AddSharedTextureLa yer (Shader)

Introduced

4.0

Description

Adds an existing texture layer to the container. The layer already belongs to at least one other texture layer container (either Shader or Material).

A texture layer is an object which simplifies layering texture effects on top of shaders and materials. Each layer has a set of properties which describe its characteristics (such as color, mixing mode, weight) to specify how it will affect the shader ports it drives. The order that layers appear under a container indicates the order the layering is applied, similar to the way a "mix N colors" shader node works. Texture layer port objects (see TextureLayer.AddTextureLayerPort) are owned by layers, and are used to specify which shader ports the layer should affect.

Tip: A Material can also be a texture layer container, and has the same set of related methods.

Scripting Syntax

    Shader.AddSharedTextureLayer( Layer, [After], [Reference] )

C# Syntax

    Shader.AddSharedTextureLayer( Object in_varLayerToAdd, Boolean in_bAfter, Object in_varRefLayer );

Parameters

Parameter | Type | Description
Layer | TextureLayer or String | Texture layer to add to this container.
After | Boolean | True to insert the new texture layer after the reference layer. False to insert it before. If no reference layer, then True will add at the end of the container's list, False will add it at the start. Default Value: True
Reference | TextureLayer or String | Reference texture layer, to indicate where the newly-added layer should be located in the stack. The layer will be inserted adjacent to (before or after) the reference layer. If not specified, then the new layer will be added at the beginning or the end, depending on the value of the following argument.

Examples

1. JScript Example

    /*
       This JScript example shows creating and sharing
       texture layers.  It also shows how both Shaders and
       Materials can be texture layer containers, and the same
       layer can drive ports on each of them (if desired).
    */

    oRoot = ActiveProject.ActiveScene.Root;
    oSph = oRoot.AddGeometry( "Sphere", "MeshSurface" );
    oMat = oSph.AddMaterial( "Phong" );
    oPhong = oMat.Shaders(0);

    // Add a layer to the Phong.
    oShared = oPhong.CreateTextureLayer( "SharedLayer" );

    // Add an unshared layer to the Material.
    oRough = oMat.CreateTextureLayer( "Rough" );

    // Add the first layer to the material, thereby sharing it.
    // We'll put it before the Rough layer.
    oMat.AddSharedTextureLayer( oShared, false, oRough );

    // Now for fun, let's create a Fractal, attach it to the
    // color input of the shared layer, and make it drive
    // both the Phong's diffuse and the Material's displacement.
    oParam = Application.Dictionary.GetObject( oShared + ".Color" );
    oFractal = oParam.ConnectFromPreset( "Fractal", siTextureShaderFamily );
    oDiffuse = oShared.AddTextureLayerPort( oPhong.Parameters( "diffuse" ) );
    oDispl = oShared.AddTextureLayerPort( oMat.Parameters( "displacement" ) );

    // Now let's explore what we have created...

    DumpTextureLayerContainer( oMat );

    function DumpTextureLayerContainer( in_cont )
    {
       Application.LogMessage( "CONTAINER: " + in_cont.Name );
       for ( var i = 0; i < in_cont.TextureLayers.Count; i++ )
       {
           oTextureLayer = in_cont.TextureLayers(i);
           DumpTextureLayer( oTextureLayer, i+1 );
       }
    }

    function DumpTextureLayer( in_layer, in_index )
    {
       Application.LogMessage( "   Layer " + in_index + ": " + in_layer.Name );

       oColor = in_layer.Parameters("Color");
       var empty;
       if ( oColor == empty )
       {
           Application.LogMessage( "     Color: (" + in_layer.Red.Value +
                         "," + in_layer.Green.Value +
                         "," + in_layer.Blue.Value + ")" );
       }
       else
       {
           oColorSrc = in_layer.Color.Source;
           Application.LogMessage( "     Color driven by: " + oColorSrc.Name );
       }
       oPorts = in_layer.TextureLayerPorts;
       count = oPorts.Count;
       Application.LogMessage( "     Layer drives:" );
       if ( count == 0 )
           Application.LogMessage( "       <nothing>" );
       else
       {
           for ( i = 0; i < count; i++ )
           {
              Application.LogMessage( "       " + oPorts(i).Target.FullName );
           }
       }
    }

