So I have a new idea I'm working on. I want to run this by you guys to see if it is workable for you.

The shader is written in matmatic, and if you take the trouble to use matmatic you can edit the script to change the image files that it uses.

However, I understand that this is not the most fun thing to do. So I have another scheme.

First, I change the shader so that every image map node is clearly marked as to what it is for.

Then I add two more scripts to parmatic. The first you use to scan the shader and save a text file. This file shows all the current image map assignments. The other you use to load the text file and make the necessary changes to file names in the shader.

The saved file looks like this: 

BodyBump=:Runtime:Textures:Anton'sApolloMaximus:Body:APM_Body1Bump.jpg
BodyColor1=:Runtime:textures:Anton'sApolloMaximus:Body:APM_Body1.jpg
BodyColor2=:Runtime:Textures:Anton'sApolloMaximus:Body:APM_Body02.jpg
BodyDispMap=:Runtime:Textures:Anton'sApolloMaximus:Body:APM_DisplBody1.png
BodyFreckleMask=:Runtime:Textures:Anton'sApolloMaximus:UCFS:UCFS_APM_BodyFreckleMask.jpg
BodyHairMap=:Runtime:Textures:Anton'sApolloMaximus:Body:APM_BodyHair1.jpg
BrowsTransmap=:Runtime:textures:Anton'sApolloMaximus:Body:APM_LashTr.jpg
EyewhiteColor=:Runtime:textures:Anton'sApolloMaximus:Body:APM_Eyeball1.jpg
FaceBump=:Runtime:Textures:Anton'sApolloMaximus:Body:APM_Face1Bump.jpg
FaceColor1=:Runtime:textures:Anton'sApolloMaximus:Body:APM_Face1.jpg
FaceColor2=:Runtime:Textures:Anton'sApolloMaximus:Body:APM_Face02b.jpg
FaceFreckleMask=:Runtime:Textures:Anton'sApolloMaximus:UCFS:UCFS_APM_FaceFreckleMask.jpg
FacePoreMask=:Runtime:Textures:Anton'sApolloMaximus:UCFS:UCFS_APM_PoreMask.jpg
IrisColor1=:Runtime:textures:Anton'sApolloMaximus:Body:APM_EyeIris1.jpg
IrisColor2=:Runtime:Textures:Anton'sApolloMaximus:Body:APM_EyeIris2.jpg
IrisColor3=:Runtime:Textures:Anton'sApolloMaximus:Body:APM_EyeIris3.jpg
IrisColor4=:Runtime:Textures:Anton'sApolloMaximus:Body:APM_EyeIris4.jpg
IrisColor5=:Runtime:Textures:Anton'sApolloMaximus:Body:APM_EyeIris5.jpg
LashTransmap=:Runtime:textures:Anton'sApolloMaximus:Body:APM_LashTr.jpg
TeethColor=:Runtime:textures:Anton'sApolloMaximus:Body:APM_TeethTongue1.jpg
TongueGumsColor=:Runtime:textures:Anton'sApolloMaximus:Body:APM_TeethTongue1.jpg

You edit that file. First you delete any items you don't want to change, leaving only those you DO want to change. For example, if all you want to do is change the BodyHairMap (jredline) you delete all the other lines. Then you edit that one line to identify the file you want to use instead.

You save the file. Then you run the Parmatic Load Image Files script and give it the file to use. It then performs all the multi-zone changes as needed.

At any time, you can then save the results modified shaders as a new material collection. Or you can just use the text files and loader script to load variations.

The alternative I can think of is to build a whole GUI around this, but it would have to be a TK GUI and it would not work on Macintosh.

Opinions?

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