Bitmaps as texture in 3ds max?
 

First time using 3ds max and I'm having trouble loading bitmap images and using them as material textures. It seems like you can only load them as maps and for some reason I can't apply the maps to objects. I've tried searching through tutorials but haven't had much luck. I basically want to add textures I create to the animation. Any help would be great! Thanks.

You can't load the bitmap directly as a material, you have to use it as a map on a material. Select one of the Default starting materials and scroll down to the Maps rollout. Next to Diffuse click the button in the Map column (it should say "None" right now) and click Bitmap in the list that come up. Then you can choose an image to act as a texture. You'll probably have to deal with scale and UVW mapping coordinates to get it to look right.

adding to that...if you add the map to other bitmap to other slots (bump, displacement, refelction) you can get some very realistic results.

bitmap textures
 

Thanks, I'm actually getting it to work now :)