Chaos Corona Forum

Chaos Corona for Cinema 4D => [C4D] Bug Reporting => Topic started by: frv on 2023-10-17, 16:52:48

Title: assets don't link automatically
Post by: frv on 2023-10-17, 16:52:48
Mac OS Sonoma 14.0
CR 11
Mac Studio 20core
C4D 2024

I had this problem before but I notice that models with CR materials imported in C4D do not link their assets automatically at import. I need to relink these assets with the C4D project asset inspector. This happens too when I use assets stored in the C4D asset browser. Some libraries do not contain links and render black in CR.
Anyhow, I need to relink all assets with every import of Maxtree models even though the PB CR material previews show all the proper assets.

Other than that everything seems to work fine. The new C4D2024 is noticeably faster in handling large models.
Title: Re: assets don't link automatically
Post by: frv on 2023-10-17, 17:26:13
This is what I get when I import Maxtree assets in to C4D and then load them in the asset browser. Textures seem to be located but do not show in the model and the model renders black. Really strange. I did not have this before and my older libraries seem to be ok.

I open a Maxtree asset and relink all texture maps so that all renders fine in CR. The copy paste that asset (for instance a tree) in a new C4D file all texture maps need to be relinked again....
Title: Re: assets don't link automatically
Post by: frv on 2023-10-17, 17:32:30
Could it be that CR thinks it's an invalid bitmap file. The jpg file path and type seems to be ok though.
Title: Re: assets don't link automatically
Post by: frv on 2023-10-17, 17:36:43
Maxtree assets opened from file in C4D seem to be fine. Only when added to the C4D asset browser the links get lost in invalid bitmaps....

Maybe I should just totally forget the asset browser. Pity.
Title: Re: assets don't link automatically
Post by: frv on 2023-10-17, 17:55:22
strange is too that assets are reported as missing while still rendering...
Title: Re: assets don't link automatically
Post by: bnji on 2023-10-17, 22:57:46
Hi there,
Trying to understand better the issue here...
You're importing a model (could be any model, though), then you're saving it to the built-in C4D asset browser, and then you're trying to load it back again, but this time importing it directly from the C4D asset browser.
Am I correct?
Am I missing something?
Title: Re: assets don't link automatically
Post by: frv on 2023-10-18, 11:56:31
More or less so.
Problem is this is not consistent.
Maybe best to look in to why the Project Asset Inspector in C4D sees Coronarender texture maps as missing while they in fact are not and render fine. Maybe the asset Browser also does not recognise texture maps in CR materials.
I can relink all maps alright and all is fine then but its a bit of a hassle to always have to relink texture maps for all CR materials at copy paste between files or importing assets.
My file path is set alright in the C4D preferences to the correct folders and files.
Title: Re: assets don't link automatically
Post by: frv on 2023-10-18, 12:29:21
This happens with Maxtree assets so it might nog be related to where the maps are located. Don't understand though why things render fine but the maps in the project asset inspector are missing. Maxtree stores maps in a seperate folder that is placed in the same folder where the folder with the C4D tree models are in. Normally that should not be the problem. It's either C4D or CR that has difficulties finding maps. Maybe there is a another setting involved.
Title: Re: assets don't link automatically
Post by: Beanzvision on 2023-10-18, 13:32:45
Are these textures using Corona bitmaps or C4D? If Corona, that might be the problem. If you can check, that would be great!
Title: Re: assets don't link automatically
Post by: frv on 2023-10-18, 14:23:52
They are basically just jpg files. I can send you a maxtree asset file with CR materials and its maps to see what happens.
I will try first adding the maps to the same folder as where the c4d maxtree tree model is.
Title: Re: assets don't link automatically
Post by: Beanzvision on 2023-10-18, 14:59:25
Sure, that will be great. Feel free to use the link in my signature below :)
Title: Re: assets don't link automatically
Post by: frv on 2023-10-18, 16:59:08
Will do that. The upload link.
You realise that your portfolio link is dead ...
Title: Re: assets don't link automatically
Post by: frv on 2023-10-19, 01:12:38
I uploaded a file with a Maxtree asset.
When I save a Maxtree scene file with assets though C4D I get the C4D model with a tex folder with maps. That will open allright with materials and maps in place. When I copy paste the Maxtree model to a new C4D file all links to the maps are lost according the project asset inspector. I also can not add the Maxtree model to an Asset Database in C4D with the CR materials. The materials do not add.
A new cube with a newly created CR PB material adds allright to the Database.
Title: Re: assets don't link automatically
Post by: Beanzvision on 2023-10-19, 09:48:34
Will do that. The upload link.
You realise that your portfolio link is dead ...
Thx, I do now :( Well that's just great!
Title: Re: assets don't link automatically
Post by: Beanzvision on 2023-10-19, 16:41:46
The only workaround for now is to replace the Corona bitmaps with C4D bitmaps. From a quick test with your model, it worked.

(https://forum.corona-renderer.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=41169.0;attach=189571;image)
Title: Re: assets don't link automatically
Post by: frv on 2023-10-19, 18:10:27
Thanks. What exactly do you mean by CR bitmaps and C4D bitmaps ?
Title: Re: assets don't link automatically
Post by: TomG on 2023-10-19, 18:58:33
C4D has a native bitmap shader (New Shader > Load Image creates this), and Corona has its own bitmap shader (New Shader > plugins > Corona > Bitmap creates one of these).
Title: Re: assets don't link automatically
Post by: frv on 2023-10-20, 00:22:20
Thanks.  That does work indeed. But my libraries are simply too large to start converting map by map.
Hopefully you can fix this properly.
Title: Re: assets don't link automatically
Post by: Beanzvision on 2023-10-20, 10:56:26
Thanks.  That does work indeed. But my libraries are simply too large to start converting map by map.
Hopefully you can fix this properly.

We hope so too. It was logged and is in our internal bug reports.