Hey everyone, good job on the SR1.5
Unfortunately me and my colleagues are experiencing an awful bug with the vray material editor. After we make all the material configurations, maps, settings, etc…we just save the sketchup file normally to continue working with it another time. But when we get back to this file, we realize some of the material settings are missing, back to an old configuration from an early moment of the working process. And some of the maps we had assigned (reflection maps, bump maps) are now vannished. Besides, old materials which had been deleted long time ago, are now back to the material box.
I’ld really appreciate if someone could help us with this bug. We’ve only noticed it on the newer versions, including SR1.5.
Thanks
Re: Material Editor resets all the settings
There’s no need to post in 3 different places…1 is enough
I can’t say that we’ve seen that issue in our testing here. It is possible that not having an up to date version of SketchUp could be a cause for this issue. The recommended build of SU is 6.4.112, so if you don’t have that, then I’d suggest you upgrade. From the first SR, all of the material operations have been changed to be more integrated, so having that updated version of SU is pretty important.
Re: Material Editor resets all the settings
Hey Dalomar, thanks for your quick reply. Im sorry about the multiples posts, it was my first time in here.
Unfortunately the solution is not so simple, cause im using the 6.4.112 sketchup version, and the vray bug occurs all the time. I’ve tested today with the new sketchup 7, and again the same problem with the material editor (vray version SR1.5). And it’s not only here at our office, cause i’ve tested also at my home, and again the same issue. As you mentioned the change concerning material operations after the first SR, looks like this bug is connected with that fact, cause we didn’t have any problems with the old material system in vray.
We are really upset with this problem cause it’s almost impossible to work in such way, and it’s so strange cause it seems this bug only happens to us.
Anyway, i’ld be glad if you or someone could give us some ideas or speculations about what’s causing this bug, to suggest some actions to avoid this problem, etc. Anything, please.
Thank you again for your help.
Re: Material Editor resets all the settings
Do you have some steps that guaranties to reproduce it? Or any model which is highly likely for it to occur?
Re: Material Editor resets all the settings
I was hoping it would be that easy, but it rarely is. As Thomas suggested, some steps to reproduce the issue would be very helpful. Are there any specific geometry manipulations that affect this? Which other ruby scripts/plugins do you have loaded? Has using any of them caused any issue? How much group/component editing is going on? Also, how often are you saving? At this point, I’d tell you to save as often as you can.
Re: Material Editor resets all the settings
The worst thing about this is the fact i don’t have to do almost anything on my model to experience this bug. As soon as i start a new file, i just draw a simple cube and paint it with any color or material, and then i open the material editor and add a reflection layer on that material, for instance. So i save my file and close it. By the time i open it again, the reflection layer which i’ve just added last time, is now missing, puf! disappeared, as if the material editor had returned to an early configuration, ignoring the new modifications.
That’s how the bug works on version SR1.5. On the version 1.00.73 (first SR), the same thing happens, but it takes more time to do so. It can save the settings at the beggining, but at some point, it resets everything.
We don’t have any other scrips or plugins loaded, and i guess saving is not the answer, cause i lose everything when i quit the file anyway.
A curious thing i realize yesterday, while i was trying to beat this bug, is that the material editor only saves my configuration when i add a new material, or rename a random material, just before i save and quit the file. Im not sure how efficient this is, but it’s the only depressive hope so far. It’s driving me mad.
Maybe you guys have something to say about this, more ideas and stuff. Thanks again for the attention.
Re: Material Editor resets all the settings
That is very odd. Your experience doesn’t resemble mine at all. But then again, I had really poor experience with 1.00.7x series due to parameter error popping up when I was editing materials. But it seemed like most people here on the forum didn’t experience this which was very puzzling. It turned out to be due to the fact that I didn’t use the Colour Wheel in the SU material editor. So in my case I ran into this bug while many didn’t due to my specific workflow of never using the Colour Wheel. But these things are hard to spot.
You say you didn’t have any plugins with SU, but do you have any particular way you’ve set up SU? Have you tried with a fresh SU and V-Ray installation where all settings and configs are default?
Could you post a sample file where this has happened? Maybe some information could be found in that.
Not sure if it got anything to do with it at all, but just considering every option here. Are your files and textures stored on a network? Or does it happen locally as well?
Re: Material Editor resets all the settings
Just brainstorming here- the maps you’re assigning aren’t on a network server are they?
