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We got a character from another company, where I need to apply different textures in one material based on groups. I have tried a simplified version for now - I have a float mask attribute, which does render correctly and then use the "float to int" node in octane and feed that into a "texture switch" but no success. How is this supposed to work?
Cheers

Just plug the textures into a gradient node like this: Float to int expects float values as input but Float Vertex Attribute outputs Color values. That's why it's not working

galleon27 wrote:Just plug the textures into a gradient node like this:

Screenshot 2025-01-26 125720.png

Float to int expects float values as input but Float Vertex Attribute outputs Color values. That's why it's not working

Thanks but yeah in that case I usually use the "tool mix texture" but in my current case it's a texture set and five groups, so I need to switch between 5 textures multiple times, so that workflow is quite impractical.

skientia wrote:Is the setup identical to this example? Demonstrative setup in Standalone:



The project file (can be copy-pasted directly to Standalone, XML format)

Code: Select all

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<OCS2 version='14000011'>
 <graph id='1' type='1' name='clipboard'>
  <graph id='7' type='1' name='texture-switch-variant-sets-demo' position='-5.3690085 87.309479'>
   <attr name='color' type='8'>1 1 1</attr>
   <node id='8' type='9' name='Int value' position='-102.131 -110.55948'>
    <attr name='value' type='4'>1 0 0</attr>
   </node>
   <node id='9' type='33' name='tex__albedo_var2' position='-138.631 -14.309479'>
    <attr name='value' type='8'>0.69999999 0.69999999 0.69999999</attr>
   </node>
   <node id='10' type='33' name='tex_roughness_var2' position='195.46506 -56.678596'>
    <attr name='value' type='8'>0.69999999 0.69999999 0.69999999</attr>
   </node>
   <node id='11' type='33' name='tex__albedo_var1' position='-280.63098 -14.309479'>
    <attr name='value' type='8'>0.69999999 0.69999999 0.69999999</attr>
   </node>
   <node id='12' type='33' name='tex_roughness_var1' position='35.035675 -55.642815'>
    <attr name='value' type='8'>0.69999999 0.69999999 0.69999999</attr>
   </node>
   <node id='13' type='130' name='Universal material' position='259.36902 93.690521'>
    <attr name='compatibilityVersion' type='2'>14000011</attr>
    <pin name='transmissionType'>
     <node id='14' type='57'>
      <attr name='value' type='2'>0</attr>
     </node>
    </pin>
    <pin name='albedo' connect='57'/>
    <pin name='diffuseBrdf'>
     <node id='15' type='57'>
      <attr name='value' type='2'>1</attr>
     </node>
    </pin>
    <pin name='metallic'>
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      <attr name='value' type='6'>0</attr>
     </node>
    </pin>
    <pin name='edgeTint'>
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      <attr name='value' type='8'>1 1 1</attr>
     </node>
    </pin>
    <pin name='specular'>
     <node id='18' type='31'>
      <attr name='value' type='6'>1</attr>
     </node>
    </pin>
    <pin name='brdf'>
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      <attr name='value' type='2'>0</attr>
     </node>
    </pin>
    <pin name='roughness' connect='55'/>
    <pin name='anisotropy'>
     <node id='20' type='6'>
      <attr name='value' type='8'>0 0 0</attr>
     </node>
    </pin>
    <pin name='rotation'>
     <node id='21' type='31'>
      <attr name='value' type='6'>0</attr>
     </node>
    </pin>
    <pin name='spread'>
     <node id='22' type='6'>
      <attr name='value' type='8'>0.5 0 0</attr>
     </node>
    </pin>
    <pin name='index4'>
     <node id='23' type='6'>
      <attr name='value' type='8'>1.5 0 0</attr>
     </node>
    </pin>
    <pin name='metallicMode'>
     <node id='24' type='57'>
      <attr name='value' type='2'>0</attr>
     </node>
    </pin>
    <pin name='index'>
     <node id='25' type='6'>
      <attr name='value' type='8'>0 0 0</attr>
     </node>
    </pin>
    <pin name='index2'>
     <node id='26' type='6'>
      <attr name='value' type='8'>0 0 0</attr>
     </node>
    </pin>
    <pin name='index3'>
     <node id='27' type='6'>
      <attr name='value' type='8'>0 0 0</attr>
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    </pin>
    <pin name='hasCaustics'>
     <node id='28' type='11'>
      <attr name='value' type='1'>0</attr>
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    </pin>
    <pin name='coating'>
     <node id='29' type='33'>
      <attr name='value' type='8'>0 0 0</attr>
     </node>
    </pin>
    <pin name='coatingRoughness'>
     <node id='30' type='31'>
      <attr name='value' type='6'>0.063199997</attr>
     </node>
    </pin>
    <pin name='coatingIndex'>
     <node id='31' type='6'>
      <attr name='value' type='8'>1.5 0 0</attr>
     </node>
    </pin>
    <pin name='filmwidth'>
     <node id='32' type='31'>
      <attr name='value' type='6'>0</attr>
     </node>
    </pin>
    <pin name='filmindex'>
     <node id='33' type='6'>
      <attr name='value' type='8'>1.45 0 0</attr>
     </node>
    </pin>
    <pin name='sheen'>
     <node id='34' type='33'>
      <attr name='value' type='8'>0 0 0</attr>
     </node>
    </pin>
    <pin name='sheenRoughness'>
     <node id='35' type='31'>
      <attr name='value' type='6'>0.2</attr>
     </node>
    </pin>
    <pin name='dispersion_coefficient_B'>
     <node id='36' type='6'>
      <attr name='value' type='8'>0 0 0</attr>
     </node>
    </pin>
    <pin name='dispersionMode'>
     <node id='37' type='57'>
      <attr name='value' type='2'>1</attr>
     </node>
    </pin>
    <pin name='opacity'>
     <node id='38' type='31'>
      <attr name='value' type='6'>1</attr>
     </node>
    </pin>
    <pin name='fake_shadows'>
     <node id='39' type='11'>
      <attr name='value' type='1'>0</attr>
     </node>
    </pin>
    <pin name='refractionAlpha'>
     <node id='40' type='11'>
      <attr name='value' type='1'>0</attr>
     </node>
    </pin>
    <pin name='bumpHeight'>
     <node id='41' type='6'>
      <attr name='value' type='8'>0.001 0 0</attr>
     </node>
    </pin>
    <pin name='smooth'>
     <node id='42' type='11'>
      <attr name='value' type='1'>1</attr>
     </node>
    </pin>
    <pin name='smoothShadowTerminator'>
     <node id='43' type='11'>
      <attr name='value' type='1'>0</attr>
     </node>
    </pin>
    <pin name='roundEdges'>
     <node id='44' type='137'>
      <attr name='compatibilityVersion' type='2'>14000011</attr>
      <pin name='roundEdgesMode'>
       <node id='45' type='57'>
        <attr name='value' type='2'>1</attr>
       </node>
      </pin>
      <pin name='roundEdgesRadius'>
       <node id='46' type='6'>
        <attr name='value' type='8'>0 0 0</attr>
       </node>
      </pin>
      <pin name='roundEdgesCurvatureRoundness'>
       <node id='47' type='6'>
        <attr name='value' type='8'>1 0 0</attr>
       </node>
      </pin>
      <pin name='roundEdgesSampleCount'>
       <node id='48' type='9'>
        <attr name='value' type='4'>8 0 0</attr>
       </node>
      </pin>
      <pin name='roundEdgesConsiderOtherObjects'>
       <node id='49' type='11'>
        <attr name='value' type='1'>0</attr>
       </node>
      </pin>
     </node>
    </pin>
    <pin name='priority'>
     <node id='50' type='9'>
      <attr name='value' type='4'>0 0 0</attr>
     </node>
    </pin>
    <pin name='matte'>
     <node id='51' type='11'>
      <attr name='value' type='1'>0</attr>
     </node>
    </pin>
    <pin name='customAov'>
     <node id='52' type='57'>
      <attr name='value' type='2'>4096</attr>
     </node>
    </pin>
    <pin name='customAovChannel'>
     <node id='53' type='57'>
      <attr name='value' type='2'>0</attr>
     </node>
    </pin>
    <pin name='layer'>
     <node id='54' type='144'>
      <attr name='pin_count' type='2'>0</attr>
     </node>
    </pin>
   </node>
   <node id='55' type='40005' name='Texture switch' position='61.035675 -8.6428146'>
    <attr name='optionCount' type='2'>2</attr>
    <pin name='index' connect='8'/>
    <pin name='Input 1' dynamicType='5' connect='12'/>
    <pin name='Input 2' dynamicType='5' connect='10'/>
   </node>
   <node id='56' type='68' name='Note' position='158.11853 131.76161'>
    <attr name='value' type='10'>• int value: controls the switch numerical value, here simultaneously.

