"linked materials" means exactly what?

[lewiswadsworth]

I was hoping I could figure this out, but I am having a great deal of trouble understanding what "linked materials" means in the context of the VRay for SU plugin.

Ideally, for my purpose as an architect it should mean that if I create in SU's material editor a particular material (like a particularly colored glass), and in the VRay Materials Editor create a linked material based on this SU material, I should be able to apply the SU material to new objects in SketchUp (other sections of curtain wall, to use the glass example) and find that these new objects have the same Vray material (with the same VRay properties). However, I haven't found this to be true. The new objects do not take on the the same VRay material as the old ones with the "linked material" other than the original bitmapped texture (if I have added various refraction and transparency properties in the VRay material editor to my glass "linked material", they do not appear in the new objects textured in SU with the SU glass material I originally linked to the VRay material).

So clearly, linking means something other than this.

I'd appreciate it if someone could explain what it is and why I should bother with it, then. I'm sorry if this is already explained somewhere: I did a forum search and didn't find any basic descriptions under VRay for SketchUp.

Thanks much.

[guardian256]

"linked materials" means exactly what?

Linked materials do exactly what you think they do mate. You might have a earlier version which requires you to re-apply your vray materials?

I have excelent results from the linked material so far. I would advise you to create greyscale version of your most used materials maps as I've seen odd result using the actual diffuse bitmap.

I must admit that I havent tried a linked material for glass, to be quite honest it's easier for items that dont require mapping ( ie glass ) to just either create or inport a stnadard vray material.

[lewiswadsworth]

"linked materials" means exactly what?

Thanks. I did download the beta2 again, and it works better, if not entirely consistently (a few materials SU material just refuse to link). Now if only the VRay material editor didn't start to slow down so much with larger models (which means any architectural model that I currently wish to test).

[joe_b]

"linked materials" means exactly what?

A linked material is a means of "wrapping" a Sketchup material. So if you have a sketchup material that you would like to add a reflective layer to - you would add a linked material, select the Skp material you wish to link to, and then add your reflective layer.

In our material editor, "linked" layers have a red sphere next to them - this means that they are read-only. Meaning, if you wish to change the sketchup material, do so from the Sketchup Material Editor.

I hope this may clear up any confusion about its purpose. Thanks

Now if only the VRay material editor didn't start to slow down so much with larger models (which means any architectural model that I currently wish to test).

Thats my next issue to stomp out