Re: Material Editor resets all the settings
The bug occurs everytime, with any kind of sketchup model, with or without the default configurations. It’s not related with the maps specificly, it happens with any material or color. I don’t believe it’s about a particular way of work that we have in here, but i just can’t think on a reason either, it’s a nightmare. As i discovered yesterday, the only way to pass this bug (i guess)and save the material configurations is by adding a new material on the Editor, or modifying a random material name, right before you quit the file. Like if you were forcing the material editor to change it’s environment, layer order, something like that.
How could i post a sample file?
Anyway, thanks for the ideas, i’ve really appreciated.
Re: Material Editor resets all the settings
You would have to upload the model somewhere else and then just post the link.
…could there be regional settings? What OS language do you run? Are you using latin character set?
Re: Material Editor resets all the settings
Im using the english version of sketchup, there’s no special regional settings.
I’ve uploaded a sample model, with just 2 cubes, one with material X and another with material XX. Both materials are just colors from sketchup. I’ve added a reflection layer on both before i save and quit the file. If i open it now, im sure there will be no reflections layers linked on the material editor. The model was saved using sjetchup version 6.4.112 and Vray SR1.5.
Here’s the link
http://rapidshare.com/files/167615698/Material\_editor\_Bug\_test.skp.html
Re: Material Editor resets all the settings
Well, I’ll be…
I see the same thing when I opened you file.
What’s more worrying,.. I see the same thing with a new test file I created just now. Initially I created two cubes, applied reflection. Saved, closed, reopened. Reflection is gone.
Then, messing about some more, creating new shapes and two new materials. Now the original first materials retain their reflection, but the two last keeps loosing the reflection.
…it’ll be interesting tomorrow to open the model I was working on today. I just upgraded my work computer to SR1.5.
Got me worried now.
Re: Material Editor resets all the settings
hmm… Playing around more: adding new material to more objects. All the materials that previously didn’t retain their reflection, now does. And only the materials I created last session is lost. …can’t work out what makes it save or not.
SketchUp6 Pro 6.4.112, Vista Ultimate SP1, Admin, disabled UAC.
Re: Material Editor resets all the settings
That is CRAZY- I’m getting the same bug with that file! I’ve never seen this before. I’ll have a dig around the file and see if I can find anything weird about it.
Re: Material Editor resets all the settings
haha, you guys are FAST. This is completely baffling, I’m using SU7, I did a “save as” of that file, deleted all materials, saved, closed and reopened and (aside from that bloody “Beige” material which refuses to purge) I’m still getting this crazy sometime-it-saves-reflection-layers-sometimes-it-doesn’t behaviour.
God I hope this hasn’t ruined my existing SR1.5 files. :o
Re: Material Editor resets all the settings
I’ve nailed it!
If you do not change anything in the Option window, all material changes are lost. If you however make a small change, the material changes will.
Try this:
* Set up a material
* Change an option - Output size, Batch Render, anything really, but those two worked for me.
* Save file
* Reload file
-- The materials is now changed.
Then try again, do the same, but this time without editing any options. … Materials are lost.
The reason I never noticed this is because I always fiddle with the options.
ASGVis, can you confirm this? Any chance for a quick fix for this?
So folks, until a fix is made, ensure you do something with the Option window, then your materials will be saved.
Re: Material Editor resets all the settings
Is it by any chance selected in your SU material window?
Re: Material Editor resets all the settings
Nope, deleted, purged, saved, closed and reopened… and every time beige is back!
I’m seeing the same behaviour in my existing files now, tried to delete a reflection layer, but reopening makes it reappear.
Amazing job with the workaround Thom! I just tried selecting the Options editor (without even changing any settings) and it seems to fix it too. Like you said, it’s a difficult bug to spot because it’s so rarely you’ll edit a file without opening the Options editor.
Is this new to v1.05.03 I wonder?
Re: Material Editor resets all the settings
That’s interesting. Just open and close the Options window. Nice stop Jackson. Makes the workaround even easier.
Now the, off to salvage my burn dinner… 
Re: Material Editor resets all the settings
That’s great guys, all united by my suffering waha ha ha =D
That workaround is similar to the one i described before, if u change the name of any material, or add a new vray material to the editor, then your changes will be saved. It’s like vray needs u to mess around with the settings as a condition to save your material changes.
It’s bizarre, and now i don’t know if i’ve ‘‘infected’’ everyone or if this bug was always there, awaiting to be found.
But it’s great to see u guys trying to resolve that with me now, cause i was starting to get really mad with myself, wondering i was the only one with the bug