Help wanted creating procedural rock cliffs.

RuudL

It so happens that I am working on a Python programm that aims to fix the problem of Studio shaders not getting transferred to Carrara shaders. Not all Studio shader channels can be transferred due to the fact that the duf importer (part of the CR2Importer extension) was most likely developed for an earlier duf file version. Current duf file version is 0.6.x.x and it has a 'extra' element in the 'scene.materials' section that is not recognized by the importer and that's where all the other Studio shader channels, besides the diffuse channel, are. The diffuse channel gets transferred to the Carrara color channel.

The current version of the Python programm supplies only fixes for the 'Normal Map', 'Cutout Opacity' and 'Glossy Color'. It applies the fixes to all the duf files in a folder (and its subfolders) in one go. But this will probably become a selectable option in the yet to build User Interface.

An other thing that I have to figure out is where the other studio shader channels needs to go to. I've made a cross-reference with the tranfer routing (from duf channels to importer keywords to carrara channels). I could use some help completing it.

WendyLuvsCatz

I fix a lot of  them in DAZ studio with Riversoft's iray to 3Delight converter then save as a scene subset for Carrara

only AoA 3Delight shaders are an issue in Carrara, the others work even using LIE and masking etc, Carrara creates the needed operator functions 

Dartanbeck

Fantastic... both of you!

RuudL

Dartanbeck said:

Fantastic... both of you!

Thank you!  I very much enjoyed reading your tutorial. 

RuudL

WendyLuvsCatz said:

I fix a lot of  them in DAZ studio with Riversoft's iray to 3Delight converter then save as a scene subset for Carrara

only AoA 3Delight shaders are an issue in Carrara, the others work even using LIE and masking etc, Carrara creates the needed operator functions 

https://www.daz3d.com/rssy-iray-to-3delight-converter-and-merchant-resource

Is this the one you're referring to?  It's on sale right now for $6.98 (65% off)

WendyLuvsCatz

RuudL said:

WendyLuvsCatz said:

I fix a lot of  them in DAZ studio with Riversoft's iray to 3Delight converter then save as a scene subset for Carrara

only AoA 3Delight shaders are an issue in Carrara, the others work even using LIE and masking etc, Carrara creates the needed operator functions 

https://www.daz3d.com/rssy-iray-to-3delight-converter-and-merchant-resource

Is this the one you're referring to?  It's on sale right now for $6.98 (65% off)

 yes

Dartanbeck

That's been sitting in my wish list for a  l o n g time now. RFor that day when I want to try 3Delight.

I started messing with it with products that have 3Delight materials... yeah... nah. But for what you just said up there... hell yes I'm getting that!!!

Thanks for the 537 Billionth time, Wendy!!!

Dartanbeck

(Wendy and I are email pals. Talk nearly every day. She helps me... CONSTANTLY!!!)

Khoe

@Ruudl great news :) 
@Dartanbeck Thank you :) now it Works fine 
 

Stezza

also, don't forget to use Sparrowhawkes UV Unwrap on the models.. 

Bunyip02

Dartanbeck said:

Okay let's try this.

First of all, I'm not sure what method you used to load yours in. From the StonesHR folder in my Content browser, I loaded Stones 07a with Plants, and everything loaded in with basic texture maps for color as usual.

The way I load these DUF files is to locate them in the browser and double-click them.

 

I know you know your way around Carrara, so I'm going to start brief. Just ask if anything is unclear.

This is my result after optimizing the texture in my quick n' dirty way of doing it

I simply loaded the same thing in Daz Studio so I could see which maps he's using. He shares maps across products, so the maps needed for this particular set of stones are in three separate folders: "Stones HR" (stones, moss, etc.,), "Nature FF"(Plants) and "Nature PP1"(Leaves)

In DS, he's using both bump and normal maps on the main stones. I'm only using the Normal. Note that the Color map used and the corresponding Bump that matches get titled 5x5, but the normal map does not, nor does the mask I'm using in the second image (moss)

So your shaders will be just basic -

• Color Map - 5x5
• Highlight Map - 5x5 (I'm using the Bump "B" map that corresponds with the color map)
• Click the Highlight feature to open it up and lower the Brightness down to something really low. I'm using 3, so we really could just leave this out if you want.
• Shininess (if Highlight is used) set low as well. I went with 1.09
• Set Bump to Normal Map, and crank the value to 132 or whatever works best for you. This thing changes everything!
• Remember not to tile the  Normal map

That's it for the stones.

For the plants I did pretty much the same thing except they don't need any tiling. But they also get an Alpha Map "A" and a Translucency map. Again, I used the normal map in Bump and the Bump map in Highlight.

 

Here's my second image

For this one I used the Mixer function to add the moss. If you've never used a mixer before, take a look at the far upper right of the image below. Instead of choosing "Texture Map", we go Operators > Mixer.

This gives us two source nodes and a Blender. 

Use the original texture map in Source 1, which will already be loaded if it was already there, and whatever we want to mix over it in Source 2 - in this case, the Moss image in the Stones HR folder.

There are two masks for Stones 7. These are what we use in the Blender. Just set the Blender to Texture map and load the moss image - or any image for that matter. 

In this situation, Sources 1 & 2 each get tiled 5x5 but the Blender doesn't get tiled.

 

Now use the Cntrl (Cmd) key to drag the mixer from the color channel to the Highlight channel and change the Source 1 and 2 maps to the Bump versions of each of them. Leave the Blender alone. It already has the right map. By copying Color over to Highlight, we don't have to repeat the tiling process.

