Issue with applying materials in Carrara 8.5

cryan_1832017

Hello all.

Is there a secret handshake or such needed to apply materials to content in Carrara 8.5?

The attached screen capture shows a set of "Si Ternera" armor applied to a Genesis 2 figure. The objects apply correctly to the figure, and the tools to adjust the shapes of the armor work well.

But when I double-click on the materials (while having the instance's top-level item in the instances tab), it makes the object invisible in renders (with just a light transparent version of the object visible in the preview window.)

This isn't specific to this set of armor -- it's happening with lots of materials I'm applying to the figures newly-available in Carrara 8.5.

Any ideas why this is happening?

Thanks very much!

Dartanbeck

Select "Actor" of the item. Then double click the material file :)

cryan_1832017

Alas, that is the scenario that results in making the object invisible.

Jonstark

I don't double click. I select 'Actor' (just as Dart suggested) then I drag and drop the material up and onto the selected figure/actor. You can tell when you've got it in the right place because the bounding boxes light up. I drop it, and it seems to work fine.

I think double clicking is supposed to do the same thing, but it's always acted funny/finicky for me, same as trying to drag and drop into the instances tray, so I've just always dragged up into the scene and onto the relevant figure, and it seems to work (so far)

cryan_1832017

The issue appears to be with Genesis 2 figures, and at least part of the time with Michael 5.

Both the double-click and click-and-drag methods work correctly with the original Genesis figure. (Testing with the Genesis bikini on a plain-vanilla Genesis figure).

But the exact same process fails with Genesis 2.

If I select the Actor element for the object in the instances tab and double-click on the material icon in the browser/content window, then the material appears as a new item at the bottom of the instances tab, and does not apply the texture to the object.

If I select the Actor element and drag the texture onto it, then the texture appears as a child of the object in the instances tab, but the texture is not applied to the object.

And if I select the top-level of the object in the the instances tab, and double-click on the texture (or do the click-and-drag method), the object becomes invisible in renders, with just a thin transparent indication of the object in the preview window.

See the first attached screen capture.

I'm testing this with the recently-released "Si Terna Armor", but I'm seeing similar behavior with M5 and the Phillip textures (which are included in Carrara 8.5)

If I load an M5 and select the "Genesis" heirarchy level in instances tab and then either double-click on the "M5 Phillip Face 05" texture or drag it to the instances tab, the face becomes all-black in preview window and is invisible in a render. (There's no effect if the "Actor" level is used in the instances tab.) Oddly, the "M5 Phillip All Hairy" texture works fine.

You can see this in the second attached screen capture.

At this point, I'm thinking this must be a software bug or an install issue with the materials. Has anyone successfully applied these textures to a Genesis 2 figure or M5?

Dartanbeck

Wow. Same issues here, too. I guess I never load them that way. Better file a support ticket.

DAZ_Spooky

Note technically you should be selecting the line above Actor, but either Actor or the line above it should work.

Since you are applying DAZ Studio Materials and shaders onto a figure in Carrara the results may not always be as expected, depending on what shaders were used in DS. The Default DS shaders do work and translate fairly well, but once you get into the more specialized DS shaders or LIE presets they do not work.

If the materials are not procedural in DS you can build the shader directly in Carrara. It is a little bit of effort but you only have to do it once, presuming you save it.

Dartanbeck

Right - I realized that, too... the line above actor. Maybe I need to update some files?
I end up with black nothing in the shaders. No textures, nothing. The textures are in the library, where they're supposed to be. But I've had a bunch of test stuff - perhaps I botched my files when I refreshed everything - I'll try again.

DAZ_Spooky

Dartanbeck said:

Right - I realized that, too... the line above actor. Maybe I need to update some files?
I end up with black nothing in the shaders. No textures, nothing. The textures are in the library, where they're supposed to be. But I've had a bunch of test stuff - perhaps I botched my files when I refreshed everything - I'll try again.

For using the Content Tab it makes no difference whether you use Actor or the line above actor for Materials, but for the Smart Content Tab that requires the line above Actor for Smart Content to work. :)

The M5 Image shown with the black face is a DS LIE preset. Carrara can't read those, and is part of the DSON format that is in a Special to DS section at the bottom. It is the same for many shaders. We have tried, and in some cases succeeded, in having Carrara at least pull the maps out of the more common shaders, but not always.

Dartanbeck

Well some of mine I got as a PA, and I think I must have put the older files in by mistake. I'll just buy the right ones.
Also, (and this could be because of what I've just said) I get "an error has occurred" sometimes if "Actor" is selected. Yeah... I better re-adjust my junk! ;)

Thanks Spooky!

cryan_1832017

So what does this mean for the useability of DAZ Studio content in Carrara 8.5?

Is there any way to know before purchasing a product in the store if the textures will work in Carrara, or is there a method for manually converting the textures to something Carrara can use?

kakman

DAZ_Spooky said:

Dartanbeck said:

Right - I realized that, too... the line above actor. Maybe I need to update some files?
I end up with black nothing in the shaders. No textures, nothing. The textures are in the library, where they're supposed to be. But I've had a bunch of test stuff - perhaps I botched my files when I refreshed everything - I'll try again.

For using the Content Tab it makes no difference whether you use Actor or the line above actor for Materials, but for the Smart Content Tab that requires the line above Actor for Smart Content to work. :)

The M5 Image shown with the black face is a DS LIE preset. Carrara can't read those, and is part of the DSON format that is in a Special to DS section at the bottom. It is the same for many shaders. We have tried, and in some cases succeeded, in having Carrara at least pull the maps out of the more common shaders, but not always.

I did a complete “fresh” install (using DIM) for Studio, C8.5 and ALL Genesis and Genesis 2 content.

I have found that when having the “Actor” selected on Genesis that NONE of the materials from the “Content” tab apply. Other items, such as clothing DO apply with the “Actor” selected but NOT materials.

I have just tested Gabi V5, Aaron GYT, Andrea GYT, Benjamin, James, Gunner and Tori for V5 and none of these applied with the “Actor” selected.

Off to do some more testing.

kakman

I find that selecting the “Actor” line and then trying to apply a material preset does NOT work for mostly everything (but, I will test some more).

I have just tested the following clothing items and none of the material presets apply with the “Actor” line selected:

April Showers
50’s Everyday Clothes
M5 Underwear
Mall Girl

DAZ_Spooky, could you give me an example of where selecting the “Actor” line and applying a material preset DOES work?

Of course I might not have the product where it does work, but I am very curious.

Thanks