[Beta 5 Bug] Material Editor with existing shapes
by Brandon Russell · in Torque 3D Professional · 08/13/2009 (7:13 pm) · 10 replies
PROBLEM:
I get in an endless loop of setting a new material name from "_newMaterialxx" to a legit material name, click the save material button and then prompted that I must change the name from "_newMaterialxx".
So basically, when editing an existing material and then clicking the material browser button, then clicking the new material button to create a blank "_newMaterialxx" and using it as the selected material. Back in the material editor if you rename the "_newMaterialxx" and try to save you get in an endless loop of "You must change the name, _newMaterialxx is not allowed as a material name" type prompt.
I also encountered this with the _defaultMaterial filename as well. If you change the name to something legit and try and save it will prompt you just the same, except telling you the _defaultMaterial name is not allowed even though you changed it in the material editor screen.
I hope I made a little sense in trying to explain this and not confuse anyone :p
I can post screens if anyone needs.
Thanks,
B.Russell
I get in an endless loop of setting a new material name from "_newMaterialxx" to a legit material name, click the save material button and then prompted that I must change the name from "_newMaterialxx".
So basically, when editing an existing material and then clicking the material browser button, then clicking the new material button to create a blank "_newMaterialxx" and using it as the selected material. Back in the material editor if you rename the "_newMaterialxx" and try to save you get in an endless loop of "You must change the name, _newMaterialxx is not allowed as a material name" type prompt.
I also encountered this with the _defaultMaterial filename as well. If you change the name to something legit and try and save it will prompt you just the same, except telling you the _defaultMaterial name is not allowed even though you changed it in the material editor screen.
I hope I made a little sense in trying to explain this and not confuse anyone :p
I can post screens if anyone needs.
Thanks,
B.Russell
About the author
#2
@eb - It's better that you give us too much feedback rather than no feedback at all. We're doing passes right now on each of the editors, polishing and continuing to improve them. If you have some, please share! =)
08/13/2009 (9:54 pm)
Mich just brought this to my attention today as well. I'll definitely be looking into this.@eb - It's better that you give us too much feedback rather than no feedback at all. We're doing passes right now on each of the editors, polishing and continuing to improve them. If you have some, please share! =)
#3
#1. give autogenerated names(that we can save) to the autogenerated materials. Currently, having to replace/rename the un-saveable default naming conventions of "DefaultMaterial_" and "NewMaterial_" is quite frustrating.
More in detail with an exmaple: If my layer0 diffuse texture is named "treebark12b.png" then let's autoname the material: "treebark14b_auto(random_numbers)_(more random numbers)"...hence outputting: "treebark14b_auto2342_67558".
**If this idea is not ideal as a default engine feature, then place a button next to the material-name box that would allow us to have and use such a function, if we so choose. [I would use that button on EVERY material.]
//edit, I realize this concept is not perfect, but at least the theory is there.
#2. The error windows that are to inform us about the inability to save the "defaultmaterial_" and the "newmaterial_" names, hides behind the "save" window in certain instances. This had me clicking "Save" about 20 times before I actually decided to cancel the save while letting out a frustrated sigh. However, once I canceled the save, I saw the error that was supposed to inform me about the save-issue.
My idea for a fix: change the popup position for the error window, 40 pixels up and 40 pixels left..and do this to all error windows so that this scenario is avoided and people are informed when an issue arises even if the window order is wrong.
#3. The material editor deserves to have a text box that allows the addition of custom text into the material that we are currently editing. This would allow and we should be allowed to add custom content/comments to the file via the editor. **This would take the editor from a near65% functionality to 100% with that addition.**
#4. Material preview window:
I. The cylinder should have better UV mapping or scaling for proper mapping display. image (..not so important but it is unpolished lookin.) ...and the "knot" shape does not have any decent uv coords.
