Doubt about Default Material

[Fonte Boa]

Please, someone could explain me if there is a way to alter the Default Material characteristics (diffuse, specular etc colors) so that when i re-start Wings it appears according my last edit?

It seems there is no way to save these definitions as a Preference Subset.
Couldnt the Default Material definitions be added to Preference Subset dialog?
This would add new possibilities to UI personalization:
i was trying to save a subset to make Wings look like Silo - just to record a tutorial - and couldnt end the process because of Default Material.

Thanks in advance.

EDIT:
Example of Silo UI

[micheus]

Fonte, I noticed its color changes when we select one of those colors schema (that is a trouble because of the "old" default is renamed to default2).

Isn't it defined in the default Preferences dialog?

[Fonte Boa]

<< Isn't it defined in the default Preferences dialog? >>

No, Micheus: i couldnt found it...
Do you agree it would be very useful to UI customization if Default Material definitions could be present in the Save/Load Preference Subset dialogs???

(i'll take a look now in Preferences.txt)


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I found some lines there:
a. {material_default, {0.82..., 0.9049..., 1.0}}
b. [save_unused_materials, false}

Do you have some idea about this?

---

Ok, i've edited that (a) line above and Default Material diffuse and ambient colors were altered when i re-start Wings!

Therefore, i will let my suggestion here, to include Default Material definition in Preference Subset dialogs.

[Fonte Boa]

Just two points about:

A. the color must be defined when editing that line by the following way:
1.0, 0.5, 0.0 (this will generate a vivid orange).
Three numbers, separated by a comma
Before edit, user can open Outliner window, right click on Default Material, "Edit Material..." command, then click on any slot color, set the wanted color and noted the RGB values (that are the values in that line).

B. As i have my own Preferences Subset (it is a file with extension .PREF), i had to edit that file (using, as preferences.txt, Notepad). Then i restart Wings, go to File|Load Preferences Subset, find the edited .PREF file, marked all itens, OK. Wings will report: "The change to the default material color will take effect the next time Wings 3D is started".
Close and restart Wings and the default material is now changed according the RGB files user put in that line.

[micheus]

Fonte, (now at home) I saw that is possible only define the default material color: go to Preferences->General->Materials group box.
If you want only set the color that is the place.
But, I would like to save more information and don't get it replaced if I change my color schema (that happens some time when I load an old project that I saved with other schema definitions).

Do you agree it would be very useful to UI customization if Default Material definitions could be present in the Save/Load Preference Subset dialogs???

Yes, I think it's a good idea.
This way we can save the entire default material definition (with info for the renders too). It's to be put in the wishes list.

[Fonte Boa]

Preferences->General->Materials group box.
If you want only set the color that is the place

What a shame, Micheus: i couldnt find that...
(i think my mind is a bit "bended" from yesterday...)

Thank you very much to find that: easiest than edit externally some preferences file.

[oort]

Sorry I was away from my PC... I could have told you about that...

Does it makes sense to have the Ambient color automatically match the diffuse color as it does now? Wouldn't it be better if the Ambient color stayed white???

It would be nice to be able to set the default ambient, etc. and also be able to load material subsets. That would help for sharing materials for the various rendering software like Pov-Ray and YafaRay... Glad you added it to the list

oort

[MikeJ]

Is there no way to set the default material properties (things other than diffuse color, like specularity and opacity) and have them not get replaced with a new default material by Wings the next time you restart the program?

Is there any way to set these default material properties in the preferences.txt file?

[Justanother1]

Wavefront Object Material explanation .....
Diffuse is the surface color. Usually where you'll put your texture map.
Ambient is the lighting surrounding your model. For best renders, this should stay fairly dark as this channel affect shadows.
Specular is highlights. This channel can be tweaked to show hard or soft materials, rubber, glass, etc.
Emission is self lighting. Keep this channel black unless your model has self lights, like light bulbs and lamp models.
All these channels can take UV-texture images and each will react different to them. Most external rendering apps will start with these and add more channels like Reflection and Subsurface Scattering.
Wings3d can also use Bump and Normal Maps now (after much whining from ppl like me ) and Opacity can be done with Alpha-png texture images.

[micheus]

Is there no way to set the default material properties (things other than diffuse color, like specularity and opacity)

No. It's hard "coded". You can just play with diffuse as you already know.

and have them not get replaced with a new default material by Wings the next time you restart the program?

Well, default should also be a unique name in the material list and with the same settings as hard coded. So, every time you change the default material in your project, when you restart Wings3D it will be replaced by the "original" one and your previous changed default material will become something like default1, default2,...

It should not be a big deal, once you start creating new materials for your object.