Luxus discussion

agent unawares · March 2013

You can use a skydome, you just have to make it a meshlight, but it'll wreck your render time. An infinite light mapped with an environment for the sky would be better if you want that sort of thing.

Barubary · March 2013

HeraldOfFire said:
Barubary said:
I like that idea as well, but Reality has had ability to save and share material settings for a looong time and pretty much no PA has made use of that. So I wouldn't be too optimistic about that. Maybe Luxus lower intro price could help with that - I hope it does -but I wouldn't bet on it.

There's a lot of work which needs to go into creating materials for Reality's ACSEL and they're distributed freely via an uncontrolled service. In contrast, Luxus allows you to create material presets within Daz Studio itself and either distribute them with the product or create shader packs to sell in addition to the main product. In terms of which is offers ease of use and flexibility for material presets, Luxus has the upper hand in this one.

I don't want to derail the thread, but I don't completely agree here. I don't see how adjusting materials for Luxus is any easier than it is for Reality. In the end you'll have to spin a lot of dials and make a lot of test renders. Something, I, personally, would rather do in reality that in DS's surface tab, but that's besides the point.
And I don't see why one couldn't save a shader preset from Reality and distribute it together with a product. No need for ACSEL, if one doesn't like it. The only difference I see, is that Luxus presets would probably be a little easier to apply, or might come applied to a product out of the box. That's nice but not really a world of change.

But as I said before, unless Luxus really, really spreads among the users and creators of content, I don't see PA's regularly adding Luxus materials.

Doesn't take anything away from the software. Although I am a big fan of Reality, the price tag and the apparently larger range of possibilities to edit materials made buying Luxus a no-brainer for me. Just gotta get around installing DS4.5 so I can play around....

Jim_1831252 · March 2013

Well, if you think opening up Reality and sifting through a long list of materials is as easy as using the surface tab and surface selection tool, more power to ya :D Being a fan of Reality 2 and coming to Luxus, I must say it has been a much easier path to LuxRender.

Khory · March 2013

And I don’t see why one couldn’t save a shader preset from Reality and distribute it together with a product.

How would you save those shader presets from reality and have them load in via studio? You can save studio presets that are generally optimized for reality but I don't know of a way to save shader presets for reality into studio.

Kerya · March 2013

SphericLabs said:
DOF will be fixed in the next build.

Thank you!

Herald of Fire · March 2013

Barubary said:
I don't want to derail the thread, but I don't completely agree here. I don't see how adjusting materials for Luxus is any easier than it is for Reality. In the end you'll have to spin a lot of dials and make a lot of test renders. Something, I, personally, would rather do in reality that in DS's surface tab, but that's besides the point.
And I don't see why one couldn't save a shader preset from Reality and distribute it together with a product. No need for ACSEL, if one doesn't like it. The only difference I see, is that Luxus presets would probably be a little easier to apply, or might come applied to a product out of the box. That's nice but not really a world of change.

Reality shader presets are fixed depending on the object you want to apply the material to. When you save materials out, they're named depending on which surface it originally belonged to and re-applied to that same surface. In contrast, shaders saved for Luxus can be applied to any surface irrespective of which one it was designed for (for example, an aluminium surface) as long as they share the same parameters. If you wanted to be fancy, you could create a Daz script material loader which would also apply the Luxrender materials automatically, saving the user the need to add in the parameters at all. Neither of the above are possible with Reality currently.

Also, when loading shaders for Reality you must specify a folder, and manually search your hard drive for the materials you want. You also need to select all of the surfaces to be affected rather than merely selecting the object these materials should be applied to. Again, it's just far more tidier and easier to have a single double-click preset which would apply all of the materials needed for every surface on that object. This is clearly the intention behind Reality's ACSEL shaders, but minus the need to even click.

From a sellers point of view, it's also a lot easier to distribute a single file along with associated metadata so that your end users can find what they paid for, rather than telling them the material folders location so they have to go hunting for it. In the end, it's just better integrated, making the process more seamless rather than Reality's more choppy method of applying material presets.

cwichura · March 2013

Khory said:
And I don’t see why one couldn’t save a shader preset from Reality and distribute it together with a product.

How would you save those shader presets from reality and have them load in via studio? You can save studio presets that are generally optimized for reality but I don't know of a way to save shader presets for reality into studio.In the ACSEL button, there is an option to save/load a material to a file. So it requires a manual process for the end-user to load the definition files to the correct materials.

