Input mask from one graph to another, not working for me

[Blender 4.2]

I'm following Wes Mcdermit's tutorial here:

https://youtu.be/y7JfKKRC3xE?t=19m34s

I set up my graph as close as i could to his, but he doesn't specify what kind of input he's using in the 'pebbles' graph. I just assume he's using gray scale but it's not working for me. I also tried the colour input. No dice.

Here's how it looks:

https://trello-attachments.s3.amazonaws.com/55d3e41f8b10e9531e94fb92/629x678/9b34ba097faeae5a3daedab8aa782b49/Capture.JPG

The top screenshot shows the graph being referenced into the screenshot below. In the top screen shot you can see that the input is plugged into the image mask of that tile sampler node.

See if you plug in a constant black color to the input of that image on the bottom right /IT REALLY SHOULD BE INVISIBLE/. I've tried refreshing it of course.

Could really use some help in getting this input to work correctly. X_X

[wesm]

Hi,

I'm sorry for the confusion. The pebbles graph uses an input node. You can get this by using the space bar menu and choosing input. I then set the identifier to mask. This input is placed into the Tile Sampler node's Mask Map Input.

When you instance the pebbles graph, there will be a single, grayscale input. You can then add a grayscale input source. Black will show now pebbles and white value will show the pebbles.

Cheers,

Wes

[Blender 4.2]

Hey Wes,

Thanks for answering, I tried following your advice as best as possible but I'm still not getting it to work properly. I'm basically brand new to this so i apreciate your patience. I feel like either I'm missing something very subtle or I've found a bug, so please bare with me.

https://trello-attachments.s3.amazonaws.com/55d3e41f8b10e9531e94fb92/697x1179/80c2c760fe94d355984cf659e6f81a31/upload_1_9_2015_at_14_34_20.png

So just to confirm, please take a look at the above screenshot so i can make sure I'm not missing something. when i press spacebar, i get the menu on the left. Just be be sure I put in 'input' in the search bar which you can see in the middle. I have the option of Color and grayscale so logically i choose grayscale. You mention 'Input' as a singular word, and i thought that maybe it acts differently from the available options and i need to find it in order for this to work, but i can't see it there which could mean one of the following:

-that you meant color or grayscale,

-the option for 'Input' is missing,

-or 'input' is now known as 'input color' and input 'grayscale'.

BUT either way, with input Grayscale plugged in, it's still not working for me. As you can see i changed the name of the input identifier to mask (on the right of the above image).

On the bottom of the above image you can see that i have the input grayscale node plugged into the mask map input of the Tile sampler.

Thanks for your patience Wes. Btw your modo rigging videos were super helpful for me when i was trying to rig a character in modo for the first time :)

[wesm]

Originally posted by Spymon:

Hey Wes,

Thanks for answering, I tried following your advice as best as possible but I'm still not getting it to work properly. I'm basically brand new to this so i apreciate your patience. I feel like either I'm missing something very subtle or I've found a bug, so please bare with me.

https://trello-attachments.s3.amazonaws.com/55d3e41f8b10e9531e94fb92/697x1179/80c2c760fe94d355984cf659e6f81a31/upload_1_9_2015_at_14_34_20.png

So just to confirm, please take a look at the above screenshot so i can make sure I'm not missing something. when i press spacebar, i get the menu on the left. Just be be sure I put in 'input' in the search bar which you can see in the middle. I have the option of Color and grayscale so logically i choose grayscale. You mention 'Input' as a singular word, and i thought that maybe it acts differently from the available options and i need to find it in order for this to work, but i can't see it there which could mean one of the following:

-that you meant color or grayscale,

-the option for 'Input' is missing,

-or 'input' is now known as 'input color' and input 'grayscale'.

BUT either way, with input Grayscale plugged in, it's still not working for me. As you can see i changed the name of the input identifier to mask (on the right of the above image).

On the bottom of the above image you can see that i have the input grayscale node plugged into the mask map input of the Tile sampler.

