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AddSharedTextureLayer (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

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

Autodesk Softimage v7.5     <     >