Ippotamus · March 2013

IanzThingz said:
Ippotamus said:
Any word on the basic tutorials for first timers from Bluebird 3D?
I don't understand a word being said in this thread anymore. :)

yes please, I thought Daz had them on Friday, tho it is only Tuesday, maybe it will be s**n :)

*Makes a little more noise.*

Kerya · March 2013

In case you are doing animations:
pwyskowski found something about turning off “Write Resume Flm” when doing animations
http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/19060/

Just posting here, because this is the thread with the most informations.

stump3point1 · March 2013

Bump to keep this thread at the top, it's a great resource and should be on the first page.

Szark · March 2013

I am still playing with the same little scene been rendering 29 hours reaching over 5 K s/p using 2 thrreads and GPU (Hybrid) and I think it is starting to show some good detail but still a little blury on the wooden table. Yes a long time to leave it rendering but I won't know what it does until it does it. I can still use the internet and play some music so I am not too bothered at present.

I ended up going for Sun Size +10 and a reflection quality HDRI. Liner again as I like the control over sun and HDRI environment lighting. STill learning how to use my camera so I think ISO 200 Shutter 1/1000 and f-Stop 5.6 seems an ok choice for a sunny early afternoon with a clear sky.

SphericLabs · March 2013

With the tight integration, Luxus opens up the possiblity for some scripting. Here a script that will save you 4 characters in the material parameter labels. For example instead of LuxRender - Extra Settings it will be Lux - Extra Settings.

Here is a link if you want a script to run and below is the code for those interested.
-> http://sphericlabs.com/scratch/LuxusShortenLabels.zip


for(var i = 0; i < Scene.getNumNodes(); i++)
{
 var node = Scene.getNode(i);
 var object = node.getObject();
 if (object == undefined)
  continue;
 var shape = object.getCurrentShape();
 if (shape == undefined)
  continue;
 for(var j = 0; j < shape.getNumMaterials(); j++)
 {
  var element = shape.getMaterial(j);
  
  for(var k = 0; k < element.getNumProperties(); k++)
  {
   var prop = element.getProperty(k);
   if (prop.getLabel().startsWith("LuxRender ")) {
    var newLabel = prop.getLabel();
    newLabel = "Lux " + newLabel.substring(10);
    prop.setLabel(newLabel);
   }
  }
 }
}

pciccone · March 2013

Also, when loading shaders for Reality you must specify a folder, and manually search your hard drive for the materials you want. You also need to select all of the surfaces to be affected rather than merely selecting the object these materials should be applied to. Again, it’s just far more tidier and easier to have a single double-click preset which would apply all of the materials needed for every surface on that object. This is clearly the intention behind Reality’s ACSEL shaders, but minus the need to even click.
This is not accurate. The preferred way of saving shaders is by using the built-in ACSEL database. By taking advantage of that feature the shader will be loaded automatically without having to resort to saving to any folder. In fact the shader will be reloaded automatically without any action. It doesn't get any easier than that.

The selection of materials is designed a safeguard against mistakes so that you don't end up applying a shader to an incompatible material. If you have saved the perfect preset for V4's lips it makes no sense to apply that to a rock, for example.

From a sellers point of view, it’s also a lot easier to distribute a single file along with associated metadata so that your end users can find what they paid for, rather than telling them the material folders location so they have to go hunting for it.

This is highly questionable. Since Reality 2 the plugin provides a completely integrated system to distribute and install shaders called ACSEL Share. ACSEL Share is a free cloud-based service that allows any vendor to post optimized shaders for their products, including the ones that have been released in the past.

What's very useful to vendor is that, once the shaders have been uploaded to the ACSEL server, all the Reality users that have subscription enabled will receive a message telling them that new shaders for that product are available. This is an excellent way of retrofitting old product to work with Reality and a great way of letting people know about existing products. In fact vendors who take advantage of this can experience a boost in the sales of older products.

All the best.

Khory · March 2013

In the ACSEL button, there is an option to save/load a material to a file.

A mat file is not a shader preset. Mat files go on a set object and set surfaces of that object. At least in studio. Shader presets can be applied to any surface of any object. As far as I have ever been able to find out there is no way to save created shader presets for reality.