II. At times, the material preview window fails to represent the material settings & the only way to get the material preview to properly display the material is by saving the material. (I am unaware what causes this for reproducing but it should happen near all of the time with mild-to-heavy editor use.) image
#5. The Material selector window
While having the material editor open, pressing "E" causes the material selector window to open...if I continue pressing "E", the images load multiple times into the selector window while it also adds additional filter blocks into the left panel.image
#6. The default Gideon material has a "color-spec-map AND a spec color". Howver, if I ever try to recreate this material via the editor, with the same assets, it fails. This is due to a color spec map and a spec-color forcing it's counterpart out of use. If using both is possible(in some manner) why does 1 force the other out of use inside of the editor ? image
...................next post to continue
08/14/2009 (12:03 am)
Very nice of you to ask Steven. ;)#1. give autogenerated names(that we can save) to the autogenerated materials. Currently, having to replace/rename the un-saveable default naming conventions of "DefaultMaterial_" and "NewMaterial_" is quite frustrating.
More in detail with an exmaple: If my layer0 diffuse texture is named "treebark12b.png" then let's autoname the material: "treebark14b_auto(random_numbers)_(more random numbers)"...hence outputting: "treebark14b_auto2342_67558".
**If this idea is not ideal as a default engine feature, then place a button next to the material-name box that would allow us to have and use such a function, if we so choose. [I would use that button on EVERY material.]
//edit, I realize this concept is not perfect, but at least the theory is there.
#2. The error windows that are to inform us about the inability to save the "defaultmaterial_" and the "newmaterial_" names, hides behind the "save" window in certain instances. This had me clicking "Save" about 20 times before I actually decided to cancel the save while letting out a frustrated sigh. However, once I canceled the save, I saw the error that was supposed to inform me about the save-issue.
My idea for a fix: change the popup position for the error window, 40 pixels up and 40 pixels left..and do this to all error windows so that this scenario is avoided and people are informed when an issue arises even if the window order is wrong.
#3. The material editor deserves to have a text box that allows the addition of custom text into the material that we are currently editing. This would allow and we should be allowed to add custom content/comments to the file via the editor. **This would take the editor from a near65% functionality to 100% with that addition.**
#4. Material preview window:
I. The cylinder should have better UV mapping or scaling for proper mapping display. image (..not so important but it is unpolished lookin.) ...and the "knot" shape does not have any decent uv coords.
II. At times, the material preview window fails to represent the material settings & the only way to get the material preview to properly display the material is by saving the material. (I am unaware what causes this for reproducing but it should happen near all of the time with mild-to-heavy editor use.) image
#5. The Material selector window
While having the material editor open, pressing "E" causes the material selector window to open...if I continue pressing "E", the images load multiple times into the selector window while it also adds additional filter blocks into the left panel.image
#6. The default Gideon material has a "color-spec-map AND a spec color". Howver, if I ever try to recreate this material via the editor, with the same assets, it fails. This is due to a color spec map and a spec-color forcing it's counterpart out of use. If using both is possible(in some manner) why does 1 force the other out of use inside of the editor ? image
...................next post to continue
#4
#8. "Wave" Section: Turning this layer ON does nothing without turning it's "Scale" ON...I find this redundant if it is the planned functionality. image
#9a. Cubemaps only cover layer0.
#9b. [Dynamic cubemapping added to the list would be awesome!]
#10. In this material, I have:
layer0:
rock diffuse
rock normal
layer1:
a grass image with alpha
layer2:
a G symbol with alpha
......................AND the material has a cubemap.
//
It appears to be rendering in this order: rock diffuse, cubemap, grass, g symbol, rock normal.
WHOA. Why is the cubemap only affecting the layer0 diffuse ? ..& it would be great if we were able to select the layer for the cubemap(<while this is not needed, it would be nice to have if it is easy to change).
#11. poor material layer performance
The top layer is layer2, and it has a very noisy normal map. Layer0 has a flat blue normal map. Layer2's normal map is merely causing specular color change on layer0's normal map coords(where it is rendered) without any representation of the layer2 normal map. The layer0 normal map is the only normal map to ever render correctly in any 'general' material.
- Is this the desired behaviour ? ..if so, I am speachless. I know there are ways of working around this to acheive effects that one would want, but that leaves the question: Why even add it to the editor if it doesn't work ?
//
//
Some nitpicking, some valid points, some suggestions and some requests. I had to get them all in while I can.
