Map Master Pro (Commercial)

MikeDMikeD Posts: 288
edited October 2019 in Daz PA Commercial Products

Welcome to the Map Master Pro script for DAZ Studio.

Do you use your own maps in DAZ Studio? This is the perfect tool for you, if you make your own maps manually, or if you use any texture software, like Substance Painter and you want an easy and fast way to plug these maps into the materials slots. It works with default shaders, any shader in the DAZ market or a custom one. Put any text or an image watermark to the maps, rescale any of them and reuse the same modifications to the new sets with one click. Make some presets and the script will plug any map set to any item using that preset in no time, without mistakes. Do you have some maps with no information? No problem. The script gives you the option to use only the maps you want. It also has the capability to build and save the UV templates. It uses two maps folders (the original maps folder and the destination maps folder) so it copies your maps in a nondestructive way. You may use the same folder as well. Do you think we are finish here? It is time for some material presets. The script can save the material preset for any set of maps. The script also includes an Icon Building System, based on layers in order to make your own material icons in 256px and 91px. Put your own 256px .png files to its specific Icon folder in order to enrich your Icon Library with new backgrounds, borders and foreground image options.

I hope you find it fun and useful. Of course, not the script itself, but the results it is producing can be used for any commercial item, so we can say that it is a merchant resource too.

The Map Master Pro script allows you to:

  • Easily group the Maps for an Item as long as they have the format “BaseName-Extension”, for example MyMaps_BaseColor, MyMaps_Glossiness etc. They also may have variable ending like: MyGenesisArmMapB1001, MyGenesisArmMapD1001, MyGenesisTorsoMapB1002, MyGenesisTorsoMapD1002 etc.
  • Place an image or text watermark to anyone or all of the maps with a simple button
  • Rescale down anyone of the maps to the desirable dimensions
  • Decide if you want to use the map or not (if it has no information) with a click of the mouse
  • Keep up to five quick modification presets for all the above corrections, so you can apply the same modification to any set of maps.
  • See any preview of the map to its original or lower size.
  • Build and save the UV templates for an item using the material or the UV tile criteria, up to the size of 8K
  • Project the UV templates to the maps for comparison reasons
  • Make your own presets of equivalents between the shader mappable properties (Image, Float and Color) and the maps extensions. In that way you may re-apply the same presets to any map set with a click of the mouse.
  • Set the values of the Float Properties and the color of the Color Properties to these presets.
  • Do the same for the gamma values.
  • Copy the maps into the destination folder and plug the map sets to any material one by one (letting you choose if you want to use this map or not) or all together as it is defined in your Preset.
  • Save a Material Preset file if you want to keep it.
  • Build your own Icons for all kind of Assets in your Content Library, using the Icon Building System. The Icon Building System uses layers to compose the final image. The layers may be some included images, or your own images as long as they are 256px .pngs
  • Save Icon Presets in order to reuse the same layers, without having to rebuild them.

Watch a presentation video of the script and the main features:

Go To VIdeo

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Post edited by MikeD on
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Comments

  • FenixPhoenixFenixPhoenix Posts: 3,001
    edited October 2019

    OMG, this is going to save SO MUCH time! This will definitely fly into my shopping cart for sure! Any idea when it'll be released?

    Post edited by FenixPhoenix on
  • Td3dTd3d Posts: 412

    Looks very cool and comprehensive! Am looking forward to this one.

  • barbultbarbult Posts: 23,050

    The name of this script confuses me a bit. There is already a Map Manager product in the Daz Store, by a different vendor. I think this one has some functionality overlap with the existing one, but also some differences.

  • CybersoxCybersox Posts: 8,745
    barbult said:

    The name of this script confuses me a bit. There is already a Map Manager product in the Daz Store, by a different vendor. I think this one has some functionality overlap with the existing one, but also some differences.

    Yeah, that confused me as well and I thought this was an upgrade to the one I already own when I saw the thread title.  This product does look extremely useful, but I'm really surprised DAZ actually allowed the use of such a similar name instead of something like Map Master Pro as it's going to get really confusing using both in the same workflow. 

  • MikeDMikeD Posts: 288
    edited October 2019

    Hey all,

    I had 't seen that there was already a Product named "Map Manger" in the store... A thousands sorries to V3Digitimes for the mistake...
    I have to clarify that is definitely NOT an update of this awesome product. I have contacted DAZ in order to change its name.

