A new material map type has been added in 3ds Max 2011 with the Advantage Pack (for customers on subscription) called "Substance". This post shows the value of Substances and gives a few tips on how to use them efficiently.

Part 1: Introduction to Material Creation with Multiple Maps

Before talking about Substances, this introduction video shows the traditional workflow for creating realistic materials with multiple maps. It shows the different effects obtained by the various maps in a Standard Material.

Part 2: Using Substances to Generate Multiple Maps

In this video, you'll see how to replace the traditional workflow for creating materials by a new workflow using Substances. You will see how Substances offer a much greater flexibility when refining materials with multiple maps.

Part 3: Tips on How to Better Work with Substances (Gary Davis)

Gary Davis covers a few tips on how to visually browse Substances and he introduces the Substances Player from Allegorithmic.

Here is the script that Gary mentions in his video. userdata/fckdata/4952/RenderSubstances.rar

And here is the link to the creators of Substances. www.allegorithmic.com/

Jamie's Jewels : A New Blog for 3ds Max!

Also of note, Jamie Gwilliam, our colleague from London UK has started a new blog on 3ds Max. His tips and tricks are very useful and i strongly recommend a regular visit to his page: http://bit.ly/1jamiesjewels

Happy holidays!