VaM 1.x Scripting: Get VAM's internal assets path

[Datel]

How can I get paths for internal VAM's assets to load them by scripts. For example, i check Vamifier plugin script and found

string VAM_SHADER_NAME = "Custom/Subsurface/GlossNMCull";

But how the author of plugin got it? And how can I get list of assets in VAM's filesystem to use it?
It is necessary to integrate the plugin into the VAM and use it's own shaders, meshes and other things.

 

[hazmhox]

Grab all renderers in the scene, grab the material, then lookup the shader in the materials.

 

[Datel]

Grab all renderers in the scene, grab the material, then lookup the shader in the materials.

What do you mean by lookup? What function can return the path to the shader I found?
If I need to replace CUA's shader to VAM's shader and currently scene does not have objects with desired shader, and I should to load shader using path, not stealing it from object.

 

[hazmhox]

What do you mean by lookup? What function can return the path to the shader I found?
If I need to replace CUA's shader to VAM's shader and currently scene does not have objects with desired shader, and I should to load shader using path, not stealing it from object.

You might want to document yourself if you're diving that deep in asset modification and understand how unity works. You can actually steal any material, duplicate it and apply it... but that's not the subject.

A material instance contains the shader, you can grab it by doing material.shader
Then from the shader you can find out the name.

Unity's documentation is quite thorough, read it : https://docs.unity3d.com/ScriptReference/Material.html

 

[Datel]

You might want to document yourself if you're diving that deep in asset modification and understand how unity works. You can actually steal any material, duplicate it and apply it... but that's not the subject.

A material instance contains the shader, you can grab it by doing material.shader
Then from the shader you can find out the name.

Unity's documentation is quite thorough, read it : https://docs.unity3d.com/ScriptReference/Material.html

Well, I already searched information about it, and in documentation too, before asking here. But who knows that need to use .name for shader, not material, to get desired paths.
Correct answer would be something like "Shader.name property returning path to this shader asset which can be used in Shader.find function". I think meshes and textures can be found the same way

 

[hazmhox]

Well, I already searched information about it, and in documentation too, before asking here. But who knows that need to use .name for shader, not material, to get desired paths.

That's logical : A renderer uses a material, a material is using a shader, the shader contains its path. Hence why Vamifier variable is called "VAM_SHADER...."
You know that if you understand how that works.

Correct answer would be something like "Shader.name property returning path to this shader asset which can be used in Shader.find function"

If what you're implying is that I should have told you directly the Shader.name thing, my reason behind that is because I'm assuming you actually know all this as your original question is quite technical.

I think meshes and textures can be found the same way

Kinda, obviously meshes and textures are not tied to the shader.

 

[Datel]

Shader.find function can find shaders from:

• Shapes tab objects, like Cube, Sphere, etc. Shader name is "Custom/Subsurface/TransparentGlossNMNoCullSeparateAlpha"
• FloorsAndWalls tab. Shader name is "Custom/Subsurface/GlossNMCull"

But some other objects like different panels from Misc tab have shader name which could not be found via Shader.find:

• ImagePanel: "Custom/Subsurface/GlossCutoutNoCull"
• ImagePanelEmissive: "Custom/Subsurface/EmissiveCutout"
• ImagePanelTransparent: "Custom/Subsurface/TransparentGlossNoCull"

Even AptCoffeeTable has "Custom/Subsurface/Transparent" but function Shader.find returns null shader. Should the name contain assetbundle path to make it work or something else?

Also, classes Mesh and Texture2D does not have .find functions, so how to find these asset types is not yet clear.

 

[hazmhox]

I don't even know what you're trying to do. CUA do not need VAM Shaders to work properly. And they actually look kinda worst with Vamifier/VAM's shader than a proper custom PBR shader. But anyway.

What do you want to do with meshes and textures?
You can't access these assets up until they're loaded, you don't "Find" them, you have to grab their reference in the mesh renderers or the materials.

 

[Datel]

I don't even know what you're trying to do. CUA do not need VAM Shaders to work properly. And they actually look kinda worst with Vamifier/VAM's shader than a proper custom PBR shader. But anyway.

What do you want to do with meshes and textures?
You can't access these assets up until they're loaded, you don't "Find" them, you have to grab their reference in the mesh renderers or the materials.

I need a proper methods to get different assets to use it in different future plugin ideas.

For example, in my plugin "Controllers Appearance" I made a feature to draw lines from controller to it's rigid body, but it needs material. My plugin just making copy of controller's material and change it. For now I tried to get shader and it returns "Custom/TransparentHUD", but Shader.find returns null from this name. And I should steal shader from existing object.

Default Unity's materials looks different in VAM, because developers wrote their own shaders to work differently with lights and some other stuff. I made a post about it some time ago https://hub.virtamate.com/threads/cua-shaders-vamifier-ignoring-roughness-gloss.67012/
Vamifier replacing standard materials with VAM's one, but ignoring important maps written in alpha channels. I wanted to experiment with this and make it work better.

 

[hazmhox]

For example, in my plugin "Controllers Appearance" I made a feature to draw lines from controller to it's rigid body, but it needs material. My plugin just making copy of controller's material and change it. For now I tried to get shader and it returns "Custom/TransparentHUD", but Shader.find returns null from this name. And I should steal shader from existing object.

For UI, use builtin shaders from Unity, or create your own shaders in a custom assetbundle. That's not like these basic materials for UI/UX are really important.

Default Unity's materials looks different in VAM, because developers wrote their own shaders to work differently with lights and some other stuff. I made a post about it some time ago https://hub.virtamate.com/threads/cua-shaders-vamifier-ignoring-roughness-gloss.67012/
Vamifier replacing standard materials with VAM's one, but ignoring important maps written in alpha channels. I wanted to experiment with this and make it work better.

VAM Shader is a marmoset based shader, you won't have access to the source as it's licensed.
But you should be able to get proper assets without using vamifier. As I was saying build your own custom PBR shader for you assets.

Default Unity's material at the time were kind of basic, and today they are quite obsolete.

Also, VAMifier simply swaps a material, if your object does not react properly to it, it simply means your textures are not adequat for the material OR that you're providing information through your texture channel the material does not understand.

 

[Datel]

Well, Unity standard shaders does not use VAM's scene global illumination, skybox, and for Light objects - shadow strength and point bias. Mixing cuas with character likely look unnatural. And making custom PBR shader will not help with this VAM's lights parameters.
Thanks for the answers, I just need more time to dig and experiment with all this things