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material handling

Posted: 02 Jun 2016, 08:42
by joschy
hi there,
it would be nice to have a easier way to handle the material stuff. Currently the materials are directly linked in the tree branch, how it was in V4. If you have splitted branches, because the animation need it, the same material is spreaded in different branches. This makes the material handling annoying. If you have to change the material settings from one material wich is used in differend branches, you have to go in every branch to change it...
May be you find a way like other 3D application handel this, like a material attribute node. Such a node only link materials and the materials stays in a material editor, only once. If you have to change material setting from a material wich is linked in different branches, you only have to change this material in the material editor.

Second, a way to copy/paste/save material settings.

Third, a way to save custom gradients.

this would be nice ;)

thank's joschy

Re: material handling

Posted: 02 Jun 2016, 11:35
by ErikB
Hi Joschy,

Interesting idea - we have talked generally about having a more node-based material system at some point, but this is not something for the short term roadmap, obviously.

copy/paste material settings - yes, this is known. As of either this or the next point update (can't remember which) you can duplicate material stages. Copy/Paste in general is on the todo list, no clear timing though.

saving/re-using gradients is actually already sort of possible. Use the texture gradient node - the input is simply a string value - you can do with that whatever you want.

-E

Re: material handling

Posted: 03 Jun 2016, 06:58
by joschy
Hi Erik,
sure, i can imagine that this is not done quick and easy ;) But good to hear that this kind of thoughts on your mind.
With the gradients, do you have a simple example for this?
I can only hover with the mouse over the edit gradient button to get the resulting string. Not a easy way to get this string as an editable parameter, or miss i something?
But have no clue to get such a string as an input for the gradient.
Gradient.jpg
Gradient input string
thank's
joschy

Re: material handling

Posted: 03 Jun 2016, 09:29
by Dennis
Ahoi Joschy,

why dont you simply connect a string to the gradient? :D

*bind the gradient to the string.. simply drag and drop and get the value from the string...*

the formatting for the string is like:

RGBA;c0(0,0,0);c2...

c0 = is the first stop, followed by rgb values....
gradientstring.jpg
gradientstring2.jpg


best regArts
Dee

:ugeek:

Re: material handling

Posted: 03 Jun 2016, 10:54
by joschy
sounds simple, but...
Gradient2.jpg
error
may be it's my fault, because the string is empty ;)

Re: material handling

Posted: 03 Jun 2016, 11:39
by Dennis
Nope i connected an empty string aswell...
changed the string.. (the old gradient was still valid and used.. until i changed the string to a valid string (i missed RGBA; in my case))
as soon as the string was valid, it worked and used the string...

latest version? (v5.0.2.126?)

regArts

GradientString.vza
(6.66 KiB) Downloaded 558 times

Re: material handling

Posted: 03 Jun 2016, 12:11
by joschy
yep, latest version. I've tried it again and now it works ;)
also your archive file.
Cool feature 8-) good to know

thank's
joschy

Re: material handling

Posted: 03 Jun 2016, 13:12
by Dennis
Btw ...

C0 = the "0" is the position for the STOP.

c0.125 = moves the Stop-Point

e.g.:

RGBA;c0:(0,0,0);c0.125:(1,1,1);c0.5:(1,0,0);c0.75:(0,0,0);c1:(1,1,1)

the "C's" define the stops in a range from 0-1

result:
gradient_example.jpg
PPS:
to create a HARDSTOP... simply set:
RGBA;c0:(0,0,0);c0.125:(1,1,1);c0.1251:(1,0,1);c1:(1,1,1)

Best RegArts
Dee

:ugeek:

Re: material handling

Posted: 03 Jun 2016, 13:31
by joschy
Nice, good stuff for the manual ;)

thank's

Re: material handling

Posted: 03 Jun 2016, 13:40
by chriss0212
or just take this ;)

is it right, that alpha doesn't work?

greets

christian