Gathering project not picking up MTLs (4.5.43)

[WAS]

Couple projects I've gathered now required me to move over the MTL files manually, otherwise Terragen couldn't find the MTLs in the gathered projects assets.

[cyphyr]

Terragen reports that MTL's are missing in gathered projects but if the mtl was referencing the images correctly when the obj was initially loaded (not always the case I have found) then all the images will be copied over to the gathered project folder. The mtl file is no longer used or needed since the image paths are stored in the Terragen script.

(I have often found that mtl files for downloaded objects are referring to locations on the object creators computer and I have to edit the file manually to get the textures to load. I get the same problem with Lightwave exported obj's. Nothing to do with Terragen.)

[WAS]

Yeah I understand that but arbitrarily ignoring them, to create a string of errors isn't good practice. They should be included and preserve the original object structure. Especially if you aren't just opening them in Terragen.

[WAS]

Will also add I haven't had too much problems with downloaded object. There are some free stuff that the user just breaks packing it up, and there is a website that repacks downloads, so you gotta usually extract the texture separate to the object folder. But most people I've downloaded good quality objects from pack up what the program exports, which is usually always relative paths. I haven't really ever countered a full path from someone elses PC in downloaded objects, actually that's mostly a Terragen project issue.

It would be cool if Terragen just started every project like a gathered project, and require a folder to save too, making everything relative for use across platform, render farms, and general project management. Every image and object you load into a project, is copied to it's asset folder.

[sboerner]

It would be cool if Terragen just started every project like a gathered project, and require a folder to save too, making everything relative for use across platform, render farms, and general project management. Every image and object you load into a project, is copied to it's asset folder.

It's easy to do this manually, using a standard folder structure for each project. (Like you I prefer relative paths so project folders can be easily relocated, and use a text editor to search/replace pathnames in the TGD with relative paths.)

Maya uses project folders and sort of enforces them, though when you archive a project it packs absolute paths in the zip file. Do any applications automatically store dependencies under relative paths?

[WAS]

Pretty sure blender has use files current directory feature which when you export all the textures get put in the textures folder, which is how you see most shared files.  Have seen it plenty of times in the past like in premiere I always enable collect files feature.

And yeah, like I mentioned I usually work relative but that requires moving assets myself.

Computers are too smart not to take advantage of basic functionality. I dunno.

And there is a large emphasis on community assets here so it really makes sense to improve upon that. It's weird gathered projects are even a premium feature considering the usual trouble with people seeking support trying the software with paths and objects.
Super common people share projects with no assets looking for help on assets, or share projects with broken paths and just tossing in their trouble asset separately.