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3DCoat curve assisted sculpting (Sensable Freeform)


Mantis
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Hi,

3Dcoat seems to have made a long way since I used it. And with this fast pace development it's quite hard to keep up to date with the last improvement.

I'd like to know if 3DCoat as similar capacity as Freeform sensable allowing to smooth surface, extrude and bevel using curves like in this video.

From the last version it is mentionned that it has tool for prototyping modeling, but I can't find any details feature list.

Thanks

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Wow, this is actually the oldest sculpting program around....older than Zbrush by far. Too bad you're stuck buying that $5000 haptic device which is basically a $5000 security dongle as far as I'm concerned.

http://youtu.be/J78vbTKYYE8

There's some very nice functionality in the software though that I'd love to see in 3d coat.

That spline modeling is very cool.

It's a Voxel system too you know.

Edited by L'Ancien Regime
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It's not really a sculpting program, it's a Nurbs based modeler, and those have been around for a long time (since at least 1993).

No offense, but that's nonsense.

In it's core the Freeform application is a Voxel Modeller just as 3DCoat.

It only can deal with Nurbs and create Polysurfaces from Voxels.

Also for its curve based geometry creation tools Freeform seems to use Nurbs internally, but the result typically gets converted to Voxels.

In my perception the development - orientation on workflows and interfacing paradigms used in Subdivision Surface Modelling actually limits the development of 3DCoat.

The demand is understandable - most 3DCoat users otherwisely only have expertise with mesh modellers this colours the wishes brought forward.

To me as mainly a Nurbs Modeller it always hurts when I read wishes to make the 2D grid more flexible so that one can lay out mechanical parts with more control.

This just shows that the poster has no idea how much more effective and precise one can lay out linework with the strategies of curve creation found in CAD, without

grids, without guidelines. This is just one example.

As a matter of fact one with Voxels is not bound to a certain method of interfacing.

Voxel topology is just a solid piece of meat - it certainly does not lend itself stronger to the mesh editing interfacing paradigms than to those typically used on Nurbs.

3DCoat could employ methods also used in CAD and it would remain equally useful for those who use in for Games.

Edited by polyxo
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I am a FreeForm user too since many years and this is also the reason I bought 3dc instead of mudbox or zbrush.
As already polyxo pointed out Freeform is mainly a voxel modeler where nurbs got introduced in later versions. The deforming functions we see in this video are similar to the Move deformation in 3dc and parts of the voxels are being transformed into patches during the process. This is also why we get tearing in the surface if we overdo it. When the function is done the volume gets filled with new voxels after hitting Apply in FreeForm.

But now to the features I would like to see in 3d-coat. Some of them are also shown in this video.

- the placing of curves that will stick to the surface and the area inside may be deformed by either the traditional 3dc way of Extrude, Move and so on, but also by adding guide curves in that area to use these to deform this area. This is also perfect to close holes or to clean surface irregularities as the guide curves may pick up the tangency of the surface flow and the new surface is perfectly in flow

- the use of 2D planes positioned in the 3D space for sketches (curves) that can then be used to extrude, cut, emboss in the normal projection of that plane. These sketches should also then be able to be projected onto the surface to be used for functions described in the point above or as borders for painting or whatever the users might be imagine.
The advantages of these planes are that they have a defined position in 3D space and may be reused on several objects to make, for example, the exactly same cut on multiple objects. The sketch could be duplicated to make exact patterns to be used on the models.
The sketches should have basic functions such as offset curve to the outside or inside in preferably exact numbers, copy-cut-paste, boolean operations to create more complex shapes out of simple forms and import-export as AI/SVG for the beginning.
In FreeForm it is also possible to use the planes to place a curve on the object where the plane or multiple (arrayed) planes cut through the objects.

If wanted I may also do a short video on those wishes if it is unclear.

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Do you mean SKETCH function ? :huh:

Sketch: This new tool is a very important addition the the toolset. It lets you create a volume object with 2 or 3 images -- if you use 3 images, the voxel object will be more detailed.

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Hi Carlosa,

no, I just used the name how the function is called in FreeForm. There the Sketches are the name for the curves sketched on these planes, sometimes also called Sketch Planes.

The 3dc Sketch function then also would be possible by the introduction of that feature.

When working in different industries and software I understand the confusion with the naming as it is often similar names for different functions.

What I meant is actual 2D planes in the 3D workspace with vector drawing splines on it to be used for sculpting, reference (maybe even bimaps on it), masking, texturing and whatever the users else might imagine. It would give us much more control and possibilities.

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  • 2 months later...

0000616: Possibility to create and manipulate nurbs surfaces and transform them to voxels

http://3d-coat.com/mantis/view.php?id=616

 

 

If you mean possibility to create and manipulate nurbs surfaces and transform them to voxels, it is not so hard to do, just time question (as always).

There is very good SDK - http://www.opennurbs.org/ [^] and I plan to use it or 3DC.

 

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