Materials questions

L

lisa

0
Materials questions

Hang on--this is a long list. Forgive my ignorance; it's been a lot of years since i did limited work with 3D, and i'm not up on all the techy stuff.

A) Is it possible to save materials? Are there any user-created files available?


B) I read in the help files that additional materials could be brought in via plug-ins. What format, and where do they go? I don't find any plug-in folders; would i need to create one? If so, where?

C) What does the shading space scale do? I've messed around with it and haven't seen any effects.

D) In bringing in a SketchUp model, i assume i have to find and load the color texture jpg files for all the materials in the model. Or, is there maybe a more automatic way?

If anyone is game to share files or even screenshots, it would really be helpful to see settings for different types of materials. There are so many variables that i get lost trying to make anything look like anything, and i'm waaaaay too lazy to adjust settings and make notes of the results!

Thanks in advance for any and all answers and tips. But be prepared; once i get this down i'm moving on to trying to understand the finer points of lighting and rendering!
 
Re: Materials questions

lisa said:
A) Is it possible to save materials? Are there any user-created files available?
Click to expand...

Sort of. Save the whole scene as a .JAS file and it will include all the materials within it - from there, you should be able to transfer them between projects on way or another. Not ideal, but there's probably a better way.

C) What does the shading space scale do? I've messed around with it and haven't seen any effects.
Click to expand...

Okay, this is a wee bit complex:

1. Create a cube, and make it editable. Then, create two different materials, so you can tell them apart.

2. Select one face of the cube, and change the "Selection Space" from "0" to "1". It should unselect the face.

3. Select another face of the cube, and change the Selection Space from 1 to 2.

4. Drag both Materials onto the cube, and set their shading spaces to "0" and "1", respectively. The Materials now ONLY apply to the faces of the cube within that shading space.

It basically lets you apply multiple materials to one object.

EDIT: This is wrong, and I am stupid.

If anyone is game to share files or even screenshots, it would really be helpful to see settings for different types of materials. There are so many variables that i get lost trying to make anything look like anything, and i'm waaaaay too lazy to adjust settings and make notes of the results!
Click to expand...

Sure: Here is the scene I created for a tutorial on how to make the Crystal Rose you can view in the Gallery. It'll probably help you with the Radiosity and Lighting stuff you were going to get into soon, too =)
 
Re: Materials questions

lisa said:
B) I read in the help files that additional materials could be brought in via plug-ins. What format, and where do they go? I don't find any plug-in folders; would i need to create one? If so, where?
Click to expand...

I havent't opened the shader API yet so you can't write shaders by yourself yet. At the moment the shader plug-ins are within the Cheetah3d application bundle. You can also find them in the Cheetah3D.app Info panel of the Finder.

lisa said:
C) What does the shading space scale do? I've messed around with it and haven't seen any effects.
Click to expand...

This property only has a effect for procedural materials like marble or wood. Use the wood shader and you will see quite fast the effect of the scale property.

lisa said:
D) In bringing in a SketchUp model, i assume i have to find and load the color texture jpg files for all the materials in the model. Or, is there maybe a more automatic way?
Click to expand...

The textures of a .3ds file for example must resist in the same folder or in a subfolder as the .3ds file. Otherwise Cheetah3D won't find the textures.

By,
Martin
 
Thanks for so many answers.

Randy, you really had me scared for a minute, with all that complex selection and naming... but when i calmed down, i realized what you were explaining. I'm still a bit lost on that part, too, so even though you misunderstood the question, i still appreciate the answer.

Martin, you are so quick with answers and upgrades and wonderful support. I'm just curious--is "sleep" on your to-do list?
 
Re: Materials questions

lisa said:
A) Is it possible to save materials? Are there any user-created files available?
Click to expand...

The possibility of saving materials would be very welcome.

lisa said:
B) I read in the help files that additional materials could be brought in via plug-ins. What format, and where do they go? I don't find any plug-in folders; would i need to create one? If so, where?
Click to expand...
Martin said:
I havent't opened the shader API yet so you can't write shaders by yourself yet. At the moment the shader plug-ins are within the Cheetah3d application bundle. You can also find them in the Cheetah3D.app Info panel of the Finder.
Click to expand...