I hope this helps. These are some really nice rocks! If you have ANY questions, just ask!

Thanks Dart !!!

Bunyip02

RuudL said:

It so happens that I am working on a Python programm that aims to fix the problem of Studio shaders not getting transferred to Carrara shaders. Not all Studio shader channels can be transferred due to the fact that the duf importer (part of the CR2Importer extension) was most likely developed for an earlier duf file version. Current duf file version is 0.6.x.x and it has a 'extra' element in the 'scene.materials' section that is not recognized by the importer and that's where all the other Studio shader channels, besides the diffuse channel, are. The diffuse channel gets transferred to the Carrara color channel.

The current version of the Python programm supplies only fixes for the 'Normal Map', 'Cutout Opacity' and 'Glossy Color'. It applies the fixes to all the duf files in a folder (and its subfolders) in one go. But this will probably become a selectable option in the yet to build User Interface.

An other thing that I have to figure out is where the other studio shader channels needs to go to. I've made a cross-reference with the tranfer routing (from duf channels to importer keywords to carrara channels). I could use some help completing it.

Woohoo !!!

Bunyip02

Stezza said:

also, don't forget to use Sparrowhawkes UV Unwrap on the models.. 

Excellent tip !!!

Headwax

wow I learnt stuff today :) thanks for the excellent tut dart and the uvunwrap reminder and the headsup on the oray converter 

we should have a separate thread showing rock renders ;)

Headwax

RuudL said:

It so happens that I am working on a Python programm that aims to fix the problem of Studio shaders not getting transferred to Carrara shaders. Not all Studio shader channels can be transferred due to the fact that the duf importer (part of the CR2Importer extension) was most likely developed for an earlier duf file version. Current duf file version is 0.6.x.x and it has a 'extra' element in the 'scene.materials' section that is not recognized by the importer and that's where all the other Studio shader channels, besides the diffuse channel, are. The diffuse channel gets transferred to the Carrara color channel.

The current version of the Python programm supplies only fixes for the 'Normal Map', 'Cutout Opacity' and 'Glossy Color'. It applies the fixes to all the duf files in a folder (and its subfolders) in one go. But this will probably become a selectable option in the yet to build User Interface.

An other thing that I have to figure out is where the other studio shader channels needs to go to. I've made a cross-reference with the tranfer routing (from duf channels to importer keywords to carrara channels). I could use some help completing it.

 

wow that sounds;like a great plugin !

WendyLuvsCatz

yes 

also if hierarchical poses could be made to work, maybe working with Fenric's posing tools will help

RuudL

Headwax said:

 

wow that sounds;like a great plugin !

Just to be clear. It's not a plugin, but a stand-alone Python app. A total rewrite of the duf-importer, what is actually needed, is a big undertaking. 

RuudL

WendyLuvsCatz said:

yes 

also if hierarchical poses could be made to work, maybe working with Fenric's posing tools will help

Could you elaborate on this issue with hierarchical poses?

WendyLuvsCatz

oh wow, DAZ should be paying you

Stezza

awesome 

WendyLuvsCatz

RuudL said:

WendyLuvsCatz said:

yes 

also if hierarchical poses could be made to work, maybe working with Fenric's posing tools will help

Could you elaborate on this issue with hierarchical poses?

it's no biggie, I can fix it resaving poses, material settings etc in DAZ studio separately but what it is is a preset for a figure wearing all the garments with materials and pose or any combination of the above 

they simply don't work in Carrara or DAZ studio itself if you use a different figure and autofit IE you cannot apply different materials to garments on a different figure or unfitted or sometimes even by itself on the intended figure

D|S users including myself whine about this all the time in studio so for Carrara there is likely no hope 

for example I use a pirate animation that requires specific props it loads I had to resave as an animated pose for Carrara or different props in Studio.

Or if I want to use a coat from one set with a dress from another it won't even load the damned alternative materials in studio unless she is wearing the full original set.

those I don't expect to ever work in Carrara but the ones where the character needs to be wearing just the individual items to work are the most common issue.

Dartanbeck

I wonder if there would be a way to use Shaders to box out edges and corners on metaball creations?

WendyLuvsCatz

not sure what you mean as metaballs generally don't have corners and edges

unless you mean you want to add some?

you certainly can texture them using projection 

Dartanbeck

Yeah... as a way of using them to create procedural-like rock formations

Dartanbeck

WendyLuvsCatz said:

I fix a lot of  them in DAZ studio with Riversoft's iray to 3Delight converter then save as a scene subset for Carrara

only AoA 3Delight shaders are an issue in Carrara, the others work even using LIE and masking etc, Carrara creates the needed operator functions 

Bought it in today's enormous sale!

Wendy... thanks a bazillion for this tip!

WendyLuvsCatz

Dartanbeck said:

WendyLuvsCatz said:

I fix a lot of  them in DAZ studio with Riversoft's iray to 3Delight converter then save as a scene subset for Carrara

only AoA 3Delight shaders are an issue in Carrara, the others work even using LIE and masking etc, Carrara creates the needed operator functions 

Bought it in today's enormous sale!

Wendy... thanks a bazillion for this tip!

since I don't own the  rocks you want to convert I have no idea how well that particular set will work, AP  has as you pointed out complex shaders and I just tested one it didn't detect, it works on normal stuff

Bunyip02

Using the PBR Lighting plugin. https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/comment/4625561/#Comment_4625561

Saved the Iray rocks as a Material Preset in DAZ Studio. Dragged that Preset into the PBR Studio import box in Carrara for the Rock.

Dartanbeck

Very nice