    // This example should log something like:
    //INFO : CONTAINER: Material
    //INFO :    Layer 1: SharedLayer
    //INFO :      Color driven by: Fractal
    //INFO :      Layer drives:
    //INFO :        Sources.Materials.DefaultLib.Material.Phong.diffuse
    //INFO :        Sources.Materials.DefaultLib.Material.displacement
    //INFO :    Layer 2: Rough
    //INFO :      Color: (0.699999988079071,0.699999988079071,0.699999988079071)
    //INFO :      Layer drives:
    //INFO :        <nothing>

2. VBScript Example

    '
    ' This VBScript example shows creating and sharing
    ' texture layers.  It also shows how both Shaders and
    ' Materials can be texture layer containers, and the same
    ' layer can drive ports on each of them (if desired).
    '

    set oRoot = ActiveProject.ActiveScene.Root
    set oSph = oRoot.AddGeometry( "Sphere", "MeshSurface" )
    set oMat = oSph.AddMaterial( "Phong" )
    set oPhong = oMat.Shaders(0)

    ' Add a layer to the Phong.
    set oShared = oPhong.CreateTextureLayer( "SharedLayer" )

    ' Add an unshared layer to the Material.
    set oRough = oMat.CreateTextureLayer( "Rough" )

    ' Add the first layer to the material, thereby sharing it.
    ' We'll put it before the Rough layer.
    oMat.AddSharedTextureLayer oShared, False, oRough

    ' Now for fun, let's create a Fractal, attach it to the
    ' color input of the shared layer, and make it drive
    ' both the Phong's diffuse and the Material's displacement.
    set oParam = Dictionary.GetObject( oShared & ".Color" )
    set oFractal = oParam.ConnectFromPreset( "Fractal", siTextureShaderFamily )
    set oDiffuse = oShared.AddTextureLayerPort( oPhong.Parameters( "diffuse" ) )
    set oDispl = oShared.AddTextureLayerPort( oMat.Parameters( "displacement" ) )

    ' Now let's explore what we have created...

    DumpTextureLayerContainer oMat

    sub DumpTextureLayerContainer( in_cont )
       LogMessage "CONTAINER: " & in_cont.Name
       i = 1
       for each oTextureLayer in in_cont.TextureLayers
           DumpTextureLayer oTextureLayer, i
           i = i + 1
       next
    end sub

    sub DumpTextureLayer( in_layer, in_index )
       LogMessage "   Layer " & in_index & ": " & in_layer.Name
       set oColor = in_layer.Parameters("Color")
       if TypeName( oColor ) = "Nothing" then
           LogMessage "     Color: (" & in_layer.Red.Value & _
                         "," & in_layer.Green.Value & _
                         "," & in_layer.Blue.Value & ")"
       else
           set oColorSrc = in_layer.Color.Source
           LogMessage "     Color driven by: " & oColorSrc.Name
       end if
       set oPorts = in_layer.TextureLayerPorts
       count = oPorts.Count
       if count = 0 then
           LogMessage "     <layer driving no ports>"
       else
           LogMessage "     Layer drives:"
           for i = 0 to count - 1
              LogMessage "       " & oPorts(i).Target.FullName
           next
       end if
    end sub

    ' This example should log something like:
    'INFO : CONTAINER: Material
    'INFO :    Layer 1: SharedLayer
    'INFO :      Color driven by: Fractal
    'INFO :      Layer drives:
    'INFO :        sphere.Material.Phong.diffuse
    'INFO :        sphere.Material.Color2scalar.input
    'INFO :    Layer 2: Rough
    'INFO :      Color: (0.7,0.7,0.7)
    'INFO :      <layer driving no ports>

See Also

AddTextureLayer | Shader.CreateTextureLayer | Material.CreateTextureLayer | Material.AddSharedTextureLayer

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