Material editor improvements

[steveps3]

I'm sure someone's wish has come true at some point already.

cheers.

I've still to meet Santa

[matej]

since these changes here are easier said than done, we will concentrate first on implementing some absolutely necessary features such as sss, and also the plugins.

Being able to copypaste a node (just a bunch of xml text) is absolutely necessary and much easier to do than plugins & sss. Since the product is out for two years, maybe it's already due to finally have this little fundamental feature.

I really hope we won't need to wait months & years before the material editor & shading pipeline sees some drastically needed improvements & fixes. In between those big projects that take RS months to implement & debug, you guys could throw a few usability fixes now and then, that would make the everyday work with Octane a little less tedious:

- copypaste nodes
- moving nodes between tabs
- click select / box select and move nodes in group
- box select and save a group of nodes in .ocm (instead to just being able to save a single node)
- panning the GE area with the mouse
- saving nodes in .ocm without automatically embedded textures
- bulk import nodes (Ctrl + click in the file loader to select multiple files)
- import node at current cursor (right click -> import, instead of menu -> import)
- implement the distinction between image & texture, so we don't need to click&reload a thousand times if we want to change some image source for a set of textures.
- more pixel blending modes for textures (you already have all the framework coded, just need to create a new function, throw a x - y there and call it subtract )


...these are all quite small features & fixes and the list goes on... I could write a few pages about what and why it's needed, but I don't know if it will do any good or have any effect.

Sorry for being a pain, but some of this stuff is so fundamental, that's hard to believe that RS is pursuing to do plugins (which could take months or the whole next year, as we are seeing all the setbacks with the max plugin) before introducing any of this.

Also, RS could start to deliver some of the shading features discussed & proposed in this thread. (atleast those that are implementable without any big changes)

[bepeg4d]

well said matej
+1
if we are all addicted by octane this doesn't mean that a smoother workflow wouldn't be appreciated
ciao beppe

[abreukers]

I've still to meet Santa

Too bad we're near the south pole, he's not in the neighboorhood stevesps3

But kidding aside...

@ matej, @ bepeg4d @steveps3:
well said. although it actually still takes some good code and module planning somewhere in the engine and this is done with a lot of tlc <- tender loving care. I've seen the code and simply put, one or two quick functions here and there would possibly give more migraine episodes in the future. Besides, in general not everything in a wish list will come true, and sometimes, it's already there but not just quite the way you want it (this goes not just with software by the way)

@ everyone: with this year drawing to a close, we do note down your requests so let's keep this list together and also count the things already implemented, there is more on the way...

Cheers all

[Hawker]

i so agree with that proposition !!

an horizontal node system like maya subscription advantage pack 2012 or xsi ones would be great.

i would add a control of the level of detail of visible connections (node icon preview only, main inputs outputs, all inputs outputs).