Fast, organic variations to the same texture on multiple items

[Chris B]

Hi all,

We're rendering some interior wall framing.  Think lots of wooden studs and cross members in the scene.  Each has a pine image-based texture, and each stud has the exact same knot and grain pattern in the exact same place. 

I found how to use mapping to manually move the texture image around on each one individually.  Works great for a few instances.
But is there a faster, more automated way of doing this for many instances?

Thanks : )

[guest84672]

Can you copy and paste the material?

[mattjgerard]

Not within keyshot. You can use an external program to apply your textures and do it faster (I use Cinema 4D, and the mograph closer and shaders can randomly apply from a selection of textures to clones (studs).

But no, not within keyshot. There may be a way of scripting an action, but I have yet to dive into the scripting world. I will be doing so, but will be some time before I get productive with it.

Cheers!

[DMerz III]

Would be handy to have a 'random' node input/output that could be plugged into the 'mapping' position channel on the material graph. That could essentially help with this challenge!

[LayC42]

Would be handy to have a 'random' node input/output that could be plugged into the 'mapping' position channel on the material graph. That could essentially help with this challenge!

There is a node for random colour that can be used via colour to number. But I have to play with to see if this works with a transition.

(I'm missing Eric and his brilliant ideas here)

[mattjgerard]

I've been playing with this a little, and I don't see any way for anything in the MatGraph to affect the mapping. There is a 2D mapping node, but I don't really see what it does and can't get it to do anything.

Also, the other problem is for one material to recognize that it is being applied to multiple objects, and have an object identifier that reprts back to the material. I'm coming from C4D's mograph shaders that can randomly texture clones based on their clone ID, and of the several different textures applied to the cloner object. That's getting a little deep for Keyshot, I think.

Still, its fun to poke around in the MatGraph and see what its limitations are. Going back in for more looking. don't give up gents! Maybe a scripting solution here?

[Chris B]

You can use an external program to apply your textures and do it faster (I use Cinema 4D, and the mograph closer and shaders can randomly apply from a selection of textures to clones (studs).

Ok, that's interesting.  Blender may have something similar I think?  What file format do you bring into Keyshot that keeps your textures intact from C4D?

Our models are coming straight out of SolidWorks as NURBS data.  I don't think SolidWorks has this functionality.  We don't have any software to get them into a polygonal modeler at the moment, and probably won't be able to buy any.  Thanks for clarifying KeyShot does not do this natively.

[Chris B]

Would be handy to have a 'random' node input/output that could be plugged into the 'mapping' position channel on the material graph. That could essentially help with this challenge!

Exactly what I was looking for.  I've added it to the Wish List.

[mattjgerard]

You can use an external program to apply your textures and do it faster (I use Cinema 4D, and the mograph closer and shaders can randomly apply from a selection of textures to clones (studs).

Ok, that's interesting.  Blender may have something similar I think?  What file format do you bring into Keyshot that keeps your textures intact from C4D?

Our models are coming straight out of SolidWorks as NURBS data.  I don't think SolidWorks has this functionality.  We don't have any software to get them into a polygonal modeler at the moment, and probably won't be able to buy any.  Thanks for clarifying KeyShot does not do this natively.

I am a complete ignoramus when it comes to Blender. I think I opened it up once years ago and felt the urge to remove my eyes with a spork. It has probably gotten loads better since then, but I got hooked on C4D and never looked for another solution. I would guess that with its huge userbase, that somewhere someone figured out how to do what you want.

As far as I know, there are few options for keeping your model in the NURBS world, most polygonal modelers will not read the curves and faces, and will want to convert them to polys. So, the mesh will become tessellated, which is not usually an issue unless you have very fine detail you are trying to zoom in on. If its basically simple shapes, then you will be fine.

There are a ton of resources and options about going from SW to Blender, using VRML, STL and other files, you will need to experiment to find the one that best suits your needs. But I think you would be best served by 2 things- 1) Find a Blender guru and find out if Blender can do what you want, and 2) Slip a $20 and case of Bud Light to the engineers at Luxion along with a nicely worded list of requests for the MatGraph that would allow this to work. You most likely aren't the first to run across this. I see you have already posted in the wish list forum, so that's about it. GOod luck and let us know if you find something that works. Documenting it here is a great way to help others out that are in the same boat.

Matt

[soren]

We are aware of requests for this kind of functionality and we are taking steps in that direction for KeyShot 7, but I cannot promising anything specific.

Søren

[mattjgerard]

Ya'll the best!

[Chris B]

Second that   

[Chris B]

There are a ton of resources and options about going from SW to Blender, using VRML, STL and other files, you will need to experiment to find the one that best suits your needs.

Best way found so far was open native SW assembly in Rhino, save as .FBX, import into Blender.  Kept the scaling, orientation and part naming conventions the nicest over .STL, .OBJ, etc it seemed.