How to save your custom shader with texures

#1

HI,
I am a MAX user for 10 years and I have to switch to Maya.

In Max, I would modify my arch & design material settings, add textures, bumps, etc and save it as a library to use in any project.

In Maya, I can’t figure out or find help on saving a custom shader to use in other projects.

For example,
In the hypershade, the left panel shows standard maya material, mental ray, etc…
I would like to have my own group of custom lamberts with textures already set up.
So I could simply drag & drop them into my project.

I notice that there is a preset button in the attribute panel, but it seems to only save settings …NOT textures.

Does anyone know any tutorial online or can help me?
thanks,
Lou

#2

In hypershade you can create new tab(Tabs>create new tab…) and setup folder with shader library.
I would not recommend to search in Maya ways, how to replicate Max behaviour.
Maya project require all data store inside project folder(sure you can break this rule and store everything anywhere your wish, for example leave textures on desktop but it may cause problems sometimes) and i`m not sure that sharing one folder with shaders and textures for many projects its a good idea.
I copy my material library from template folder into project folders every time i need them. So i wish to know the better way also.

#3

So do you mean that every time I start a new project, and want to apply a glass material or a brick material, I can’t select a material that I made in a different project?

Basically, I just want to add some custom shaders to the default list such as:
Lambert
Blinn,
phong
phong-E
use background shader
My custom lambert
my other custom glass material
my brick material
etc…

I can’t believe that every time I start a project, I have to start from scratch to make a custom glass material :eek:

#4

Could just select your custom shaders and File–>export selection, then import them whenever you want them.

In the attribute editor, you can save presets that exclude any textures - it just saves settings.