[Bf-committers] Texture assignment workflow is confusing

[Knapp]

> For those who have just joined my concept is to move the texture
> assignment to the point of control/use/influence when setting up a
> material in order to create a semantic/logicial link between action and
> affect : http://www.pasteall.org/pic/show.php?id=2989
>
> Note: I dislike submitting ideas and saying they were influenced by the
> big boys, because I find it sometimes elicits a "we don't want to copy"
> response, and forces us to reinvent the wheel due to the pride of being
> independent and creative. However, pride aside, I agree that looking at
> how others have solved a problem, and then improving on their solutions
> is one of the best methods of development, its not revolutionary, but
> nor were puffer-fish, they evolved from something way less exciting.
>
> I'll outline the two softwares that I have used that give any real
> control over multiple textures, I am curious what great softwares others
> have used that solve these issues. But to sum it up I found the easiest
> to use ones use a socket type system.  The non-flexible ones with nice
> results (cad rendering packages) give few if not no options so I just
> won't mention them.
>
> *Photoshop 3D tools,*
> They use a limited socket type system,  either a colour, or a single
> image per value of influence.
> I.e. you can choose an image for the reflection channel, colour channel,
> spec channel....
> Super easy, pretty limited, but limited in order to be compatible with
> real-time 3D content in PDF's etc...
> Since you are in photoshop you can edit the images, and this is where
> you can add layers and overlay options etc... to get what you want in
> terms of further control.
>
> *Maya (it's been a while, this is from memory)*
> Uses something in-between what I am suggesting and the photoshop
> approach.  Just like the Blender 2.5 materials panel; each material or
> setting is broken up into a sub panel that can be turned on/off for any
> one effect (incredibly close to the current Blender layout). However,
> they use a socket type texture/node/material input to alter various
> settings that cannot be controlled simply by a slider or colour picker.
> I believe their implementation is even used to plug in 3rd party Plugins
> like SSS, Ramp, and fresnel effects to the various channels etc... (not
> just textures).  This linked approach also creates a hypergraph (nodes)
> structure.  I had no idea how to use that then so ignored it.
>
> My biggest annoyance with the Maya system was getting lost once a
> texture has been added, as it dropped you somewhere else in the
> interface that you did not expect (a challenge we would need to
> overcome, but one I think is possible).
>
> I am glad brecht suggested this or something similar, as he's pretty on
> to it, especially when it comes to getting large numbers of fans.
>
> If this approach is preferred, and is backed up by a development goal
> from the decision makers (If Ton sanctions exploring it it etc..), I
> will be willing to work through interface issues with Matt, and William
> (these are the two people focusing on interface correct?).
>
> The main interface issues to overcome as I can see it are.
>
> ** Materials - how to keep these tabs clean from fluff
> ** Texture application settings - Where and how do you edit these
> settings that are unique to each material (not to the texture)
> ** Texture settings - the traditional 2.4x datablock, how do you get to
> this and back again from a material, and a potential intermediate step
> ** Adding and mixing - The current system lets you add and mix multiple
> textures, how can this be easily and logically done? (nodes?, stacks?...)
> ** extending into the future... Plugins Etc - I think some of this will
> come for free if this is a natural step towards "nodes everywhere".
>
> I think there are no issues that cannot be overcome. and I think that
> old textures can be loaded into a new interface with full compatibility.
>
> Someone let me know if this warrants further development and I will look
> at creating a more detailed interface flow scenario.
>
> By trade i'm an Industrial Designer, so can look at usability and
> interaction, I'm not a coder unfortunately so cannot help there.
>
> Cheers
>
> --
> Doug Ollivier

+1

I for one hope they take you up on the offer!

-- 
Douglas E Knapp

Open Source Sci-Fi mmoRPG Game project.
http://sf-journey-creations.wikispot.org/Front_Page
http://code.google.com/p/perspectiveproject/