Extension Pack for MARI

Released by Jens Kafitz, 2021 - www.MariExtensionPack.org   | Join us on  & or

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• Download Online Help

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RELEASE: December 14th, 2021

BACKWARDS COMPATIBLE TO: Extension Pack 5 R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6

MINIMUM REQUIREMENT (for Mari 4.x):  MARI 4.1v2  

MINIMUM REQUIREMENT (for Mari 5.x):  Unsupported due to Python Version differences

RECOMMENDED:  MARI 4.7v2 or higher

               

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• Introduction
• New Features
• Bugfixes
• Studio Deployment

ICONLEGEND

New Feature       Feature Update   Feature available in Nodegraph only   Change requires Mari 4.7 or higher   Change requires Mari 4.8 or higher  

• Extension Pack 5 R7 restores support for Mari 4.8 alongside bringing further features and bugfixes to existing tools.
  Please note this version is not compatible with Mari 5.0 (read more).

 For a full overview of the features released in Extension Pack 5 see each dedicated release notes.

• Extension Pack 5 R6.v2 Release Notes
• Extension Pack 5 R6 Release Notes
• Extension Pack 5 R5 Release Notes
• Extension Pack 5 R4 Release Notes
• Extension Pack 5 R3 Release Notes
• Extension Pack 5 R2 Release Notes
• Extension Pack 5 R1 Release Notes

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Since Mari 4.8's API is not backwards compatible, several issues prevent previous Extension Pack Versions from working.

Mari Extension Pack 5 R7 resolves those issues and restores support for Mari 4.8.

Please note Mari 5.x is not supported by current Extension Pack Versions (read more).

Due to Mari 4.8 being very new, there are still a larger number of bugs in it, that can also affect Extension Pack Functionality. 

A fix for those is expected to be delivered by the Foundry in Mari 4.8v2 end of January 2022.

• A new Noise Type 'Phasor Noise' has been added. 'Phasor Noise' is extremely versatile in creating many different looks from sand dunes, scales and concrete, all the way to different fabrics - all with a single node.

Examples of effects of a single phasor noise each, applied as a displacement

'Phasor Noise' is a directional noise, meaning it can be 'groomed' using grayscale gradients, tangent space normal maps or even using Mari's own Vector Paint Tool

Example of using Mari's Vector Paint Tool to paint flow direction

       

18 examples of Phasor Noise Presets have been added to the Mask Shelf. They can be found under the filter tag 'phasor'.        

Phasor Noise Examples in the Mask Shelf, filtered by search term 'phasor'

• The 'Color Range to Mask'  Node has been renamed to 'Color Range to Mask X4' .. since it allows you to pick up to 4 colors

• A new 'Color Range to Mask X8' has been added, allowing you to pick up to 8 colors

• Both nodes now allow you to toggle each color slot on and off separately.

Each Color in the selection can now be excluded via a checkbox

• A new node 'Set Range (non-uniform)' has been added. Similar to the standard SetRange Node, it allows you do define old min/max and new min/max. 

The Non-uniform set range allows you however to set a midpoint as well.

 In that regards, the node is very similar to a levels node but much lighter to evaluate.

  Example of re-ranging a linear value progression to a non-linear range

 

The Foundry finally introduced Grid Snapping for the Nodegraph in Mari 4.8, however hid the options to turn it on or off, deep inside the

Mari preferences.

Extension Pack 5 R7 makes access to Grid Snapping much easier:

• In Mari 4.8, a new Submenu 'Grid' is available in the Nodegraph Context Menu. 
  The submenu contains various grid snapping options only found in the Mari Preferences/Nodegraph Tab otherwise.

• A new default Shortcut    (comma) has been set for the Nodegraph Context in Mari 4.8, to toggle Grid Snapping on and off

• A new default Shortcut    has been set for the Nodegraph Context in Mari 4.8, to toggle Grid Visibility on and off

Grid snap options are now easily accessible in the Right Mouse Click Menu or via Hotkeys

• You can now drag and drop images directly from the Shelf to the Nodegraph or Layerstack. 
  A dialog will appear asking you what node/layertype to use the image in. 
  
