V-Ray Material Library

[glorybound]

I love it, but how do I edit a TXT image file? Typically, I color match my client's materials in PS, but I can't when using the V-Ray material library.

[Nicinus]

This is a bit of a mystery. I've never had to use .tx files before but they are a pain as Photoshop can't read them.

[glorybound]

That really limits what I can use then.

[Joelaff]

You can convert them with the command line tool maketx, which is free.

Later versions of Vray install it for you:

C:\Program Files\Chaos Group\V-Ray\3ds Max 2021\bin\maketx.exe


C:\Users\kimodo>"C:\Program Files\Chaos Group\V-Ray\3ds Max 2021\bin\maketx.exe" --help
maketx -- convert images to tiled, MIP-mapped textures
OpenImageIO 1.8.16 http://www.openimageio.org
Usage: maketx [options] file...
--help Print help message
-v Verbose status messages
-o %s Output filename
--threads %d Number of threads (default: #cores)
-u Update mode
--format %s Specify output file format (default: guess from extension)
--nchannels %d Specify the number of output image channels.
--chnames %s Rename channels (comma-separated)
-d %s Set the output data format to one of: uint8, sint8, uint16, sint16, half, float
--tile %d %d Specify tile size
--separate Use planarconfig separate (default: contiguous)
--compression %s Set the compression method (default = zip, if possible)
--fovcot %f Override the frame aspect ratio. Default is width/height.
--wrap %s Specify wrap mode (black, clamp, periodic, mirror)
--swrap %s Specific s wrap mode separately
--twrap %s Specific t wrap mode separately
--resize Resize textures to power of 2 (default: no)
--noresize Do not resize textures to power of 2 (deprecated)
--filter %s Select filter for resizing (choices: box triangle gaussian sharp-gaussian catmull-rom
blackman-harris sinc lanczos3 radial-lanczos3 mitchell bspline disk cubic keys simon
rifman, default=box)
--hicomp Compress HDR range before resize, expand after.
--sharpen %f Sharpen MIP levels (default = 0.0 = no)
--nomipmap Do not make multiple MIP-map levels
--checknan Check for NaN/Inf values (abort if found)
--fixnan %s Attempt to fix NaN/Inf values in the image (options: none, black, box3)
--fullpixels Set the 'full' image range to be the pixel data window
--Mcamera %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f
Set the camera matrix
--Mscreen %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f
Set the screen matrix
--prman-metadata Add prman specific metadata
--attrib %s %s Sets metadata attribute (name, value)
--sattrib %s %s Sets string metadata attribute (name, value)
--sansattrib Write command line into Software & ImageHistory but remove --sattrib and --attrib
options
--constant-color-detect Create 1-tile textures from constant color inputs
--monochrome-detect Create 1-channel textures from monochrome inputs
--opaque-detect Drop alpha channel that is always 1.0
--no-compute-average Don't compute and store average color
--ignore-unassoc Ignore unassociated alpha tags in input (don't autoconvert)
--runstats Print runtime statistics
--mipimage %s Specify an individual MIP level
Basic modes (default is plain texture):
--shadow Create shadow map
--envlatl Create lat/long environment map
--lightprobe Create lat/long environment map from a light probe
Color Management Options (OpenColorIO DISABLED)
--colorconfig %s Explicitly specify an OCIO configuration file
--colorconvert %s %s Apply a color space conversion to the image. If the output color space is not the same
bit depth as input color space, it is your responsibility to set the data format to
the proper bit depth using the -d option. (choices: linear, sRGB, Rec709)
--unpremult Unpremultiply before color conversion, then premultiply after the color conversion.
You'll probably want to use this flag if your image contains an alpha channel.
Configuration Presets
--prman Use PRMan-safe settings for tile size, planarconfig, and metadata.
--oiio Use OIIO-optimized settings for tile size, planarconfig, metadata.

C:\Users\kimodo>

I emboldened some important switches for you.


You can also convert them with tools from Pixamoon:

https://www.pixamoon.com/shop/458756...ng-.../9333016

$14 for that.

[glorybound]

Got it, thank you.

[Joelaff]

Hope that helps. TX files are a bit more of a pain to deal with, but can help when you have memory limitations and are using 8bit or 16bit Integer textures. For floating point might as well used tiled EXR files.

[M.Max]

or as alternative option just rename the map format from ".tx" to ".tiff" and Photoshop can open it as any other image .

[glorybound]

Well, that is easy enough! Name it back, I guess or remap it to the new texture.

[joconnell]

You can use "open as" in photoshop too, just tell it that it's dealing with a tiff.

[Nicinus]

You can use "open as" in photoshop too, just tell it that it's dealing with a tiff.

Thanks! That took care of it, great to know.

[Joelaff]

Forgot to mention that... Yeah, but if you re-save it won’t be tiled and MIP mapped.

tx files fit the TIFF format, but TIFFs are not generally tx files

[M.Max]

Well, that is easy enough! Name it back, I guess or remap it to the new texture.

I would save it under new name as I wouldn't like to override the one from the library .and if you are going to use it a lot then I would just save it to a library .
Speaking of that , Lele is working on a script that will allow you to add your own materials to the assets browser. so that could be handy for such cases .check here for more info :
https://forums.chaosgroup.com/forum/...fresher-script

[glorybound]

I save all textures into the project folder, so overriding it would be easier.

[Joelaff]

Yeah we always *copy* all assets into the project folder so we have everything when we later unearth an archive. Disk space is cheap compared to the time it takes to find things.

[glorybound]

Yep, that is how I think, too. I use FilePathPro and it works like a charm.