Hi,
Haven’t used vrayforrhino for a while, but started again today. I’m a bit confused about something. It seems that materials are linked together now. If you select 3 objects, assign them all the same material, and then later change the properties of one objects material, the other 2 change along. This is nice, but how do you unlink them? For example I want to change the color of one object, but the other 3 should remain the same as before.
linked materials
Hi flipside!
Option 1: Select the object>Select Browse from the properties menu> and choose the material you wish to apply to that object.
Option 2: Select the object>Select Edit>In the Workspace of the V-Ray Material Editor Right click over the Material Name and import from file or scene.
Option 3:Select the object>Select Edit>In the Workspace of the V-Ray Material Editor Right click over the Material Name and rename the material and change settings as desired.
A Tip> Selecting the default button the material editor resets the Material Workspace with a default Grey material.
I hope this helps…
Best regards,
Corey
linked materials
Option 3 was what I was looking for, but it doesn’t work, since the name of the material on the other objects changes too (it is linked too).
linked materials
I am looking for an option ‘make unique’ or something, that would break any links with other objects.
I usually start by assigning all objects a vraymaterial. Then I start changing them 1 by 1, which doesn’t work anymore because they are all linked. The export/import is a bit time consuming in this case 
linked materials
So, you have another option.
Option 4: Select the object you wish to change the material of>Select Edit>In the V-Ray Material Editor Right click Default and rename the material and change settings as desired.
Best regards,
Corey
linked materials
Yeah, basically, once you assign a material of the same name its the same as instancing it. I thought at first that option 3 would work, but it actually just changes all of them. But the other ways of doing it should do the trick
I suppose a “make unique” functionality is a valid idea. I will probably add that as a new function in the right-click menu of the material. It will just change the name and break the link or “instance”
linked materials
As another thought, I guess I should ask if people want to Instance or Copy a material when they use the “Browse” button. Do you think that lack of an option is confusing or limiting?
The purpose of “Browse” was as a quick way to assign a scene material, and currently it always instances.
linked materials
Joe, the small material browser could grow a little bit. I would like, if I double click on a material, I could edit it. And I miss a button “select assigned objects” - so I could find, which objects are using the material.
Do you have planed to let the browser grow?
linked materials
Not necessarily for this release. Functionality exists to bring scene materials into the editor via the import from scene or simply editing the material.
However, the future plans will probably lead us toward a modeless material editor ( like our options are now, free-floating, accessible at any time, etc), and at that time it will definately make more sense to expand the functionality and complexity of material editing and browsing. We may add functionality for finding all objects in a scene with a given material for this release, but I cannot promise that
linked materials
Using the browse button, the way it works now is good imo. It cannot be that two different materials with the same name exist in one scene. So clicking browse and choosing a mat from the scene, should always instance imo. (instance meaning it is linked)
But when you are editing a material, and you change the name of the material, it should become a new material for that object, without all other objects that had the unedited mat before been given the new mat too. Phew I can’t explain it. If you edit a material and change its name, it should have nothing to do with the other materials anymore.
Of course you run into problems if you give it a name that already exists in the scene, then a warning should pop up that you are overwriting the other scene material.
Is this possible?
Corey, your option 3 and 4 are the same imo, you both change the material name?
linked materials
A very useful button at the browser would be “duplicate material”. In this case, the user would get a material twice with an addtional number and could modify it.
linked materials
Yes that is what the “Instance” or “Copy” choice would do.