Shader Lister

- New - Creates a new shader based on the DefaultShader type (also available in the More menu).

- Duplicate - Creates a copy of the selected shader and adds it to the shader list (also available in the context menu).

- Delete Unused Shaders - Deletes any shaders that are not assigned to objects.(also available in the More menu).

, , - Filters the lister view to display all shaders, shaders assigned to picked objects, or unused shaders.

- Delete - Deletes the selected shader (also available in the context menu).

- Search - Lets you use keywords to search for shaders by name.

- Filters -Displays shaders based on the selected criteria, such by type or selected object.

- Settings - Access the Shader Lister settings.

• Show Preview - Turn the shader preview on and off.

• Preview Model - Choose the shape for displaying shader previews in the lister and in the Shader Editor.By default, the preview model is a sphere.

• Preview Size - Adjust the size of the shader preview.

• Sort by - Lists the shaders either by the order they were creates or by alphabetical order.

• Group by Type - Groups shaders sorted by Shader Type. For example Blinn, Phong, Lambert, and Light Source.

- More - Access the shader More menu. See the Shader Lister More menu.

VRED materials and Alias Shaders display different icons superimposed over their preview swatches to indicate their type and current state.

VRED-based materials

Type	Icon	Preview
Material is in an assets library (linked)
Material is not in an assets library	No icon
Being edited
Assigned to selected
Multi Pass
Layered
Switch
MaterialX
Empty Switch, Multi Pass, or Layered material	No icon
MDL
Substance
X Rite
Unsupported material	No icon
Environment

Alias-based shaders

Type	Icon	Preview
Assigned
Layered
Switch
Environment

Assign to Objects

Assigns the shader to selected objects.

Pick Objects

Picks objects currently assigned to the selected shader.

Duplicate Selected Shaders

Creates a copy of the selected shader and adds it to the shader list.

Merge Selected Shaders

Assigns the first shader selected to all objects with any of the selected shaders, and deletes the unused shaders.

Save as

Saves the selected shader to a named file at the specified location. Saved shaders can be loaded into a new scene using the Import Shader option on the More menu.

Delete

Deletes the selected shader.

New Shader

Creates a new shader based on the DefaultShader type.

Edit Environment

Opens the Environment Editor from which can modifying parameters of environment shaders. See Environment Editor.

New Layer Shader

Layered shaders let you create the appearance of variations in the shader qualities of the surface by combining two or more shaders that each have their own qualities.

New Switch Shader

A switch shader contains a list of shaders. The selected shader in the list is the active shader, which is assigned to the objects the switch shader is assigned to. The other shaders in the list are alternatives. Select an alternative shader in the list to assign it to the objects.

Use switch shaders to quickly create variants with shading assignments.

Merge Selected Shaders

Assigns the first shader selected to all objects with any of the selected shaders, and deletes the unused shaders.

Replace Shader by Name

Lets you replace shaders in the scene with shaders or materials of the same name. For example, if your current scene contains imported geometry with non-Alias shaders, you can replace one or more of the shaders with Alias shaders or other materials. You can also use Replace Shader by Name when you copy and paste shaded objects between stages.

When using Replace Shader by Name, note the following:

• Alias searches the active User Library for the replacement shaders. Ensure that your replacement shaders are in the directory currently set as the active User Library. You can set the active User Library location in the File Path section of the General Preferences (Preferences > General Preferences > File Paths > Rendering > User Library Location).
• For the shader replacement to work, both shader names must be identical.
• You can choose to replace all shaders used in the scene or select the shaders you want to replace.

See Replace Shaders by Name Workflow

Import Shaders

Loads in a shader that has been saved using Save As in the context menu.

Delete Unused Shaders

Deletes any shaders that are not assigned to objects.

This section describes workflows for Alias shaders, including assigning shaders to surfaces and creating new shaders. For information on VRED material workflows, see Working with the VRED Renderer.

Assign a shader to a surface

There are different ways to assign shaders:

• Pick the surface(s) in a modeling window and use Assign Shader from the context menu on your chosen shader (or use the shortcut icon)
• LMB-drag the shader from the Shader Lister onto the geometry to assign to that surface only.
• MMB-drag the shader from the Shader Lister onto the geometry - all surfaces with the original shader get switched to the new shader.
• LMB-drag a shader from the Shader Lister onto a layer tab in the Object Lister or on the Layer Bar - all surfaces on the layer are assigned to that shader.
• LMB-drag a shader from the Shader Library onto the geometry.

Creating a layered Shader

1. From the Shader Lister More menu, select New Layered Shader.

2. Drag-and-drop shaders onto the new layered shader. Typically, layered shaders have some transparency so that the shader below is visible.

3. Assign the shader.

4. Use the RMB context menu to edit the layer list:

   

Create a switch shader

A switch shader contains a list of shaders. The selected shader in the list is the active shader, which is assigned to the objects the switch shader is assigned to. The other shaders in the list are alternatives. Select an alternative shader in the list to assign it to the objects.

Use switch shaders to quickly create variants with shading assignments.

To create a switch shader:

1. From the Shader Lister More menu, select New Switch Shader.

2. Drag-and-drop shaders onto the new switch shader.

3. Assign the shader.

4. Use the RMB context menu to edit the layer list:

   

Switch between shaders

1. Assign the Switch Shader to objects.
2. In the Switch Shader window, click the name of the shader you want to appear on the objects.

You can replace shaders in the scene with shaders or materials of the same name from a specified Shader Library of directory. For example, if your current scene contains imported geometry with non-Alias shaders, you can replace one or more of the shaders with Alias shaders or other materials. To replace shaders using the Replace Shaders by Name feature, both shader names must be identical. You can choose to replace all shaders used in the scene or select the shaders you want to replace.

1. In the Shader Lister window, select the shaders you want to replace.

   If you want to replace all the shaders in the scene, you do not need to make a selection.

2. In the More menu, Shift-select Replace Shaders by Name.

3. In the Replace Shaders by Name Options, do the following:

   • Turn on Ignore # suffixes and merge if you want to merge incoming shaders with existing shaders that have the same base-name.

   • If you want to replace the selected shaders only, choose Selected from the drop-down list beside Replace Shaders by Name.

     Otherwise leave this set to All to replace all the shaders.

4. Click Go.