texture layer names

[GED]

I just used 3D coat on my latest project and I found it a bit difficult to predict what 3Dcoat would do with my textures as a new person to this part of the application. I think we should have 3D coat stick closer to industry standards so this is what I would like it to do.

1. I open my model

2. I go to the texture layers panel and choose import diffuse/colour map

3. "diffuse map" appears on model and is listed on layers panel as "diffuse"

4. I go to texture layers panel and choose import "normal map" and the layer "normal map" now appears in layers

5. I go to texture layers panel and choose import "specular colour map" and the layer "specular colour" now appears in layers

5. I go to texture layers panel and choose import emissive map and the layer "emissive" now appears in layers

Then when I want to only be able to paint normal map details when Im on the normal map layer.

I only want to be able to paint specular details when on the specular layer.

I only want to be able to paint colour when on the colour layer.

you get the idea...

If I want to paint all 3 at once I have to create a new layer in the layers tab and select wether it is a "colour, normal, specular or all 3 layer type" if I select "all 3" I can paint on all 3 when Im in that layer.

This way there is less confusion and less "oops I painted on the wrong layer" or "oops I had specular on by mistake" errors and also when it comes to exporting you know which layers you need to export and its more predictable how the model will display in other apps going back and forth to 3Dcoat.

Just a small idea but it could be more intuitive.

[Taros]

I just used 3D coat on my latest project and I found it a bit difficult to predict what 3Dcoat would do with my textures as a new person to this part of the application. I think we should have 3D coat stick closer to industry standards so this is what I would like it to do.

1. I open my model

2. I go to the texture layers panel and choose import diffuse/colour map

3. "diffuse map" appears on model and is listed on layers panel as "diffuse"

4. I go to texture layers panel and choose import "normal map" and the layer "normal map" now appears in layers

5. I go to texture layers panel and choose import "specular colour map" and the layer "specular colour" now appears in layers

5. I go to texture layers panel and choose import emissive map and the layer "emissive" now appears in layers

Then when I want to only be able to paint normal map details when Im on the normal map layer.

I only want to be able to paint specular details when on the specular layer.

I only want to be able to paint colour when on the colour layer.

you get the idea...

If I want to paint all 3 at once I have to create a new layer in the layers tab and select wether it is a "colour, normal, specular or all 3 layer type" if I select "all 3" I can paint on all 3 when Im in that layer.

This way there is less confusion and less "oops I painted on the wrong layer" or "oops I had specular on by mistake" errors and also when it comes to exporting you know which layers you need to export and its more predictable how the model will display in other apps going back and forth to 3Dcoat.

Just a small idea but it could be more intuitive.

An automatic "layer switcher". Very good idea.

Like it!

[philnolan3d]

Why would you call it diffuse when it's not diffuse, it's color. :p

[artman]

I like it the way it is right now,it can be a little confusing but I like the fact that all objects share layers and that each layers can be a custom mix of the 3 main maps.

to Phil:In game industry diffuse is the name used to identify base color texture.

[philnolan3d]

to Phil:In game industry diffuse is the name used to identify base color texture.

I was kidding, LightWave separates color and diffuse into separate controls, because they are different things. I know that some other programs have no diffuse control and give that name to color instead.

[GED]

I like it the way it is right now,it can be a little confusing but I like the fact that all objects share layers and that each layers can be a custom mix of the 3 main maps.

dont get me wrong i totally agree that the way you can do a custom mix of all 3 right now is really good but I just think it would be more structured and obvious to the user to have things the way Ive documented here, so you could still work with all 3 if you want you would just have to make a new layer with "all 3" as its setting.

I just want 3Dcoat to be more predictable/ standard like if you go into max or maya or unreal engine or xnormal or mudbox you have a slot for diffuse, a slot for normal, a slot for specular but in 3Dcoat we just have layers and I dont know which layer means what and which layer to work on with which setting etc. Some people will say that is because 3Dcoat offers freedom from those contraints and I say thats great but if I want to import and export from 3Dcoat I want to be able to understand what Im working with immediately and not make any "oops didnt mean to have specular on" type of mistakes.

[philnolan3d]

Why not just name the layers "skin_color", "skin_spec", "skin_nrml", or something like that?

[GED]

Why not just name the layers "skin_color", "skin_spec", "skin_nrml", or something like that?

because Im not using custom layers Im importing my colour map, my spec map and my normal map and I just think it makes sense that those 3 are locked to their own specifically named layers and functions(ie normal map works as normal map and doesnt take any colour etc).

I dont want to load up my colour, normal and spec map and then start painting and then go "oh no Ive put colour on my normal map layer and theres a bit of specular on my colour layer that I dont want there anymore and I dont really want those normal map details on the colour layer I want them on the normal map layer" its just to make workflow more structured and predictable

[ghib]

GED I like the idea of it being a bit more organised on the Layers too, and to shoot too far into the future I would actually much prefer to have some kindof Node based setup whereby you can hook up Shaders any way you like. Similar to the way XSI's Render Tree or Mental Mill behaves. Node based shader setups just make so much more visual sense to my artist brain. In case you can't be bothered reading the other post I made (don't blame you - it's long)

This way you could have unique Layer structures per channel (Normal/Colour/Spec) and per Material/Sub Object. At the moment the Layer structure is shared across all Objects and Materials in a scene = not very versatile.

I made a detailed post about this a long time ago but it completely slipped under the radar.

*EDIT* Just found the post that I made last year

[David Walters]

because Im not using custom layers Im importing my colour map, my spec map and my normal map and I just think it makes sense that those 3 are locked to their own specifically named layers and functions(ie normal map works as normal map and doesnt take any colour etc).

Would check-boxes on the layer properites page do the trick? "Lock Colour", "Lock Specular", "Lock Depth", etc. ? just a thought.

[GED]

Would check-boxes on the layer properites page do the trick? "Lock Colour", "Lock Specular", "Lock Depth", etc. ? just a thought.

yeah perhaps that would be a good quick solution but wouldnt be very "industry standard", Ghib I think a node based shader network makes sense but thats a whole other beast to deal with Im just talking about painting textures and personally I would like painting textures to be as quick as possible eg import, paint on relevant layer then export....no messing with shaders or nodes etc.

[philnolan3d]

I would think having all of these extra layers would take up more RAM. My current project has 19 layers not counting Layer 0, most of which have color, normal, and spec on them. So if those were all split up, it could well be like 45 or more layers.

[GED]

I would think having all of these extra layers would take up more RAM. My current project has 19 layers not counting Layer 0, most of which have color, normal, and spec on them. So if those were all split up, it could well be like 45 or more layers.

no no Im not saying all layers would be locked to colour or normal or spec. Just when you import layers they would go into those 3 layers and be labelled as such. if the user does not require it then they can create layers to thier hearts content and work as usual with "all3" type layers being a mix of all 3 colour normal and spec.