Release Date
Initial Preview Release 0.50: July 26, 2016
This version uses the Arnold 4.2.14.0 core
DOWNLOADS
solidangle.com/arnold/download
MAXtoA Features and Known Issues
This is the first Preview Release of the Arnold for 3ds Max (MAXtoA) plugin, and does not include support for all Arnold or 3ds Max features. See the online documentation for further details. 3ds Max 2017 Service Pack 2 is required, and provided in the MAXtoA installation.
Render Settings
MAXtoA provides automatic image-based lighting based on 3ds Max’s Environment map. This can be controlled in the Arnold Settings tab, Environment & Background rollup.
Deformation Motion Blur is not yet supported.
3ds Max native lights are not supported in this release. Use the new “Arnold” light.
Light Filters are not yet supported in the Arnold light.
3ds Max Sun Positioner and Physical Sky are supported.
There is limited light support in the viewport.
Lights
3ds Max native lights are not supported in this release. Use the new “Arnold” light.
Light Filters are not yet supported in the Arnold light.
3ds Max Sun Positioner and Physical Sky are supported.
There is limited light support in the viewport.
Shaders
To use Arnold surface shaders on an object, add the shaders as inputs to the new “Arnold Material” and apply the material to the object.
MAXtoA supports third-party shaders compiled for Windows and the current version of Arnold. Place shaders into 3ds Max’s “Plugins” folder.
Legacy 3ds Max maps are optionally supported.
To enable, add an environment variable to Windows with the variable name ARNOLD_SHADECONTEXT_SUPPORT with a value of 1.
Restart Max and enable “Show Incompatible” in the Material/Map Browser to see the legacy 3ds Max maps.
3ds Max shaders currently cannot be exported to an Arnold Scene Source file, and can only be rendered within 3ds Max.
Arnold shaders cannot be used as an input to a 3ds Max shader.
Multi/Sub-Object materials are limited to 255 materials by Arnold.
No automatic mechanism for generating TX files is provided yet. Use the external maketx.exe application provided by Solid Angle, and the “image” shader on your material.
Crash if rendering while an Arnold physical_sky map is in Environment slot with parameters: X = 0,0,0 Y = 1,0,1 Z = 0,1,0
AOVs
You must specify a file name in the Render Setup dialog box’s Common tab in order to save AOVs. This file name is used as a prefix for the AOV file names saved by Arnold. A warning is provided.
AOVs do not get Exposure Control applied.
You may crash Arnold if multiple direct_diffuse AOVs are specified with DeepEXR format AOVs.
Cameras
Only basic features are supported by cameras.
For best results use the Physical Camera.
Basic Depth of Field is supported on Physical Camera.
Procedural Object
The Procedural object is a work-in-progress.
Create the Procedural object at position 0,0,0 then reposition after defining the object path.
Object comes in rotates 90 degrees on X axis.
Bounding Box is not automatically set.
