DV Artistic Material Generator Text Defined Format Help

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Text Defined Format Help Page

Download the current version of the script.
Download the text defined format reference sheet.
Download the archive ZIP with both.

The core idea of DV Artistic Material Generator is to improve workflow. More advanced users may be inclined to connect shaders through different knobs. Text defined formatting enables this without editing the source script.

Formatting can be seen as follows

• Defining shading
• Defining attributes
  • Attribute Guidelines
  • Lobe Types
  • Common Attributes
  • Special Attributes
• Other important information

Defining shading

These first four lines are extremely important as it will define how Maya and DV Artistic Material Generator interprets the material.

1. Shader type declares the material type used by Maya. Use the script editor history to evaluate this after creating the node, check the line “shadingNode -asShader shaderType;”.
2. Shader suffix declares the reference used by DV Artistic Material Generator. Use this to locate your material after running the script.
3. Shader knob is the output of the material node. Use the script editor history to evaluate this after creating the node, check the line “connectAttr -f shaderType.shaderKnob shaderNode.shaderPlug;”.
4. Shader plug is the input of the shader node. Use the script editor history to evaluate this after creating the node, check the line “connectAttr -f shaderType.shaderKnob shaderNode.shaderPlug;”.

Defining attributes

Attribute Guidelines

1. The type of attribute is listed first.
2. The name of the attribute as dictated by Maya is listed second.
3. A comma separates the type and name of the attribute.
4. Each line should represent a different attribute type and name pair.
5. Lines prefaced with a number symbol () will be commented.
6. Attributes not present on the shader should be omitted or commented.
7. Attributes should be written without the period.
8. All attribute types and names are case sensitive.
9. Guidelines can be deleted without effecting performance as they are commented.

Lobe Types

• bd is the Base/Diffuse lobe.
• spc is the Specularity/Metal lobe.
• cc is the Clearcoat lobe.
• sss is the Subsurface Scattering lobe.
• rrg is the Refractive/Glass lobe.
• xyz is the Normals data lobe.

Common Attributes

• Enable activates associated elements and is not present on most shaders.
• Gain sets the lobe property multiplier value.
• Color is the color.
• FaceColor is the color as present from the facing area.
• EdgeColor is the color as present on the silhouette of the object.
• FaceGain is the intensity of the facing area.
• EdgeGain is the intensity of the silhouette of the object.
• Fres is the Fresnel Angle or Shape of a given area.
• FresAlpha is Fres as represented in luminance.
• Ior is the index of refraction of specularity.
• IorAlpha is Ior as represented in luminance.
• Rough is the intensity of unevenness to specular or refractive properties.
• Anisotropy is the angle of inflection.

Special Attributes

• bdColor represents the diffuse color properties.
• bdBase represents the base color properties.
• spcColor is a solution for shaders designed without artistic spin.
• spcModel tells specific renders how to handle data.
• ccThick represents the thickness of the coating.
• sssMock is a solution for non-raytracing shaders to enable the appearance of subsurface scattering but may effect appearance in dark scenes or performance.
• sssMfpd represents mean-free path distance.
• sssMfpColor represents the color as through the mean-free path.
• rrgRfl represents the reflective property multiplier of glass.
• rrgRfr represents the refractive property multiplier of glass.
• xyzGlobal is the total normal of the object.
• xyzCc is the normal specific to the coating.
• xyzRrg is the normal specific to the glass.
• xyzDis is the normal displace shader type.
• xyzInput is the normal displace shader input plug.

Other important information

• Encoding must be UTF-8, errors may occur using other encoding methods.
• Do not do text processing in Word, extra control/escape characters are added at the beginning of the file and at the end of each line.