managing assets / search for textures

[v-cube]

hello Paul,

last week we had a very severe data loss in the office, as a result a lot of materials in old projects are now missing their texture paths. While it is a very nice feature that octane searches for the texture in a user definable folder and its subfolders, I still run into problems:

1. octane reports a texture map as missing. Sadly I do not have this texture anymore. So I have to click on chancel , but now the whole process for finding the other textures is canceled too... -> I would prefer to be able to a) have the option to define a new texture to replace the original one, and alternativly b) be able to just skip this single individual texture and keep octane searching for the other ones...

2. when I have materials with textures missing, it would be very helpful to have some kind of optical recognizable alarm , like a red exclamation mark or something similar over the material preview, to show the user that there is something missing/wrong. Furthermore the old path, under which the texture is supposed to be found should be displayed (maybe also in red color...) in the corresponding texture slot, together with the texture name like e.g. //server/libraries/mappings/wood/hardwoodfloor-04.jpeg . This way it would be much easier to find the cause of the problem and eventually find another similar fitting texture.

I hope I was able to describe the problem comprehensible

best regards

Andreas

[face_off]

So I have to click on chancel , but now the whole process for finding the other textures is canceled too... -> I would prefer to be able to a) have the option to define a new texture to replace the original one, and alternativly b) be able to just skip this single individual texture and keep octane searching for the other ones...

I can implement option b)

2. when I have materials with textures missing, it would be very helpful to have some kind of optical recognizable alarm , like a red exclamation mark or something similar over the material preview, to show the user that there is something missing/wrong. Furthermore the old path, under which the texture is supposed to be found should be displayed (maybe also in red color...) in the corresponding texture slot, together with the texture name like e.g. //server/libraries/mappings/wood/hardwoodfloor-04.jpeg . This way it would be much easier to find the cause of the problem and eventually find another similar fitting texture.

I understand the issue this presents. Early versions of Octane did not clear the filename of missing image maps - so it was easier for plugins to manage, however Octane now wipes the filename from the image node if it cannot be found, so the best option now if for plugins to ensure the images exist when loading the scene.

Would having the current missing textures popup also display the material that the text belongs to help? I could change the buttons too to add an "Ignore and Continue Searching" option. Loading a new file will be a problem, because that file may be used in other materials.

Paul

[v-cube]

Hello Paul, thank you very much for your feedback it is really appreciated !

Would having the current missing textures popup also display the material that the text belongs to help? I could change the buttons too to add an "Ignore and Continue Searching" option.

yes, this would be a good thing for sure, please implement it. Another small thing my colleague just told me: could you also implement an option to auto confirm all relink reports, so there is no need to "accompany" the process for several minutes. Something like a "auto confirm all relinks" button.

Loading a new file will be a problem, because that file may be used in other materials.

I am not quite sure if I understand this... in case the file (a texture...) would be used by other materials (in the scene ) these materials would also be affected by the texture missing right ? So assigning another texture as a replacement would also "heal" these materials too... or am I missing something?

In case you enable the "Ignore and Continue Searching" option, could the exclamation mark sign on material previews and texture nodes be implemented, in case the user decides to "ignore" the texture?
It might also be a interesting idea if, in case a texture is missing, octane would assign a black texture with a red "MISSING" to mark these missing textures while rendering...

attached please find a few pics illustrating the above...

best

Andreas

[v-cube]

What do you think...

[face_off]

What do you think...

I think I can implement some of your suggestions - however ultimately it's an asset management issue that you need to fix outside Rhino.

Paul

[face_off]

I am not quite sure if I understand this... in case the file (a texture...) would be used by other materials (in the scene ) these materials would also be affected by the texture missing right ? So assigning another texture as a replacement would also "heal" these materials too... or am I missing something?

After looking to code this - it has turned into quite a complex issue. For example.....if you have 20 materials, and all have a single missing texturemap, and you load that scene and click the Material panel, Rhino will simultaneously request the rendering of all 20 preview icons. In doing this, the plugin will determine that there is a missing texturemap - however because Rhino does this in parallel, there is no way for one "missing texturemap process" to communicate with the others. So there is no way for any "sharing" of missing texturemap links (as you suggest above).

Another small thing my colleague just told me: could you also implement an option to auto confirm all relink reports, so there is no need to "accompany" the process for several minutes. Something like a "auto confirm all relinks" button.

This is in the next release.

In case you enable the "Ignore and Continue Searching" option, could the exclamation mark sign on material previews and texture nodes be implemented, in case the user decides to "ignore" the texture?
It might also be a interesting idea if, in case a texture is missing, octane would assign a black texture with a red "MISSING" to mark these missing textures while rendering...

This is a complex change, and I don't think the benefit justifies the implementation effort.

Paul

[maray29]

Hi Paul,

Are you going to or have you implemented the skip texture search button? I cannot see it in 3.08.

Thanks

[face_off]

Just click the No button on the "Continue re-linking missing texturemaps?" dialog to cancel looking for texturemaps.

Paul

[maray29]

It will cancel searching all the following maps... I think the discussion was to be able to skip some missing textures and relink others and you wrote that you are going to implement the skip feature.

Thanks

[face_off]

It will cancel searching all the following maps... I think the discussion was to be able to skip some missing textures and relink others and you wrote that you are going to implement the skip feature.

I'm sorry - but I cannot see where I said I would do that. I don't know how the plugin would know which texturemaps to skip and which to relink without it asking you.

Paul