Octane override tweaks

[riggles]

A couple thoughts on the way overrides work currently.

Bringing textures into an Octane override differs. For example, if I have a MODO material setup with a diffuse color texture map and then add an Octane override, the override contains both an image node (with connected filename channel) and the corresponding texture locator node (with connected Octane Projection channel). However, if I add an additional image into the material group after conversion and then add it to the schematic using the image viewer icon, only the filename node is added. It would be smoother if it's associated texture locator node came with it (if it isn't already in the workspace). To add it manually, I have to select the locator in the Shader Tree and then navigate down to the Octane Projection channel in the Channels List and add then 'add selected'. Not a big deal, but would speed things up while working with materials.

Also, new specular materials come with attached RGB color nodes for reflection, transmission, and absorption, and another for Medium. Since the default color values they are set to are either 100% white or black, I was wondering why the reflection, transmission, and absorption channels aren't just set to 1 or 0 in the specular material itself. It makes the schematic cleaner and less cluttered and, since MODO doesn't bring the nodes in nicely arranged, you don't have to pan around just to delete the absorption nodes as it is. It's possible this was discussed before with Funk, but I don't recall the specifics.

I'm guessing it's still on the to-do list, but the roughness setting doesn't match still. A 20% setting is still converted directly to 0.2 which isn't correct.

MODO materials with a default luminous color of 100% white are converted to an emission texture with 50% white color.

[face_off]

Bringing textures into an Octane override differs. For example, if I have a MODO material setup with a diffuse color texture map and then add an Octane override, the override contains both an image node (with connected filename channel) and the corresponding texture locator node (with connected Octane Projection channel). However, if I add an additional image into the material group after conversion and then add it to the schematic using the image viewer icon, only the filename node is added. It would be smoother if it's associated texture locator node came with it (if it isn't already in the workspace). To add it manually, I have to select the locator in the Shader Tree and then navigate down to the Octane Projection channel in the Channels List and add then 'add selected'. Not a big deal, but would speed things up while working with materials.

They are separate at the moment, because in theory you might use a Texture Locator that does not belong to that file. But as a default action, yes, it would save you time if when you drag an image into the Schematic it automatically added the Texture Locator. I will see if this can be done.

Also, new specular materials come with attached RGB color nodes for reflection, transmission, and absorption, and another for Medium. Since the default color values they are set to are either 100% white or black, I was wondering why the reflection, transmission, and absorption channels aren't just set to 1 or 0 in the specular material itself. It makes the schematic cleaner and less cluttered and, since MODO doesn't bring the nodes in nicely arranged, you don't have to pan around just to delete the absorption nodes as it is. It's possible this was discussed before with Funk, but I don't recall the specifics.

Reflection was originally a number, but the beta test group requested it be an RGB Color. The Transmission and Medium are special cases - since without an absorption or transmission input the Specular material does not render correctly - so having them explicitly on the Schematic makes that clearer.

I'm guessing it's still on the to-do list, but the roughness setting doesn't match still. A 20% setting is still converted directly to 0.2 which isn't correct.

Yes - this was in the latest Windows release, but not working correctly, so I rolled it back out. Will be in the next release.

MODO materials with a default luminous color of 100% white are converted to an emission texture with 50% white color.

That was the formula provided by the user who originally requested the feature (I think it was Funk). Happy to modify the formula if there is universal agreement on the change.

Paul

[funk]

MODO materials with a default luminous color of 100% white are converted to an emission texture with 50% white color.

The conversion works like this:
* Octane Power = modo luminous intensity
* Octane Efficiency = 0.5 * modo luminous color

Paul could separate that last rule into the following nodes so we can have the original color shown:
RGB node --> Multiply texture --> Efficiency

eg
RGB Node = modo luminous color
Multiply texture Scale = 0.5

[face_off]

I'm guessing it's still on the to-do list, but the roughness setting doesn't match still. A 20% setting is still converted directly to 0.2 which isn't correct.

If you give me the Modo roughness to Octane roughness conversion you want the plugin to do, I will implement it.

Paul

[face_off]

The conversion works like this:
* Octane Power = modo luminous intensity
* Octane Efficiency = 0.5 * modo luminous color

Paul could separate that last rule into the following nodes so we can have the original color shown:
RGB node --> Multiply texture --> Efficiency

eg
RGB Node = modo luminous color
Multiply texture Scale = 0.5

My preference is to NOT have the plugin create more nodes unless it is absolutely necessary.

Paul

[riggles]

I'm guessing it's still on the to-do list, but the roughness setting doesn't match still. A 20% setting is still converted directly to 0.2 which isn't correct.

If you give me the Modo roughness to Octane roughness conversion you want the plugin to do, I will implement it.

Paul

Forgot to reply. For now, I think the easiest way to get a relatively close match would be to cut the MODO value in half. So a 50% roughness value would convert to 0.25 in Octane. It can be revisited later to get more exact matching.

[face_off]

Forgot to reply. For now, I think the easiest way to get a relatively close match would be to cut the MODO value in half. So a 50% roughness value would convert to 0.25 in Octane. It can be revisited later to get more exact matching.

Can you pls PM Funk regarding this, since he established the initial rules. Once you are both in agreement, I will code the revised rule.

Paul

[funk]

The rules I came up with didnt involve any conversion of roughness amount. I was hoping someone would eventually come up with a nice formula to get a closer match between modo and octane.

From memory, riggles idea seems to work OK
octane roughness = modo roughness * 0.5

I'll leave it up to you guys I'm kind of concentrating on some other things at the moment

[funk]

OK I know I said I was doing other things, but decided to fire up some quick tests

Multiplying roughness by 0.5 seems to match less the higher we go. Octane's (or modo's??) roughness is not linear, so I'm not sure how you would get a perfect match

eg. When you have 80-100% modo roughness a closer match is:
octane roughness = modo roughness * 0.7

[funk]

Let's just keep it simple for now
octane roughness = modo roughness * 0.6

It's not perfect but matches high and low values close enough. It's better than what we already have.