• Example with "Albedo" variable 1 and 2
   ↳ tex_albedo_var1 is the "base color" of a typical "PBR" asset texture "channel", and var2 is a variant of it
   ↳ changing the “Int value” from 1 to 2, switches the "texture set" from var1 to var2 for both the "Albedo" and "Roughness since Int Value node is plugged in both.</attr>
    <attr name='color' type='8'>0.5 0.5 0.5</attr>
    <attr name='size' type='3'>800 23</attr>
   </node>
   <node id='57' type='40005' name='Texture switch' position='-187.631 34.690521'>
    <attr name='optionCount' type='2'>2</attr>
    <pin name='index' connect='8'/>
    <pin name='Input 1' dynamicType='5' connect='11'/>
    <pin name='Input 2' dynamicType='5' connect='9'/>
   </node>
  </graph>
 </graph>
</OCS2>

Hey, thanks for your response. What I'm trying to do should actually look like that:

But then with multiples of these texture switch constructs.
The red arrow is where I actually have a connection in Houdini, seems like this is what's not working. Probably like galleon27 said but there is no conversion node from vector to floats, or is there?

chocbot wrote:

galleon27 wrote:Just plug the textures into a gradient node like this:

Screenshot 2025-01-26 125720.png

Float to int expects float values as input but Float Vertex Attribute outputs Color values. That's why it's not working

Thanks but yeah in that case I usually use the "tool mix texture" but in my current case it's a texture set and five groups, so I need to switch between 5 textures multiple times, so that workflow is quite impractical.

Then just plug in more textures in gradient node.

galleon27 wrote:

chocbot wrote:

galleon27 wrote:Just plug the textures into a gradient node like this:

Screenshot 2025-01-26 125720.png

Float to int expects float values as input but Float Vertex Attribute outputs Color values. That's why it's not working

Thanks but yeah in that case I usually use the "tool mix texture" but in my current case it's a texture set and five groups, so I need to switch between 5 textures multiple times, so that workflow is quite impractical.

Then just plug in more textures in gradient node.

Oh, I didn't understand you meant this could be used for more than two textures - that works, thanks!

So I have a solution!
Though, I'd still be interested about the texture switch node's workflow? Is it not supposed to be used with attributes to control it? What's the use case then?