Mapping of DirectX (HLSL) materials

The following sections contains examples on how to setup, export and import Simplygon materials through MaxScript and Python. It is recommended to read Shading network concepts before proceeding.

Simplygon PBR (DirectX)

This script loops through all Simplygon PBR materials (HLSL connected to DirectX) and sets up shading networks accordingly. Then it sends the selected assets to Simplygon for processing. When the processing is done the LODs are returned to Max where the script takes over and maps the LOD materials back to a HLSL shader.

clear
sgsdk_Reset()
sgsdk_UseShadingNetwork true
sgsdk_SetTextureOutputDirectory "D:\\CubeExample\\OutputTextures\\"

-- path to cubemap
cubeMapPath = "D:\\CubeExample\\cube_map.dds"

-- reduction pipeline with material baking
reductionPipelineWithBaking = "D:\\Pipelines\\reductionPipelineWithBaking.json"

-- effect file for writeback
effectFile = "D:\\CubeExample\\SimplygonMaxPBRShader.fx"

-- list that will be populated with DirectX Shaders
SimplygonShaderMaterials = #()

-- loop all scene materials
for mat in scenematerials do
(
    print ("Material name: " + mat.name)

    -- get all material properties
    props = getPropNames  mat
    for i = 1 to props.count do
    (
        prop = getProperty  mat props[i]
        print ("\t\t\t." + props[i] + ": " + prop as string + "")

        -- if contains "technique"
        if (props[i] as string) == "technique" do
        (
            techniqueName =  mat.getCurrentTechniqueName()
            print ("\t\t\t." + props[i] + "Name: " + techniqueName as string + "")

            -- see if it is the shader we want by looking at technique name
            if techniqueName == "dx11|PBR_11" do
            (
                -- shader found, store in list
                appendIfUnique  SimplygonShaderMaterials  mat
            )
        )
    )
    print ("\n")

    -- loop through all sub-materials
    subMatCount = getNumSubMtls mat
    print ("\tNum sub-materials: " + subMatCount as string)
    for i = 1  to subMatCount do
    (
        subMat = getSubMtl mat i
        print ("\t\tSub-material name: " + subMat.name)

        -- get all sub-material properties
        props = getPropNames subMat
        for i = 1 to props.count do
        (
            prop = getProperty subMat props[i]
            print ("\t\t\t." + props[i] + ": " + prop as string + "")

            -- if contains "technique"
            if (props[i] as string) == "technique" do
            (
                techniqueName = subMat.getCurrentTechniqueName()
                print ("\t\t\t." + props[i] + "Name: " + techniqueName as string + "")

                -- see if it is the shader we want by looking at technique name
                if techniqueName == "dx11|PBR_11" do
                (
                    -- shader found, store in list
                    appendIfUnique  SimplygonShaderMaterials subMat
                )
            )
        )
        print ("\n")
    )
)

-- debug print of shader list
for mat in SimplygonShaderMaterials do
(
    print ("Found Simplygon DirectX Shader: " + mat.name)
)

-- setup shading network for each material/shader
for mat in SimplygonShaderMaterials do
(
    MaterialName = mat.name
    print ("Setting up shading network for: " + MaterialName)

    -- material
    DirectXShader = sgsdk_CreateMaterialMetadata MaterialName

    -- pre-setup
    sgsdk_MaterialColor MaterialName "Ambient" 0 0 0 1
    sgsdk_MaterialColor MaterialName "Diffuse" 1 1 1 1
    sgsdk_MaterialColor MaterialName "Specular" 1 1 1 1

    -- diffuse texture
    DiffuseTexture = sgsdk_CreateShadingTextureNode("DiffuseTexture");
    sgsdk_AddAttributeToNode DirectXShader "DiffuseTexturemapChannel" 3

    -- specular texture
    SpecularTexture = sgsdk_CreateShadingTextureNode("SpecularTexture");
    sgsdk_AddAttributeToNode DirectXShader "SpecularTexturemapChannel" 3

    -- roughness texture
    RoughnessTexture = sgsdk_CreateShadingTextureNode("RoughnessTexture");
    sgsdk_AddAttributeToNode DirectXShader "RoughnessTexturemapChannel" 3

