Today you’re going to create the well-known Matrix Code effect in 3DS Max. Graphically the effect is just a bunch of falling letters (symbols) with a small amount of glow. This can be easily achieved in 3DS Max with the help of particles. You’re going to get a crash-course in PF’s Particle View and post-processing effects (glow). Enjoy!

While 3 pages sounds like a lot, as usual, we use full-size images and not cutaways so the tutorial is easier to understand. It’s a really simple-to-follow process and should take no more than 30-45 minutes.

What you’ll get:

1/5 3DS Max Basics

Start-up 3DS Max and mdraaximize the top view by pressing alt+w. Find the PF Source under the Create/ Geometry/ Particle Systems tab and create a thin band (4 by 450 units).

The basic PF Source emits a one-shot stream of particles. We need to make it generate random letters and make sure they are faced the right way.

Switch to the Front view {“F”}, click the Modify tab {} and then on the Particle View button. Take a minute to understand what’s going on. The particle view window describes how the 3DS Max emission events are handled.

2/5 The letters

Now, lets make the PF Source generate letters. Click the Shape {} icon and from the top drop-down menu select the Letters Arial entry.

Now, let’s make the emitter generate more letters continuously. Click the Birth {} icon and change the Emit Start to -40, the Stop to 150 and the Amount to 2000.

To make it easier to see the effect click the Display {} icon and set the type to geometry

We need to make the text face us. Since we’ll be rendering from the front view, this won’t require any additional operands. Click the Rotation {} icon and set the Orientation Matrix to World Space and the X angle to 90.

We also need longer strands of somewhat smaller letters. Click the Speed {} icon and set it to 600.

Ahh, better, but The Matrix text is not that jumbled-up. Click the Position {} icon then the Distinct Points Only box. Set the value to 45. This will make it so the letters are emitted from just 45 points.

That’s it for 3DS Max’s basic PF Source settings. Onwards to page 2!