Tutorial or similar about PBRSkin

mazinkaiserzero

Hi!

I've been still using "normal" uber Iray shader for skins because I know pretty well what most things do in there (thanks to V3Digitimes awesome skin shading tutorial bundled with the manager), I can set up characters materials myself and I prefer it that way than just loading presets and be done with it. And since I have been still using G8/G8.1 I didn't feel the need to switch even though I did feel like I was missing on some good stuff like AO and the details. I was hoping for some detailed and well organized tutorial to come out for PBRSkin but sadly I haven't seen one yet, not even with the PBRSkin version of skin manager, so I just kept using uber Iray. Now that G9 has been out long enough and most things I need for it has been released, I'm seriously thinking about switching to it, but afaik G9 does fully push the need to use PBRSkin so I'm looking again for more info about the shader.

Basically, since it's similar I do have some idea how it works but there are also some changes that confuse me, for example, dual lobe specular used to be just weight, reflectivity, lobe 1 roughness, lobe 2 roughness and ratio. Now it has also a roughness "mult", which I'm guessing it's some sort of roughness overall multiplier?... but then lobe 2 roughness now also has "mult"... but lobe 1 doesn't... so... how do they work now?? I tried just messing with them, but I don't remember being able to understand it very well. This is just an example, btw, not looking for an specific answer for this (though it doens't hurt), but for something that covers the PBRSkin shader overall, if there is something (Thank you Daz and your lack of documentation )

Thanks!

lilweep

I've read the V3Digitimes document on Uber shader, which was generally helpful, although some things were left unspecified.

That said, something similar to that document for PBRSkin would be much welcome.

I recall MelissaGT or some other user suggesting the SSS options on PBRSkin were lacking, so that coupled with my general lack of understanding other aspects of PBRSKin shader has produced some resistance to me adopting it.

I generally just use PBRSkin for non-skin purposes, like whenever I need to tile a normal detail map since it's easier doing it with PBRSkin than with uber shader.

mazinkaiserzero

lilweep said:

I've read the V3Digitimes document on Uber shader, which was generally helpful, although some things were left unspecified.

That said, something similar to that document for PBRSkin would be much welcome.

I recall MelissaGT or some other user suggesting the SSS options on PBRSkin were lacking, so that coupled with my general lack of understanding other aspects of PBRSKin shader has produced some resistance to me adopting it.

I generally just use PBRSkin for non-skin purposes, like whenever I need to tile a normal detail map since it's easier doing it with PBRSkin than with uber shader.

I don't know if we are talking about the same tutorial for uber iray from V3D, the one I'm talking about was a video tutorial and also had some documents called Skin Shading Essentials, it was a separate product from the Ultimate Skin Manager but there is also a bundle with both.Since there wasn't one for the PBRSkin Manager I hoped the help file would explain the differences or something like that, but nope. Or at least I didn't find it.

About the SSS, I was actually under the impression that it was better in the PBRSkin, at least for skins which is its main use. IIRC that's why it doesn't have Cutout Opacity, because it then required having the Thin Wall option and that messed somehow with the SSS. I'm also not as savvy about the topic to know how true is all that but it's what I remember reading in some posts around here.

Silas3D

@mazinkaiserzero you may be interested in a product Josh Darling and I created, a set of PBRSkin conversion scripts to take the hassle out of the conversion process. It also provides some easy to use utilities for tweaking, you can find it here: https://www.daz3d.com/1-click-pbrskin

There's also a commercial thread with more info here: https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/640976/released-inc-update-1-click-pbrskin-commercial/p1

Full disclosure it doesn't provide any detailed info about the PBRSkin shader itself and its properties, but thought I'd share the above anyway in case it helps :)