I'm using the random output of the object info node incorrectly, but I cann't see how

Hi folks. I’ve been trying to put a material together and I got to a point where I thought I should try to randomize the X, Y and Z offsets of the the texture before I carry on. The problem I’m having is that the Random output of the Object Info node seems to give a Zero when I connect it to the input that’s intended to receive the random value (pointed to by the red arrow in the picture below).

I’m totally baffled 'cause the pattern is offset exactly as intended if I manually alter the input’s value by clicking the little arrows on the input or type something into it directly, but if I connect the Random output of the nearby Object Info node, it is exactly as if i’d set the input’s value to Zero. This assumption about the value seems to be correct brcause when I pluch the Random output into a Diffuse/Emission shader the object to which it applies turns a very dark (assuming #000000) black. If I make many duplicates of the object, they too seem to all be the same shade of black.

My best guess at the moment is that some setting must be on/off in this file (which I started months ago), that is diiferent in the startup file that I currently use. I guess this might be the case because if I start a new blend file and make the material of the default cube consist of just the Random output connected to a Diffuse/Emission shader and then just start duplicating the cube, each one is a different shade of grey, rather than all of them all being black like in the case of the blend file this screenshot is taken from.

Am I making a common mistake here that can be resolved by simply changing a setting? Google brought up a search result from this place that said the Object Index needed to be set for any object that uses a material that needs the Random output, but It works fine in a new blend file without touching that option.


Fixed broken upload image. Didn’t see it wasnt there when made the OP.

I fail to replicate the issue. Would you be willing to share the .blend? Or part of it with other stuff deleted from the scene.

Random -> Noise (42.5, 0, 42.5) -> Color mix (add to object coords). Might consider a contrast node after the noise. The increase in noise scale and distortion seems important to get color variation, don’t ask me why. Detail 0 is enough, makes it faster.

If I read your intent correctly.

Edit: Oh, and it only works for “objects”. Will not work for arrays (same mesh).

That’s weird, I could have sworn I posted an update to this thread a couple of days ago. When I thought I’d posted an update, I said that I started cutting unnecessary and unrelated bits out of my file that the problem was occuring in, so that I had a simple, stand-alone example of the problem to upload. After I’d chopped out a load of guff, the problem just vanished and I can no longer replicate the problem either. Sorry to have wasted people’s time. The help is appreciated, though.