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MeshTrace
MaxScript Release 0.3 Beta Source (2/7/2000)
Copyright (c) 1998 by Borislav Petrov, Bobo's Rendert**ls. |
SHORT DESCRIPTION
MeshTrace creates a Shadow object representing the raytraced
shadow of a single point light.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
MeshTrace lets you select a single light object
and a single floor object to project the shadow on. Then it fires rays
from the source point of the light through every vertex of every selected
mesh and creates a flat mesh representing the shadow of the selected objects
on the floor object. The current version also supports animations - the
vertex count may not change though.
This shadowing method can be used in some
cases the Matte Material isn't enough, like when the shadow has to respect
"Don't Anti-Alias Against Background" settings.
FEATURES
Version 0.3 BETA (2/7/00)
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Updated version for MAX 3.x only.
Version 0.2 BETA (2/7/99)
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Added Animation Support - by default, the
current animation segment is used.
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Set all of the shadow material colors to the
one defined in the rollout - ambient, diffuse and specular.
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When the ray misses the floor, there is no
error message anymore - the respective vertex of the shadow simply remains
where it was.
Version 0.1 BETA (12/17/98)
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Start the Utility.
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Press the [Pick Light Source] button and pick
a light - you can select ANY type of light, but in the current version,
all of them will be threated as Point Lights. (single point source casting
non-parallel rays in all directions). You can also hit the H key to select
a Light by name. The next button will become available.
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Use the [Pick Floor Mesh] and select the geometry
to cast shadow on. The object should be able to convert to mesh. When used,
the Utility will temporarily add an Editmesh modifier to the Floor object,
and then remove it again.
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The [MESHTRACE SELECTED] button becomes available
when both Light and Floor are selected. Pressit to start the shadow-casting
process.
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The Shadow Options let you set some properties
of the Mesh object and its material.
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The Shadow Color is used to set the Diffuse
color of the Material used on the Shadow meshes. A single material is created
for ALL meshes created in a single turn, so it is used as Instance. If
you use the utility multiple times in a row, multiple independent materials
will be created.
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The Opacity % value sets the Material Opacity.
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The Shadow Offset value is similar to the
Shadow Bias value. It lets you set an offset of the shadow along the tracing
rays over the Floor mesh. It is used to avoid "Z-fighting" when two objects's
faces share the same 3D space.
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The "2-Sided Shadow Mesh" turns the 2-sided
property of the Material.
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You must ensure that all vertices of the shadow
object reside on the Floor object, or the Utility will print an Error message
in the MAXScript Listener and will cancel the process.
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To get good shadow detail on more than one
planes (as on the image above), you should provide enough mesh detail on
the source object (segments count, tesselation).
BUGS REPORT:
FUTURE FEATURES
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Directional light support
DOWNLOAD MESHTRACE
Version 0.2 BETA for MAX 2.x
Version 0.3 BETA for MAX
3.x