General Parameters

 

 

General Parameters rollout consists of the Render Control group of controls and the Tools section. Inside the Render Control group of controls you can modify some of the basic DreamScape options.

 

Apply to Background - This checkbox determines whether the DreamScape atmosphere effect will be applied to the background or not. When disabled, then the DreamScape Sky will be applied only to objects in the scene. You might find this option useful if you need to composite CG elements over live-action background footage.

 

Render Control

Render Sky - With this checkbox disabled, the sky will not render. You might use this option if you do not want to render the sky, but you want to be able to use the built-in raytracing of the DreamScape Terrain and Sea Surface grids.

 

Enable Antialiasing - This checkbox sets terrain and sky/clouds anti-aliasing On or Off. For previews, you might want to turn this option Off to speed up your rendering.

 

Ground Color - This color swatch represents the color generated beneath the sky itself. By default, it is black, but can be changed to any other color.

 

TIP: To get the ground color to match the bottom edge of the sky, render a frame and then use the eye-dropper in the 3ds Max virtual frame buffer to select the appropriate color (right-click on the image). Once done - drag the color swatch from the VFB over to the Ground Color swatch.

 

Exposure - This spinner regulates the overall brightness of DreamScape's environment.

 

Exposure = 1.0	Exposure = 2.0

 

Global Scale - This parameter will scale atmospheric properties by a user-defined amount. You will want to use this parameter if your scene is not built according to DreamScape's default internal units (1 DreamScape unit = 1 meter).

 

Ground Level - With this parameter you can move the ground level up or down in the World Z-axis. This is useful in case you are rendering big ocean scenes, and the sea level doesn't connect with the sky near the horizon line.

 

By moving the ground level down on the Z-axis (Ground level = -100 for example) you will create the illusion that the sea connects to the horizon line. The effect of moving the ground level is more pronounced with the Real Earth than with the Flat Earth rendering option.

 

Ground Level = 0.0	Ground Level = -650

 

 

DreamScape Toolbar

Provides quick access to tools and dialogs for common tasks in DreamScape.

 

RapidRay - This button launches the RapidRay dialog. RapidRay is a raytracing acceleration system built specifically for the DreamScape and is designed to accelerate intersections with objects where needed.

 

 

Max. Depth - This parameter represents the maximum depth of grid nesting. Bigger values might result in faster rendering time but nested grids will occupy much more RAM.

 

Max. Faces/Voxel - Each cell of a uniform grid is called 'voxel'. When a voxel contains more faces than specified by this parameter, this cell will be subdivided until the Max. Faces/Voxel or Max. Depth limit is reached.

 

Max. Width - Each grid is subdivided into a number of smaller voxels. This parameter limits the number of grid-dividing voxels.

 

Raytracing Max. Depth -

 

Color at Max. Depth -

 

Reset Parameters - By clicking on this button you will be prompted to erase all the DreamScape sky parameters and set them to default values. Before it resets the entire Sky atmospheric, it presents you with the following message:

 

 

Sky Preview - This tool allows you to quickly review your sky settings. It consists of two Preview Windows.

 

 

The Left Preview Window pane is for sky rendering. It can preview the DreamScape Sky, Clouds and Rainbow parameters only. (No 3ds Max mesh or DreamScape terrain objects will be rendered).

 

IMPORTANT: The Sky Preview Window needs either a Camera or Perspective viewport to be active during the first refresh. The Preview window will remember the last valid Camera or Perspective settings so that, once refreshed, you can have other viewports selected and still have a proper Sky Preview Window refresh.

 

To enable/disable this window pane, use the Sky option from the Views menu.

 

The Right Preview Window pane is for previewing the basic cloud shape. Inside this Preview Window you can also move cloud layers and the Localization perimeter areas.

 

If you have multiple cloud layers or multiple localized layers, only the selected layer will be displayed.

 

To enable or disable this window pane, use the Clouds Shape option from the Views menu.

 

Inside right Preview Window:

V - represents the Camera or Perspective viewport direction.

O - represents the circular Clouds Localization perimeter. This localization perimeter only shows up if you localize a cloud layer.

 

Since the Clouds Shape Preview Window is interactive, you can use combination of mouse and keyboard actions to alter the clouds:- hold the left mouse button and drag to move the clouds (this affects the motion offset x and y parameters)- hold the Ctrl & left mouse button and drag to move the center of the localized clouds.

 

Finally, click on the Refresh menu item to see the results, or activate the Automatic Update option within the Views menu if you want to render it each time you change any of the DreamScape Sky parameters.

 

Select the <- checkbox in the middle of the Preview Window to update the left Sky window automatically when you move the cloud layer within the right window pane.

 

The Clouds Shape Preview Window is completely animatable. Check the 3ds Max Animate button to create keyframes of desired cloud positions. Drag your clouds to the position for the first keyframe, move the 3ds Max Time Slider bar, and then drag clouds to the new position.

 

To cancel the Preview Window refresh (rendering), just press the Esc key on your keyboard.

 

About - This button will open the About box. From within the About box you can quickly check our most recent product news and software updates.