Answered: Question on Quixel Export Target

vickgaza

Hello.

I have a question regarding the Quixel Export Target settings. I`m not entirely sure I understand what they do
My render target is Marmoset 3, and I am using a Spec/Gloss workflow with the GGX reflection model. 

Either the  "Toolbag 2" setting or "Specular PBR (GGX)" will output Albedo/Spec/Gloss/Normal textures, but will it alter the final textures in any way from one setting to another? (ie: adjust roughness curve or anything of the sort) or is it just a way of telling what final textures you want it output (ie: specular map vs metal map) without doing any post processing on the files.

Thank you for the help,
Vick.

Synaesthesia

GGX does indeed adjust the roughness curve. Some renderers have specific expectations for map calibration, some just take a standard map. Here's the XML for Toolbag 2 export vs Specular PBR (GGX):

<ProjectPreset>

<UseMetalness>False</UseMetalness>

<FlipY>False</FlipY>

<Maps>

<Albedo/>

<Specular/>

<Gloss/>

<AO/>

<Normal/>

<Bump/>

</Maps>

<Calibration>Marmoset Toolbag 2</Calibration>

</ProjectPreset>

<ProjectPreset>

<UseMetalness>False</UseMetalness>

<FlipY>False</FlipY>

<Maps>

<Albedo/>

<Specular/>

<Gloss/>

<AO/>

<Normal/>

<Bump/>

</Maps>

<Calibration>Generic PBR (GGX)</Calibration>

</ProjectPreset>

If you'd like a custom profile that has nothing done to the export, you can create a new export profile using the provided XML in <QuixelSUITE_Install_Directory>\script\presets\Project which is then placed in C:\Users\<Username>\AppData\Roaming\Quixel SUITE\presets\Project for usage with DDO.

There should be an unprocessed PBR export available, however, so you probably won't need to adjust the calibration profiles.

vickgaza

Hello @Synaesthesia

Thank you for your time.
So to follow up on what you said, when does it add the calibration to the gloss map ?
Is it when I select the standard materials that come with Quixel, does it calibrate the values once the material is created ?  
After I create a material and let`s say I put a flat value of 100 RGB in my gloss map in photoshop and save all docs, that should be final anyway right ?

Reason why I am asking this is that I am looking into doing a list of specific materials that require specific values in Spec and Gloss that will be used to by other people. I just want to make sure that once they start a new DDO project and apply my provided custom materials, the end result is the same.

So finally, if I have already authored materials (from scratch and maybe using some existing resources that come with quixel/base materials) on a profile setting such as Specular PBR (GGX) and someone else opens the material on another machine with "Toolbag 2" profile , will this in essence re-calibrate the custom material?  

Thank you for your time,
Vick.

Synaesthesia

DDO should adjust the roughness curve when exporting, but not before, as there's no method by which it is capable of achieving this - e.g. no adjustment layers exist in the channels that would apply any curves.

DDO materials will be identical from install to install unless users adjust them after applying them. Using a different export target will calibrate the export to the expectations of the chosen profile - in GGX renderers, such as Unreal (or Toolbag, should you apply GGX shaders in it) it will have a roughness/gloss curve adjustment to reflect the GGX profile. It doesn't re-calibrate the material so much as it adjusts the entire map to the GGX expectations.