How do you manage your material library? MatManager alternatives?

[nickdk]

Hello to everyone!

I'm a 3Ds 2011/Vray user and I need some help!

I would like create a base library with the materials I often use. I have searched and searched on this topic and it seems like Max can't handle this in an efficient way?

I have bought a plugin called MatManager but it's causing all sorts of different errors.

 

How do you handle your materials?

 

I found this example of a way to get some more order within the library:

http://www.vray-materials.de/forum/showthread.php?tid=2404

 

but maybe some of you have a better way to do this?

 

 

 

Thanks!

[nickdk]

I heard about something called "Node Joe" is this a good application?

Isn't material management anything anyone has a good solution to?

[Crazy Homeless Guy]

Node Joe won't do you any better than the Slate editor that is built into Max.

 

The link shows the most common way to manage the base library, but I would highly recommend that you repath Max to point to a material location on a server that is backed up, rather than storing them locally on your hard drive. If you store them locally, there is less of a chance you will back them up, and more of a chance that you will loose hours and hours of work you put into organizing them in the first place.

 

Also, one of the advantages of the Slate editor in Max2011 is that you can set it up to automatically load material libraries. See my second attachment. Using this method, the libraries are already there and ready to go when you launch the editor. No need to load them.

[Trick]

Did you try the (now) free HCG Asset Browser http://www.hermidacg.com/

This guy can really need some support and feedback for what he is doing!!

 

NodeJoe was a very nice plugin until it was absorbed into Max and converted to Slate Editor

[nickdk]

Crazy Homeless Guy: Thank you for the details about the path situation, I'll look into the slate editor.

 

Trick: Looks interesting I'll take a closer look at that app!