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Part IV: Materials, Cameras, and Lighting Basics

wrapped on top of the object. Materials can contain maps, and maps can be made up of several materials. In the
Material Editor, materials appear shaded in the sample slots, and maps appear as 2D images. Usually, you can tell
whether you’re working with a material or a map by looking at the default name. Maps show up in the name drop-
down list as Map and a number (Map #1), and materials are named a number and Default (7- Default). n

Working with the Slate Material Editor

The Material Editor is the interface with which you define, create, and apply materials. You can access the
Material Editor by choosing Rendering ➪ Material Editor, clicking the Material Editor button on the main
toolbar, or using the M keyboard shortcut.
The Material Editor comes in two flavors: regular and extra strength. The Material Editor from previous ver-
sions of Max is still there, but now it is called the Compact Material Editor, and the new Material Editor
interface is called the Slate interface. You can choose either from the Rendering ➪ Material Editor menu or
switch between them using the Modes menu in the Material Editor.

New Feature
The Slate Material Editor is new to 3ds Max 2011. n

Note
Although the Slate Editor and the Compact Material Editor share most controls, the Slate Material Editor has more
features and is the focus of our discussion. The Compact Material Editor is maintained for backward compatibility
and is easier to use for existing users. n
Using the Slate Material Editor controls

The Slate Material Editor, shown in Figure 15.1, consists of four panels: the Material/Map Browser panel,
the Material Node View panel, the Navigator panel, and the Parameter Editor panel. Of these panels, only
the Material View panel is open at all times. The others can be closed and reopened using the Tools menu.
If you drag the panel title away from the interface, the panel floats independently. If you drag a floating
panel over the interface, several arrow icons appear. Dropping a panel on one of these arrows positions the
floating panel to the side of the panel in the direction of the arrow. This interface gives you the power to set
up the Slate Material Editor just as you want.

Tip
You also can use a keyboard shortcut to show or hide the various panels: O for the Material/Map Browser, P for
the Parameter Editor, and N for the Navigator panel. n
At the top of the default Slate Material Editor window is a menu of options. The menu commands found in
these menus offer most of the same functionality as the toolbar buttons, but the menus are often easier to
find than the buttons with which you are unfamiliar.

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