  

This is an extension to the previously implemented workflow of dragging images from the Image manager to Nodegraph or layerstack and acts identical.

Drag and drop Images from the shelf to the Nodegraph or Layerstack

• Dragging any image from the shelf to the Mari Canvas will now automatically switch to the Paint Through Tool

• Dragging an .exr or .hdr file from the shelf to the Mari Canvas will now allow you to select if to use the Image as Paint Through Image or use it as an Environment Light.
  
  If the image is to be used as environment light and the env light is turned off, the light will automatically turn on.
  If the image is to be used as PaintThrough the Paint Through Tool will auto activate.

Drag and Drop EXR and HDR Files to the Mari Canvas and choose their Usage

• A new Shelf 'Shapes' has been added, containing some frequently used standard shapes for use as paintThrough images for example.
  Not sexy but sometimes you just need a square, square with rounded corners etc.

• The Brush Settings Hotbox now allows you to rotate & mirror a paint ThroughImage by entering a precise value or using the quick buttons at the bottom. 
  These options are only visible if using the Paint Through Tool.

The Brush Properties Hotbox when the Paint Through Tool is active.
Paint Through Rotation can be set via the slider (top left) and the Quick Buttons at the bottom

A series of new items have been added to the Mari Help Menu:

• Create Foundry Support ticket .. for your Mari Bugs and Feature Request
  
  
• Open Project Directory .. quick access to your currently open Project Directory
  
  
• Open Mari User Settings Directory .. have to delete your config file again ? It's right there ..
  
  
• Open Mari Log File .. for those times someone asks you 'what does the Log file say' or you are filing a Support ticket

• The gl_normalize node now has an additional outRGBA port
  
  
• The 'Paintable Gabor Noise' Node has been renamed to just 'Gabor Noise'
  
  
• The currently active Selection Mode, Mirror Projection Mode, Mirror Painting Mode and the current most common per-Brush settings (brushtip, size etc,)
  will now be saved with your project and restored when reopened.
  
  
• The 5R6 Change to the Multi Mixer Nodes, where the Layer Opacity Sliders no longer had any effect when a mask was attached to the node has been reverted back. 
  Small behavior changes have been made instead to address the previous issue of opacity values scaling exponentially.
  
  

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• Fixed issue in Hotboxes where Buttons were not executed when clicked, if the Hotbox had 'Close on Button Click' as well as 'Execute on Close' turned off.
  
  
• Fixed issue in Row-based Hotboxes where Buttons that were only visible under certain Conditions ('Visible If') were still evaluated when constructing
  Rows, leading to undesired Hotbox Layouts
  
  
• Fixed issue in Nodegraph Tools Hotbxox, where the 'Select Upstream Nodes' Button no longer worked in Mari 4.7v1 and above.

• Importing a Project Template that was exported from a Layerstack workflow, would add numbers behind each Layer Name
  
  

• When working in the Layerstack and having a Layer selected that supports Locators, swapping to the 'Transform Object' Tool would not 
  automatically add a Locator to the Layer, if the Layer had an Adjustment Stack attached
  
  

• Extension Pack's Custom Blend Modes were triggering 'Convert Project' Dialogs on Project Open due to a recent Mari internal change. 
  When a custom Blend Mode was chosen for a layer or in a node (e.g. in Merge, Mask from Curvature etc.), the project was saved and Mari reopened,
  the Convert Project Dialog would appear.

• In the Nodegraph, pressing CTRL+Alt+C or using 'Copy Node Attributes' without a Node selected would print out a python error in the console.

• Drag and drop did not work for all items in the Mask Shelf, if the Shelf was in 'exploded Groups' mode or filtered mode

• The gl_PI  Math Node had an unused X Input Port

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• If you have previously downloaded the Help Files for offline usage you should replace it with the new one using the method described here