Can you save a set of pre-selected material zones?

RKane_1

[Can you save a set of pre-selected material zones?] If so, how?

Richard Haseltine

Please include the question in the body of the post as well as in the title.

However, I'm not sure what you mean even now - save selections tate? Save a Materials preset with the selected surfaces checked and other surfaces not?

RKane_1

Sure, like I know I can save materials for select surfaces, but if I had a model made of hundreds of different material zones, is there a way to save a pre-set to select a certain configuration of those surfaces? Like if their were as many material zones such as in the Genesis Supersuit, can you click on a preset and have those select material zones selected to then follow up with a shader selection?

greys

There seems to be -- loading the Daz material ball loads with the outer ring and stand selected in the surfaces tab for example -- but we'll have to wait for someone more knowledgable than I to solve that puzzle.

barbult

I think those are called "Selection Sets", but I don't know how to make and save them.

Richard Haseltine

I don't think that is possible, but it should be scriptable even if not.

DaWaterRat

Without a script, I'd save a material preset with those zones set to some really obnoxious color that is unlikely to be used as the diffuse color for any other component, then you can right click with the surface selection tool and tell it to select all surfaces with RGB settings (insert obnoxious color here).  Alertnately, a map called "Supersuit Selction Preset #" can be assigned to those zones the same way, and selected the same way.

RKane_1

So, no EASY way to save them, huh? Hmm. Thank you all for your help, though. :)

Syrus_Dante

@barbult

First I thought wait "Selection Sets" you must missplace them with the Selection Sets in the Geometry Editor - these are handy polygon selections for to isolate an area for weightpaint or for later to help you with changing Facegroup(s) or Surfacegroup(s). I once tried to get a bunch of such Selection Sets I have created on one figure to another figure (new version, slightly changed topology, just one quad split up into tris, but same shape) by using the Transfer Utility with lets say unsatisfying results - maybe the projection setting werent quiet right.

@RKane_1

I just checked the Surface pane - the thing barbult propably have thought of is called "Surface Selection Set". If you load - lets say a genesis 2 figure you see some surface selection sets. The most noticable in the Surface pane is called Skin (the other sets called Templates 1-7 repersenting the sets of different surfaces that share the same texture map - depending on the UV-Layout).

You can edit these sets with the Material Selection Set Editor opened up by choosing Edit Surface Selection Set in the options menu of the Surface pane. I find the naming of all this is a bit confusing.

In the screenshot you can see the default Genesis 2 Skin "Surface Selection Set". Maybe because Lips are for makeup options with different shader settings they are not included in the 'Skin' set and I have to select it also before I apply a different overall skin Shader to the figure. Also I have to make shure I'm in the frame 0 in the timeline - otherwise lateron the shader property settings doing animations. I often forget to go to frame 0 and then I have to apply the shader a second time and I also have to check all frames for shader property changes (I dont understand why they are animatable but not editable like keyframes - there should be an option to memorize default and clear material / sharder setting animations - or is there one I dont know of?).

 

nonesuch00

RKane_1 said:

Sure, like I know I can save materials for select surfaces, but if I had a model made of hundreds of different material zones, is there a way to save a pre-set to select a certain configuration of those surfaces? Like if their were as many material zones such as in the Genesis Supersuit, can you click on a preset and have those select material zones selected to then follow up with a shader selection?

This is similar to what I asked in the Technical section of the forums. Richard said to save as a character preset. I guess a Wearable Preset would be more appropriate though for clothing. I think that will work- try it & find out.