Something like the Reference Node, but more?

[ulrichGTAV3]

Hey all,

I have a material where I several noises and image textures to drive spec roughness and normals:

The usual stuff, I guess.

But now I have to have 10+ materials similar to this one, where ONLY the color texture and one other aspect in the network are different. Everything else is the same. Using a c4d node group I can "compress" the stuff, that is consitent throuhout all my materials liek this:

Since I always keep coming back, tweaking the stuff within the "group", I have to copy and reconnect the modified group to the other 10 materials.

So my question is: Is there any possibility (arnold or c4d) to reference or instance the group. So if I modify my spec/normal-network, it is updated in all relevant materials automatically?

I know about the reference node. But this one does not take any input (exept for the referenced material) and it has only the complete shader as an output (and a displacement map). 

TYVM!

U

 

 

[lizGYM66 · Accepted solution]

Could you not just use a shader switch driven by a user data attribute instead? The shader switch has the various colors as inputs and the user data node will take a user data attribute from your object to tell the switch which color to use. 

pretty sure this is covered in the tutorial section of the docs. 

[ulrichGTAV3]

Sounds like an even better solution. Will test and get back to you...

[ulrichGTAV3]

Thx Liz!

it is a better solution than the one I thought of!

The only disadvantage is, that I can't see the set color texture in the viewport anymore. Only at rendertime.

Have a great day,

U

[lizGYM66]

Could you not set a custom display color via the attribute panel for the object? Or stick it on a layer and sent the display color to layer color. 

[ulrichGTAV3]

I already made a user data field on my object and used user_data_integer. Works like a charm. Thanks again!

[ulrichGTAV3]

Now I get waht you ment. Yes, will try that...

[lizGYM66]

Sorry, I wasn't able to post a photo when I replied.

Attached just in case.