    -- metallic texture
    MetalnessTexture = sgsdk_CreateShadingTextureNode("MetalnessTexture");
    sgsdk_AddAttributeToNode DirectXShader "MetalnessTexturemapChannel" 3

    -- normals texture
    NormalsTexture = sgsdk_CreateShadingTextureNode("NormalTexture");
    sgsdk_AddAttributeToNode DirectXShader "NormalsTexturemapChannel" 3
    sgsdk_SetSRGB NormalsTexture false

    -- connect shading network to Simplygon channel
    sgsdk_ConnectNodeToChannel DiffuseTexture DirectXShader "Diffuse"
    sgsdk_ConnectNodeToChannel SpecularTexture DirectXShader "Specular"
    sgsdk_ConnectNodeToChannel RoughnessTexture DirectXShader "Roughness"
    sgsdk_ConnectNodeToChannel MetalnessTexture DirectXShader "Metalness"
    sgsdk_ConnectNodeToChannel NormalsTexture DirectXShader "Normals"

    -- map back texture on diffuse channel to Diffuse1 in HLSL shader
    sgsdk_ConnectOutputToDirectXMaterial effectFile "Diffuse" "DiffuseTexture"
    sgsdk_ConnectOutputToDirectXMaterial effectFile "Specular" "SpecularTexture"
    sgsdk_ConnectOutputToDirectXMaterial effectFile "Roughness" "RoughnessTexture"
    sgsdk_ConnectOutputToDirectXMaterial effectFile "Metalness" "MetalnessTexture"
    sgsdk_ConnectOutputToDirectXMaterial effectFile "Normals" "NormalTexture"
)

-- start Simplygon (can be done in batch mode, no gui)
sgsdk_RunPipelineOnSelection reductionPipelineWithMaterialBaking

-- get list with processed meshes
processedMeshes = sgsdk_GetProcessedMeshes() -- not necessarily in order!!!

-- use mapping information to map cube map to the shaders cube map slot
print ("Simplygon material mapping information:")

-- for all processed meshes
for mesh in processedMeshes do
(
    -- get material by querying Simplygon plug-in
    material = sgsdk_GetMaterialForMesh mesh
    print ("\tMesh: " + mesh)

    -- get reuse material (if any)
    reuseMaterial = sgsdk_GetMeshReusesMaterial mesh
    if reuseMaterial != "" then
    (
        print ("\t\tReusing material: " + reuseMaterial)
    )
    else
    (
        print ("\t\tMaterial: " + material)
    )

    -- fetch all channels for the material
    channels = sgsdk_GetChannelsForMaterial material
    for channel in channels do
    (
        print ("\t\t\tChannel: " + channel)

        -- fetch texture path for each channel
        texture = sgsdk_GetTexturePathForChannel material channel
        print ("\t\t\t\tTexture: " + texture)

        mappingChannel = sgsdk_GetMappingChannelForChannel material channel
        print ("\t\t\t\tMappingChannel: " + mappingChannel as string)
    )

    -- look for a matching material in the scene
    print ("\n\t\tLooking for matching material in scene...")
    for mat in scenematerials do
    (
        -- if material was found
        if material == mat.name do
        (
            -- get the material properties
            props = getPropNames  mat
            for i = 1 to props.count do
            (
                prop = getProperty  mat props[i]
                --print ("\t\t\t." + props[i] + ": " + prop as string + "")

                -- if it contains a "technique"
                if (props[i] as string) == "technique" do
                (
                    techniqueName =  mat.getCurrentTechniqueName()
                    --print ("\t\t\t." + props[i] + "Name: " + techniqueName as string + "")

                    -- see if it is our shader by looking at the string
                    if techniqueName == "dx11|PBR_11" do
                    (
                        print ("\t\tSimplygon shader found!")
                        print ("\t\t\tLinking cube map...")

                        -- if no cube map is set, set it
                        if mat.CubemapTexture == undefined then
                        (
                            mat.CubemapTexture = openBitMap cubeMapPath
                            print ("\t\t\tDone!")
                        )
                        else
                        (
                            print ("\t\t\tAlready set, ignoring...")
                        )
                    )
                )
            )
        )
    )
)