M4 turnned green!

[seachnasaigh]

Sunfire - Do *not* re-save your scene or figure with those changes! They are only for temporary diagnostic purposes.

 

[seachnasaigh]

Oh, you may want to open the message log - look for the icon which looks like a cartoon speech balloon.

If it has a bunch of stuff in it, clear it.
Now start a Superfly render, and give it 30sec or so; do any material interpretation warnings appear in the message log?

 

[Sunfire]

Okay, the interesting thing, when I set things to defaults, since I can't figure out how to get the preset I made to apply even though I can select it in the editor. He comes out looking fine... just very shiny.

 

[Miss B]

Good, glad you got that fixed, and I've often found character skins that are too shiny for my liking, but at least he's not blue any more.

 

[Sunfire]

Oh, you may want to open the message log - look for the icon which looks like a cartoon speech balloon.

If it has a bunch of stuff in it, clear it.
Now start a Superfly render, and give it 30sec or so; do any material interpretation warnings appear in the message log?

Tons, from the clothing.

 

[Sunfire]

*looks for the wall banging smiley and can't find it* I go back to try again to see if I can do what seachnasaigh suggested... and I am not getting the double root nodes now, and so far it is not rendering blue.

 

[Sunfire]

I did find this in the log...

00:47:30 -Warning:Errors occurred interpreting material 2_SkinHead of figure Michael 4:
00:47:30 -SuperFly:Cannot connect output from node EZSpecular to input Blending on node Blender.
00:47:30 -Warning:Errors occurred interpreting material 2_SkinNeck of figure Michael 4:
00:47:30 -SuperFly:Cannot connect output from node EZSpecular to input Blending on node Blender.
00:47:30 -Warning:Errors occurred interpreting material 2_SkinTorso of figure Michael 4:
00:47:30 -SuperFly:Cannot connect output from node EZSpecular to input Blending on node Blender.
00:47:30 -Warning:Errors occurred interpreting material 2_Nipple of figure Michael 4:
00:47:30 -SuperFly:Cannot connect output from node EZSpecular to input Blending on node Blender.
00:47:30 -Warning:Errors occurred interpreting material 2_SkinHip of figure Michael 4:
00:47:30 -SuperFly:Cannot connect output from node EZSpecular to input Blending on node Blender.
00:47:30 -Warning:Errors occurred interpreting material 3_SkinArm of figure Michael 4:
00:47:30 -SuperFly:Cannot connect output from node EZSpecular to input Blending on node Blender.
00:47:30 -Warning:Errors occurred interpreting material 3_SkinFoot of figure Michael 4:
00:47:30 -SuperFly:Cannot connect output from node EZSpecular to input Blending on node Blender.
00:47:30 -Warning:Errors occurred interpreting material 3_SkinForearm of figure Michael 4:
00:47:30 -SuperFly:Cannot connect output from node EZSpecular to input Blending on node Blender.
00:47:30 -Warning:Errors occurred interpreting material 3_SkinHand of figure Michael 4:
00:47:30 -SuperFly:Cannot connect output from node EZSpecular to input Blending on node Blender.
00:47:30 -Warning:Errors occurred interpreting material 3_SkinLeg of figure Michael 4:
00:47:30 -SuperFly:Cannot connect output from node EZSpecular to input Blending on node Blender.
00:47:30 -Warning:Errors occurred interpreting material 3_Fingernail of figure Michael 4:
00:47:30 -SuperFly:Cannot connect output from node Glossy to input Blending on node Blender.
00:47:30 -Warning:Errors occurred interpreting material 3_Toenail of figure Michael 4:
00:47:30 -SuperFly:Cannot connect output from node Glossy to input Blending on node Blender.
00:47:30 -Warning:Errors occurred interpreting material 5_Sclera of figure Michael 4:
00:47:30 -SuperFly:Cannot connect output from node Scatter to input Color on node HSV2.
00:47:30 -Warning:Errors occurred interpreting material 5_Iris of figure Michael 4:
00:47:30 -SuperFly:Cannot connect output from node Scatter to input Color on node HSV2.
00:47:30 -Warning:Errors occurred interpreting material 5_Pupil of figure Michael 4:
00:47:30 -SuperFly:Cannot connect output from node Scatter to input Color on node HSV2.
00:47:30 -Warning:Errors occurred interpreting material 5_Lacrimal of figure Michael 4:
00:47:30 -SuperFly:Cannot connect output from node EZSpecular to input Blending on node Blender.
00:47:30 -Warning:Errors occurred interpreting material 1_EyeSocket of figure Michael 4:
00:47:30 -SuperFly:Cannot connect output from node EZSpecular to input Blending on node Blender.
00:47:30 -Warning:Errors occurred interpreting material 1_SkinFace of figure Michael 4:
00:47:30 -SuperFly:Cannot connect output from node EZSpecular to input Blending on node Blender.
00:47:30 -Warning:Errors occurred interpreting material 1_Lip of figure Michael 4:
00:47:30 -SuperFly:Cannot connect output from node EZSpecular to input Blending on node Blender.
00:47:30 -Warning:Errors occurred interpreting material 1_Nostril of figure Michael 4:
00:47:30 -SuperFly:Cannot connect output from node EZSpecular to input Blending on node Blender.
00:47:30 -Warning:Errors occurred interpreting material 1_Eyebrow of figure Michael 4:
00:47:30 -SuperFly:Cannot connect output from node EZSpecular to input Blending on node Blender.