Martin, will it be possible with the new material-API to build up a custom made material-list (with previews) of often used materials e.g. put your own materials in a material folder in the Cheetah3D folder so they show up in the material-browser in Cheetah3D?

Thanks.
Alexng
 
Hi,
that should be already possible. Create your material and save them to a .jas file.
Once you need the materials again import the .jas ("File->Import..." menu command) file to your project.

Hope that helps.

By,
Martin
 
Hi, Martin. This is my first post.

I have many realistic materials. But how do I save then in .jas format, befor importing them to Cheetah? Please expplain in detaikl how to do this
convertion from .jpeg or .pic etc.

I am totally in love with Cheetah 3D. It is powerful,
yet easy to use. I have been using FornZ before
Cheeetah. It is alsovery powerful, but much harderr
to use. Thanks for a great job.

Therre is one feature in FolrmZ that I have been searching for in Cheetah: It is the ability to extrude
two different profiles along one path: like beginning with a circular profile along the path and ending with a square profile. Is this possible in Cheetah?
Thanks.
 
what Martin means is for you to apply the materials to some object in C3d with all of the material modifications required... reflectance etc... and then save the C3d file as a .jas file (the C3d file format)...

then when you require the material in another model just import the .jas file with the material as you want it and the settings are then already tweaked...

cheers
Trevor
 
TEXTURES

HI TrevorM-L.
Thanks for you quick response to my question.
I still cannot apply my granite texture in jpeg format to a simple primitive cube in Cheetah 3D.
You suggested that I could .
."apply the materials to some object in C3d with all of the material modifications required... reflectance etc... and then save the C3d file as a .jas file (the C3d file format)... .

My question is Hodo I apple my jpeg granite texture to a cube primite object in Cheetah 3D, in the first place before doing ay modifications and
saving the final as .jas file?
Exactly what do I do to bring a jpeg image texture into Cheetah ???
What are the steps?
Thanks for your help.
 
Hi,
sorry for the late reply. There comes a tutorial called "Hello world" with the Cheetah3d documentation. That tutorial explains step by step how to asign a texture to a ball object. It should be quite easy to replace the worldmap with the garnite texture map and asign the matrial to a cube instead of a ball.

Please don't forget to drag and drop the matrial on the cube object in the object browser. Dragging the material on the cube in the 3D view doesn't work yet.

I hope that I could help.

By,
Martin
 
Thanks very much Martin for your reply.
It is very helpful.
I must mention that Mr Frank Beckman sent me some private
instructions that actually helped me solve my problem. I am able to apply my jpeg materials now.
Thanks very much. I love Cheetah 3D.
 
tantalising

I was following this thread carefully because it appeared to be hunting down the answer to a similar issue I have as a newby to both 3d and Cheetah.
I would like to import jpgs and tiffs or pngs to use as materials to attach to polygons.
Unfortunately the answer seems to have been sent privately by Frank Beckman to Enoch Aryee.

Can you share your solution with me.

Thanks.
 
materials

Hi and thanks for your prompt response.

Essentially I want to use images from my own image library within Cheetah.
I want to take Tiffs, pngs or jpgs and use them in exactly the same way as I can select and use the 'materials' that come provided with Cheetah.
If you can let me know how to do this that would be great.

Thanks
 
The materials that come with Cheetah3d are procedural shaders - broadly speaking they don´t need any object unwrapping like texture/image based materials need - they act like a flexible skin.
The workflow normally would be to model objects, detect&setting seams/edges and unwrap the mesh till it looks totally flat in 2D - ready to paint on.
If you have premade image texture you may use the UV mapper to project the image onto the modelled mesh like described here: http://www.cheetah3d.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6410&highlight=projection

Best way to learn is play around. Or start a small project and post your progress and we´ll guide you through the procedure.

Cheers
Frank
 
xpdite said:
Hi Frank,

Thanks for this.
I've got a lot to learn.

Paul
Click to expand...

Hi Paul,
If you're simply looking to use images as textures, you have to make sure your texture is seamless. Then you can just upload that image to the diffuse channel and away you go. If this is what you're looking for, then great, if not, then I imagine Frank's post was more of what you were after. I thought I'd post this just in case it could help you.

Erin
 

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Thanks Erin

For your detailed reply which was very helpful. There's a lot to learn here but I'm getting there. Thanks.
 
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