    Another clarification: I made the forum page just before I submitted to DAZ, in order to have the "Support Forum Page" link in my script.... DAZ has not accepted this product with this name (...yet). If I had seen it earlier I had just to change the name.

     

    Sorry again for the inconvenience and the misunderstanding...

     

    Mike!

    Post edited by MikeD on
  • Maybe change the topic title to reflect the new name :)

  • MikeDMikeD Posts: 288

    Yes, in deed DoctorJellybean, you got me the time of the changes.

     

    Cybersox, I am gonna use your idea "Map Master Pro".... Thanks a lot!

  • MikeDMikeD Posts: 288

    Map Master Pro is released. I hope you enjoy it...

  • memcneil70memcneil70 Posts: 3,684

    I have your product, https://www.daz3d.com/map-master-pro in my cart now. I added the link, so that your thread will show up as a forum reference. I will now have both products. Now, have to learn both and use them!

    Mary

     

  • MikeDMikeD Posts: 288

    I have your product, https://www.daz3d.com/map-master-pro in my cart now. I added the link, so that your thread will show up as a forum reference. I will now have both products. Now, have to learn both and use them!

    Mary

     

    Thanks a lot Mary... You don't have to add the link to the forum... all my recent products and scripts have a button to open the corresponding forum thread for you ..... wink

  • DiomedeDiomede Posts: 15,026

    Just purchased your newly released Map Master Pro.  Looking forward to learning and experimenting.  Thank you.

  • SigurdSigurd Posts: 1,084

    I was working on making my own content and stopped about half a year ago mostly because transferring the maps from Substance Painter into Daz was just too tedious. I am hopeful that this will solve that problem. Thank you.

  • outrider42outrider42 Posts: 3,679

    Whoa, if the icon making feature works as well as it looks, that one feature alone is very handy thing to have. I'd advertise that aspect a bit more!

    The help buttons are nicely thought out, I wish Studio could implement that as well as you have.

    What about textures that don't follow the standard naming scheme?

  • MikeDMikeD Posts: 288
    edited October 2019

    Thanks a lot outrider42 for your nice comment. Now ...

    What about textures that don't follow the standard naming scheme?

    This is a good question….

    Although I explain it thoroughly in manual pages 21-22, a clarification never hurts…

    Ok… The second tab is the backbone of the script. It relies in the fact that the maps of a set must have a name and an ending, according to the surface property that each map is meant to be plugged. Your maps may be MapB.png for base color, MapH.png for height, MapNorm.png for normal or whatever ending you want them to have. All you have to do is to write the endings to the ‘File’s name extension’ field for each property you want (see attachment image).

    It is not necessary to use the default preset. You can make your own presets and have the B for the base maps, the H for the height maps and the Norm for the normal maps, according to the above naming. A different preset can also be used for each different shader you use (not necessarily Iray). Of course, all the maps must have the same base name (‘Map’ in the above example). The script can not find the equivalents between a property and a map if your set is like MyBaseMap.png for base color, ThisIsHeight.png for height, NormalMap.png for normal as all these files have different base names.

    You can also use some wild characters (a number of question marks (?) only, according to the characters you want to exclude) at the end, and at the end only of your map naming, like the Genesis naming style. The set MapB1001.png, MapH2004.png, MapNorm54KL.png have 4 characters at the end that we want to exclude. You can type in the ‘File’s name extension’ field B???? for your base color maps, H???? for your height maps and Norm???? for your normal maps. The script will ignore the 4 last characters (as we placed four question marks (?) at the end) and will search for a B, just before them for the base color, for an H for the height maps and for the Norm for the normal maps.