Also for clarity:
Shader is " a program designed to run on some stage of a graphics processor." In studio those are the daz default shader, ubershader, hss, shaders created in shader mixer and so on.
Shader presets makes use of a single shader and has pre selected information saved to create a specific look with that shader. It can be used on any surface.
Material files (in studio) will apply shader and information to the selected surfaces of an object. An example of that would be a material file that changes all the settings on genesis or just the information about the lips. But you can not apply that information to a dress.

FSMCDesigns · March 2013

Khory said:
In the ACSEL button, there is an option to save/load a material to a file.

A mat file is not a shader preset. Mat files go on a set object and set surfaces of that object. At least in studio. Shader presets can be applied to any surface of any object. As far as I have ever been able to find out there is no way to save created shader presets for reality.

Also for clarity:
Shader is " a program designed to run on some stage of a graphics processor." In studio those are the daz default shader, ubershader, hss, shaders created in shader mixer and so on.
Shader presets makes use of a single shader and has pre selected information saved to create a specific look with that shader. It can be used on any surface.
Material files (in studio) will apply shader and information to the selected surfaces of an object. An example of that would be a material file that changes all the settings on genesis or just the information about the lips. But you can not apply that information to a dress.

Think globally, not in DS only settings, a material is not a Mat file. A texture (material) or a procedural shader can be applied to any surface, how it is displayed depends on the UV mapping. Whatever is applied to the surface in the reality window can be saved to apply to that or another version of that object for future use thru ACSEL or locally in a folder.. I have a harley model i use that has 46 material zones. After getting it set up for Lux materials in the reality window I saved the preset and load that whenever i use that bike and tweak only the ones i need.

StratDragon · March 2013

A material is a setting that adds some enhancement to a surface, like adding realism. that's generally recognized in any and all 3d applications though Daz Studio may be trying to change that the way modern computer use changed the definition of font to mean typeface when it actually means a weight within a typeface.
Since Reality and to an extent ASCEL are bridging a surface setting to be used in LuxRender the Daz Studio interpretation would be immaterial since you're not using the Daz Studio surface settings or otherwise in the rendering process, just the pipeline.

Khory · March 2013

Think globally, not in DS only settings, a material is not a Mat file. A texture (material) or a procedural shader can be applied to any surface, how it is displayed depends on the UV mapping. Whatever is applied to the surface in the reality window can be saved to apply to that or another version of that object for future use thru ACSEL or locally in a folder.. I have a harley model i use that has 46 material zones. After getting it set up for Lux materials in the reality window I saved the preset and load that whenever i use that bike and tweak only the ones i need

But we are not working globally. We are working via studio. And I don't want the paint for that bike stuck only on the bike. I want to use the paint on a car or a piece of china or a bot. I want a shader preset that works on ANY surface and it needs to be one I can incorporate into work flow inside studio if at all possible. Now as I understand it, I can set my materials (for a set object) or shader presets (to be used on any object) up in studio and save them in studio for later use with luxus.

Mari-Anne · March 2013

I missed something in all the conversations in this thread about texture-material-shader presets. Is it possible to save the settings entered for the Luxus-LuxRender Material via the D|S Surface tab? I saved a scene file, thinking all the added Luxus parameters would be saved as well as the Render Settings but neither was saved. When re-opened the scene, 3Delight was selected as the render Engine and the Luxus Glossy Translucent settings I had applied were nowhere to be found. If I save them individually as Material and/or Shader Preset as well as Render Settings Preset, will that do the trick?

Renpatsu · March 2013

One reason I opted for Luxus is certainly that it feels more integrated into Daz Studio. To a large extent I can use genuine Daz Studio interface design and procedures to adjust e.g. materials. Opening Reality 'felt' like leaving Daz Studio and I am very glad Luxus is not that way. Saving Material/Shader presets in the way Daz Studio does is another step forward in my view and binds the Lux settings closer to the well-known Daz Studio distribution format.

SphericLabs · March 2013

Mari-Anne said:
I missed something in all the conversations in this thread about texture-material-shader presets. Is it possible to save the settings entered for the Luxus-LuxRender Material via the D|S Surface tab? I saved a scene file, thinking all the added Luxus parameters would be saved as well as the Render Settings but neither was saved. When re-opened the scene, 3Delight was selected as the render Engine and the Luxus Glossy Translucent settings I had applied were nowhere to be found. If I save them individually as Material and/or Shader Preset as well as Render Settings Preset, will that do the trick?

