Can a 3dsmax model be exported to include lighting effects?

Question

I created a really basic cylinder, added a material and a glow effect can I export a model to include the glow effect so the model will look like the rendering ?

http://imgur.com/VaNJLj4

Clarification: Can I export the model to .fbx or .x and have it contain the lightning information so that if I import it into unity or xna the model will look like the rendering ?

Answer 1

"glowing" is really a post-process kind of effect. Actually a blur. There are quite a few tutorials on how to do this in XNA, but I doubt that you can easily export this from you modeling software (as in not possible at all).

The reason is that doing it usually requires setting up multiple rendertargets, custom shader, etc, which you will have to do yourself.

The reason you need multiple rendertargets; When you render a model, only the pixels WITHIN the (visibly) outer vertices are processed by the pixel-shader. Hence, you can't render a smooth "fade-out" outside the model itself as would be the case in your picture.

What you usually do is you use a shader that renders your object normally, but also renders a "glow-color" to an other rendertarget. When all models have finished rendering, you do a blur-effect on this second RT. Then you blend your main RT with the blurred glow-RT.

This is VERY superficial, and I havent done it in AGES, so please DO check out some tutorials. Also, this bloom-sample basicly does the same thing, but on the entire scene, I think: http://xbox.create.msdn.com/en-US/education/catalog/sample/bloom

Answer 2

Add the glow in 3dsmax with filters, then it wil render automaticly. Minor notice, 3dsmax is a very big program with lots of possibilities, just take your time finding everything out. Believe me it will take time.