Jump to content
3DCoat Forums

3D-Max AppLink


Andrew Shpagin
 Share

Recommended Posts

  • Reputable Contributor

Strange, I don't think I touched that area of the code for this release... Just to be sure, did you use the uninstaller in this release prior to installing, and then run the applink at least once before going into 3D-Coat?

Yes. I made sure to do that, and it required 2 exits and 2 restarts of the app. One to uninstall and another to install. Here is that Mat. file. Maybe it can be stored in the MyDocs/3ds Max/Mat Libraries folder? Or in the applink exchange folder? It's a template Arch & Design mat, but Carrots already adjusted the settings so the user only has to locate the individual export maps

3DCoat_Mat.zip

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'll see about having the script re-create these materials dynamically. I think that's a better solution then adding .mat files to the package (this one gave me vray errors too, dont want that happeneing to users who use the applink).

 

Oh and fyi, this was the only time you'll need to do an uninstall before updating. Version 1.5 and newer will be able to be directly installed over each other (1.4 was the first mzp I've ever made so I missed a step that the 1.5 uninstall took care of).

Edited by PolyHertz
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Reputable Contributor

I'll see about having the script re-create these materials dynamically. I think that's a better solution then adding .mat files to the package (this one gave me vray errors too, dont want that happeneing to users who use the applink).

 

Oh and fyi, this was the only time you'll need to do an uninstall before updating. Version 1.5 and newer will be able to be directly installed over each other (1.4 was the first mzp I've ever made so I missed a step that the 1.5 uninstall took care of).

Volodya (Carrots) is going to attach templates (3ds Max .mat files) for Mental Ray/iRay (should be just one Arch & Design mat for both), VRay, Thea and Corona. When he does, would it be possible to add them as presets in the Applink like you have with the Arch & Design ones? There are some critical adjustments made that should help the user just plug their image files into the right map nodes and they are ready to render.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Need to bring this up: For material presets being incorporated, their bitmaps cannot have custom output curves. This feature is not exposed through maxscript, and the only way for me to recreate it is through some VERY hacky methods that I don't want to use. If you want a material preset incorporated into the applink, find another way to get the desired results without using that feature.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Reputable Contributor

Need to bring this up: For material presets being incorporated, their bitmaps cannot have custom output curves. This feature is not exposed through maxscript, and the only way for me to recreate it is through some VERY hacky methods that I don't want to use. If you want a material preset incorporated into the applink, find another way to get the desired results without using that feature.

So, will the materials not load if they have a map with a custom curve? It really is just the glossiness map, so that is no big deal if it were disabled by default. I can just mention that it needs to be applied by the user as they are locating their maps.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Reputable Contributor

No they can load, just saying that I wont be able to incorporate that aspect of the material into the presets so users would have to do that themselfs.

I worry that if I start incorporating 'half-done' presets its going to somewhat defeat the purpose of incorporating them in the first place.

True, but they aren't half-baked. They are just templates that gets the user closer to have their materials all setup and ready to render. I think as long as it sends the maps over, with the right nodes connected to their desired material preset, that's close enough. What you had will be fine, except that it leaves out the Spec Color map, for some reason.

 

We can just leave links to download the different .mat files for each render and I show how the user can utilize those as an alternative to the applink presets. I think you can just merge the Mental Ray and iRay presets into one. They use the same material and settings as far as I know. Adding a VRay preset would be about the only other one. With Thea, they can use the Substance 2 Thea converter they created, to generate a Thea material out of the maps coming from 3D Coat.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member

Installed the script but once I launch the program it says it cannot locate the 3d-coat porgram - - when I close the message - the UI closes as well and I cannot use the button to change the path.

I tried modifying the path to 3d-coat inside the script code ( Since it is not in the c:\programs\3d-coat) - but it still gives me that message.

 

NIR

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That message actually appears if it can't find any 3D-Coat folders in your windows Documents directory (the 3DC exe path isn't mandatory, its just for the auto run feature). If you've run 3D-Coat at least once since it was installed, even if you installed the app to another drive, those folders should still be there afaik...

Edited by PolyHertz
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member

That message actually appears if it can't find any 3D-Coat folders in your windows Documents folder. If you've run 3D-Coat at least once since it was installed, even if you installed the app to another drive, those folders should still be there afaik...

I have run it quite a lot.

 

Nir

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Reputable Contributor

I've not been getting anything but just blank Arch & Design ,materials with v 1.5, 1.5a and b. It doesn't import the maps at all. If DEFAULT is chosen in the applink the standard color, gloss and normal maps come in....spec color does not

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member

Polyhertz, 

 

Friendly reminder.  Do not forget to update your signature with the newest build.  I often use that to know what is the latest, and your signature is still 1.4.  Had to read the forum history to find 1.5b. 

 

Keep the up great work!  You app link saves a lot of time!  I love it!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Teriander: Thanks for the reminder!

 

AbnRanger: I'm going to re-write the material presets system almost completely for the next version (some very useful changes in mind), so hopefully that'll take care of the issue you're having with it.

Edited by PolyHertz
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Reputable Contributor

Teriander: Thanks for the reminder!

 

AbnRanger: I'm going to re-write the material presets system almost completely for the next version (some very useful changes in mind), so hopefully that'll take care of the issue you're having with it.

Thanks. So far, here are the issues I was finding. I tested them using a blank scene in Max and the PBR sphere preset object from the splash screen.

 

1) If you use the EXPORT TO 3DS MAX option from the FILE Menu, when you use the Arch & Design preset from the Applink Material Import dropdown, you get nothing but a blank Arch & Design material....no maps come with it.

