Thursday, March 15, 2012

jjj_gammaTools 2.0.1

Gamma Correcting for every texture or colour swatch in a large shader network can be a chore

I've recently begun the search in earnest for useful maya scripts that can help cut down on repetitive tasks. One such gem I've stumbled across is a very helpful 'gammaCorrect' node generating utility, which becomes extremely useful when working within a linear workflow in Maya. This tool automates the process of inserting gammaCorrect nodes wherever required in a shader network- specifically on colour swatches and 8 bit textures, in order to remove the encoded gamma of 2.2 and allowing them to render correctly in linear space.

(If you're unfamiliar with linear workflow, I'd highly recommend becoming aquainted with the subject. It's super important...)*


Here is the MEL script...

(requires registration with the Creative Crash site)


Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Light Based Ambient Occlusion

Ambient occlusion based on luminance 


Here's a quick shader which will improve the look of your ambient occlusion pass by integrating it more closely with the directional lighting in your scene.