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Animate Shader in an NLA clip? SOLVED!

DesertDudeDesertDude Posts: 1,234
edited April 2021 in Carrara Discussion

Hi All,

I'm a noob when it comes to creating and using NLA tracks. I had a thought for an experiment using an animated shader but can't even get a simple animated shader to show up in an NLA track, depsite the fact it is listed as an option when I click on Track > Parameters > right mouse button to access some advanced options. It's listed in the pop up menu (see screen grab), but no matter what I do I can't get simple animated shader to "stick" or show up in the NLA Clip.

I have tried adjusting the Shader when the Clip is in Edit Mode (Edit Clip), and it animates as expected, but...still isn't part of the Parameters for the Track or attached to the Clip. I tried converting to a Master Clip and bringing back into the timeline, but still no luck.

I noticed there is a 'Show Other Parameters' option (again, see screen grab), so out of curiosity I added a Modifier, and that showed up. 

I have gone through the Carrara Manual for the section on NLA, watched the section on NLA in Phil Wilkes 'Learning Carrara 8.5", Googled until my head started spinning around, and tried searching the forums, starting with Dartanbeck's 'Carrara Information Manual'.

So, can this even be done? I'm sure I am doing something wrong or missing something obvious.

Thanks for your help.

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Post edited by DesertDude on

Comments

  • evilproducerevilproducer Posts: 9,040

    Never tried that before.

     

  • WendyLuvsCatzWendyLuvsCatz Posts: 37,814
    edited July 2019

    Possibly something Fenric’s ERC could be used for if you have it

    hope he puts his DAZ store stuff on his website one day for those who missed out to buy

    I bought everything from DAZ of his

    only thing I don’t own AFAIK is his bone hider and mix map to sampling fixer off his site

    Post edited by WendyLuvsCatz on
  • DesertDudeDesertDude Posts: 1,234
    Wendy_Carrara said:

    Possibly something Fenric’s ERC could be used for if you have it

    hope he puts his DAZ store stuff on his website one day for those who missed out to buy

    I bought everything from DAZ of his

    only thing I don’t own AFAIK is his bone hider and mix map to sampling fixer off his site

    Thanks Wendy, I actually own the ERC plugin, thinking I would use it for corrective morphs with bone bending but embarrassed to say I haven't explored it yet. blush

    Turns out I had the totally wrong approach for what I wanted to do anyway. My usual MO, put the cart before the horse and go crashing off. But I'm still curious why that "Show Shaders" would be listed when it seems to be non functional. The Shader in the timeline doesn't turn red like the other options which seems to be based on manipulating vertices. Hmmm...

  • MistaraMistara Posts: 38,675
    edited October 2019

    can mimic help mebbe?

    by revealing track magiks

    Post edited by Mistara on
  • DesertDudeDesertDude Posts: 1,234
    edited April 2021

    Sorry to resurrect this thread but...SOLVED!

    This is one (very rare) occasion where I feel a little grumpy towards the developers...lol. devil

    SOLUTION:

    If you select the object's Animation Group in the Instances Tab, there is an 'Animation Group' tip-down triangle which appears in the General Tab which when tipped reveals...dah da dah! - a 'Control Shaders' checkbox, unchecked! angry

     


    Was literally staring me in the face - in the face - that 'Animation Group' traingle tip down thingy. So, check that checkbox. smiley

    Ok, next up, click to highlight the 'Track', and under the General Tab, click the Parameters button.
    Strangely, Carrara has now unhelpfully unchecked  'Shaders', so re-check it and now you should have your Shader highlighted as part of your NLA track.

     

    Still doing some tests...there are a few flakey things happening from my end that are probabaly user error, but at least it seems to be accessable and works.

    edit to add: I still don't see a reference to this in the manual.

