Max 2012: Viewport canvas

scourgewarper

I am texturing a uv-unwrapped model using viewport canvas with a vray material already applied, I manage to create an initial 2048x2048 map on the diffuse channel, apply some texture using the brushes etc, and when I right click out of the tools I get the options on how to save the texture I just applied, I select 'Save as PSD and replace texture in material' and everything seems to be fine.

However later I come back to that particular model, go into viewport canvas mode with the model selected and when I click to paint or edit the diffuse channel it doesn't recognise the texture I was using earlier and asks me to create a brand new texture, making it impossible for me to add to the texture I created earlier. Anyone know what could be the problem?

Mark Dygert

Yep its kind of buggy like that. Try selecting a blank material slot in the material editor, then sample the texture on the model and make sure its still the material that you think it is. Or just reassign the material you know is correct.

It does some funky behind the scenes material switching while you're painting and it doesn't always correctly put the original material on the model and doesn't update its "temp" material correctly when you go back to the model. I think closing the scene and reopening it or restarting max clears out its internal "temp" material, there might be another way to trigger it to look at the material again.

scourgewarper

I saved and restarted, checked the material editor and everything is where it should be, it displays in the viewport properly both the material and the texture I created on the diffuse slot show, i've removed the material and reassigned it and reloaded the bitmap image used for the diffuse but again when I go into viewport canvas it asks to create a new texture and doesn't recognise the map there already. Most frustrating! Does this happen to everyone I can't see how this wouldn't affect workflow unless you get the texture finished first time!

Mark Dygert

Have you tried it with a standard max material? I've had this problem before and it went away but I forget how. I have VRay also so maybe I was using a vray material and then rebuilt the material using a standard max material...

Maybe it doesn't play well with anything but a standard material?

monster

scourgewarper wrote: »

However later I come back to that particular model, go into viewport canvas mode with the model selected and when I click to paint or edit the diffuse channel it doesn't recognise the texture I was using earlier and asks me to create a brand new texture,...

I use Max 2011 and this is the way it's always worked for me. I didn't know it was supposed to re-apply your original material with updates. I don't use it very often so I doesn't bother me much. I just save as a PSD, dupe the new layers into my original PSD and re-apply my original material.

scourgewarper

@Mark: Not tried rebuilding as a standard mat and for the project i'm on I think they have to use vray mats, I will try anyway just to see if this problem is to do with just using vray mats.

@monster: in the documentation it states that it should save your texture after edits and re-apply without the fuss of copying new layers and re-applying. The main thing is if you want to actually edit the original texture (say delete some of it) then you would have to do that in photoshop or something else as you can ONLY work on a new texture in viewport canvas, even though you can still see your old texture applied to the model in addition to the new texture created.