     

    From the manual:

    File’s Name Extension:
    Write in this field the extension of your map name, that correspond to the chosen property. Remember that the script is case sensitive. The extension is truly the ending of the file name that varies between the maps of a group. For example, if we have the maps “MyMap01_BaseColor.png”, “MyMap01_Metallic.png” and “MyMap01_Height.png”, the extensions that could be used here would be the “_BaseColor”, “_Metallic” and “_Height” with or without the “_”, as it is common to all these maps. What about if we make our maps in the Genesis standards, and our maps have the form: “FigureArmsB_1004”, “FigureArmsS_1004”, “FigureArmsSSS_1004” and “FigureTorsoB_1002”, “FigureTorsoD_1002”, “FigureTorsoS_1002”? In this case we could use the wildcard character: “?” (question mark). The script overlooks as many characters in the maps name ending, as the number of the question marks in the end of the extension field.  Beware: The question mark is a forbitten character for any file name so there is no possibility that your maps’ name has this character. Also, this is the only character you can use (not * or anything else) and it must be absolutely at the end of the extension name and not in the middle part. So, for our Genesis style example, we could use the extensions “B_????”, “D_????”, “S_????”and “SSS_????”. The “S_????” and “SSS_????” are so identical… Is there any possibility that the script chooses the one against the other and misplace a map? No… The script has a build in algorithm that sorting the extensions according to their number of characters, starting from the biggest string. So, the SSS_???? will be plugged in first, as the script looks for 8-characters match from the right end of the name, and the S_???? will be plugged later, as the script looks for 6-characters match.
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    Post edited by Chohole on
  • Good timing, sir!  I need to build material presents for a dozen or so assets in the next few weeks.  :)

    I was watching the videos, and my eyes just kept getting bigger and bigger. :) 

  • JhudJhud Posts: 30

    I purchased this and I am currently testing it.  Is there a way to store the presets on the computer. Example I set up presets for the Badia Skirt Outfit.  A few days later I want to apply the preset for the Badia Skirt Outfit to a new folder with new texure maps. I think the Extensions per group column is a bit confusing. Mine show only the B_ (five times), D_ (Five times) and T_ (five times). You must click on the first B and the first D and the first T to match up the bump map and the default map.  If a person has lots of maps in a folder it can be very confusing. On the maps settings page I wish there were an option to load a previously saved preset from the had drive. This way a person can have a preset per outfit, prop, scene, etc. Example Outfit Name_Iray, Outfit Name_3Delight.  If I select the correct maps for the item and make sure I check Use this map button, then select the material for the group and select the correct material, then selec Plug the set. I get a message that says The Maps(s) are plugged into material(s) properties. I click the Ok button, but the maps are not plugged into the properties.  I would like to discuss this with you privately. Perhaps I am not following instruction as well as I would like to think that I am.

  • MikeDMikeD Posts: 288
    edited October 2019

    Hey JHud,

    When you said preset you mean the extension presets in the second tab, like "_BaseMap" --> Base Color Property, "_h"--> Bump property etc... or the quick modification presets like the watermark, the size of each map of the set etc? For the first case I have detailed instructions in the manual page 20-22.

    Btw you can easilly access the manual with the marked button.

    I would like to see a print screen of your first tab, with the B_, D_ issue and a print screen of your map folder (from the windows explorer) if you can....

    The whole thing is to handle a lot of maps in the folder... imagine I have made it to use it for my creations and in an ordinary loaded project the amount of sets is large.... take a look the first tab in the project I am working now.....

    For the 'plug the set' issue, normaly it would pop up the message if everything is ok. Try plug the maps one by one and please sent me if pop the confirmation message for each map if you can.... (it does the same work with the plug the set, but it asks for a confirmation for each map).

    Post it here or PM me.....

    Thanks!

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    Post edited by Chohole on
  • JhudJhud Posts: 30

    I purchased this and I am currently testing it.  First of all I really like the product. I printed the manual so I can make my notes as I go along. I am going to PM you the information because I do not want to confuse others. 

     

  • CamonraCamonra Posts: 22

    Well, darn.  I can't seem to get anything to show up in the "Maps in Folder" pane.  I was loolking at the Sunflower prop.  It doesn't have any of the "extensions."

    How would the work flow for these types of objects?

  • MikeDMikeD Posts: 288
    Camonra said:

    Well, darn.  I can't seem to get anything to show up in the "Maps in Folder" pane.  I was loolking at the Sunflower prop.  It doesn't have any of the "extensions."

    How would the work flow for these types of objects?

    If you are saying about: "Sunflower Plants for Daz Studio and Iray" (that's the one I have from the sunflowers and I could see its maps)

    https://www.daz3d.com/sunflower-plants-for-daz-studio-and-iray

    you can't.

    As you said there are no extensions for these maps.