 

[Sunfire]

Okay I have figured out why I couldn't duplicate what I got before. When one tells EZSkin it's a firefly render, things come out different, and that's where all those errors came from.

The color is still not appearing the same this time for whatever reason. But here is the nodes you wanted. I don't see a Blinn_2 after deleting the detached nodes.

 

[Sunfire]

With those settings up above, he's now coming up black, I don't mean dark brown, I mean nice D&D rpg BLACK. Well all except his pink lips which really stand out and his eyes, I don't remember if I applied the ezskin to the eyes this time around or not. LOL

And the only errors in the log are for the clothing.

 

[Miss B]

Geeze. I don't think I've gotten a black render after using EZSkin. I usually get that if I don't remember to use it.

Wish I knew more about EZSkin and SuperFly to help, but they're both pretty new to me.

 

[seachnasaigh]

I did find this in the log...

00:47:30 -Warning:Errors occurred interpreting material 2_SkinHead of figure Michael 4:
00:47:30 -SuperFly:Cannot connect output from node EZSpecular to input Blending on node Blender.

00:47:30 -Warning:Errors occurred interpreting material 1_SkinFace of figure Michael 4:
00:47:30 -SuperFly:Cannot connect output from node EZSpecular to input Blending on node Blender.

00:47:30 -Warning:Errors occurred interpreting material 1_Lip of figure Michael 4:
00:47:30 -SuperFly:Cannot connect output from node EZSpecular to input Blending on node Blender.

The log says Superfly sees an invalid connection where the EZSpecular node is trying to drive the blending balance of a blender node.

Expand the nodes which go into EZSpecular, and the nodes feeding both of the blender's inputs. You might have to do two screenshots, due to screen size.

Then, show me the nodes (expanded) which go into EZScatter.

Query: Did you set the EZSkin control panel to use the Superfly engine? Gadget Girl's screenshot shows that the render engine is one of the options. I've never used it, myself, so that's all I have to go by.

Glaring point of failure: Look at the HSV node. Its input is the facial skin map. But the HSV's color block is black (or nearly so). Also, I think the HSV's hue parameter was intended to be 0.6 to redden it. The message log didn't flag this because it is permissible (but not what we want).
The HSV in turn feeds into the EZScatter's color, and finally the EZScatter's output drives the root's alternate diffuse. Am I right? (I'm piecing together the various screenshots, so things may be different now).

But your skin color went black back at the HSV due to the black color block (it should be white, and the hue parameter should be 0.6).

So, change the HSV's color block to white, and adjust the HSV's hue parameter to 0.6 and try a Superfly render.

 

[Sunfire]

The log says Superfly sees an invalid connection where the EZSpecular node is trying to drive the blending balance of a blender node.

Expand the nodes which go into EZSpecular, and the nodes feeding both of the blender's inputs. You might have to do two screenshots, due to screen size.

