3ds Max 2009 New Features: Rendering

Reveal Workflow
The new Reveal rendering system allows the user to visualize and manipulate a given region in both the Viewport and the Framebuffer. The rendered image Framebuffer now contains a simplified set of tools to quickly validate changes in a render. The user can optionally filter out objects, regions or processes to temporarly control quality vs. speed vs. completeness. Render speed can be controlled by toggling geometry translation, lighting calculation and image quality settings (based on what the user wants to update). Users can also auto-generate regions around selections and reuse temporary Final Gather maps at any time.

Photometric Lighting Enhancements
There are new types of area lights (circular, cylindrical), photometric web previews in the Browse dialog and Light UI, and improved near-field photometry quality and spot distribution. Also, distribution types can now support any emitting shape and the user can have their light shapes appear in the rendered image.

Updated Composite Map
The Composite Map has been redesigned. The map now supports multiple blending modes, color correction via the color correction map, opacity adjustments, reordering of images or layers, as well as hiding and deleting of layers. Users also have the option of replacing or creating alpha channels with any type of map, including procedurals.

New Color Correct Map
The new color correction map (separate from the new composite map) gives more options for independent correction of texture maps.

Review Enhancements
Using Review, multiple maps can now be simultaneously displayed in the viewport, for more accurate previewing. IES files and photometric light data can now be shown in the viewport, and support has been added for real-time shadowing of objects using mental ray Arch & design materials.