Showcase: creating one shader for multiple models

[Anonymous]

I am having a really hard time accepting that showcase is worth more than a few hundred dollars. I'm hoping I just have no idea what I'm doing though.
I've got a material I need to use over several models in the same scene. It's already assigned to all the parts. Then the designer comes back later and wants to change the material.

The problem I'm having is that in order to see what you are doing you probably only want to select the objects that are currently visible. As soon as you change the material it duplicates the material creating a new one. And the objects that aren't shown which also had the material still have the old material.

How are other people dealing with that. I can manage it with smaller scenes, but when you start having lots of models using the same materials it can get to be unmanageable. I just don't understand why I can't just assign the material and edit Only the material for All objects that have it assigned.

[tekbot]

hey again,
yeah i experienced that. I use my model as my multi-lister. i find its easier to right click and "select all objects with this material" or what ever it says and then Ctrl+M to edit that. atleast all the visible object get updated.

i barely even open the material library since i only really use "generic" shader.

you can copy/paste materials as well which is awesome. shift+C and shift+V.

BTW: have you guys seen the script to save custom materials? its in program files in the extras > interactive folder. all sorts of fun stuff. copy the script and put it in your showcase folder in "my documents". then you can right click and save a material thats in the current scene. cool.

[Anonymous]

Right clicking on a material and selecting the objects with the material is how I'm selecting also, but that doesn't work right. It selects the hidden materials fine, but you can't change the material for those objects. So the current material stays on those objects and any changes you make only get made for the objects that are currently visible.
It's Really frustrating. I don't want to unhide all of those objects because they overlap and that makes it hard to see the changes I'm making.