DAZ3D option to export Iray materials to PBR industry standard

Comments

• Richard Haseltine Posts: 110,114

  May 19

  What do you mean by PBR? As a term it just means physically based rendering, and Iray is a PBR engine, so it isn't clear. Nor is it universally true that everything is possible through an automated process, which is what you are asking for, without user input of some kind.
• garrett_3d Posts: 317

  May 19

  I thought the PBR was the river boat used in the Vietnam war by the Americans....
• kenmo Posts: 1,187

  May 19

  PBR  materials - Physical Based Rendering Materials.

  What is PBR 

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physically_based_renderinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physically_based_rendering

  Free PBR materials

  https://freepbr.com/

  https://ambientcg.com/

  https://www.poliigon.com/textures

  Quoting poligon link above "PBR textures for Blender, 3ds max, Cinema 4D, Sketchup, Unreal Engine, Unity and Maya. Complete PBR texture sets that are perfect for creating archviz, vfx, games, animation and product visualization."

  PBR explained

  

   

   
• kenmo Posts: 1,187

  May 19

  Richard Haseltine said:

  What do you mean by PBR? As a term it just means physically based rendering, and Iray is a PBR engine, so it isn't clear. Nor is it universally true that everything is possible through an automated process, which is what you are asking for, without user input of some kind.

  True, but it does not follow the industry PBR standard. IRAY materials can only be used in Iray and not shared with Vue, Unity, Unreal, etc. PBR standard materials I use and create in 3D Coat can be freely shared between  Blender, Vue and DAZ. But any materials created for DAZ Iray can not be exported to an industry standard PBR format which can be shared with 3DCoat, Vue, etc.

  There are two industry standards for PBR Metalness/Roughness and Specular/Glossiness. It appears Metalness/Roughness is the most used.

   
• kenmo Posts: 1,187

  May 19 edited May 19

  Key components of PBR materials. Daz is using a propietary version of PBR which can only be used by Iray.

  https://lightbeans.com/en/blog/tutorials/pbr-physically-based-rendering-explained-a-quick-guide

  Post edited by kenmo on May 19
• kenmo Posts: 1,187

  May 19

  A great free utility I often use to assist in the creation of industry standard PBR materials.

  https://www.boundingboxsoftware.com/materialize/
• Richard Haseltine Posts: 110,114

  May 19

  But again, Iray is a PBR engine. One potential issue is in the normal maps - there are two standards so it is possible that your other applications are, at least by default, usiing the other standard and so lookiing wrong.
• kenmo Posts: 1,187

  May 20

  I know that. However when I export an DAZ Iray prop as an obj (ie: prop.obj) with supporting .mat file (prop.mat) and material/texture files (diffuse.jpg, bump.jp, normal.jpg, displacement.jpg, etc). If I import the prop.obj into Vue, 3DCoat, Modo, Blender, etc. Many of the material/textures files are not recognized or missing.

  If I export a prop from Vue, 3DCoat, Blender with supporting texture/material files. It will load flawlessly into DAZ, Blender, Vue, 3D coat and the model will be properly textured. 

  I think the issue is DAZ does not properly export Iray shaders or can not. 
• Richard Haseltine Posts: 110,114

  May 20

  The OBJ MTL file is very limited, are you using that format with the other applications too? It sounds as if your request is for a format that better supports material settings, though I wouldn't try OBJ as a starting point now.
• kenmo Posts: 1,187

  11:50AM

  What format would YOU recommend that interchanges between Vue, DAZ, 3D Coat, Blender and sometime Hexagon?

  I've tried DAE and FBX and ALWAYS have issues with both formats. GLTF/GLB are not recognized by DAZ, Vue or Hexagon.

  The only format that does not destroy the topography is OBJ for me but texturings can be uncertain at times when I export from DAZ/Iray.

  I do not have the same issues when I export from 3DCoat or Blender.

  So once again since YOU suggest a different 3D file format, kindly recommend one that works between Vue, DAZ, 3D Coat, Blender and possibly Hexagon.

  Thanks kindly and I eagerly await YOUR answer since YOU seem to believe my product suggestion is not a good idea.

  Kenmo

   
• Richard Haseltine Posts: 110,114

  2:18PM

  I haven't tried moving anything but geometry, which is why I didn't offer a specific suggestion.
• felis Posts: 6,294

  2:29PM

  I don't think any of the supported formats are good at preserving materials. So after transferring your objects, you might have to apply materials manually.

  Another option is the use Diffeo to get it into blender, and then export in Universal Scene Description format, if your target application supports that.
• lilweep Posts: 2,820

  2:52PM

  kenmo said:

  What format would YOU recommend that interchanges between Vue, DAZ, 3D Coat, Blender and sometime Hexagon?

  I've tried DAE and FBX and ALWAYS have issues with both formats. GLTF/GLB are not recognized by DAZ, Vue or Hexagon.

  DAE and FBX formats are not Daz to VUE bridge, nor Daz to 3D Coat Bridge, nor DAZ to Blender Bridge nor Daz to Hexagon bridge.

  If you want GLTF/GLB then go Diffeomorphic -> Blender - > GLTF/GLB

  It seems kind of bizarre to need a consistent shader between all these different software. You only need to do final look development in your FINAL RENDERER. 

  The only format that does not destroy the topography

  topography?

  is OBJ for me but texturings can be uncertain at times when I export from DAZ/Iray.

  Correct OBJ is not a bridge.

  If you want all the texture files, go to their folder location and use them from there or use Diffeomorphic -> Blender in your workflow.

  I do not have the same issues when I export from 3DCoat or Blender.

  I think you will also have similar limitations and you just havent noticed.

  3DCoat does not support the complexities of Blender's shader mixer, so if you are just doing a basic PBR textures in 3DCoat, sure, it might look similar, but it is not robust.

  So once again since YOU suggest a different 3D file format, kindly recommend one that works between Vue, DAZ, 3D Coat, Blender and possibly Hexagon.

  Vue, DAZ, 3D Coat, Blender, Hexagon is kind of absurd.
  
  You do not need to have a functioning material in anything but your final renderer.  Even in 3DCoat it is not necessary to have it look like your final renderer when doing texture painting and material set up.

  It is honestly pointless to develop a comprehensive end to end workflow that works perfectly for all these applications anyway in a 1-to-1 way where they look the same in each application.

  Why do you even need a functioning material in Hexagon of all places???

  Thanks kindly and I eagerly await YOUR answer since YOU seem to believe my product suggestion is not a good idea.

  Kenmo

   
• kenmo Posts: 1,187

  4:37PM

  I use Vue and DAZ for rendering. 

  Of course I mean topography!
• kenmo Posts: 1,187

  6:49PM

  kenmo said:

  I use Vue and DAZ for rendering. 

  Of course I mean topology! Sorry about the typo. Just recently rleased from hospital and still a little under the weather.