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ssjenforcer wrote: also, is it correct to use a math node with add function to combine transform and projection nodes before connecting to a bitmap? I find that usually works, but I had a very strange interaction with a certain material where it didn't work until I removed the transform and only used projection. I suppose I could try connecting them to one another then to the bitmap?

Combining them using Math.Add isn't right, because they will add to one another. Correct way is to make uvwProjection->uvwTrasform->Bitmap.
Each other port inside inside Projection/Transform can also be textured in some other custom way, for example to add variation to the tiling or offsets and etc.

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thrimanakatha wrote: Okay, I connected the bitmap alpha to material alpha, still same.

Have you enabled the Alpha channel in the list of channels of material? It's off by default. There are toggles for all layers in CentiLeo Material

They don't swap the surfaces. The Falloff node makes the choice of texture in use depending on the view angle.
However what you want to do can be achieved with Triplanar at some extent but with some more trivial blend function between the sides. You can rotate the Triplanar using connection with uvwProjection that has coords rotation parameters.

Hello! Just use the "Alpha" output port of Bitmap to connect with Alpha channel. On your screen you use the "Result" output port which is just RGB without Alpha.

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Filip Stamate wrote: Very nice! It didn't occur to me to pass the random node through a ramp. That's perfect! Honestly, with this combination I think it's the easiest way of coloring clones I've seen from all the engines I tried.

Btw I recall there is a "randomize by object parts" option in Random node. It allows to get randomized colors/values for the connected polygon groups inside a single mesh object. For example you have some natural tree with the leaves and the leaves are disconnected from the tree trunk. And as soon as these parts are disconnected they receive different values using the Random node.
As for clones you can use MoGraph node to get access to the colors of objects. There is also a dedicated node for X-Particles.

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Filip Stamate wrote: I could get a linear gradient with your instructions, but not sure if other types are possible? I need to figure out these Shuffle, Projection and Transform nodes a bit more. But yeah, hopefully when you have time you can add different types of gradients as just options inside a node.

It looks like the current combination of extra nodes to do this become too complex. Probably a Pattern node can be used too with some adjustments. But we may always get these particular greyscale patterns from Photoshop. Of course I need to add these simple features directly to the Gradient node

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ssjenforcer wrote: Also, was I correct that the falloff node is broken? it always behaves like fresnel setting for me. I might try the triplanar node to see if that works for certain objects.

Not broken. It has 2 modes: one for fresnel using IOR and one linear falloff. The second just changes the gradient linearly between 90 and 0 degree view points. Also the node has power setting which changes the curve of the falloff function. Power 2 setting raises the value to the power of 2, the power 0.5 gets the square root and so on.
The Triplanar node can accept the uvwProjection to rotate the coordinate system that is used to generate triplanar mappings. Also the triplanar can be nested into each other for some crazy use cases.

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ssjenforcer wrote: My car paint looks ok, but I think it could be better. Is there something I could do to improve it? I'm not quite sure how to get the flakes and reflection to look better without layering two materials, with the top one having the flake node.

The Flakes shader node can be connected to the Bump map slot and sometimes it can be connected to color slots of Reflection.
For example for Bump map it's straightforward just connect it. You may have 2 reflections enabled for you material:
1) the first reflection is coating it has roughness zero and IOR say 1.5. You also switch off "Reflecion 1" in the Bump map settings to make clear coating for Reflection 1!
2) The second reflection is rough, it has roughness say 0.3 and IOR 4.0. If you connect the Flakes node with the same settings as for Bump but with output type set "Flake IDs" connected to Gradient/Ramp node (Input Map slot) and connected to Reflection 2 Color then you can get colored flakes!
Using multi materials the flakes can become a lot more complex. The Falloff node with Fresnel type using IOR can be used to determine the amount of materials in the layered material container.
Also the Layer node can be used to add multiple flakes with different scales to each other and use a combination of them but I think that layered materials are more powerful for this task

Well, diffuse will not work same way as subsurface scattering even with the same textures. SSS is very much needed to add this small subtle under surface effect for organic objects. For skin or fruits/vegetables. Using diffuse the man's ear wouldn't pass the light through thin regions making it red, and the face skin would look like the desert.
Also here the displacement map was used instead of bump, it's just better. But I think the shaders of this head model can be improved even more for better look as this was done in just one evening.
When I finish implementing support for hair & spline native support the next render example will get some hair

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Filip Stamate wrote: - A simpler way to create gradients. At first I was confused by the gradient/ramp node in CentiLeo which is used to remap colors instead of creating gradients. Then I found the pattern node, which kinda does it, but it's cumbersome to just get a simple gradient... linear, circular etc. And impossible to get something like a radial gradient. For a good example, check the "ramp" node in Redshift which can be used both for creating gradients AND remapping colors.

Sure it needs these extensions in place inside the node itself. They are based on UVW mapping. But even now it's possible to do this combining uvwProjection and Shuffle nodes. For example it's possible to get 3 components of UVW from uvwProjection and then connect it to Shuffle to move to be able to move the second or third UVW component to the first component position. And then connect result to CentiLeo gradient input map. This is complex for sure and will give linear gradient based on the given UVW projection.

