problems with multi/sub mat

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1

hi all

I have some problems with multi/sub mat.
I have modelled different things in different scenes, now I merge all the models in one scene. I used 5 materials and I thought it would update the materials if I merge a new model to the scene, but it creates a material with the same name. it’s extremly painful to update the multisub mat by hand. is there a script to do that?

best regards
themaxxer

2

Can’t you just select all the objects with one of the materials and then assign the other material and delete the one that isn’t used any more?

/Thomas

3

I have to explain it more precisely…

let’s say I’ve created a box and assigned a multi/sub mat to it.
I have created different boxes in different scenes. I now reset max and merge the boxes from different scenes into the new scene. If I merge a box it’s asking to use the merged mat, the scene mat or to autorename mat…
I choose “use merged mat”. If I now want to change one of the materials it’s changing only the material on one box and not on the other too. I thought it’s an instance of the material, but it isn’t. do I made something wrong? is there a script to replace all materials at once, also in the multi/sub materials. they all have the same name.

best regards
themaxxer

4

Check the Scripspot. There used to be a script called something like “consolidate materials”. It should do what you want.
On the other hand why dont you just select all the boxes and re-assign one material to all?

Zoran

5

thanks for reply. my objects are of course more complex than a box. but you mean if the material ID’s are the same I could assign one material to all objects? that’s a way I haven’t tested yet. thanks.

best regards
themaxxer

6

the blur scripts have a Kill Duplicate Materials script that I use for this problem. It will get rid of any material with the same name and replaces it with an instance in the scene.

If you want to use a material from a different scene, I suggest using the material editor to Get from Library then choosing .max instead of .mat in the file type. Then you can use the Put to Scene button in the ME.

Does this help?

7

why not use “use scene material”??? its all the exact same materal applied to all of these objects but they are in different scenes?

8

Maybe he wants to update the material with the one from a merged file. I’m not sure under what circumstances, but somehow, sometimes when you merge objects, Max will not instance the materials. I’m not sure what causes this but it happens often enough that people have written scripts to fix it.

9

that’s exactely what’s happend here. not all materials are instances… it’s really painful then to make some changes on a material.

best regards
themaxxer