Limitations of shading domains?

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  • DiomedeDiomede Posts: 15,125
    edited December 1969

    Here is an example using the M4 basicwear tshirt again, because I believe it is widely owned. There is a texture map for it that is installed in the /runtimes/textures/shanec directory, or something like that. I assume the content creator chose shanec. In any case, I have loaded the texture map that Daz sells for the product from the shanec folder to the color channel in the shader tree at the model level,

    - see the shader tree in the attached pic. It shows a miniature of the texture map.

    I can open the 3D paint tool and the same texture map shows up in the color channel. I would recommend saving a new version of the texture map as "bw tshirt 2" or something, then load "bw tshirt 2" in place of the official version so you don't inadvertently mess it up. You can use the 3D paint tool to edit, create layers, save as,... You can then save as a new version with a new name.

    - see the 3D paint room in the attached pic.

    Alternatively, you could open the shanec m4 basicwear texture map in Photoshop or other image editor of your choice and make any changes you want.

    You can use a multichannel mixer to blend these versions, or you can use opacity masks to assign one map to one portion of your model and other maps to other portions of your model, or....

    Back to your project.

    - if the helmet has a texture map and proper uvmapping as the M4 basicwear tshirt does, then you can do any or all of (a) edit the map externally in Photoshop and load the revised map as a texture map in any of the shader tree channels, (b) edit the map using the 3D paint tool, again assuming the uvmapping is appropriate, (c) blend multiple maps using a mixer or assign different maps to different portions using either the shader domains or opacity maks.

    basicwear_in_3d_paint_room.JPG
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    basicwear_texture_room.JPG
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  • BC RiceBC Rice Posts: 591
    edited December 1969

    diomede64 said:
    Here is an example using the M4 basicwear tshirt again, because I believe it is widely owned. There is a texture map for it that is installed in the /runtimes/textures/shanec directory, or something like that. I assume the content creator chose shanec. In any case, I have loaded the texture map that Daz sells for the product from the shanec folder to the color channel in the shader tree at the model level,

    - see the shader tree in the attached pic. It shows a miniature of the texture map.

    I can open the 3D paint tool and the same texture map shows up in the color channel. I would recommend saving a new version of the texture map as "bw tshirt 2" or something, then load "bw tshirt 2" in place of the official version so you don't inadvertently mess it up. You can use the 3D paint tool to edit, create layers, save as,... You can then save as a new version with a new name.

    - see the 3D paint room in the attached pic.

    Alternatively, you could open the shanec m4 basicwear texture map in Photoshop or other image editor of your choice and make any changes you want.

    You can use a multichannel mixer to blend these versions, or you can use opacity masks to assign one map to one portion of your model and other maps to other portions of your model, or....

    Back to your project.

    - if the helmet has a texture map and proper uvmapping as the M4 basicwear tshirt does, then you can do any or all of (a) edit the map externally in Photoshop and load the revised map as a texture map in any of the shader tree channels, (b) edit the map using the 3D paint tool, again assuming the uvmapping is appropriate, (c) blend multiple maps using a mixer or assign different maps to different portions using either the shader domains or opacity maks.

    Yeah, it doesn't have a texture map. But Wendy pointed me to the vertex map (or whatever) and said that I could create my own texture map from that using it as a guide. I obviously won't be able to make the whole thing adhere to the helmet in one go, but hopefully if I use the flat vertex shape and make a texture map out of each individual section and then upload accordingly to each shading domain...maybe? Might work? We'll see.

    Also, what you said about the shirt shouldn't work with the multi channel mixer (for a model that has more than one shading domain). Once you go into a multi channel mixer there's no way to apply a complete texture map to the model. You can only go at it in sections.

    So, for instance, if you have M4 loaded and you create a multi channel mixer for him, you can't apply his total body texture map to that new (secondary) group of shaders. Unless there's something I'm missing. Once you create the Multi Channel mixer, while you still have that top layer with your correct shading domains, on the new (Source 2) channel you've created, you have to go line by line, texture by texture. Which means, for something like M4 or anything with multiple domains, you have to actually create all new texture maps that operate exclusively on their own (e.g. a shader just for M4's legs, a shader just for M4's arms). Unless I'm missing something? I've only ever known the multi channel mixer to work this way regarding various Sources.

  • DiomedeDiomede Posts: 15,125
    edited December 1969

    BC Rice said:

    Also, what you said about the shirt shouldn't work with the multi channel mixer (for a model that has more than one shading domain). Once you go into a multi channel mixer there's no way to apply a complete texture map to the model. You can only go at it in sections.

    It is possible to use a mixer in Carrara even if the item has multiple shader domains. See posts number 6 and 7 in this thread. If you use something like the helmet or the shirt often, it might be worth it. It just depends how often you use the item in question and how many shader domains it has.

  • BC RiceBC Rice Posts: 591
    edited December 1969

    diomede64 said:
    BC Rice said:

    Also, what you said about the shirt shouldn't work with the multi channel mixer (for a model that has more than one shading domain). Once you go into a multi channel mixer there's no way to apply a complete texture map to the model. You can only go at it in sections.

    It is possible to use a mixer in Carrara even if the item has multiple shader domains. See posts number 6 and 7 in this thread. If you use something like the helmet or the shirt often, it might be worth it. It just depends how often you use the item in question and how many shader domains it has.

    Right, if you take the complete texture map and section it off and apply it shader by shader, then it works. But to start with -- the helmet has no texture map of any kind. The only thing I have to work with is its vertex map...so I'm fiddling around with that now. We'll see.

  • BC RiceBC Rice Posts: 591
    edited December 1969

    BAM!!! Fuggin successsssssssssss...finally!

    I learned WAAAAAAAY more than I ever wanted to know about Carrara throughout this. lol But at least I know things now and if I ever need them to know, they are there.

    Thanks for all the help. This was an insane amount of information that you guys gave and it totally brought me through the forest of it all.

    Oh, and here's my super trashy ghetto way of figuring out how to paint on that vertex map thingy. Hey -- works! lol

    HELMET-COLOR-SEARCH.jpg
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  • DiomedeDiomede Posts: 15,125
    edited December 1969

    BC Rice said:
    BAM!!! Fuggin successsssssssssss...finally!

    I learned WAAAAAAAY more than I ever wanted to know about Carrara throughout this. lol But at least I know things now and if I ever need them to know, they are there.

    Thanks for all the help. This was an insane amount of information that you guys gave and it totally brought me through the forest of it all.

    Oh, and here's my super trashy ghetto way of figuring out how to paint on that vertex map thingy. Hey -- works! lol

    Great! Can't wait to see what else you decide to do.

  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,326
    edited December 1969

    I didn't get to read all of the posts... but I've never encountered a model which I cannot change the shading domains in the vertex modeling tools. Just select an amount of polygons, and create a new shading domain for it - repeat if necessary.

    As for a master shader, I never really change the main shader for the object if it has multiple domains. If I want to use the same sahder for all domains, I just apply the same shader to all domains (edit the first one to my liking, and drag it onto all other domains..

  • BC RiceBC Rice Posts: 591
    edited December 1969

    Quick test. Happy with it. I had the lines really clean, but then decided to smudge them up. I think it looks better this way. Thanks again!! :)

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  • DiomedeDiomede Posts: 15,125
    edited December 1969

    BC Rice said:
    Quick test. Happy with it. I had the lines really clean, but then decided to smudge them up. I think it looks better this way. Thanks again!! :)

    Looks great! Very intimidating image.

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