- I may have more for you after I get some sleep.
P.S. Normally I would go through and fix or find workarounds for the issues and add them to my own trunk...but in this case, I think most of this should be discussed and maybe even fixed for the greater good of T3D.
08/14/2009 (12:04 am)
#7. What are these white boxes next to the animation sections of the editor ? They're currently useless afaik. image#8. "Wave" Section: Turning this layer ON does nothing without turning it's "Scale" ON...I find this redundant if it is the planned functionality. image
#9a. Cubemaps only cover layer0.
#9b. [Dynamic cubemapping added to the list would be awesome!]
#10. In this material, I have:
layer0:
rock diffuse
rock normal
layer1:
a grass image with alpha
layer2:
a G symbol with alpha
......................AND the material has a cubemap.
//
It appears to be rendering in this order: rock diffuse, cubemap, grass, g symbol, rock normal.
WHOA. Why is the cubemap only affecting the layer0 diffuse ? ..& it would be great if we were able to select the layer for the cubemap(<while this is not needed, it would be nice to have if it is easy to change).
#11. poor material layer performance
The top layer is layer2, and it has a very noisy normal map. Layer0 has a flat blue normal map. Layer2's normal map is merely causing specular color change on layer0's normal map coords(where it is rendered) without any representation of the layer2 normal map. The layer0 normal map is the only normal map to ever render correctly in any 'general' material.
- Is this the desired behaviour ? ..if so, I am speachless. I know there are ways of working around this to acheive effects that one would want, but that leaves the question: Why even add it to the editor if it doesn't work ?
new Material(material_cliff02)
{
mapTo = "cliff02";
diffuseMap[0] = "art/shapes/WarriorCamp/cliff02";
normalMap[0] = "art/shapes/collada/mbu_polysoup/edge.normal.png";
translucent[0] = false;
pixelSpecular[0] = true;
specular[0] = "0.992157 0.996078 0.996078 1";
specularPower[0] = 1;
diffuseMap[1] = "art/shapes/groundCover/TallGrass.png";
diffuseMap[2] = "art/gui/g-logo.png";
specular[1] = "1 0 0.0235294 1";
specularPower[1] = "1";
pixelSpecular[1] = "1";
doubleSided = "1";
sequenceFramePerSec[0] = "0.938";
sequenceSegmentSize[0] = "1.563";
castShadows = "0";
translucentBlendOp = "Add";
alphaRef = "255";
cubemap = "";
normalMap[2] = "art/shapes/undercity/crates/ammocrate_n.png";
specular[2] = "0.00784314 0.054902 0.996078 1";
pixelSpecular[2] = "1";
specularPower[2] = "1";
};//
//
Some nitpicking, some valid points, some suggestions and some requests. I had to get them all in while I can.
- I may have more for you after I get some sleep.
P.S. Normally I would go through and fix or find workarounds for the issues and add them to my own trunk...but in this case, I think most of this should be discussed and maybe even fixed for the greater good of T3D.
#5
08/14/2009 (5:04 am)
lol, he asked for it.
#6
@Steven Garcia
I love the editors you have in place so far though, very handy and time saving. I'm already in love with the Material Editor :D
08/14/2009 (5:20 am)
haha nice!@Steven Garcia
I love the editors you have in place so far though, very handy and time saving. I'm already in love with the Material Editor :D
#7
08/14/2009 (5:41 am)
Yeah, I should add that I do appreciate all of the hard work and thought already placed into the editors. Sorry that I forgot that. ;)
#8
@Brandon
Thank you, we definitely all appreciate it!
@Eb
Thanks for taking the time out for the brain dump!
08/17/2009 (2:45 pm)
Sorry about the belated reply@Brandon
Thank you, we definitely all appreciate it!
@Eb
Thanks for taking the time out for the brain dump!
#9
08/17/2009 (6:58 pm)
Logged as THREED-681 
#10
06/10/2010 (1:40 pm)
Confirmed as fixed for 1.1 Beta2. 
Torque Owner TheGasMan
G.A.S. [+others]
I would talk more about the editor, but I may not stop.