    The Seeds maps for example are:

    • Seeds.png for the Base Color
    • Seeds_DISP.bmp for the displacement
    • Seeds_SPEC.bmp for the specular
    • Seeds+_Norm.png for the normal.

    You could type:

    _DISP for the displacement (remember to set .bmp in the settings tab as a valid image file, as the script has the .png and .jpg only by default)

    _SPEC for the specular

    +_Norm for the normal,

    but still you would have a problem as the Seeds.png for the Base Color has no extension. You could rename the file to Seeds_Base.png and set the _Base as the proper extension in the script, but you have to do it manually.

    If you make your own maps, you could named them as you wish with the proper extensions.

  • CamonraCamonra Posts: 22

    I see, so I think I have the workflow a little out of order. I would open the desired model first in Substance Painter, create and save out the propr extensions there, then bring them into the model in Daz with Map Master Pro.  Is that the idea?

  • MikeDMikeD Posts: 288
    Camonra said:

    I see, so I think I have the workflow a little out of order. I would open the desired model first in Substance Painter, create and save out the propr extensions there, then bring them into the model in Daz with Map Master Pro.  Is that the idea?

    Yes, it is a quite good workflow to work with, using Substance Painter. You could just name the files manually, if youi make them in PS or any other sourse application, as long as they are in the form: "NameExtension".

     

    The default extensions that the script recognizes is for Substance Painter, but you can do your own presets.

  • LyonessLyoness Posts: 1,606

    Question:  is there already a way to apply the set of maps to all the Material zones at once?

  • MikeDMikeD Posts: 288
    edited October 2019
    Lyoness said:

    Question:  is there already a way to apply the set of maps to all the Material zones at once?

    Sure Lyoness as long as you plug one different set per material zone. Check the next quick example for Genesis 8 default maps:

    First I went to the second Tab and I made a copy of the default preset to work with. I set the next values to the extension fields and the colors as an example, deleting the properties I didn't want (this is just a presentation of some values, not all of them).:

    Next in the first tab:

    1. I choosed the set I wanted (G8BaseArmsMap) for example

    2. I assigned a material zone for this (Arms)

    3. I repeated 1 and 2 for the sets I wanted (only the Legs for my example)

    4. Pressing the 'Plug the set' all maps are in place..... wink

     

     

    All Sets at once equivalents example.png
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    Post edited by MikeD on
  • ArtiniArtini Posts: 8,528

    Is Map Master Pro usable only with Substance Painter, or can be used with some other software, as well?

    What about its usage with 3Dcoat or Blacksmith 3D?

     

  • MikeDMikeD Posts: 288
    Artini said:

    Is Map Master Pro usable only with Substance Painter, or can be used with some other software, as well?

    What about its usage with 3Dcoat or Blacksmith 3D?

     

    Well no, it is not usable only with Substance Painter, although it is originally designed with Substance Painter in mind....

    The idea is to group and plug the maps (no matter their origin) according to their endings. If your maps are in NameEnding.imageExtension (for example PropBaseColor.png, PropDiffuse.png, PropHeight.png) format they are suitable for Map Master Pro.

    I have used the script with Photoshop images as well, as long as I keep the name formatting like the example above.

    I don't have 3D Coat or Blacksmith 3D, but as I see in their sites,  3D Coat exports the maps in the format Name_Ending, so these maps should work with Map Master Pro directly, and Blacksmith 3D lets you decide about the maps' name so you could name them myMap_Base for base color, myMap_Bump for bump etc. If you have any of these applications check please if their export format is like NameEnding according to the channel. If this is true then you can use them directly without having to rename the maps' name.

  • ArtiniArtini Posts: 8,528

    Ok, thanks for the explanation.

  • JhudJhud Posts: 30

    Mike thank you for helping me understand the process involved.

    I use Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro and I love this script.

  • ArtiniArtini Posts: 8,528
    Jhud said:

    Mike thank you for helping me understand the process involved.

    I use Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro and I love this script.

    Could you elaborate more on your usage of Map Master Pro with Paint Shop Pro, please.

     

  • JhudJhud Posts: 30

    I use Photoshop and Paintshop Pro to create my textures. I export the files to jpg format and then I use Map Master Pro to apply the textures in Daz Studio. 

     

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