This Texmap plugin simulates the effect of thin film interference on a surface. It can be used as a reflection color map in a material with the Fresnel option turned off, as the plugin performs its own Fresnel calculations.

Parameters

Film Thickness

  • Min: The minimum thickness of the thin film, measured in nanometers.
  • Max: The maximum thickness of the thin film, measured in nanometers.
  • Map: A texture map that specifies the actual thickness of the film between the specified Min and Max values. Typically, a Noise map is used to add variation to the interference effect. If left blank, the Min parameter determines the film thickness.

Chart

  • IOR
    • External: The refractive index of the medium surrounding the material, usually set to 1.0 for air.
    • Film: The refractive index of the medium constituting the thin film.
    • Internal: The refractive index of the medium beneath the thin film.

Color Adjustment

  • Gamma: Specifies the gamma correction value.
  • Hue Shift: Allows color changes using a standard Hue spectrum. Range: -180 to 180.
  • Saturation: Adjusts the intensity or purity of colors. Lower values desaturate the color, making it tend toward grayscale, while higher values intensify the color. Range: -100 to 100.

Installation

  1. Copy the file “ThinFilm_xxxx.dlt” to the MAXROOT\plugins directory (delete any older version of the file if present).
  2. Use the appropriate file for your 3ds Max version:
    • ThinFilm_2013.dlt: Compatible with 3ds Max 2013/2014
    • ThinFilm_2015.dlt: Compatible with 3ds Max 2015/2016
    • ThinFilm_2017.dlt: Compatible with 3ds Max 2017
    • ThinFilm_2018.dlt: Compatible with 3ds Max 2018