Then, show me the nodes (expanded) which go into EZScatter.

Query: Did you set the EZSkin control panel to use the Superfly engine? Gadget Girl's screenshot shows that the render engine is one of the options. I've never used it, myself, so that's all I have to go by.

Glaring point of failure: Look at the HSV node. Its input is the facial skin map. But the HSV's color block is black (or nearly so). Also, I think the HSV's hue parameter was intended to be 0.6 to redden it. The message log didn't flag this because it is permissible (but not what we want).
The HSV in turn feeds into the EZScatter's color, and finally the EZScatter's output drives the root's alternate diffuse. Am I right? (I'm piecing together the various screenshots, so things may be different now).

But your skin color went black back at the HSV due to the black color block (it should be white, and the hue parameter should be 0.6).

So, change the HSV's color block to white, and adjust the HSV's hue parameter to 0.6 and try a Superfly render.

That bunch of errors I posted was because the EZSkin was set for Firefly not Superfly and I rendered in Superfly.

And now that I know that about the HSV I shall start looking there for the color changes, but when I set things to the default things come out nice without the interesting colors.

Though I am confused as to why others aren't having this issue with M4 and EZSkin 3.

 

[Sunfire]

Here is what I got when I set things to default... He's supposed to have scars on his forearms, that aren't visible in the superfly render.

Here is what it looks like in FF.

 

[Miss B]

Ahhh, that's probably because they're such light scars. Anything deeper, say with a normal/bump map would probably still show up in SuperFly.

Glad you at least can render him in non-fantasy skin colors.

 

[Sunfire]

Now if I could only figure out why it's light between his arms and not shadows.... I wonder if he's a light emitter...

 

[seachnasaigh]

Now if I could only figure out why it's light between his arms and not shadows.... I wonder if he's a light emitter...

In one sense, almost everything will be a light emitter; that property box labeled light emitter would more accurately be described as "participates in indirect diffused light calculations", but SM needed a short term which fits the space in the palette.

In the sense that he is an active light caster, that is likely due to material settings which violate conservation of energy. If his alternate diffuse value is 100% and his alternate specular value is added, he may actually *gain* light with each raytrace bounce. The effect is much like setting him to be ambient.
What *should* happen is that some light is lost with each bounce, such that light fades away after a few bounces between diffuse surfaces.

It's noticeable between his forearms, so experiment with that material zone. Adjust the alternate diffuse color box to be maybe 225, 225, 225.
Adjust the alternate specular to be mid-grey, at 127, 127, 127.

The Proc. Specular Map node (highlighted in your last screenshot) is a math node set to multiply. It is multiplying 100% of one input (source of which I can't see) by 120% of another input (also unseen). That gives a strong possibility of producing a hyperwhite result.

I would create a new math/math functions node, set it to "clamp", and send the Proc. Specular Map output to input 1 of the clamp. Then send the clamp's output to alternate specular. In other words, insert a clamp in the wire between the Proc. Specular Map and the alternate diffuse socket.

 

[Sunfire]

Hmmm... You have now officially tripped into the realms where it all becomes Greek to me. LOL, although I have been known to follow a direction or three a time or two. So I will see what I can do with this and see if that helps.

 

[seachnasaigh]

That material bounces light like a pinball game; it *adds* light strength with each diffuse bounce, whereas skin should absorb/lose light strength with each raytrace bounce. A sunbeam at 100% strikes the arm; 80% bounces off and hits the forearm; 80% of that bounces back...

If you can post or send me the arm material as an MT5, I could probably fix it quickly.

 

[seachnasaigh]

Does this help?

The clamp should be inserted between the Proc. Specular Map node and the root node's alternate specular socket.

Right-click on an empty area between nodes, and from the popup menu, select new node, math, math functions. Set the math node's argument to clamp. Output of Proc. Specular Map goes to clamp's input 1. Ignore input 2. Plug output of clamp into the root node's alternate specular.

 

[Sunfire]

Hmm... still had glow, not as much though. And I actually think I followed the right set of nodes to the right proc spec.

Though maybe I should 86 the firefly settings and then see what I have. As the one I followed had other nodes between the proc spec and the alternate specular.