pixel shader in viewport

[Chris]

which version of max? What tye of video card? & are you running in Direct 3D?

[dodgy]

max4.2, GeForce4 Ti 4200, Direct3D (DirectX 8.1)

I can make alpha maps visible by just pressing "Show Maps in Viewport" but doesnt work with reflection maps as discreet says.

do i need some hardware shader plugin for that?

well here is original feature description for max4:


Next Generation Gaming WYSIWYG content creation environment with the latest in next generation tools


Support for Microsoft®'s DirectX 8.0
WYSIWYG Viewport environment with true transparency, reflections, opacity mapping, bump maps, multi-textures per face and extensable custom pixel and vertex shader support
New Polyobject modeling system with triangulation control, local subdivisions, chamfers, bevels, extrusions, cut's and many more
New Hierarchical Sub-Division surfaces deliver next generation modeling with weighted crease controls and local refinement
Enhanced Bezier Patch Modeling tools including support for UVW-Unwrap, vertex color, alpha and Illumination
Open Source for free IK limb solver
Custom data per face and custom attribute control per object, modifier or material



whats WYSIWYG and how do i get it work?

[Per-Anders]

WYSIWYG=>(W)hat (Y)ou (S)ee (I)s (W)hat (Y)ou (G)et

or rather in this case what you see isn't what you get... sigh.

[derelict]

Hi!

Yup you have the hardware and software for it. Ok so you want to see the pixal shader in action... no problem.

Do this.

in your 3dsmax42 directory look for plugins folder. Once you're there look for the hadwareshader folder...if it is there quit the folder and launch max as per normal.

Once you're in the program go to 'customize' tab (up there) and click on to the "Configure path". Later click on 'plug-ins' tab and click on 'Add'. Do a browse and locate you're hardwareshader (the one you did earlier.. member?)and put a name to it ie: hardware shader or something

Click on ok once it is done. Restart program. Once the apps is up, go to 'customize' tab again but look at "plugin manager" tab... make sure the hardware shader path is ticked if not tick it and reboot the program again.


Next is to pick a ready scene with a model. click m to launch your material and click on defuse in the maps section. Look for pixal shader and apply it. U notice there are two clickable buttons (cube map & Vertex shader). Click on each and make sure it is pointing at the hardwareshader folder with the material chosen (don't worry there's only one there), the same for the other.

Apply the material on your model..Wallah! pixal shader at work!

MAKE SURE YOU'RE USING DIRECT 3D and not openGL. it only works on direct 3d.

Cheers.:)

edit: yes make sure you have the latest direct x driver too and it only works on the higher end gforce cards.

[dodgy]

wohooo! it works! thanks derelict :)

i wonder why its not ready to use in MAX.. that u have to set it up manually?

[gaggle]

Is any of this actually useful?, last time I checked it was a viewport only thing, ie you could get bumpmapping and cube-reflections and whatnot, but nothing that correlates to the renderer, because of the whole "it's all done in hardware" issue.

Is it somehow possible to get viewport-bumpmapping and such pixelshader-effects by hitting the little Show Maps In Viewport button that currently only displays diffuse and transparency? I could see that as a pretty damned kickass thing, if the pixelshaders could kick into action automatically by approximating the various map-channel settings.

Baring nothing have changed much, then as it is now where you have to put in your own maps and settings and whatnot in the pixelshader-rollout, it seems too.. gimicky.. I can see its use for gamedevelopers and their engines, but taking it a step further and making it useful to the rest of the 3d world certainly seems like a pretty hot idea to me :)

[derelict]

Is any of this actually useful?, last time I checked it was a viewport only thing, ie you could get bumpmapping and cube-reflections and whatnot, but nothing that correlates to the renderer, because of the whole "it's all done in hardware" issue.

U answered your own question my friend. Pixal shader is or was originally for the 3d game developers.

As to y it was not default? Well, from what i know it was for a certain hardware only and specific drivers. Discreet didn't want people calling in asking why it didn't work the 1st time around. It was a need to know basis then but not anymore.:)

[gaggle]

In MAX5 the pixelshader-rollout menu is on by default. Provided you run in D3D mode.

Mm.. sure sounds like a cool thing if a script could analyze your standard material settings, and transfer what it could to the pixelshader-rollout. The bumpmap in the viewport might not be exactly what you see in the rendere, but hey, that's a price I'd be ready to pay :)

..I guess there could be some pretty meh material-depth-issues though. Not sure what one would upload to the graphicscard when you have a couple layered noise nodes, falloffs, masks.. I guess the script could have to "collapse" the material to basic uploadable textures, and you'd hit a "Update hardware shader settings" button whenever you felt like updating the viewport-feedback.

..well one can dream right? :rolleyes:

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