This was touched on before, but I don't see some options I might expect so wondering if I am missing something. If I take a set of textures and save them to their own file then import them into a file w/ a figure is their a way to get them applied w/o having to match them to their surface again individually? Also, why can't we select all w/ the shaders? Can't group them either. It appears you have to hold shift and select each one again very time consuming.Am I missing something? I have looked in manual...didn't see anything new about these. Thanks.

I think (and remember I'm carrara newbie) the answer to second question is you have to do it one at a time. But answer to first question is i thinkk that should work, if not double click on your poser figure, then copy the second shaderr down. make new master shader and past it in at the top, then drag your saved shader onto that, then copy the top of the new master shader top level back onto the top level of your figure and that should change all of it at once to your saved preset. well something like that I think. Love esther

You're talking about in the shader room where you can copy/paste or drag drop an individual shader and all the channels are there? If so this I know. I am trying to avoid applying all textures that I already have in the file with the default shaded object all individually all over again.Otherwise it puts a serious dent in using native support very practically.It will take less time to redo all those shaders than rig a new skeleton probably, but really makes little practical sense.

well if you have saved shader in carrara for your figure you can apply them all at once. ie you only have to change them all the way you want them in carrara the first time. love esther

ooh okay - i'll see what i can come up with love esther

sadly...the jpeg killed my text...sorry that is unreadable. But see all my shaders are not linked.

Well my one is using transposer to import her, and all her textures including her hair can be changed in one hit. NOt her clothes though - I have to do those seperately. Love esther

ren mem, I know nada about Poser import but...since no one else has jumped in...try this: select the top shader dropdown list and select "Layers list". It will either automatically generate what estherau has or will lead you in that direction. Hope this helps but no guarntees!

Oh,I don't think it will automatically make layers list. That would be nice. However, I don't know why I can't set them up this way. I was just curious why one base daz character would be set up this way and not another or whether she redid all of them this way. We still need better shader management tho. Having to resort to a layers list shouldn't be the answer for many shaders and it is more time consuming.I also have noticed (tho not 100% sure)that it takes longer to render these.

Message edited on: 02/05/2006 17:26

Is it because you used native poser import instead of transposer that you didn't get a layers list? Love esther

That I will check. Been working on a modeling project. I did use native for bone rigging. There are some other options I want to also check. Also, let me rephrase my statement above. It is unclear. I know I can make a layers list, but will only do this if it going to be worth it. I am going to check a couple of my other options. I am looking for some speed here.(remember I don't have poser at the moment)Speaking of that how has performance and stability been w/ P6 compared w/ C5?

Message edited on: 02/05/2006 19:16

p6 has always been stable for me on my mac, except for some of the dynamic stuff. C5 occasionally crashes. Love esther

You are right, the Layers List will not generate the entire list by itself. Here is what you have to do:

Start with an object with several shading domains. Like I guess your poser figure is. Go to its default shader in the shader room.

1.From the top shader drop down select Complex Shader>Layers list.

1. In the left hand pane, at the bottom of the shader is a large +. Click on it.
2. It will make a new shader. From this new shaders drop down list select Parametric Mapping.
3. In the right hand pane there should be 2 shaders listed, the original and the new one titled Parametric Mapping. From the Apply to drop down list select the shading domain it will be applied to. (The drop down should list all the available domains)
4. Repeat 2-4 until you have used up all the available domains.

You now have an empty layers list shader for your object. Filling the layers with previously saved shaders should not be too hard. Import them all into your file and select them in the usual way in the shader room.

Message edited on: 02/05/2006 22:04

Thanks sailor_ed. I did know how to do this, but it's good for someone who doesn't. I need to look into what's quickest.This was going to be particularly useful for using native's for rigging, but as I said I have a couple of options I need to explore.I am not so sure I want this to be my solution.

Well because I don't have poser I am afraid I have to go the way of the layers list for texturing poser rigging in carrara anyway. It really goes to the fact that DAZ currently is using poser file format and so is carrara. W/o direct D|S support or connection I can't use certain features because I need poser for transposer support and native doesn't want to read the pz2's I had. Well, there is a DAZ sdk coming. I will live w/it for now, but may have to buy poser at some point.

You could get poser 5 which would be cheap, instead of poser 6 Love esther

You must have the shader loaded on a model for any shading domains to show up in the drop down. I think if you select the Top Shader in the left pane you will show all the Apply To buttoms in the right pane of the model you are shading.

Message edited on: 02/06/2006 17:29

Incidentally, I think this can all be done with the Shading panel on the extreme upper right of your monitor in the shading room. It shows the Global shader and all Shading Domains for the selected object. From their drop downs you can select any shader that has been loaded into your Carrara document. You can even drag and drop from the tray of shaders at the extreme lower right.

This is different than C4 where the "Layers List" was the only way to do this.

Message edited on: 02/06/2006 17:38

Message edited on: 02/06/2006 17:40

Message edited on: 02/06/2006 17:42

This is a fully shaded model, a carrara preset, with only one shader. This is the shader applied to the domains with the instance selected. (btw I do use the right hand menu tabs, pretty much exclusively, tho not relavent to either issue.) Dragndrop is not an issue neither is basic shader usage. This originally was about changing all the shaders at once. You cannot not do this w/o a layers list currently.You can't group shaders, assign them at once or even select all. You will have to assign each shader to a domain individually whether you dragndrop or not unless you use a layers list. My current issue is I had a normally working button that now doesn't work for no apparent reason.

It appears to be working at the moment on the tree. I will go back and look at the models. Not sure what is more trouble to set everything up in a layers list then unassign domains etc... or reassign individually. Not great choices. :( Having a layers list does allow you to save an easy preset tho. If you could group shaders you should be able to do this also.