converting layered shaders to file textures on poly objects?
by anthony mcgrath
on
Nov 15, 2001 at 2:34:33 pm
i've got a polygon limb on a model, and I've slapped a layered shader on this limb and it looks great. Only problem now is some of those elements within the layered shader have projection mapped qualities, which is nice but as soon as the model moves, the texture swims! 'Hey no probs!' I think to myself 'I'll convert it to a file txtr!' ...oh oh! when I select the poly limb and then the layered shader node and set me options, I get "unable to write pixel map file". This isn't good and any ideas would be appreciated! cheers!
Re: converting layered shaders to file textures on poly objects? by Chad Briggs on Nov 15, 2001 at 3:09:26 pm
This is just the first thing that pops in my head, but do you have the folder created for your source images to be written to? Sometimes if you have a dir specified for src images, but it doesn't exist, you'll get a error message. I get this sometimes for my "images" directory, cause I shuffle the render dir's around on my computer alot. again, just a thought. -Chad
that sounds cool, but what should I call the directory by anthony mcgrath on Nov 15, 2001 at 3:14:17 pm
when I make a new proj I always use the default setup proj settings in maya which creates all the directories I should need. Do you know the name of the directory which this 'convert to file txtr' uses? I'm aware its case sensitive but I'm sure its the 'sourceimages' folder.
Re: that sounds cool, but what should I call the directory by Chad Briggs on Nov 15, 2001 at 3:18:36 pm
Anthony- Yeah, thats usually what the defualt name is and thats where it puts them. If the dir exist, it should be okay then. The only other thing I can think of is the fact your trying to do a make solid texture out of a layer shader. I haven't used this feature much, so this may be a ignorant question, but does cnvrt to solid texture work on layered shaders? -Chad
Re: that sounds cool, but what should I call the directory by anthony mcgrath on Nov 15, 2001 at 3:33:14 pm
supposedly! I got an option telling me to change the compositing flag on the lay. shdr from "layerd shdr" to "layrd txtr". But this isn't working either.
Re: that sounds cool, but what should I call the directory by Sean Fennell on Nov 15, 2001 at 6:40:11 pm
make sure that your object names and shader names have no | in them to separate hierarchy structures. This messes convert file texture writing out up. So if your poly limb is named myCharacter|polyLimb it wont write out, you'll need to rename it so it doesn't have the verticle line in it.
Also I believe reference namespaces (the colon between filename and object name fileReferenced:object) will cause the same problems.
Check those, its almost always what screws up my convert file textures.
doh! of course! by anthony mcgrath on Nov 15, 2001 at 7:35:37 pm
yeah that seems to work!! nice one dood! I remember fixing this prob with the same answer you've supplied but totally forgot how to get round it...its like trying to sort out how to get vol. shads of pfx nonsense...oh hang on...forgot that...aaaaadddd a new post!!! :)
Re: doh! of course! - there may be a slightly different solution by David Johnson on Nov 16, 2001 at 2:11:44 pm
I usually approach the swimming textures problem using a texture-reference object. The advantage is that you then avoid having to mess up your nice proceedural textures by squeezing them into file textures (so to speak). But, I dont think I ever tried this with polys. Might be worth a look though.
Re: doh! of course! - there may be a slightly different solution by David Johnson on Nov 17, 2001 at 1:14:14 am
Hi Chad,
a texture-reference object is a duplicate of the object that you want to texture and render. You can animate and deform the real object, but the texture placement that results from the 3d textures is done via the link to the texture-reference object, which doesnt animate or deform. When you create one using the menu, it is templated and, for some unknown reason, offset from the original by several units in X - I always remove the offset. Well actually I always make my tex-refs using the connection editor instead. Connect the message-out of the tex-ref-obj shapenode to the reference-in of your real objects shapenode.
Im a bit foggy this morning, so let me know if this doesnt make sense.
Re: doh! of course! - there may be a slightly different solution by Chad Briggs on Nov 17, 2001 at 2:52:57 pm
David- Thanks for the heads up. I played around with the tex. ref. object node this morning and it seems like a intersting little gadget. I don't know how I haven't had to use it yet, with all the textures I've slapped on some of my stuff. You may have something funky with your text ref object creation parameters though, cause no matter how I made mine it always popped up dead in the center of the scene. couldn't duplicate the offsetting problem that you had. Not a big deal, you can move it, just like you said, but I tried to see what would cause that. Oh well. -Chad
Re: doh! of course! - there may be a slightly different solution by David Johnson on Nov 18, 2001 at 8:19:29 am
Hey Chad, thats interesting to know (about the offset). I havent ever bothered to check the creation options, since I always use the connection editor. Thanks for the info. best regards david
Re: cool, but how does a texture ref. work...is it in the manual? by Chad Briggs on Nov 19, 2001 at 2:37:37 pm
Anthony- Yes, go to the help index in Maya and click on the rendering section. Use the index to go to "reference object" or "texture reference object" and it will tell you all about it. -Chad
Re: doh! of course! - there may be a slightly different solution by David Johnson on Nov 20, 2001 at 12:12:48 pm
I tried a quick set up with polys today. While it appeared to work in hardware, my render test didnt. I didnt have time to investigate yet. I'll let you know.