Thanks for your patience Wes. Btw your modo rigging videos were super helpful for me when i was trying to rig a character in modo for the first time :)

Hi,

Thanks very much. Very glad to hear you liked the modo videos : )

I'm sorry for the confusion. I should have clarified that is Input Grayscale that you need. You have it set correctly. When you instance this graph into a new graph, on the left of the node, you will see an input that allows you to add a mask. Is this part not working?

Here is a screen shot that shows how it should work when instanced.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4595383/Allegorithmic/Forums/instanceInput.jpg

Cheers,

Wes

[Blender 4.2]

"When you instance this graph into a new graph, on the left of the node, you will see an input that allows you to add a mask. Is this part not working?"

yeah, i assume that's where the problem is. First i had tried to set it up like you said in the tutorial, then I went all out and threw a black colour in there to confim it wasn't working.

https://trello-attachments.s3.amazonaws.com/55d3e41f8b10e9531e94fb92/852x941/b8ae106ea65754bdd3579a56f1bfbc4d/upload_3_9_2015_at_21_24_57.png

[Blender 4.2]

I'm going to download the source files and if it doesn't work there it's something i've overlooked/some weirdness in my file. Either way i might upload my file tommorow if you don't mind checking it.

[Blender 4.2]

Ok i figured it out, I found out that I had the mask threshhold at 0 on the tile sampler. I think when i set it, i was not sure that it would impact something down the line, but i had set it to 0 because i couldn't preview the generated pebbles.

Looking back i remember that you plugged in a dummy node to the mask channel but i had no idea why, and only now do i understand. Why do we have to do that though? if the mask map is getting no input, why would it mask us from previewing the sub-graph's texture?

who wants an input reference acting as mask?

If the input node represents no particular mask, shouldn't it mask no particular area :X

[wesm]

Originally posted by Spymon:

Ok i figured it out, I found out that I had the mask threshhold at 0 on the tile sampler. I think when i set it, i was not sure that it would impact something down the line, but i had set it to 0 because i couldn't preview the generated pebbles.

Looking back i remember that you plugged in a dummy node to the mask channel but i had no idea why, and only now do i understand. Why do we have to do that though? if the mask map is getting no input, why would it mask us from previewing the sub-graph's texture?

who wants an input reference acting as mask?

If the input node represents no particular mask, shouldn't it mask no particular area :X

Hi,

I'm sorry for this confusion. I should have mentioned the mask threshold. I wasn't thinking : )

For the mask input, even though the mask is not getting input, it will act as black which means its masked.

Cheers,
Wes

[Blender 4.2]

Hey Wes, no need to be so hard on yourself on my behalf man. I are sure you are doing what you can with the resources you've got! I am very new to substance designer. But I think this is one of those things that it's difficult to predict is the problem, it was a strange one. Keep up the great work, thanks for the tutorials and i hope to seem more in the future!!

[wesm]

Originally posted by Spymon:

Hey Wes, no need to be so hard on yourself on my behalf man. I are sure you are doing what you can with the resources you've got! I am very new to substance designer. But I think this is one of those things that it's difficult to predict is the problem, it was a strange one. Keep up the great work, thanks for the tutorials and i hope to seem more in the future!!

Thanks so much! Definitely many more tutorials on the way : )

Cheers,

wes

[-BloOm-]

Thank you spymon for asking this question and finding the solution. run into the exact same problem while trying to follow said tutorial.

[wesm]

Originally posted by Spymon:

Hey Wes, no need to be so hard on yourself on my behalf man. I are sure you are doing what you can with the resources you've got! I am very new to substance designer. But I think this is one of those things that it's difficult to predict is the problem, it was a strange one. Keep up the great work, thanks for the tutorials and i hope to seem more in the future!!

Definitely more tutorials coming. I'm always striving to make things more clear and precise. Insights like what you shared with this issue are very helpful for me in planning better videos.

Thanks much!

Cheers,
Wes

[audzilla]

I ran into this exact same problem, thanks to you guys for discussing it here. Great tutorial!