What is def_surf_mat and how do I get rid of it?

ghastlycomic

So I made my first basic shirt today. But I've noticed something odd about it that didn't happen when I made my first hair.

There's a extra shader surface on it called def_surf_mat. This surface isn't present on the model I built in Hexagon but it appears when I send the model to Daz.

Where did it come from and how do I delete it?

JimmyC_2009

Anything that you bring in to DS4 as an OBJ file will have the def_surf_mat from Hexagon, or the default DAZ Studio shader. It has to have some material to display.

When importing the OBJ, uncheck the box that says 'Read Surfaces (usemtl)', and you will be left with the DS default shader. You can also just delete the .MTL file.

mjc1016

Even if you define additional materials, it still gets left there...if you open the mtl file in a text editor, you'll find it buried in there somewhere.

merc-daz3d_c669b168a9

My OBJ files have to endure a haphazard workflow, through Hexagon, Blender, UVMapper Classic, MeshLab, etc. (back & forth, in seemingly random order)--- so I'm resigned to occasionally checking them in a text editor. (Under Windows, WordPad, since the different proggies have different line-end habits.) I locate each line that contains mtl and make sure the material names are as I intended, doing replace operations as needed. And also deleting any interlopers like that def_surf_mtl (kowabunga headbangers?) from both the OBJ and MTL files.

You only have to get really serious about this cleanup just before the final import into Daz Studio. Of course, I'm never certain which one is going to be the final one, so... :ohh:

cheers
Alan

mjc1016

alanscape said:

You only have to get really serious about this cleanup just before the final import into Daz Studio. Of course, I'm never certain which one is going to be the final one, so... :ohh:

cheers
Alan

Actually, I save final cleanup until AFTER I've made the item a prop or figure...but before I assign the final materials.