Digital Art Zone

Hello,
I have two question:

1) when I go to the materials lab and create a material for channel A, how to copy that to channels B, C and D?

2) I watched a video made by David B. and it seems, when he makes textures, he likes to use the Channel C for that. Why not A, B or D?

@eireann:  I’d like to give you all the whys, but inexperience prevents it.  Just want you to know someone is reading your post.

The three channels can be used independently as needed. However, there are times when you may want to do a combination of textures. In such a condition you must assign one texture to Channel A, another to Channel B, and a third to Channel C. Channel C is used to dither the results of Channel A and B.

In the sample below you can see how there are two distinct textures in Channel A and B and how they are dithered by Channel C.

The “white” in Channel C corresponds with Channel A

The “black” in Channle C corresponds with Channel B.

This creates a checkered pattern.

If you place a neutral gray into Channel C it will blend Channel A and B each at 50% opacity. Hope this explains it more or less.

eireann.sg - 19 October 2012 11:09 PM

Hello,
I have two question:

1) when I go to the materials lab and create a material for channel A, how to copy that to channels B, C and D?

2) I watched a video made by David B. and it seems, when he makes textures, he likes to use the Channel C for that. Why not A, B or D?

I’ve made this video to try and answer these two questions.  Bryce “Nuts and Bolts” - material lab channels - an overview by David Brinnen

eireann.sg - 19 October 2012 11:09 PM

Hello,
I have two question:

1) when I go to the materials lab and create a material for channel A, how to copy that to channels B, C and D?

Enter the Mat Lab and press ‘control’ whilst creating a blob in channel A then drag across so the blob also fills in channel B and C (first picture below outlined in red marked A)
Three mini previews are now available in the right hand section.
Click ‘Shift’ whilst clicking on the title at the top of the mini preview (first picture below outlined in red marked B)

This will open up your basic material library.
Choose the material you wish to work with (second picture outlined in red marked C) then hit the tick to confirm.
Repeat with channel B and C

You now have all three channels containing the same material (though why you’d want to do that is beyond me).

If the material you are wanting to use isn’t in this library, simply select an object that has the correct material and go to the Mat Lab, then do basically the same thing by clicking on the mini preview title bar while holding the ‘shift’ key down and in the library window, click ‘add’ (second picture outlined in red marked D) as you would to add anything to any of the libraries. It will now be there for you to use at any time in the future.

eireann.sg - 19 October 2012 11:09 PM

2) I watched a video made by David B. and it seems, when he makes textures, he likes to use the Channel C for that. Why not A, B or D?

Sorry, I’m not really following what you’re saying here… I only hope Rashad has nailed it for you.

@ Rashad Carter, Thanks a lot thats a nice and short answer that covers it all I needed to know about the uses of channels

@David Brinnen: I will have a look now. You videos are all very nice although I sometimes I get lost because some things are just going too fast for me.

@TheSavage64:

You now have all three channels containing the same material (though why you’d want to do that is beyond me).

Now after I know what Channel C is for its also beyond me lol

Click ‘Shift’ whilst clicking on the title at the top

...the funny thing is the different titles seem to come with a different list of materials. One time I have made a new material, found it interesting added it to the library so it could be seen in one of those previously black fields and later I could not find it any more.

Losing where you saved the materials is what that sounds like to me.

In the menu down the left side of the materials library, it’s better to make a category called something like ‘My Mats’ and save all your custom ones into that. Do that by clicking the little plus (+) sign and giving it a name of your choice.
Scrolling through the list down the left, you should find the ones you’ve already made.

TheSavage64 - 20 October 2012 06:18 PM

Losing where you saved the materials is what that sounds like to me.

In the menu down the left side of the materials library, it’s better to make a category called something like ‘My Mats’ and save all your custom ones into that. Do that by clicking the little plus (+) sign and giving it a name of your choice.
Scrolling through the list down the left, you should find the ones you’ve already made.

LOL
yes, I figured that one out. Its best to remember where you are putting things.
Are materials actually only saved in the moment you leave the deep texture editor? Maybe I lost the mat because I didnt go out and in again.