 

2) When using the Default Material Import option, you do get the maps but still no Specular Color map come with the rest. And the Glossiness map is plugged into the Spec Color channel, rather than the Glossiness channel

 

3) When OPEN IN ORIGINAL APP option is used from the FILE menu (if you clear all obj and text files from the MyDocs/3D Coat 4.5/Exchange directory, you will not get the OPEN IN ORIGINAL APP option...something has to be sent from Max for that option to show up in the FILE Menu), and choose an Arch & Design Material preset, then it does work properly...with maps being imported and hooked up...except for the Specular Color map. It never comes in under any circumstances.

 

Hope this helps lead to a resolution. It will be a BIG help for Max users trying to make use of the PBR tech in 3D Coat. :good:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

New release: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4210886/3ds%20Max%20Applink%20v1.6.mzp

 

Changes for 1.6 release:
-You can now create your own material presets using material libraries (.mat files). More on this below.
-Option to select a 3D-coat exe anywhere on your system via "Other..." at bottom of drop down list.
-Right click on Temp drop down list to open the selected temporary files folder.
-Fixed some issues for when users canceled an import/export (with "Auto Overwrite Old Mesh" dissabled).
-MANY misc code changes and optimizations (practically re-wrote the whole script).

Material preset basics:
    1. Create a material, and set the desired map slots with files using any of the following names, and the applink will replace them with the equivalent from 3D-Coat:
        color.jpg , opacity.jpg , rough.jpg , gloss.jpg , specular_color.jpg , metalness.jpg , normal.jpg , emissive.jpg , ao.jpg
    2. Add the material to a blank material library and save it to the Applink_Max3DC folder located in your windows documents folder (note: only one material per .mat file supported).
    3. Now the next time the applink is started it will show that material file in the presets dropdown!

Material preset Utility:
    -Right click on the material presets drop down menu, a new menu will appear that lets you assign scene settings to each preset.
    -Right click on any arrows to reset that setting to 'ignore' (ie. don't do anything to that scene setting when using the material preset)
    -If you assign a setting to "CURRENT SCENE" it will take affect immediately, but for any other selectable presets you need to press Accept or OK button for them to be saved.
    
Material presets known limitations:
    -Unused maps from preset need to be maually removed (opacity.jpg, emissive.jpg, etc.), so only include the ones you're sure you will be exporting from 3D-Coat when using that preset.
    -Material presets do NOT support materials that use "bitmaps" instead of "bitmapTextures". What's the difference? A bitmapTexture lets you mess with the bitmaps settings (like output curves), Bitmaps however don't (in DirectX materials for example).
    -If a preset fails to load on import (like if it requires vray and you don't have vray installed) the objects will use the Default preset (ie. no preset) instead.
    -Presets should not be multi-sub materials, because then you can end up with multi sub materials inside other multi sub materials, and that hasn't been tested. It -might- work, but I'm really just not sure.

NOTE: Stingray Viewport Shader preset has been removed due to incompatibilities with new material preset system. (future version may have it re-implemented, but no promises)

Edited by PolyHertz
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

AbnRanger: just thought I'd point this out after having watched your video.

 

The auto-launch features wont do anything if an instance of the apps are already running. So if max auto launch is enabled it just makes it so 3DCoat knows if you "Export To" Max 2016, it'll only start the program if it sees no copies of "3dsmax.exe" (the same file name used by all max versions afaik) running in your system processess.

 

Same goes for Launching 3D-Coat, though of course there are 4 different name variats of its exe (so if your running an opengl copy of 3d-coat, and have the applink set to a directx version, it wont see a directx version running and thus launch it).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Reputable Contributor

AbnRanger: just thought I'd point this out after having watched your video.

 

The auto-launch features wont do anything if an instance of the apps are already running. So if max auto launch is enabled it just makes it so 3DCoat knows if you "Export To" Max 2016, it'll only start the program if it sees no copies of "3dsmax.exe" (the same file name used by all max versions afaik) running in your system processess.

 

Same goes for Launching 3D-Coat, though of course there are 4 different name variats of its exe (so if your running an opengl copy of 3d-coat, and have the applink set to a directx version, it wont see a directx version running and thus launch it).

Yeah, I presumed the viewer would understand it that way, and I thought I mentioned it in a previous video...that it would auto-launch the app if you didn't have it open already.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just fyi for anyone interested, did a small stealth update to the v1.6 installer. Nothing got changed in the app, but the uninstaller no longer deletes the settings ini in your documents folder, and should work better in older versions of Max.

 

Also, I'm pretty much calling the project done atp. It's already far more advanced then just about any other applink I've seen, and outside of continuing to add more features to the materials preset system there's really not that much left to do. If Andrew updates the applink sdk, or anyone comes across a bug they want looked at, I'll be around. Otherwise, that's all folks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Reputable Contributor

Just fyi for anyone interested, did a small stealth update to the v1.6 installer. Nothing got changed in the app, but the uninstaller no longer deletes the settings ini in your documents folder, and should work better in older versions of Max.

 

Also, I'm pretty much calling the project done atp. It's already far more advanced then just about any other applink I've seen, and outside of continuing to add more features to the materials preset system there's really not that much left to do. If Andrew updates the applink sdk, or anyone comes across a bug they want looked at, I'll be around. Otherwise, that's all folks

Thanks for all the work that went into it. It's definitely gonna make things easier for Max users to get their PBR textures into the app and ready to render.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

np, it was fun project.

Thanks for all the videos btw, it's always sort of neat seeing other people showing off / doing tutorials of stuff you've made :)

Actually, a number of the features were inspired by your videos. The installer was made after I saw your tutorial on manual installation. And the ability for people to make their own presets was inspired by the "Importing from 3D Coat & PBR Maps" video. I'm not sure if you're planning on making any more, but I think the whole 'make your own presets' thing would be good to make a video tutorial for (assuming it's working ok? I don't really know, no ones said anything about it yet).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...