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CARRARA CHALLENGE 46: Get your Retro on

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  • MistaraMistara Posts: 38,675

    Thanks!

  • Bunyip02Bunyip02 Posts: 7,690
    edited March 2023

    Currently converting my library of textures into Carrara shaders, anybody done likewise ?

    Carrara Shaders update 1.png
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    Post edited by Bunyip02 on
  • SileneUKSileneUK Posts: 1,969

    Bunyip02  Yes, I do that for when I create terrains and vegetation and human textures.  I had a few issues when I exchanged my external hard drive where I kept the textures for the shaders to a bigger one. Even though I named it the same letter as the old drive I retired, when I went to apply a created carrara shader that incorporated the textures with same file pathname, it still put up the annoying box that wants you to 'find' the texture in the shader as you get for a standard misplaced texture file.  I don't know what I could have done differently to stop that. Why didn't duplicate drive and pathname work?  I have not corrected all of them yet as I haven't used all that I have created, but there are HUNDREDS. 

    Anyways, it is usefule for having your fave shaders at hand. I create and add limestone and other earth (and water) textures and use them in terrains and their components' various shaders. Thanks to Diomede I make my own carrara leaf textures which are more natural as he has given some great ideas for creating carrara vegetation. 

    I also make new eye irises that might get kids' attention in a graphic story,  Not  Manga, just more expressive, sort of like Dart does with Rosie.  Also face textures abd makeup that are more natural but gives the features more pop. Oh and hair and animal furs... have been doing those from the very beginning. Sometimes using noise or patterns just don't work. I have not been at my machine for many months, but would like to get back to it.  Family drama and health/eye issues have been keeping me away since early 2021.  I need new glasses.... again.

    Missing it so.... but I still try to keep up and read here and copy so many of the great techniques so they will be ready when I can return. I am very grateful carrara is till alive and well!

     heart Silene

  • WendyLuvsCatzWendyLuvsCatz Posts: 37,812

    yes

  • Bunyip02Bunyip02 Posts: 7,690

    Hello Silene

    Thanks for the tip about changing drives - would be a PITA to have to refind the textures again !!!

    Hope the family and health improves !!!

  • Bunyip02Bunyip02 Posts: 7,690

    WendyLuvsCatz said:

    yes

    Any wisdom to share ?

  • WendyLuvsCatzWendyLuvsCatz Posts: 37,812

    Bunyip02 said:

    WendyLuvsCatz said:

    yes

    Any wisdom to share ?

    not really

    but answered question, I do convert DAZ shader sets over to Carrara material balls 

  • RuudLRuudL Posts: 189

    @Bunyip02 Do you use a script or app for converting textures into Carrara shaders? Or do you convert them by using the Carrara shader room?

  • Bunyip02Bunyip02 Posts: 7,690

    RuudL said:

    @Bunyip02 Do you use a script or app for converting textures into Carrara shaders? Or do you convert them by using the Carrara shader room?

    Hello Ruudl - so far everything is being done manually in the shader room. A script that converts a texture folder and all of it's contents automagically would be nice. While I have bought a few things to get me started in programming I am still very much a newbie !!!

  • RuudLRuudL Posts: 189

    That's quite a laborious process! Especially if you have a lot of textures to convert.

    The downside of a script, running outside Carrara, is that it will produce shader files without a preview. To produce the preview you'll need a render-engine. So you'll have to open and re-save it in the Carrara shader room. Also a somewhat laborious work-flow.

    I saw on your screenshot that you're using P3DO Explorer Pro and according to the developer's website the pro version is capable of writing shaders in cbr-file format. Is that an option that you've considered or tried?

    On the programming subject my suggestion is start with an easy to learn language like Python. It's free. And for an IDE Microsoft Visual Studio Code. Also free.

  • Bunyip02Bunyip02 Posts: 7,690

    RuudL said:

    That's quite a laborious process! Especially if you have a lot of textures to convert.

    The downside of a script, running outside Carrara, is that it will produce shader files without a preview. To produce the preview you'll need a render-engine. So you'll have to open and re-save it in the Carrara shader room. Also a somewhat laborious work-flow.

    I saw on your screenshot that you're using P3DO Explorer Pro and according to the developer's website the pro version is capable of writing shaders in cbr-file format. Is that an option that you've considered or tried?

    On the programming subject my suggestion is start with an easy to learn language like Python. It's free. And for an IDE Microsoft Visual Studio Code. Also free.

    Hello RuudL, thanks for the advice !!! Looks like what I was first thinking of doing will be more complicated than I thought - got some more reading to do !

  • RuudLRuudL Posts: 189
    edited March 2023

    @Bunyip02 A word of advice: Stop manually converting textures into shaders.smiley

    A new plug-in, that will do this automagically one complete folder at a time, will soon be released.  The current version is still a WIP. It works okay, but I am not all that happy with the User Interface on Windows. I am using Windows 11 Home 21H2

    Perhaps you like to try out this version already. Let me know if you do.

    Post edited by RuudL on
  • Bunyip02Bunyip02 Posts: 7,690

    RuudL said:

    @Bunyip02 A word of advice: Stop manually converting textures into shaders.smiley

    A new plug-in, that will do this automagically one complete folder at a time, will soon be released.  The current version is still a WIP. It works okay, but I am not all that happy with the User Interface on Windows. I am using Windows 11 Home 21H2

    Perhaps you like to try out this version already. Let me know if you do.

    Hello RuudL, would love to Automagically Beta test this !!!

  • RuudLRuudL Posts: 189

    @Bunyip02  I've send you a PM.

  • Bunyip02Bunyip02 Posts: 7,690
    edited March 2023

    RuudL said:

    @Bunyip02  I've send you a PM.

    Answered !!!

    Many Thank-you's once again !

    Woohoo - it works !!!

    Shader Test 1.png
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    Post edited by Bunyip02 on
  • Bunyip02Bunyip02 Posts: 7,690
    edited April 2023

    Can now do a folder full of textures - many thank-you's RuudL !!!

    Shader Test 2.png
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    Post edited by Bunyip02 on
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