The Shadow Parameters rollout is displayed for all light types except Skylight and IES Sky, and for all shadow types. It lets you set shadow colors and other general shadow properties.
-
Create panel > 
(Lights) > Create a light. > Shadow Parameters rollout
A bridge's shadow cast by sunlight
The controls also let atmospheric effects cast shadows.
Interface
Object Shadows group
- Color
- Click the color swatch to display a
Color Selector and choose a color for the shadows cast by this light. Default=black.
You can animate the shadow color.
- Dens[ity]
- Adjusts the density of shadows.
The shadow density increases from right to left.
Increasing the Density value increases the density (darkness) of shadows. Decreasing Density makes shadows less dense. Default=1.0.
Density can have a negative value, which can help simulate the effect of reflected light. A white shadow color and negative Density render dark shadows, though the quality of these is not as good as a dark shadow color and positive Density.
You can animate the Density value.
- Map checkbox
- Turn on to use the map assigned with the Map button. Default=off.
- Map button
- (Labeled "None" by default.) Click to open the
Material/Map Browser and assign a map to the shadows. The map's colors are blended with the shadow color.
You can also drag and drop a map from a Material Editor sample slot. If the Slate Material Editor is open, you can drag from a map node's output socket, then drop onto this button. You can also drag and drop from a map button in the Material Editor or anywhere else in the 3ds Max interface. When you drop a map onto the map button, a dialog asks if you want the map to be a copy (independent) or an instance of the source map.
To adjust the map's parameters (for example, to assign a bitmap or change the coordinate settings), drag the map button to the Material Editor, and be sure to drop it as an instance. In the Compact Material Editor, drop the map over an unused sample slot. In the Slate Material Editor, drop it over the active View.
- Light Affects Shadow Color
- When on, blends the light's color with the shadow color (or shadow colors, if the shadow is mapped). Default=off.
A checker map is used to alter the shadow cast by the piano.
Atmosphere Shadows group
These controls let atmospheric effects such as Volume Fog cast shadows.
- On
- When on, atmospheric effects cast shadows as the light passes through them. Default=off.
Note: This control is independent of the On toggle for normal Object Shadows. A light can cast atmospheric shadows but not normal shadows, or vice versa. It can cast both kinds of shadows, or neither.
- Opacity
- Adjusts the opacity of the shadows. This value is a percentage. Default=100.0.
- Color Amount
- Adjusts the amount that the atmosphere's color is blended with the shadow color. This value is a percentage. Default=100.0.
A Volume Fog cloud casts a colored shadow on the city.