Finding images for textures

Mosk the Scribe

Hi.  In the Shading or texture room, you used to be able to hover over a texture being applied, and Carrara would either show you the path to the file or at least the name of the file.  Has that functionality been lost?  (or am I just hovering over the wrong spot - can't seem to trigger it)

And if that has been broken, is there a workaround to find the images we're currently using for texturing objects so can modify those files (or copies) in photoshop?

Dartanbeck

Select the channel that holds the texture map, for example, the color channel. Look and see if the file is stored internally. If so, it's path isn't shown because it's embedded into the actual .CAR file. I believe that, if you change that option to "Externally", it will prompt you for a location for the external file to be stored, then you'll have a host of options for file type, etc.,

Hope this helps.

If all else fails, try opening DIM, find the product in question in the Installed tab. Right-click on the entry and choose: "Show Installed Files" or something like that. It will show where everything resides on your machine.

I'm always keeping track of where all of these things are for Shader optimizing. It's amazing what helpful files I find lurking in the included packages! :)

Mosk the Scribe

This does have things listed as save internally - Tried to switch to external (with Save As . . .) but now I'm getting promprted to save numberous images - which may have been why I'd switched to internal in the first place.  Sometimes Carrara seems to lose links and when trying to open will make me click through numerous screen for images.  

For DIM, I was never clear on whether or not it was safe / advisable to update Carrara to latest database -though that may have happened automatically.

Right now I have version 8.5.1 Pro build 19.

I have tons of DAZ store content; plus lots of stuff in my own RobRuntime folder, which I wouldn't mind moving to another drive but worried about losing all old connections.  

I've always appreciated the help you provide ot the Carrara community.  

Do I just open the DAZ Install Manager to find the product references?

Or were you talking about a carrara specific installation manager?

(and any feelings about updating to newest carrara / database??)

Thanks

 

 

Mosk the Scribe

QUICK UPDATE - I found an early version of my Carrara file where things were saved 'locally' (as opposed to internally or externally) and that does indeed show me where image file is located when I hover over the file, and no problems with stray files.

3DAGE

HI Mosk :)

All of the texture maps for all of your Daz and poser products should be in the  MyLibrary\ Runtime\Textures\ (product or artist name)

I think that updating to the latest Carrara should install the newest database (PostgreSQL) ,. which seems to be faster and more stable.

you should have Postgres listed in DIM if it's not installed by carrara

I have tons of DAZ store content; plus lots of stuff in my own RobRuntime folder, which I wouldn't mind moving to another drive but worried about losing all old connections.

As long as you add the location of that folder (Runtime or Library) to Carrara,. then it should be able to find everything you had before

Do I just open the DAZ Install Manager to find the product references?

 Yes,. DIM shows you where the files are installed,. Textur maps are normally in the main "Runtime\Textures" folder of your Library

If you're making, or editing texture maps,. it's a good idea to create some folders,. one in the Runtime \textures folder (for daz poser content) ,. One in My Documents (for your own texture work)

Hope it helps :)

Mosk the Scribe

Thanks 3DAGE - I've gone back and forth between creating my own texture folder for ease of finding vs adding textures to the folder for that product.  I often opt for the latter, because Carrara defaults to open the previous folder it's been in, so makes it easy if i have to access multiple textures to edit for a given product.

Was able to find where texture files were located through the Info icon for the product (which works as long as I remember the product name :) )

 

Searched for 'Postrgr' in DIM and found

• PostgreSQL CMS (Win 64-bit) 65.6MB
• also listed PostgreSQL CMS from Valentina CMS Conversion (o bytes)

so I assume that means my database is the latest version.

 

Thanks as always for your help in troubleshooting problems.

 

 

 

Headwax

hopefully someone will make a plug in that will load textures automatically into photoshop

ie click on texture in shader room parameter list and it loads up in PS or whatever your program is

there has been talk ;)

Mosk the Scribe

That would be nice.  I often want to customize textures, and would love a simple way to streamline that.  

Dartanbeck

I have updated to the latest Postgre and all that stuff right away when Spooky recomended us to. I don't remember exactly what all was involved, and I still don't have internet/don't have any of my 3D software on this tiny thing (netbook).

I do recall that, although several Postgre and related downloads might be available, depending upon beta, official, and so on, that we should pick one, not both (or more).

Also, I when going from Vanentia to Postgre SQL, we need to make sure to install all of the Postgre stuff first (as well as any other updates) before running the Valentia-to-Postgre conversion.

Dartanbeck

Like I said earlier, I'm constantly going into the "Textures" (Runtime > Textures >) folder to:

A - See what extra images I have to work with, since some of them might not auto-translate into Carrara shaders

B - Get acquainted with where they are should I need to locate them for Carrara 

So, for convenience, I use the Runtime > Textures folders (I have multiple runtimes) for storing my own, custom image files. For this I use a folder Runtime > Textures > "!!!_dB" (without quotes)

The !!! places the folder at the top of the list for easy access, but is otherwise unnecessary.

I have many custom texture files for environments, vehicles, V4 and M4, so I have !!!_dB folders in the Runtime > Textures folder for my M4, V4, Environs, and Vehicles runtime locations, for example ;)

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Personally, I try to NOT change locations of my Runtime folders unless (until) I'm doing a fresh installation of my entire operating system (Windows) 

Changing these locations just tends to confuse everything. Sure, we can easily remap the folder into Carrara for access of the content from the Content tab, but when we try to load existing .CAR files which use content, we have to tell Carrara where the files are located.

Mosk the Scribe

Yeah - reluctant to move because I don't want to break old files (or have to repoint countless files/textures).  If Adobe products, they have a great automated way so if you reload one missing file, Adobe automatically searches that folder for all the other missing files and automatically relinks them.  Development in Carrara has been so frustratingly non-existent that I don't know if it's even worth bringing up (though if you have any pull and think that's feasible, would certainly make life easier).  My problem is that particular hard drive is very full with DAZ stuff and I don't have other good candidates to move off the drive to clear up major space.  (that was an old 1TB drive; now have some 3TB and 4TB drives)