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    Post edited by DesertDude on
  • MistaraMistara Posts: 38,675

    kewl.  thanks  wonder if that could be the way to save a shader and apply without losing the loaded texture maps.
    sometimes i just want to change the 'save internal' setting or lower highlights.

    i started saving my shaders and animated shaders to a primitives to object tab. 
     when i need the shader i drag in the primitive, then drop on a shader from the lil shader tab.

    if you set each side of the cube to a shader domain, its great for dragging in a group of shaders in 1 go
    for example, christmas lights.  could save 6 flashing colors to 1 cube.

    i put 1 in freebies.  https://www.renderosity.com/freestuff/items/83432/carrara-animated-shader

     

     

  • Steve KSteve K Posts: 3,191

    Very good, thanks for the post.  I still think I've got a lot to discover in Carrara ... cool

  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,223

    That truly is very interesting.

  • DesertDudeDesertDude Posts: 1,234

    Mystiarra said:

    kewl.  thanks  wonder if that could be the way to save a shader and apply without losing the loaded texture maps.
    sometimes i just want to change the 'save internal' setting or lower highlights.

    i started saving my shaders and animated shaders to a primitives to object tab. 
     when i need the shader i drag in the primitive, then drop on a shader from the lil shader tab.

    if you set each side of the cube to a shader domain, its great for dragging in a group of shaders in 1 go
    for example, christmas lights.  could save 6 flashing colors to 1 cube.

    i put 1 in freebies.  https://www.renderosity.com/freestuff/items/83432/carrara-animated-shader

     

    Mystiarra - Love that animation! Nice touch as CararraX squiggles off at a faster pace. smiley

    Thanks for the freebie, I downloaded to test for this.

    I'm a little confused by what you say here:

    "wonder if that could be the way to save a shader and apply without losing the loaded texture maps.
    sometimes i just want to change the 'save internal' setting or lower highlights.    "

    As far as I know one can save a shader to the Browser and it saves with the Texture Map, and one can just drag and drop from the Broswer > Shaders > My Shaders (or whatever the folder's name).

    I'm still messing with this and occasionally getting an odd / unexpected result due to the fact I'm not sure exactly what I'm doing. blush

  • DesertDudeDesertDude Posts: 1,234

    Steve K said:

    Very good, thanks for the post.  I still think I've got a lot to discover in Carrara ... cool

    yes  Cool. I certainly know I do. smiley

  • DesertDudeDesertDude Posts: 1,234

    Dartanbeck said:

    That truly is very interesting.

    Cool. Hope it can be yet another useful tool.

  • MistaraMistara Posts: 38,675

    DesertDude said:

    Mystiarra said:

    kewl.  thanks  wonder if that could be the way to save a shader and apply without losing the loaded texture maps.
    sometimes i just want to change the 'save internal' setting or lower highlights.

    i started saving my shaders and animated shaders to a primitives to object tab. 
     when i need the shader i drag in the primitive, then drop on a shader from the lil shader tab.

    if you set each side of the cube to a shader domain, its great for dragging in a group of shaders in 1 go
    for example, christmas lights.  could save 6 flashing colors to 1 cube.

    i put 1 in freebies.  https://www.renderosity.com/freestuff/items/83432/carrara-animated-shader

     

    Mystiarra - Love that animation! Nice touch as CararraX squiggles off at a faster pace. smiley

    Thanks for the freebie, I downloaded to test for this.

    I'm a little confused by what you say here:

    "wonder if that could be the way to save a shader and apply without losing the loaded texture maps.
    sometimes i just want to change the 'save internal' setting or lower highlights.    "

    As far as I know one can save a shader to the Browser and it saves with the Texture Map, and one can just drag and drop from the Broswer > Shaders > My Shaders (or whatever the folder's name).

    I'm still messing with this and occasionally getting an odd / unexpected result due to the fact I'm not sure exactly what I'm doing. blush

    was just wonderin, if it gives checkboxes for what channels in the shader to save, save everything but the texture

    i have trouble reading the options, light font on a light background is hard for me to see.  i cant see the lil white triangles, i click like crazy til i hit it. >.<

    laughCarrara X.  carrara with all the extras. plugins

  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,223

    The problem with using NLA clips for certain things is that, the only way to edit them is to edit the clip itself which, to me is a PITA, but to each their own.

    When creating the NLA clip, we can enlarge the dialog that pops open and select or deselect anything that we want. 

     

    In your earlier question, it will not actually store the map itself, only the changes it makes over time - that's what NLA clips do - record changes in settings in a non-linear fashion.

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