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Filip Stamate wrote: - The IPR window is by default locked to a 16:9 ratio. Therefore the resolution you set in the render option isn't properly translated to the IPR. It would be better if you took the ratio automatically from the render options. And have that change automatically when you switch between scenes. Currently, the ratio doesn't change when switching between scenes with different ratios.

Yes, the IPR render resolution is decouple from the main render resolution and so the aspect! You can set the main resoltion high and IPR low if you want this may be convenient. To change the IPR resolution it's needed to click the "Gear" buttion in IPR window as shown here https://centileo.com/docs/index.php?COURSE_ID=3&LESSON_ID=39&LESSON_PATH=17.39

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Filip Stamate wrote: - An option to turn off the default light. Currently, if you only have an emissive material in the scene and no light objects, the default light is on and you need to add a light object with 0 intensity to turn it off.

Ok, currently it's done this way just to see the scene geometry before the light sources are set. Actually this default white is the Sky + CentiLeo Environment tag with white constant background color. To turn it off there is need to create Sky + Environment tag with black color, zero intensity. This would be nicer than making a regular light with zero intensity

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Filip Stamate wrote: - Spread/Directionality for Area Lights - I'd like it if you had your own light objects, like other engines have, rather than a tag on C4D lights/Sky Object. It's just better to have available only the options that do something rather than have all the C4D options there which do nothing in CentiLeo. It's weird that you need to go in the C4D light options to change the intensity and type of light. - A physical sky - Volumes - More AOVs/ability to mask objects and materials - Random walk SSS - I'd also like it if the IPR used a native C4D window. I know some other engines also use their own (like Corona) but I prefer a C4D native window which can be docked in the UI.

Sure all of this is needed and is on our roadmap. I am a huge fan of Random walk SSS btw, but for example will need to make AOV masks first and there will be a lot of them supported in the same render process.

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Filip Stamate wrote: - I think the tiling options in the bitmap node don't work quite right. If the tiling use even numbers then the texture won't be properly positioned. For example, this is a 2x2 tiling.

I also think you are right but as far as I remember I have tried to recreate the behavior of Cinema 4D tiling positioning in response to the settings change. And this method can be changed using uvwTransform and/or uvwProjection nodes if it's connected to CentiLeo bitmap. The uvwTransform node has "Pivot" option that sets the UVW coordinate position as a base of tiling change. By default it's (0.5 0.5 0.5) as in C4D and so the tiling grows from center to the all sides. If you make Pivot (0 0 0) then tiling will grow from a fixed corner to the right/top sides.

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Filip Stamate wrote: - Distance shader, like for example Corona has. - Curvature shader, for example like in Redshift - Rounded edges shader

All these effects are working in a similar way and I hope to fix back the support for them starting from Dirt/Curvature/AO. As for Round Edges it's very much needed but to make it with a legal use we need to talk to Nvidia as they hold the patent to this tech back from Mental Images acquisition. Hope there will be agreement.

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Filip Stamate wrote: - I like the "Random" shader in CentiLeo because of how easy it is to get a bunch of colors in a certain shade to apply them to a Mograph Clone. However, it would be useful to also have something where you can choose exactly the colors you want to have applied. So basically, have the same effect like the Random shader, but be able to choose the colors. As an example, look at the Corona "Multi Shader" which allows you to choose some colors and then you can plug it in the color input of a material and each color will be used on the clones.

You can do it now connecting the CentiLeo Random node (with black & white output) to CentiLeo Gradient/Ramp to the "Input Map" slot. Inside Gradient/Ramp node you can move the knots positions left right to determine the frequency of each random color element and also determine the color of know or assign a texture to the knot instead of a constant color.
There is also one more non-obvious way of randomization using Random node "seed" slot. For example you can connect CentiLeo Noise node (with enabled) quantized option) to the Random.Seed. This will create randomizations based on the grey scale levels of Noise node.

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ssjenforcer wrote: I also notice the material tag does not allow me to remove the effect of the 'Tile' check box even if it is unchecked, so I cannot get an image mapped without it always tiling. And the transform and projection nodes don't have any settings to remove tiling. Is there any way to map an image and not have it tile?

uvwTransform node has the option "Is Decal". It kills the tilling and you can create a label or decal. But in this case the tilling size is controlled with "scale" setting in the same node with scale = 1 / tiles. It's a reversed value to num of tiles! So basically when UVW projection is manipulated this way you get the valid UVW coordinates in one part of surfaces for your decal and the rest part is invalid UVW region. In any mapped texture node (CentiLeo Bitmap, Noise, Pattern, Scratches, Flakes) there are "out of UVW color" settigns which can determine the color of the area that has invalid UVW.
To change projection type you need to connect uvwProjection to uvwTransform. These 2 nodes work same or very similar to native C4D nodes.

