Note: Intensity is multiplied by a factor in Iray to bring the light into the physically correct space where intensity is defined in Lumens.)
  • Color.

Not Supported

• General Parameters rollout:
  • Shadow parameters. (Shadows are always on.)
• Intensity/Color/Attenuation rollout:
  • Decay.
  • Near/Far Attenuation.
• Directional parameters:
  • In Iray, "Distant" lights cannot be restricted to a circular/rectangular tube, and they do not have hotspot or falloff regions. Light will fall evenly across the whole scene.
• Advanced Effects rollout.
• Shadow Parameters rollout.
• Atmosphere & Effects rollout.

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Omni

Supported

• General Parameters rollout:
  • Light Type parameters.
• Intensity/Color/Attenuation rollout:
  • Multiplier. (Note: Intensity is multiplied by a factor in Iray to bring the light into the physically correct space where intensity is defined in Lumens.)
  • Color.

Not Supported

• General Parameters rollout:
  • Shadow parameters. (Shadows are always on.)
• Intensity/Color/Attenuation rollout:
  • Decay. (In Iray, Omni lights have a physically realistic inverse square decay as you move away from the light source. This cannot be changed.)
  • Near/Far Attenuation.
• Advanced Effects rollout.
• Shadow Parameters rollout.
• Atmosphere & Effects rollout.

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Skylight

Not Supported

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mr Area Omni

Not Supported

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mr Area Spot

Not Supported

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3ds Max Photometric Lights

Target & Free Light

Supported

• General Parameters rollout:
  • Light Properties parameters.
  • Light Distribution (Type).
• Intensity/Color/Attenuation rollout:
  • Color parameters.
  • Intensity parameters
  • Dimming parameters.
• Shape/Area Shadows rollout:
  • Emit light from (Shape) parameters.
• Distribution (Spotlight) rollout.
• Distribution (Photometric Web) rollout:
  • Choose Photometric File. (Only .ies files are supported.)

Not Supported

• General Parameters rollout:
  • Shadows parameters.
• Intensity/Color/Attenuation rollout:
  • Far Attenuation parameters.
• Shape/Area Shadows rollout:
  • Rendering parameters.
• Atmospheres & Effects rollout.
• Advanced Effects rollout.

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MR Sky Portal

Not Supported

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3ds Max Cameras

Target & Free

Supported

• Lens.
• Horizontal & vertical field of view.
• Orthographic Projection.
• Stock Lenses.
• Multi-Pass Effect:
  • Depth of Field (mental ray).
  • Depth of Field (Iray+).
  • Motion Blur.
• Target Distance.
• Iray+ Depth of Field rollout.
• Depth of Field Parameters rollout (only for Depth of Field (mental ray)).
• Motion Blur rollout.

Not Supported

• Environment Ranges.
• Clipping Planes.
• Multi-Pass Effect:
  • Depth of Field.
• Scanline Renderer Params.

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Physical

Supported

• Basic rollout:
  • Target Distance.
• Physical Camera rollout:
  • Specify FOV.

Not Supported

• Physical Camera rollout (except for FOV).
• Exposure rollout.
• Bokeh (Depth of Field) rollout.
• Perspective Control rollout.
• Lens Distortion rollout.
• Miscellaneous rollout.

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Iray+ Materials

Iray+ Material

Iray+ Material is the generic material used as the starting point to create a wide range of materials.

Supported

• Template components representing real-world materials and effects:
  • A wide range of predefined BSDFs, VDFs and EDFs.
  • Subsurface scattering.
  • Anisotropic reflectance.
  • Emission.
  • Normal maps.
  • Rounded corners.
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• Up to 16 optional Decal, Coating and Surface layers.
• Opacity maps.
• Up to 6 texture channels (1-6) defined on a per-map basis.
• Loading MDL as a base component.
• Saving MDL.
• Saving and loading from a scene or a 3ds Max material library.
• Importing Measured data.
• Displacement maps.
• Bitmap Output parameters.
• Bitmap Image sequences.

Not Supported

• Multiple subsurface scattering (SSS) layers. (Note: there are specific materials supplied for skin and ocean.)
• User authoring of new Iray template components.
• Localization of parameter names.

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Iray+ Metal

Iray+ Metal is a material used to create more accurate representations of metals than the Iray+ Material by using BSDFs based on measured data.

Supported

• Representation of the following metal types:
  • Aluminium.
  • Aluminium Copper.
  • Chromium.
  • Copper.
  • Gold.
  • Iron.
  • Lead.
  • Mercury.
  • Molybdenum.
  • Nickel.
  • Platinum.
  • Rhodium.
  • Silver.
  • Titanium.
  • Tungsten.
  • Vanadium.
• User-controlled roughness and glossiness.
• User-controlled anisotropy and rotation.

Not Supported

• Loading new data sets of metals.
• Adaptation of color or reflectance properties other than those outlined above.

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Iray+ Ocean

Iray+ Ocean is a specific material used to simulate large bodies of water that may contain particles.

Supported

• IOR.
• Representation of particles and particle density.
• Volume distance and color.
• Thin walled on/off.

Not Supported

• Diffuse bitmaps.

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Iray+ Conversion Materials

These materials are provided for compatability with mental ray® (MR) based materials. They are MDL equivalents of MR and can be used in Iray in exactly the same way as they are in MR using the same parameters. They are also used by the conversion scripts.

These materials support all the parameters of the mental ray® equivalents. Comparisons between MR and Iray+ materials should be a good match, although not exact.

• Iray+ Arch & Design.
• Iray+ Metallic Paint.
• Iray+ Skin.
• Iray+ FastSSS.
• Iray+ SSS.

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Other

3ds Max Standard Maps

Bitmap and normal bump map types are supported correctly in Iray.

Many of the other standard maps are partially supported by rendering the map to a bitmap texture internally and then using this in an Iray+ material. The result is that many of the standard map types are represented in Iray but there will be tiling artefacts where procedural maps have been rendered to file.

Some standard maps that use scene global information (falloff, camera direction, etc.) are not supported.

Supported

• Bitmap.
• Normal Bump.

Supported by Render to bitmap

• Cellular.
• Checker.
• ColorCorrection.
• Dent.
• Gradient.
• Gradient ramp.
• Marble.
• Noise.
• Perlin marble.
• Smoke.
• Speckle.
• Splat.
• Stucco.
• Swirl.
• Substance.
• Tiles.
• Vector file.
• Waves.
• Wood.

Not Supported

• Camera map per pixel.
• Combustion.
• Composite.
• Falloff.
• Flat mirror.
• Map output selector.
• Mask.
• Mix.
• Particle age.
• Particle Mblur.
• Raytrace.
• Reflect/refract.
• RGB Tint.
• Vertex color.

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mental ray® Maps

None of the mental ray® maps are supported with Iray+ materials.

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Iray+ Noise Maps

A set of Iray native procedural maps are provided:

• Flake Noise.
• Flow Noise.
• Perlin Noise.
• Worley noise.

Iray+ maps can be applied to any Iray+ material that takes a map input. They can be instanced, duplicated and referenced.

Not Supported

• Parameters in the Noise rollout. Use Iray parameters instead.

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Texture Spaces

All of the standard 3ds Max texture spaces are supported including UVW unwrap.

Texture channels can be defined on a per-bitmap basis:

• There is a limit of 6 texture channels per object imposed by Iray. In 3ds Max the limit is far higher.
• Exceeding this limit (i.e. setting texture channel for a bitmap to > 6) will result in no texture coordinates being used for that map.

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