Materials Editor Woes
by Dan Webb · in Torque 3D Professional · 04/18/2012 (10:20 pm) · 7 replies
I don't get it. I've used some weird/broken/buggy software applications in my time, but the materials editor is beyond useless. It's alien. Unknowable. I can't even detail the problems I have with it because the problems seem to be evolving on their own. I think there may be a RNG in there somewhere, maybe D20 or some such. Does anybody know of a decent guide to using the materials editor? Maybe a six week introduction course? Or perhaps I just lack the required Rosetta stone? I don't know what I need, but I'm so frustrated with this thing that I can't develop my project if at any stage I need to do anything with materials. I'm fed up with it to be honest. /rant
About the author
I do terrains. Lots of other stuff too, but mostly terrains. I die in games more often than not because I'm admiring the view.
#2
04/18/2012 (11:40 pm)
... I kindda just dropped into it and had it working perfectly without any introduction or guide or anything. It's pretty straight forward, want it to glow? Click glow. Want it to be emissive? Click emissive. 
#3
Have you read the matieral editor section in the docs?
Alternatively you can add your own custom material definition manually in script by creating a material.cs in the folder with the model if there isn't one already and set up the basics of the material name and what material it should "mapTo". I do this to keep my material definitions with my models and textures because I like my files to be ordered in a certain way.
04/19/2012 (6:13 am)
Quote:Does anybody know of a decent guide to using the materials editor?
Have you read the matieral editor section in the docs?
Alternatively you can add your own custom material definition manually in script by creating a material.cs in the folder with the model if there isn't one already and set up the basics of the material name and what material it should "mapTo". I do this to keep my material definitions with my models and textures because I like my files to be ordered in a certain way.
#4
I do this for particles and other datablocks as well. Once I have these base materials, and such, in place where I want them the various editors have given me very few of the problems and issues I've seen mentioned about them.
04/19/2012 (10:25 am)
I also tend to initially add new materials manually. There are so many ways that an OS and user privileges can cause the new/save/modify processes from within the Editors to fail - as well as some of the illogical directory structuring causing problems.I do this for particles and other datablocks as well. Once I have these base materials, and such, in place where I want them the various editors have given me very few of the problems and issues I've seen mentioned about them.
#5
04/20/2012 (4:31 am)
Thanks for the tips guys. I think writing the materials.cs file myself is the best way for me to approach this. At least until/if the materials editor becomes more intuitive and less complex. And yes, Steve, I did read up on the mat ed in the docs. The trouble I have is remembering where and when to change things, where and how (and when) to save things. That kinda thing. I don't want to have to have that guide open whenever I want to do a simple material change. I don't think I'm being too unreasonable in my expectations, but I have been somewhat spoiled in the past. Still, I'll just do it manually for now. That should end the headaches at least. 
#6
04/20/2012 (7:40 pm)
I'm the same with any 'Shape Editor' duties...lol. Once I learnt it was just a wrapper for the scripting, decided to 'roll my own' and haven't really looked back. Oh, and I am with Dan, have never gotten the editor to function like I think.... Seems to save and change things, then go back and everything is all orange...ugh.
#7
04/22/2012 (8:54 pm)
Err... Rex means he shares my feelings about certain editors. We aren't together. Just thought I'd clear that up. 
Torque 3D Owner Dan Keller
Default Studio Name