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Filip Stamate wrote: And for lights, be sure to create them from the CentiLeo menu so they get the tag added to them. Don't just create regular C4D lights. And I think only the type of light and intensity have any effect in CentiLeo. Even for the type of light, not all are supported.

Filip, you have found it right. I can add that not all light types from C4D are supported, the only supported light types are:
1) Omni. It's a point light source. And in CentiLeo light tag a shape radius can be changed to make a sphere from it. Normalise intensity option in the tag can fix the intensity while you change the shape size.
2) Spot light. It supports only the spread angle from C4D settings and CentiLeo light tag options of course.
3) Infinite light (same as parallel/directional) + Centileo tag
4) Area light source (with Rectangle shape) + Centileo tag
5) The light portal to accelerate GI coming to the room through the windows. To enable it just create Area Rectangle light type and check "Is Portal" option in CentiLeo light tag. It accelerates the lighting noise reduction for Sky + Environment tag (HDRI) and for Infinite lights too.
6) The other shapes of lights can be created using any other C4D geometry object, even with displacement coming from CentiLeo material. But you have to apply CentiLeo Emission material to it, it's having more and more settings as CentiLeo light tag.

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Filip Stamate wrote: That's one reason why having custom light objects would be better than using the C4D lights. It's too confusing.

Sure I think about this but need to prioritize other things at the moment. After certain technology stage is reached (soon!) there will be a lot of dedicated work to improve user experience related to C4D integration

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ssjenforcer wrote: Do I need to touch the shadow setting under the light objects? I learned that shadow is default set to none, but does centileo have a shadow setting already that is accurate, or is it better to change it to area? Also, is it more accurate to turn on Global Illumination for this renderer? I notice subtle differences with different shadow settings and GI, but I don't know if they are necessary with Centileo. I notice now that GI Illumination is checked by default for the light objects, but GI in render settings enabled gives me a different lighting beneath the objects. To me it looks best with GI enabled in render settings and Area set for shadow. Is this correct?

All the custome settings of the Cinema native light source are not supported except of coordinates, light intensity, color, light type and all the other settings are in CentiLeo light tag.
The images in CentiLeo IPR and PV should be the same until you make some changes in few settings:
1) "Enable Filter" in Cinema 4D Picture Viewer
2) Send RAW AOVs to Picture Viewer (gamma = 1) in CentiLeo render settings (AOVs/passes tab)

Have a look into this message and other messages later in the same thread
https://centileo.com/forum/messages/forum19/message1567/83-centileo-for-cinema-4d-044-available#mess...

You may convert the hairs to the polygons to render them, I have seen such tricks. However, the native hair & spline support will be added in 0.66 release. I am working on this, but before that need to finish the complex 0.65 update

Your override Skies with CentiLeo tags should be not first Sky in the scene. And you drag and drop them to the tag with overrides of the first Sky object. Yes you can override Reflection, Transmission, Camera, Diffuse, SSS overrides. You can also override the Sky that draws the shadows on the shadow catcher / matte object

Filip Stamate, welcome to the rising CentiLeo world! Thanks for images and suggestions!
I will reply in more detail later, as for now I can say CentiLeo supports multiple Sky objects to work with Camera (backround), reflections, diffuse and etc. As you correctly noticed the primary Sky object is the first one in the scene. It manages everything. And you need to attach CentiLeo environment tag to it. Inside this tag you can find Override Tab where there are several layers to override. You may just create several extra Sky objects (with centileo tags!) and assign different HDRI image there. And after that just drag and drop these extra Sky objects to the overrides of the first "manager" Sky. That will work. Later I will make many more supprted HDRIs that will be able to assign and override per material. There will be 10s or 20s of them supported.
I will fix Dirt shader of course, it basically will be do same as AO/Curvature. Don't know why Redshift has two nodes probably because of legacy reasons, but the process is similar in both nodes.
Will reply in more detail later. Improving the new tesselator for displacements now

Oh btw this Dirt node is currently just not working as expected. I have to fix it, it's like AO texture

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ssjenforcer wrote: I tried using the layer node, but for some reason only one of my surface imperfection textures works. Any other one I try doesn't work or show up as a layer.

This Layer node has on/off toggles for each other layer, probably you forget them. Also each layer mix mode is different. They are all standart, but need to test to understand how they work for specific case

I would advice to make a multi-material or mix material to make the smudges on top of glass car window.
For example the Mix Material:
1) Primary material would be a diffuse material with smudges and sand textures
2) Secondary material would be a glass of window with reflections and IOR and all the staff as for clean glass
3) Primary material amount - is the alpha map texture with white regions encoding places where smudges should appear on the window. Primary material is on top of Secondary.
These layers of mixed materials will just help to resolve the Alpha channel of individual materials easilly and no need to deal with roughness of transmission which is wrong in this case

Video tips are more time consuming to produce than text + images. So the documentation itselft will come first and next the videos, I will invite more people for that of course.
As for now, I am doing some complex technology improvements but the end for them is approaching fortunatelly