Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[exile]

Edit of first post, I realized from another thread that a material has to be saved with "file" and not "object" in the materials editor to be easily available in another file. Then if that file is imported into a new project through the object editor, the material appears automatically and can be used. Materials saved with "object" were only accessible with the workaround of copying an imported object, switching back to the new project file and pasting it. Then the material can be applied and the pasted object deleted.
Does anyone have advice on how to build a usable materials library? Would you put several materials into one file to have them all available at once? Is there a way to import materials directly without using the object/import function?

[Steve]

I think the name is a bit misleading. The "File" button at the top of the material list indicates that the materials are available for all Objects in the project. The "Object" button indicates that they are only local to that one Object. Think of them as "Project Global" and "Object Local".

To make a global "library', first build a project with some commonly used materials. Then open that project, select the material that you want to use, use the "Edit->CopyMaterial" command to copy it, and in another project use the "Edit->PasteNewMaterial" command.

You'll still have to add any textures it uses to the new project - I should fix that so it's not needed!

[exile]

Thanks very much, Steve, you answered so quickly, I was in the middle of revising my question - but the answer still fits and is helpful. I didn't know about the copy & paste materials function. The "material library" - p. 69 in Ian's book - is the first thing in the Tutor Book I couldn't replicate.