Random Selection on Cloner

[smckenzie]

When a cloner is made in to a single object, is it possible to have selection tags generated that select random clones?

I.e., if you have a cloner generating floor planks but you need a random selection to apply different textures to.

cloner-plank-random-selection.c4d

[Dr. Sassi]

Hi smckenzie,

Thanks for the file.

The Random Effector is one way to do it. Please note that this effector has a Min/Max setting. For this effect to work, perhaps consider 0% as the minimum, instead of -100%.

The MoGraph Multi Shader is the way to go here. If your textures are in a folder, you can easily set this up.

https://help.maxon.net/c4d/2023/en-us/Default.htm#html/XMG_MULTI.html?TocPath=MoGraph%257CShaders%257CMulti%2520Shader%257C_____0

All the best

[smckenzie]

That's cool but you can't use a shader in that field, i.e. you can't put a Vray or Redshift material in there.

[smckenzie]

What I was thinking was for a way to pull the id's of each cloner into say a redshift attribute inside the shader which is then used to pick which texture is used on the clone.

[Dr. Sassi]

Hi smckenzie,

The file you have provided showed standard render as a setting, hence the suggestion. You wrote that you would like a "different texture", which is possible.

When you have a request, please share all the information to get your answer faster. Thank you.

I do not have a Vray license. So my answer will be with Redshift 3D

https://stcineversityprod02.blob.core.windows.net/$web/Cineversity_Forum_Support/2023_PROJECTS_DRS/CV4_2023_drs_23_SIcp_11.c4d.zip

A Userdata Node set to MoGraph Color provides the needed data.

The idea is to use a Range Mapper to get the Random gray value of the Random Effector into data that is useable here. I took red as the source, which allowed me to use a Shader Switch.

The Shader Switch is fed with Reference Nodes. Those can take other Redshift Materials and feed those to the input of the Shader Switch.

Cheers

[smckenzie]

Thanks for the suggestion.

Without a renderer, is there no way to take the clones, collapse them all into a single object and have a random selection baked into selection tags?

[Dr. Sassi]

Hi smckenzie,

I get it (hopefully). You don't want a Single Cloner as a solution; you like to have a group of previous clones. (Made Editable)

You excluded the render now.

From Cloner to a single Object.
Select the Cloner and then the Object Manager> Object> Current State To Object.
After that, select the Cloner Null and use the Object Manager> Edit>Select Children
Command click on the Null to deselect.
And then the Object Manager> Object> Connect and Delete.

Please have a look here; Materials are based on selections; you can use Standard Materials
https://stcineversityprod02.blob.core.windows.net/$web/Cineversity_Forum_Support/2023_PROJECTS_DRS/CV4_2023_drs_23_MGwf_11.c4d.zip

My best wishes for your project

[smckenzie]

This is perfect! Thanks so much, you are literally an Oracle

[Dr. Sassi]

You're very welcome, smckenzie.
That is very kind of you.

I share whatever I know, and I don't hold back. I need to know what is needed. Sometimes there is no way; sometimes, there are many.

Besides, sharing solutions is much more fun than hitting a roadblock.

My best wishes