Creating the material with transparencies (alpha channel).

In Photoshop

1. Open the image in Photoshop
2. Using cropping and/or the marquee tool create an appropriately sized file (as little as possible while including the desired object).
3. Save and name your file as a .tif .targa or .jpg.
4. Right-click on the background layer in the layer tab to create a layer out of background
5. Using the magic wand, Lasso tools, masking or extract create the selection isolating the object from the background.
6. Using the bucket feel the object area with white (this will be the opaque area)
7. Press Shift+ Control + I (inverse selection) .
8. Feel the background area with the black (this will be the transparent area).
9. Save this file As using the same name adding the word alpha

In Max

1. Open the material editor by pressing M or clicking on the material editor icon.
2. Select an empty material slot.
3. Click on the material type button and select "Standard" from the list and click OK
4. Expand the Maps rollout
5. Click on the Diffuse Color map button
6. From the Material/Map Browser select "Bitmap" and press OK.
7. Navigate to your image, and press Open
8. In the bitmap's rollout uncheck “Use Real-world Scale”.
9. Click on the Go Two-Parent button
10. Click on the Opacity map button and assign your alpha image repeating steps 6 to 9
11. Name and save your material

Creating Seamless Textures, for Max in Photoshop

Scanning Found Textures:
1. Group samples on the scanner (this is called "gang scanning.").
2. Set scanner resolution at 150 PPI minimum.
3. Scan all textures
4. Save file as .tif format.
5. Open in Photoshop (for digital images start here).
6. Set the rectangular marquee two "fixed size" in the option bar.
7. Set the size to 256 by 256 or larger (512 by 512...).
8. Click on the area of texture you want to isolate -the marquee will automatically be the size you specified.
9. Then use the following commands to place texture into a small file:
Control C (copy).
Control N (new file). This will be a new file exactly the size of the selection.
Hit "Enter"
Control V (paste).
Control E (merge layer down).
Control S (save) this will save your new small texture file in its own document.
Save as tif, jpeg or targa.

Making Your Pattern Seamless
1. Start with 256, 512 or larger square of texture (scanned painted or photographed).
2. Select All > Filter > Other > Offset
3. Set fields to off the pixel number it shows (for example, if you chose 256 square set fields to 128 each) .
Seems will appear in your image.
4. Use a feathered marquee, a rubber stamp or other methods or brushes to remove seems.

To See Tiling
1. Select All-Edit > Defined Pattern
2. Create a new larger document.
3. Layer > New Feel Layer > Pattern -name the layer and press OK.