MAX 5:
http://www.digitalpostproduction.com/2002/09_sep/reviews/max5_review4.htm
A new Advanced Lighting tool has been added to the rendering menu, offering two different Global Illumination systems. One is the Radiosity solution that was previously available in 3ds Viz 4, and based on the Lightscape engine but enhanced to support adaptive sampling for regathering, a method to refine the radiosity solution, and multi threading. Light Tracer, though is a completely new GI solution better suited for outdoor scenes in conjunction with the new Skylight.
Render to Texture
The Render to Texture tool is also one of the more interesting new features in 3ds max 5.
This technique is also known as texture baking and describes the way to render the lighting and shadows into the textures of the object and reusing them without the need to recalculate the whole lighting process. Radiosity and GI actually become very useful with this tool and game developers as well as architects should be very pleased to see it integrated. After the baking, you can find your original and the baked texture in a Shell Material, a new container type material that just carries two materials for the viewport and renderer.
The Render to Texture tool is also one of the more interesting new features in 3ds max 5.
This technique is also known as texture baking and describes the way to render the lighting and shadows into the textures of the object and reusing them without the need to recalculate the whole lighting process. Radiosity and GI actually become very useful with this tool and game developers as well as architects should be very pleased to see it integrated. After the baking, you can find your original and the baked texture in a Shell Material, a new container type material that just carries two materials for the viewport and renderer.
http://www.digitalpostproduction.com/2002/09_sep/reviews/max5_review4.htm