Square Leaves - a conundrum - FIXED!

Started by MVee, March 09, 2020, 06:32:45 PM

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MVee

Hey there kind Keyshot people!

I, a noob, have a question, and since google can't help me (or I just don't know how to ask) I'm turning to you (hopefully) helpful people.

I am importing a plant model into Keyshot - it's an .FBX file (I've also tried .OBJ) - and once in Keyshot the leaves come across as tiny rectangles...instead of the beautiful 'leaf shaped' leaves that were modeled on the website.  I've been messing with the mapping settings, textures, opacity..etc..but to no avail.

I have downloaded and imported other .fbx models that have worked just fine, so what am I missing or doing wrong with this file? Does this issue have a general meaning or do I need to include more information in this question?

I appreciate the help. Or any attempt at trying to help. Or any thought of trying to help. Cuz really anything is better than me working at this for hours and getting nowhere.

So thank you!

ps. Thanks for your patience - I didn't know where else to go. Please feel free to ask questions about my issue and I'll try to answer them to the best of my knowledge.



INNEO_MWo

Hello MVee.


Your problem came up several times in this forum. The solution is to use the alpha (channel / information) from the leaves image in the opacity channel of the "squares-material" (the base geometry for the leaves).


I've attached a simple example done with KeyShot 9. (but this solution can be replicated down/back  to KeyShot 6)
In this example I've used the label image in the diffuse channel (obviously like the leaves image) and on top with a color-to-number node (using the alpha option in this node) the same image plugged to the opacity channel.


Hope that helps with your plant.


Cheers
Marco

mattjgerard

Once again Marco in with the quick reply:) Yep, its all in the alpha of the texture.

DMerz III

Yes - alpha mask on the opacity channel should solve this - but in case you missed it, you might need to set the mapping mode to UV, as that is probably how the texture is set up on the model. (also try a scale of 1:1)

MVee

I knew you all would be helpful.. :)

Thank you!

Marco, I've downloaded  your attachment and am wondering if the 'color to number node' is not in my version of Keyshot. I use Keyshot 9 HD (probably something I should have mentioned before) and therefore do not have access to material graphing.  I assume then, that I cannot utilize the same steps as you.  Is there a different way or am I just out of luck?

Matt and DMerz - thank you for your replies as well.  It helps that you all agree on the same conclusion / answer!

And you are correct, DMerz, I have the mapping set to UV and 1:1 - so at least I have that right! ;)

Thanks again!


DMerz III

Yeah - not sure if you need the material graph to get this to work. Unfamiliar with the HD version of KS though.

Color to Number is kind of like 'levels' in Photoshop or 'color ramp' in other programs, it's more about controlling values (mostly b/w). Not positive it is needed.

Another thing that I'm sure you've already tried, but I would just double-check as sometimes it is easily overlooked. In the opacity channel - there's a dropdown called 'Opacity Type Mode' - there are 3 options - Color/Alpha/Inverse Color. This would change how the opacity is registered;

Color = White is opaque/Black is transparent
Alpha = Reads the alpha channel if there is one to determine what is transparent
Inverse Color = Opposite of Color B=Opaque W=Transparent

Otherwise- I am stumped without checking the .fbx myself.

TGS808

You shouldn't need the material graph or color to number to achieve this. As long as as you have a hard, black and white mask designating what area you want to be opaque vs transparent you should be able to just add that mask to the opacity channel. Assuming that KS HD has that channel available. I know it doesn't have the material graph but I would think it would at least have that. Without that option, I don't know how you could do this.

MVee

#7
You guys. LOOK!

Leaves that look like...leaves! And all with your help! Thank you! I wasn't to the point of pulling my hair out, but it was a close call.

So the thing that seemed to do it, was switching the material type to "advanced" (**for those following along and wanting the fix, note the extra message below by TGS. The 'advanced' setting isn't doing the job I assumed it was, and is not necessary to achieve this effect**) and then ALSO changing the opacity map mode to "color" (thank you for your screen cap TGS, because that clued me in on the 'advanced' part).  I had done these independently, but never together..and I think that was the trick.  Especially because I had the hard black and white image in the opacity channel and it still wasn't doing it (despite your very helpful explanation of the opacity type mode, DMerz).

So again. THANK YOU! I appreciate the help and I learned a skill that will be very useful!


TGS808

Glad it worked out. And yes, those are some leafy leaves. ;D

FYI... Technically, as long as you had the Opacity Map Mode set to color and the black and white map in the Opacity Channel, this would work. Having it set to an Advanced material doesn't really matter, it's just how mine was set. (Having it set to advanced just gives you a few more options to plug nodes into in the material graph.) With this set up, you could change Advanced to multiple other material types (paint, plastic, anisotropic, etc..) and the alpha mask result would be the same. 

MVee

Good to know, TGS - thank you for the added input!