Trouble Creating a Filter for Substance Painter

KnobbyNobbes

Ok, so I'm trying to make a filter to do a large portion of my initial texturing work and have it work in painter. However, every time that I get it into painter and try to apply it to a fill layer, it keeps saying

[Effect Procedural View] Effect selected can't be used as an effect because: generic output is defined and input doesn't match

Blah. Blah. Blah. But what does it MEAN. It doesn't really give me any hints as to what is wrong in terms of my input/output stuff not matching. Right now, I have 5 inputs, generic input, world normal map, ambient occlusion, curvature, and user0. So far, all I can tell is that generic input should be ok, because when I shorten the effect and only use that input, that doesn't seem to have any issue.

User0 is only going to be used for drawing fixes for my curvature map (since it likes to pick up stuff on flat surfaces). I think that is also not the cause, or not the only cause, because I took this input out and it still doesn't work.

Honestly, I am pretty clueless as to most things about substance designer, even though I watched their tutorial youtube videos. All I want is to make my painter life a little easier.

Here is an image of the graph, and I'll link the .sbs for anyone that can take a look at it.

PS. 'Basic switching does work' is the shortened graph that I tested to make sure that the first input worked fine. Not part of final graph.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bwy8O94ajvT3M1RHMzh6YXVBeHc

Jerc

I think the issue comes from the User0 input. 
If you use a generic input/output setup, it means the filter can be applied individually to any channel of your document. Having also an input that's named in there creates a conflict with this behavior, since the generic input/output could potentially be the same as User0.

If your filter is always going to be applied on a basecolor for example, use this usage instead of your generic input/output.
If you want to be able to apply this filter to any channel, you can't call a specific channel as input at the same time.

KnobbyNobbes

So..... plug the generic input into where I am plugging the user0? Not a bad idea, but I've already tried deleting the user0 input and it still gives me the same error. Would I have any better luck trying to have this be a material, instead of a filter? Would I be able to plug it into a fill layer like I want to currently? Not that I actually know the difference in how designer materials are made vs filters. T_T

Froyok

If you don't have an usage applied on your nodes, check that your identifiers match. The error that you mention means that the output node can't be matched with one of the input node. Therefore the effect can't be created because Painter is unable to find a way to connect your graph.
We recently updated the doc, check it out : https://support.allegorithmic.com/documentation/display/SPDOC/Channel+specific+filter

KnobbyNobbes

Ok, so I got rid of the user0. No change. I checked the doc, saw that ambient occlusion should have Base at the end of it in the Usage part. Fixed that. No change. Figured ok, why not try and try changing the generic input and output to be a simple basecolor. That gives out the additional error messages when applying it to a fill layer:
generic output is defined and input doesn't match

generic and channel outputs are defined

And on top of all of this, it applies just fine to a regular, non fill layer, BUT... it doesn't DO anything on a non-fill layer. From what I understand of what I made, it should at least be filling the layer with a grey color.... but nothing happens. I don't get it. For the love of all that is holy, someone give me a hint as to what is wrong!

Froyok

As this point, it's hard to follow what is you setup exactly. Can your post your substance here ? That will be easier for us to help you that way.

KnobbyNobbes

Ok, so I think I figured things out... for the most part. Rather than trying to make it work as a filter, I just made it all output to a basecolor node and treated it as a material, and it now works just fine. Still feel its kind of odd for there not to be standard layouts for materials/filters/generators... but I guess as long as you know what you are doing, it all works fine... Its just getting to that point which is a bother.

Btw: I posted my substance already. Its a little hard to see but its below the image on the first post. But i'll post it again here:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bwy8O94ajvT3M1RHMzh6YXVBeHc

If you still want to look at it, I'd love any advice on what it might need. Currently working or not, I still feel like I'm kind of stumbling through the dark in learning whats what. At least it all feels pretty similar to photoshop, which I am quite used to.

Edit: Ok, I think everything is working fine now. I tend to get a 'tad' dramatic when frustrated. Thank you so much for the help Froyok.