ZBrushCentral

Mat Slots : finished plugin

Shared ZScripts & Macros
#9

Just 47 seconds with rev b, also I can actually seen it opening the materials menu and scanning thru it. However it is still really slow. This is on the Mac however and maybe completely different on the PC.

Hope that helps some MC I hate it when I bring sad news.

Bill

#10

Hmm, that’s no good. :confused: Sorry about that. I don’t have any problems on a PC. I can’t take out any other code or it won’t work at all. I’ll have another look tomorrow in case I can swap something around.

#11

Absolutely handy, Thanks a bunch.

I’m wondering if it is possible willog has Show Actions set to on?

#12

I hate you Digits :slight_smile:

Don’t you just hate it when something like that happens?

No just kidding Digits mate, as you got it in one, stupid me had ‘Show Actions’ on and now when I run MatSlots it takes just 5 seconds.

Sorry Marcus mate I really need to take another vacation or something like that.

Thanks both for your kind help

Bill

#13

Thanks pal, the script was supposed to be switching off ShowActions using [IShowActions,0] at the start but it wasn’t working for some reason. Thanks for picking that up. I’ve updated the file with the code in the button and it seems to work fine now.

If anybody else is trying to use this on the Mac and having problems please let me know.

#14

Marcus: I think I love you, buddy! Well, I like your work a lot…:lol: Thank You,
This is JUST what I’ve been looking for…

Dickie

#15

All works fine now Marcus, just tried the revised plugin at the top of this thread and works fine automatically turning off ‘Show Actions’

Thanks again

Bill

#16

Dickie,
Thanks, it’s great to know you care and the feeling’s entirely mutual. :wink:

Bill,
Wonderful - and thanks for helping me sort this out. :slight_smile:

#17

Extremely useful Marcus, and thanks yet again for all your hard work:+1:small_orange_diamond:+1:

Chris

#18

yeah this is cool little plugin…

am wondering if you could somehow combine this with Svengali’s matsaver script to save out for later use and of course be able to recall it either by doc or something.

not a big deal really just a passing thought.

ok I am off to update my links again!:D:rolleyes:

#19

Thanks for the cool plugin mat-slot Marcus, much easier keeping track.

MrMoe

#20

Hi Marcus,

I’d forgotten about this plugin… it was one that didn’t get installed again when I changed to a new machine this summer. Having installed it just now, I was looking at it thinking it might help track usage if each material name was preceeded with its slot number:

example:

00-Flat Color
01-FastShader
02-BasicMaterial
03-BasicMaterial2
04-ToyPlastic
05-ReflectedMap
etc.

Just a thought if you ever get around to updating it (maybe you’ll have to for 2.5??) Anyway, thaniks again for another useful script!

Sven

#21

What Sven, in all his humbleness, failed to mention, above, is that this plugin [Mat Slots], makes a great companion to his new plugin; Embed Material.

Embed Material thread

Sven’s suggestion is also a very good one.

Thanks to you both, Marcus and Sven.

#22

Sven, thanks - I may just update it someday and adding in the numbers would be a good idea.

acmepixel, glad you like it. :slight_smile:

#23

marcus,

This was one of my first and my favorite ZB plugins. There is still no better way to keep track of what slots are being used manage them consistently. What are the chances of getting an update for ZB 3.1??

Pretty please?

#24

dangalf,

Thanks, I’m glad you like this plugin. I hadn’t considered updating it for ZB 3.1, mostly because the new ZBrush doesn’t have the same restrictions. Materials are no longer limited to 76 slots - putting materials in the ZStartup\Materials folder extends the number, so knowing which are available is rather less important. But I’ll take a look to see whether there’s a need for some similar functionality.

#25

Very Useful ZScript…! Thanks a lot!

:smiley:

#26

Thanks marcus - the main problem it solved for me was keeping track of the “live materials”. Even though more slots are now available, it’s hard to tell which materials were used if I want to go back and tweak their settings or restore saved models.

Consider:

  1. Load up any model
  2. Load up a user material using the “load” button under materials
  3. Paint it on part of the model using the “m” button on the shelf and polypaint
  4. Save the tool
  5. Exit out of ZBrush entirely
  6. Restart ZBrush and load the saved tool

You will see the default slot 00 material where you painted the different material earlier. The only way to restore the way you had it before is to reload the user material in the same slot as it was previously.

Now, imagine having 3 user materials in a similar scenario – it would be necessary to reload them in the right slots in the right order to get the model back to the way it was before. If you didn’t remember what materials you used in which slots (especially since the slots don’t have actual number labels in ZBrush) this could be a headache. I used to use your plug-in to manage this. It listed the slot number and material used in each!

#27

dangalf,

There is a simple solution to your problem. When you have done working on your model, first save it as a ztool. Then make sure the model (or models if you have been working on several) is drawn on the canvas and then save the Document. Saving the document preserves any custom materials that are drawn on the canvas. Next time you want to work on your model, load the document you saved, then the ztool; all the custom materials will be in there right places. To continue work, clear the canvas (Ctrl+N) and proceed.

Additionally, the Material:Show Used button will show all materials in use on the canvas, Flat Color (the special ‘active’ material), and the currently selected material.

HTH,

#28

Gadzooks! That’s useful information – thanks marcus, it does indeed solve the problem I was having!