Default shader node connections help

[mdharrington]

I looked around as much as possible, but I cant figure this out....

What nodes can you plug into the various image inputs on the default shader...I can connect image map shaders into the function inputs, but have yet to find a node that the image inputs will allow a connection to.

thanks

[Dune]

As far as I know, image inputs are exactly what the name implies, just for image map shaders (like textures or masks, externally made). Function inputs can take all sorts of shaders.

[mdharrington]

Thanks for answering Dune....

Specifically I was wondering what image nodes can be plugged in, because I have tried everyone I can think of with no success. The connections are refused.

Forgive my ignorance but is there a specific image map node that can be plugged in to the image inputs on the default shader? I have yet to find it through trial and error or google

Of course I can assign textures through the tool options in the default shader....but I have no control over mapping this way.

[Hetzen]

You know what? I've never used the Colour Image input before and you're right it doesn't seem to allow anything to connect to it. I've always used colour function to input an image map shader.

As for mapping, you can set an overall mapping plain whithin the default shader, or via individual map settings in the image map shader. If you want something procedural then you need to plug your network via a transform shader with use world space switched on, this will apply your world space to the object for a fractal to use.

[Kevin F]

You can add an image by double clicking the default shader tab and clicking the folder tab next to "color image" under colour, and selecting your image. No connection lines will show though.

[Dune]

Yes, or rightclicking the tab triangle will immediately open a browser to find an image map. It is indeed strange that you can't add an image map directly, never noticed.

[WAS]

Yes, it is "Colour Image" or "Roughness Image" etc, as in, a image. Not any shader. It is meant for raw images. A Image Map Shader is a image, converted into a map of the image, in the form of a shader. So you can use your Image Map Shader on the Image Functions as it is no longer a raw roster image.

[bobbystahr]

never noticed that either and I use a lot of images....I always just browse to my image.

[Dune]

I never used the import through the deafult shader's inputs, so I wonder how imported images are used; UV space, or plan Y, repeated or not..... nothing you can alter this way.

[WAS]

I never used the import through the deafult shader's inputs, so I wonder how imported images are used; UV space, or plan Y, repeated or not..... nothing you can alter this way.

Repeated, that is for sure. Not much image control on the default shader which is a bit out-dated in my opinion just considering the Image Map Shader.

I also think there is no real planning for the images. As if I use a multiple object (as one object) the image is repeated all over the object. It will only wrap a single object at it's 0x0 position.

[Oshyan]

The Default Shader actually came *after* the Image Map Shader. It's just designed for a different purpose, but it has inputs that can accept an Image Map Shader (or any other shader) to gain more flexibility. It is simple by design.

Images coming into the inputs from another node should, I think, be handled as set in that external node (e.g. as set in an Image Map Shader). Images loaded natively in the Default Shader itself are handled as specified on the Images tab in the Image Projection setting. You can set UV (default), or other projections, which affects all images loaded natively by the shader. If an image is getting tiled it's probably because it's set to UV (again, default) but no UVs are assigned, or the UVs are being interpreted strangely.

- Oshyan

[bobbystahr]

I never used the import through the deafult shader's inputs, so I wonder how imported images are used; UV space, or plan Y, repeated or not..... nothing you can alter this way.

Repeated, that is for sure. Not much image control on the default shader which is a bit out-dated in my opinion just considering the Image Map Shader.

I also think there is no real planning for the images. As if I use a multiple object (as one object) the image is repeated all over the object. It will only wrap a single object at it's 0x0 position.

I would think that the single object would need to have the separate parts identified in the .mtl file and converted to a parts shader in poseray.

[Oshyan]

Yes Bobby, that's exactly correct. You need a Parts Shader (which can only be generated by loading an appropriately formatted OBJ+MTL or TGO object) for *each* UV texture that you have.

- Oshyan

[Matt]

Even though the image file parameters are drawn as input sockets in the node network (small triangles on the top the node), they don't accept node connections. The original reason why they are drawn as input sockets is due to the way file references and node links work in the software - they share the same base code. Maybe I should stop them from showing as input sockets, but originally I decided to leave it this way because it allows you to right click on the triangle to open a file dialog without having to open the parameter view first. This might help you work faster when you have lots of images to set up. But it is potentially misleading.

Matt

[bobbystahr]

Even though the image file parameters are drawn as input sockets in the node network (small triangles on the top the node), they don't accept node connections. The original reason why they are drawn as input sockets is due to the way file references and node links work in the software - they share the same base code. Maybe I should stop them from showing as input sockets, but originally I decided to leave it this way because it allows you to right click on the triangle to open a file dialog without having to open the parameter view first. This might help you work faster when you have lots of images to set up. But it is potentially misleading.

Matt

Cool, didn't know about/hadn't found the, right click yet...thanks...