Material Schemes

[Al Hart]

We're thinking of writing a Ruby Extension to save all the materials in a model into a single ZIP file (called a Material Scheme) and have a way to reload it into the same model or a different model.

The idea is to let you save several color and texture schemes for a model, and be able to quickly reload them. For example, you may want to present multiple color schemes to a client, and be able to change the model and quickly re-apply the color schemes.

Using Material Schemes

If you give your materials generic names - such as Fabric Panel 1, Chair Seat 3, Back Wall, then if you change the material color, texture, etc. using the material editor (rather than dropping new materials onto the objects). Then Material Schemes will let you save and reload different color and texture schemes into the model

Will not reload materials with different names

If there is an object in the model with a material called, for example, Red, and you save the Material Scheme and then change the name of the Material on the object to Brick, then it will not re-load the saved material Red onto the same object.

Has this been done already?

Is this a good idea and/or has someone done it already?