How do I use Fabric Shaders?

tristanthorne1997

https://www.daz3d.com/daz-studio-shaders#

I always see these Shaders on the site, but no explanation of how to use them. How do you apply facbric shaders. Will they only work on clothes? Can you apply any shader to any surface? Any tutorials?

 

Kind Regards.

barbult

Here is something I wrote up for a New User challenge about a year ago. It may help. But, yes, you can apply any shader to any surface.

About Materials Presets, Shader Presets, and Shaders:

Both a Materials Preset and a Shader Preset can apply a different shader, as well as setting the values for the properties of the shader. The difference is that a Materials Preset has settings for one or more named surfaces, and will do nothing to surfaces that don't match its target names. A Shader Preset is indifferent to surface names and affects all selected surfaces on all selected objects. That sounds technical and complicated for a new user, so read on if you need some additional clarification and examples.

As a general rule, Materials Presets are tied to a specific object. For example, if a product comes with a red dress Materials Preset, that preset cannot be applied to the shoes in the same product or to a dress in a different product. In Daz Studio, Smart Content can be a big help in finding the Material Presets that are compatible with a selected object.

To apply a Materials Preset, first select the object (character, garment, vehicle, etc.) in the Scene pane. Then double click on one of the Materials Presets for that specific model. For example, load "Basic Wear Briefs" from the Genesis 3 Starter Essentials product. Select "Briefs" in the Scene pane. Now double click the "Snuggle Bear Briefs" Materials Preset. Notice that the briefs turn white, because "Snuggle Bear Briefs" is a Materials Preset for "Basic Wear Briefs". Now double click "01_Top" Materials Preset. Notice that nothing changes in the scene, because "01_Top" is a Materials Preset for a different object, not for "Basic Wear Briefs".

A Shader Preset is similar to a Materials Preset, but it is more generic. It can be applied to any surface. (Be aware, that Daz has not been consistent with terminology, and many Shader Presets are referred to incorrectly as Shaders. If you see something in the Daz Studio Content Library or Smart Content categorized as a "Shader", it is most likely a "Shader Preset" instead.) In Daz Studio, to apply a Shader Preset, you first select the object in the scene pane and then select the surface(s) that you want to change in the Surfaces pane. Finally, apply the Shader Preset by double clicking on the Shader Preset thumbnail. For example, load "Genesis 3 Female". Next select "Genesis 3 Female" in the Scene pane and then select "Fingernails" in the Surfaces pane. Now double click on "Car Paint - Cranberry" from the Default Resources product. Fingernails are not a car, but Shader Presets don't care; you can apply them to any surface.

A shader is the underlying technology for both Material Presets and Shader Presets. A shader is a subroutine or script that tells the render engine how to calculate the RGB values for a specific pixel. The shader is what determines what properties are available for a surface in the Surfaces Pane. Shaders are designed for a specific render engine, and often don't look "right" when rendered with another render engine. Examples of shaders are Daz Studio Default (3Delight), AoA_Subsurface (3Delight), Iray Uber (Iray), MC6 (Poser). In Daz Studio, shaders can be created and modified in the Shader Mixer. Don't be intimidated! Most Daz Studio users never create or modify shaders, but instead use Shader Presets or Material Presets that are bundled with Daz Studio or are purchased in the Daz Store. 

Sven Dullah

Yes you can apply shaders to anything. Select the figure/prop you want to apply the shader to in the scene tab AND the surface tab, then double clic on the shader preset to apply it;)

Note that some shaders are for 3DL and some for Iray!

tristanthorne1997

Thank you both, this is VERY helpful.

Rowanessque

Hello for some odd reason my shaders are not applying to clothes any more they used to but they are not today, has something changed in Daz Studio to prevent this? Don't worry I figured out my error, thanks xx <3

scorpio

Rowanessque said:

Hello for some odd reason my shaders are not applying to clothes any more they used to but they are not today, has something changed in Daz Studio to prevent this? Don't worry I figured out my error, thanks xx <3

Shader or shader presets?