Indigo 2.2.4, with Mat Editor beta 3

[OnoSendai]

Hi Ono,

thanks for the new beta.

But a little question:
The beta is meanwhile at v2.2.4 whereas the last official stable version is still 2.0.12.
Any idea when there a more up-to-date official version will be ready for release?

Yup, not too long hopefully, when I have fixed all (major) bugs in the mat editor and Indigo Core.

[OnoSendai]

a little request on material editor... what's more usefull part of GUI? imho the right part! expand it, please!

a "bug"... this is 2.2.4 or 2.2.3 !?!?!!?!?! fix it!

Oops, yeah, forgot to increase the version number string

[OnoSendai]

The ability to be able to resize all the vertical seperate parts would be useful. There are times I would like the Material Preview Model bigger for instance.

resizing vertical dividers would be cool, I'll look into that.

[OnoSendai]

Hey ono,

You've made a lot of good progress (the new import material feature is great) but there's still a lot of functionality issues here:

- You need to rethink the way that the material editor is storing values. For example, if I set the constant albedo color, and then decide to change the albedo type to shader, the albedo color that I set is now lost. If I change the type back to 'constant' the color is reset to gray. Instead, I want the previous color that I set. Also, you seem to have the values tied to the material type, not the material itself. For example, if I set my albedo color, but then change the material type from Diffuse to Phong, I want to maintain the same albedo colour. Instead, the colour is different. Then, when I change back to Diffuse type, the colour is back again! This is extremely odd behaviour IMO. Do others agree? This is typical behaviour for all settings in the material editor, not just albedo. Please fix this.
- It would be nice to be able to set the RGB absorption and scattering coefficients directly (at least as an option).
- It would be nice to be able to set the transmissivity color as an alternative to setting the absorption color (much more intuitive)
- There should be no Shader or Texture option for base emission

Also, can you launch the material editor from the command line so that it auto-loads a material? Would be useful for exporter writers. If so, great! If not, please add!

1) Yes, I agree, a better info storage model is needed, and auto-conversion of parameters between different material types.

2) You want to set them directly? I thought my new absorption colour picker is much more user friendly

3) The colour picked is actually the colour of light that gets transmitted.

4) Yes. don't know If i'll fix though as it's a weird special case.

And yes, you can launch a mat from the command line, just pass the path to the .igm or .pigm on the command line.

[OnoSendai]

Overall I think that the pull down metaphor is overly used, and much of the time you have only few options presented to be a useful solution. It should be paid attention at least to the default selection, in bump the default is to constant, when in practice it's perhaps the least used.

Good point, default for bump should be texture, I guess.

[Zom-B]

Yup, not too long hopefully, when I have fixed all (major) bugs in the mat editor and Indigo Core.

Sounds great... looking forward to a new stable release.... there are quite some bugs around that need attention. The Matrial Editor is something to be coded by some interns... not by the mastermind :/

[djé]

thanks a lot for linux build ono :)

[Pibuz]

Yes, thank you Ono, also for the linux 64 version!

Oh, I was forgetting: did you apply any enhancements to the light layers' stacking system in the main Indigo GUI? I'm recently using lots of light layers and a little resizeing wouldn't harm at all :D

[neo0.]

In the future it would be nice to be able to choose from a nonstandard UI theme, maybe something based on Photoshop CS4s look.

[OnoSendai]

Yes, thank you Ono, also for the linux 64 version!

Oh, I was forgetting: did you apply any enhancements to the light layers' stacking system in the main Indigo GUI? I'm recently using lots of light layers and a little resizeing wouldn't harm at all

Not yet, on TODO list tho.