The render settings don't get saved with the file, but all your Material and Light settings do. You can also save out a shader preset or a material preset or light preset and they will work as expected.

pciccone · March 2013

Renpatsu said:
Opening Reality 'felt' like leaving Daz Studio.

The Reality UI has been designed on purpose to be a place where all the data about the LuxRender rendering is collected together.
I reviewed several approaches during the design phase, including LuxBlend, which "peppers" the Blender UI with the Lux settings, and I found that approach fragmented and incoherent. Don't mean any criticism, it's just the way I see it.

Thousands of users agree on the design of Reality, which has been validated also with the version for Poser. In fact, with that unified UI, Reality users will be able to work both in the Studio and Poser version with ease, because the UI is the same in both programs.

The idea behind the Reality approach is to leave the original shaders alone so that there is no doubt about what you are looking at. It also allows us to design the best UI for the task, without any constraint from the host app. This was another key factor in the design. Lux materials are very different from Studio materials and there is a great advantage in having a UI that is optimized for the editing of Lux materials.

When using Reality you know that the shaders of Studio are pure Studio shaders. The Surfaces panel of Studio is already quite crowded, with a very long list of parameters, sliders and groups that scrolls deeply. It was a very deliberate decision to avoid adding to that.

Instead, all the parameters that are pertinent to LuxRender are found in one single place that promotes focus and productivity.

Hope this helps.

Renpatsu · March 2013

And thousands of users don't agree with that design, Paolo, leave it at that. It always felt separated to me and no matter how you praise your design, it won't make it better.

Mari-Anne · March 2013

SphericLabs said:
Mari-Anne said:
I missed something in all the conversations in this thread about texture-material-shader presets. Is it possible to save the settings entered for the Luxus-LuxRender Material via the D|S Surface tab? I saved a scene file, thinking all the added Luxus parameters would be saved as well as the Render Settings but neither was saved. When re-opened the scene, 3Delight was selected as the render Engine and the Luxus Glossy Translucent settings I had applied were nowhere to be found. If I save them individually as Material and/or Shader Preset as well as Render Settings Preset, will that do the trick?

The render settings don't get saved with the file, but all your Material and Light settings do. You can also save out a shader preset or a material preset or light preset and they will work as expected.

Thank you for the quick response!

Richard Haseltine · March 2013

There are a couple of other threads for discussing the competing merits of Reality and Luxus - let's please keep this thread for talking about Luxus itself, not scoring points for or against one plug in or the other.

SphericLabs · March 2013

As a tip for Luxus user, typing the 3 letters "lux" into the search field in the Surfaces Pane makes for easy viewing of just the LuxRender parameters.

FSMCDesigns · March 2013

N/M

SphericLabs · March 2013

How about a LuxBall to lighten the mood?

Szark · March 2013

what, my mood is excellent...ooo shiney LuxBall yummmmmmmmmm

After done testing what I am testing I am going to stick with really small scenes and have a play with some mats and playing about with them.

Szark · March 2013

Rareth said:
Szark said:
tjohn said:
Szark said:
Sun softshadows = increasing Sun Light - Relative Size parameter to + 10 or more to get a softness to the edge of the shadows. For me the defualt of 1 is to sharp. ;)
Now to figure out how to get lighter shadows apart from cranking up the HDRI. I am guessing Turbidity might have something to do with that.

Thanks for soft shadow!
Gamma + Film Response. You can set the film to one of the first 3 types to lighten the shadows. There may be other ways

I tried that and the textures muted but I will have a play now.

Shadow Softness yeah the bigger the light source the softer the shadow edge becomes as Hellboy's chart proves. Just didn't think it related to the sun. ;)

you can do test with a cube with light materials added, and do test renders at different sizes, and distances from your model.
you could use a plane, but I found a cube works and I don't take much of a performace hit. Sorry for not replying. Yes good idea thanks and I am now going to do just that, Luxball and primitives for a while. ;)

Don't know if I meantioned this before but I am having fun with all this.

luci45 · March 2013

I have a problem and a question. I don't know if this has happened to anyone else and I don't want to go through 54 pages to find out.

Ever since I installed Luxus I have been having a lot of DS crashes when rendering in 3Delight I want to see if it helps to uninstall Luxus but I can't find the uninstaller for it. I have Windows 7. In C:\Program Files\DAZ 3D\DAZStudio4\Uninstallers there is a Remove-DS4_Luxus.exe. Is that how I uninstall?

(I posted this in the other Luxus thread as well.)

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