Jump to content
  • 0

C4D Textures Broken


Tom Klaber

Question

Recommended Posts

  • 0

I did a test from an existing C4D file. I used "Save Project With Assets" and it gathers the file specific assets into a folder with the file. That folder includes a Tex folder. When I chose the file in VW for Import Cinema 4D Textures it worked as expected. There do seem to be some limitations as to what VW will see/use but when I use Send to Cinema 4D to send back the other way the textures arrive in the same state they left in. You can see the differences below with the same texture in C4D and VW.

Kevin

Screen Shot 2016-09-14 at 12.29.13 PM.pngScreen Shot 2016-09-14 at 12.28.55 PM.png

  • Like 1
Link to comment
  • 0
  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee
1 minute ago, Kevin McAllister said:

I did a test from an existing C4D file. I used "Save Project With Assets" and it gathers the file specific assets into a folder with the file. That folder includes a Tex folder. When I chose the file in VW for Import Cinema 4D Textures it worked as expected. There do seem to be some limitations as to what VW will see/use but when I use Send to Cinema 4D to send back the other way the textures arrive in the same state they left in. You can see the differences below with the same texture in C4D and VW.

Kevin

Screen Shot 2016-09-14 at 12.29.13 PM.pngScreen Shot 2016-09-14 at 12.28.55 PM.png

Yes! I am told the import should be completely non-destructive to preserve the VW > C4D workflow even after imported textures have been used.

Link to comment
  • 0

It's a bit problematic with textures in C4D.
Generally a black color means very likely just a missing Texture.
You can search for missing Textures and correct these.

Normally C4D creates a "tex" folder beside the file where it will find all textures by default.
So the Textures have relative (or no) Paths.
If you create a new texture by loading an image from somewhere else, C4D will ask to save
that asset in your ... ahm, "tex" Folder => Relative Path again.
If you decline, it will save an Absolut Path.

Both have advantages and disadvantages.
If that Absolute Path isn't available (open file on other machine or similar) > not Texture
If the "tex" Folder isn't there for any reasons > also no Texture.

 

Therefore you can set Search Paths in C4D,
like to your custom Texture Library Folders.
But be aware that doing so, single threaded, can slow down your whole C4D until useless.
So better renounce of these Search Paths, pointing to large Folders.

I don't like that "tex" Folder System as I have a common Project Texture Folder for each Project
where I share all Image Textures with all my Apps !
So I use mostly 3-5 Search Paths for current Projects texture Folders (30-100 Textures) only
at one time. That hasn't any noticably impact.


The Problem with those Relative Paths of C4D Materials in VW may be that Cinerender in VW
can't find these Texture Locations ....
and I doubt it will work by just laying a "tex" Folder Copy beside the VW File (?)
 

Link to comment
  • 0

Thanks.

The I had to "Install" the lib4d file and drop texture folders into the Maxon application folder structure to get the textures to work.  I then set the path in C4D as described. It was not hard - and they work perfectly in C4D (as far as I can tell - since I have never used it before - I am just trying to get the textures out).  When I save with assets - the folder it creates seems to make no distinction between the textures from the library pack and the default textures - but VW has an issue with the lib pack textures.  

Frustrating.....  

Link to comment
  • 0

The file I tested earlier was an old existing C4D project created in R16 I think. I did another test using default textures from the C4D libraries into a new R18 file. When I did a "Save Project with Assets" this time it didn't create a Tex folder. They seem to be embedded in the C4D R18 file. Only 2 of the three textures came into VW and the other two were essentially black. It feels like there's some sort of texture copy protection going on behind the scenes.......

Kevin

 

Link to comment
  • 0

I opened Jim's file and see materials that looked ok in Material Manager,
but black in the Object Info Thumbnail when selected.

As I see all the Preset Materials have an Absolute Path assigned to their Textures.
Like : preset://stectoons materials pack.lib4d/Rusty metal/tex/ox,.jpg

That can't work !

Edited by zoomer
Link to comment
  • 0
52 minutes ago, zoomer said:

I opened Jim's file and see materials that looked ok in Material Manager,
but black in the Object Info Thumbnail when selected.

As I see all the Preset Materials have an Absolute Path assigned to their Textures.
Like : preset://stectoons materials pack.lib4d/Rusty metal/tex/ox,.jpg

That can't work !

You can save out the textures from C4D by dragging them from the content viewer to the picture viewer.

Capture.PNG

Edited by Chris Gentry
.
Link to comment
  • 0

I had build 6 cubes and attached 6 materials out of my Visualize Lib.
When I saved the file with assets, those preset textures came in a tex folder beside that file.

I did not try just pulling Materials in the Manager without assigning these.
Maybe that would work too.
Try with those C4D default Libs, in case you special commercial Lib is somehow different.

 

But the Material will still have that Preset//... Path applied.
So C4D would find these textures as it knows where Preset// is. And even if there wouldn't
be such a texture, it would search in the tex folder nearby and find it there.

I doubt that VW will have the same intelligence in that case And still don't really know
in which way that C4D Mat import works ...
I think when importing Mats, and Textures available, VW will import those images into
the VW file as always (?)

Link to comment
  • 0

Fail.

Applying it to cubes does not seem to be any different than just pulling into the manager as I was doing before.  Both the commercial texture and the default export the same way.  Both create a tex folder with images and maps, but the commercial ones do not import.  

It is definitely an issue with the commercial textures.  The question now is it every texture that is not default or if some textures have a some sort of protection that is purposefully getting in the way of the VW import.  I reached out to the texture company to see if they had any idea why this is happening.

 

 

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Answer this question...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...