hi,

here is a new shader i created. it´s a MatCap Shader for a:m v13 and higher. Just through the shader files in the shader folder of a:m.
the sample pictures below explains the usage of this shader.

download MatCap Shader

the zip-file also contains some sample images you can work with. have fun.
also a link to a MatCap Library (note that you need zbrush to load the materials from this library)
MatCap Library

how it works:


surface setup:

Fantastic! Thanks...this looks to be a great new tool.

A gift from Willi! Man- those are great...I really only recently began using and discovered the power of shaders, so these will be appreciated!

Thanks a lot this doese look good ,I like shaders

Thank you very much for the great gift! I see great potential for this one.
However, It doesn't look like it works with AO?

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Not really, as it can be considered kind of 'flat' in terms of rendering. But you can combine this pass with others in compositing.

thanx a lot for the feedback.
not tested with AO yet.
as AO also is a global ambient shader, maybe they bite ech other.
try to only use matcap as diffuse shader when rendering with AO.

Thanks for the shaders, Willi!

I don't think I have ever used shaders in A:M before. I tend to avoid materials but you might have inspired me to experiment again.

One Zbrush shader that always captures my attention is the bronze one that is often used to simulate that verdigris patina, as in this image:

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The high surfaces are like polished bronze while the low surfaces have a matt green/blue finish. Is this sort of shader a possibility in A:M?

Are shaders considered materials? I think they are a horse of a different color, aren't they?

Yes, I guess that is technically correct, Matt, but they do simulate real world materials procedurally don't they?

as you can see, it will also work with AO
you only have to set the "diffuse color" of the surface to black.

here is also an updated matcap_ambiance.shd where the intensity in not limited to 200 (but to 5000).

Can you tell more about it? What was it you needed to do that caused you to create this shader?

The pictures look great but they dont' tell me what I am to set. Is this some way of using bitmaps from zbrush? Do I need Zbrush to make the maps?I guess you do.

What does it do with these maps that a regular decaling in A:M doesn't do?

hi paul.

maybe you can create this with the matcap shader. as i know there are some limitations. i.e. balls with a clearly defined structure, like wood, will be problematic.
as in the case of bronze, as you describe, zbrush will interprate such materials other. zbrush knows where to put cavity/patina, a:m will not. so if you have a bumpy surface, a:m will not know how to interprate that surface and put the cavity on it. but try it. search on google for some bronzy balls.

hi robocat,

the procedere of the shader is very simple. you have this ball as an image, this could be every real world material/fotograph, as long as it is a sphere. you dont need zbrush to make these spheres. search google, crop the images, so the ball fits the image.
the shader will then project the colors from this sphere according to the objects normals in camera-space (think of environment probe images, a sphere contains all visible normals).
you can quickly visualize real world materials on your virtual 3d objects.

MATerial CAPture

Thanks, Willi. I will try that.

This may be a little off topic but it gives a very good idea of what matcaps can do for your models:
Zbrush MatCaps
---------------------------
Edit: Of course you would need to use Zbrush to achieve the sort of effects shown in those examples.

Thank you!

Thank you!! this is great stuff

Steve

I think Im missing something ,it works ok in the modeling window but not in the cho ,am I missing a step
edit
btw doese Z-BRUSH work with AM models

Thank you!!!

Malo

Have you turned Render Shaders ON in your chor camera?

Ah ha no I didn't thank's Holmes

Thanks Willi!
This looks very useful.
Your NormalMap shader has been very useful too. I use it quite a lot.

This is great! Thanks guys!!!

Is there a chance that you can make a mac friendly version?
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O btw I love MATCAPS!!!!!

Thanks!

Photoman

<speechless>

<but makes the facial movement and lipsyncing for the word 'WoW'!>

<manages to get one word out>

Thanks!

Yes/no, you can use A:M to export meshes (OBJ exporter) into zBrush, and you can also use the OBJ plugin to import meshes but the problem with that is you'll have a super high patch count. Is possible though.
Example, did this a while ago.
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Photoman

Too much fun!!!
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Since this is a bit like an environment mapper, I presume the camera and lights must be stationary for the effect to not be broken, right?

Thank's thats interesting.Still can't seem to get this shader to work for some reason

Cool Willi. This is a technique that have been floating around for a good while. Glad you implemented it.

Here is a hint for users of this shader: The paper that was originally published about this technique was to make shaders that behaved like painting. So the idea is that you hand paint/shade a ball in photoshop for example, and use that to drive this plugin.

Got it working now .Done a reinstall of AM and it work's and the simbiant files work now that wasn't before ,so all is well again here in sunny England ,yea right

Cant get the plugin to become an option. I am using 15G. I put the .shd file in the shader folder and rebooted, still nothing.

It is a shader... not a plugin... shaders are used in an Surface-Tab of a Group or Material, etc.

Activated it there.

*Fuchur*

It does not show up?

Any ideas?

Gave Ives sugestion a go and it work's graet
heres one using photoshop image in the defuse render and the gold in the ambiance
and one using the photoshop image in both but with IBL using the cannonball image
and heres the ps image I made,sorry can't uplaod a targa

Thanks! Looks very cool.

Are the other shaders showing up?

*Fuchur*

Yes all the normal shaders like white, skin, planet glow and so on

Are you sure you are dropping the shader into the right version...? I just ask because on my PC I still have a V14 folder, V13 folder kicking around (I can't bring myself to uninstall them) And did you try re-starting your machine?

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I bet Nancy will come up with interesting uses of this.

Go to tools/options/folders/Shader Plug-ins

Make sure the correct folder is being pointed to - else browse to the folder. Mine looks something like:

c:\Program Files\Hash Inc\V15.0CD\Shaders

I had the same problem - until I made my library point to the correct folder

MEANWHILE - this is GREAT! Lots of possibilities! Wonderful - thank You Soulcage Willi et al !

I put it in both just to be safe but still nothing.

Thanks for all your help folks. The problem was I downloaded this file and installed it thinking it contained everything but it was just the ambiance shader.

Is there any chance of a Mac ported version?

Photoman

For anyone interested, here is a quite detailed explanation of how this type of shader works and how to make the images ( in the other program of course). Its free you just have to register with their site.

http://www.thegnomonworkshop.com/store/cat...Brush-Tutorials

Its the video called lighting with materials. Hope it sheds some light on this great new shader.

Thank you very much Willi, this is a very useful addition, especially for modeling. Soulcage Department ROCKS!

Yves, do you know of a link to that paper or what they called this technique?

Hey Willi, that´s great, thanks for share , greetings

You can allso use differant colour shaders on differant groups ,I have a blue on the eyes and a red at 10% on the skinn,prety clever stuff