3D-Coat 3.3 updates thread

[ldzywsj]

Set smoothing in first dialog to 2 and you will get good result.

I am still tweaking what parameters are better for default. It looks like smoothing=0 is not the best case.

while setting smoothing to 2, the result is perfect!

Andrew,In retopo room,we can't relax or smooth the mesh while hold down "shift",but the previous 3dc version can do.

[Andrew Shpagin]

Updated to 3.3.12 (Win only, Mac+Linux - slightly later)

This is experimental incremental update, should be installed overwrite of 3.3.08 or later (don't pay attention that installer's thumbnail tells 3.0).

- fixed major symmetry bug from previous version. Now after applying symmetry in retopo room you UV-coordinates will be copied too.

- clone will copy child objects too. I will do the same for clone with symmetry in the next build.

- default values for auto-retopology are changed to better values

- Merge tool in "On pen" mode got very handy improvement - Depth value of pen will be treated as depth of penetration of merged object to the surface.

[haikalle]

One more...it would be nice if radius variation could work from Pen opt. for objects when using "On Pen". Good for creating random leafs, hair or feathers for example.

[wailingmonkey]

excuse me while I go gather my jaw....

wow, the hard-surface auto-quadrangulation is rockin' now!

(all I did was increase res to 6000, from default 3000...couple

of clicks, a minute or two of calculation, and BAM...done)

very impressive, Andrew!

[wailingmonkey]

10 minutes later (ptex, paint fill, render)

(sorry, dunno how to edit my previous post to upload another image)

[Taurus]

- Merge tool in "On pen" mode got very handy improvement - Depth value of pen will be treated as depth of penetration of merged object to the surface.

What does it mean ?

[philnolan3d]

Thanks for trying out the patch release idea. Just be sure to mark which ones are a patch since I've been telling people to come to this thread to download as an update or a trial, obviously the patch won't work properly as a trial.

- Merge tool in "On pen" mode got very handy improvement - Depth value of pen will be treated as depth of penetration of merged object to the surface.

What does it mean ?

See this video, changing the pen depth changes how deep the object will go.

http://screencast.com/t/MjYxNWIx

[Taros]

10 minutes later (ptex, paint fill, render)

(sorry, dunno how to edit my previous post to upload another image)

Edit->Use full editor

[renderdemon]

Updated to 3.3.12 (Win only, Mac+Linux - slightly later)

This is experimental incremental update, should be installed overwrite of 3.3.08 or later (don't pay attention that installer's thumbnail tells 3.0).

- fixed major symmetry bug from previous version. Now after applying symmetry in retopo room you UV-coordinates will be copied too.

- clone will copy child objects too. I will do the same for clone with symmetry in the next build.

- default values for auto-retopology are changed to better values

- Merge tool in "On pen" mode got very handy improvement - Depth value of pen will be treated as depth of penetration of merged object to the surface.

Tried 3.3.12,it doesn't crash anymore,symmetry works and strokes give more expected results.

Thank you very much.

[Digital777]

Thanks for the new update(s) Andrew

While it may take some time, not having any kind of backup is not a good business model - what if Andrew needs an extended holiday? Should development on 3DCoat stop?

Andrew's business should be able to continue to function without him being there 24/7.

Yeah i agree, having a few developers is always good. I know people will say things like only Andrew knows his code and is a ultra fast worker which are both true however with multiple developers all that would be needed is some sort of plan for what each person will be working on. For example if there was another developer they could work on something while andrew is updating something else and would otherwise not work on for a long time due to needing other things finished. This is another reason why scripting/SDK's that allow new modules/tools to be made like blender has are good.

There is also the backup part you talk about as the project would otherwise stop until later resumed so a few developers is always good just to make sure the project will continue. I have seen various apps that were good end development so i just hope that never happens with 3DC.

[splodge]

Yeah i agree, having a few developers is always good.

Are you gonna pay their wages?

[Digital777]

Product sales pay developer wages, i am just a user/supporter of 3DC just like you so it has nothing to do with me. It is just a opinion, probably one that makes sense also and something many company's do so i don't see why you take the attitude towards me really.

I was not trying to say anything bad either and Andrew is one of the best developers i have seen, just if other devs join at some point i think it could be a good thing. I doubt you would be complaining if there were big updates more frequently because another dev allowed this to happen or if Andrew went on holiday and there were still updates because there was another dev to work on 3DC.

[Racush]

excuse me while I go gather my jaw....

wow, the hard-surface auto-quadrangulation is rockin' now!

(all I did was increase res to 6000, from default 3000...couple

of clicks, a minute or two of calculation, and BAM...done)

very impressive, Andrew!

So cool to see some better hard-surface support with the auto tool

[splodge]

Product sales pay wages, i am just a user of 3DC just like you so it has nothing to do with me. It is just a opinion, probably one that makes sense also and something many company's do so i don't see why you take the attitude towards me really.

I'm sorry if an emoticon of somebody sticking their tongue out offended you. No wait... no I'm not!.

I just don't think Andrew needs us telling him how to take care of his business.

[Digital777]

I'm sorry if an emoticon of somebody sticking their tongue out offended you. No wait... no I'm not!.

I just don't think Andrew need us telling him how to take care of his business.

Since when was i telling Andrew how to run his business? I was simply replying to someone that had the same opinion with my points on why i think multiple developers can be a good thing. By the way i updated my previous post to clarify what i wanted to say, not that you seem the type that would care as it seems you just wanted to start a argument after reading your reply.

[splodge]

Since when was i telling Andrew how to run his business? I was simply replying to someone that had the same opinion with my points on why i think multiple developers can be a good thing. By the way i updated my previous post to clarify what i wanted to say, not that you seem the type that would care as it seems you just wanted to start a argument after reading your reply.

I was just giving my opinion of your opinion of the other guys' opinion.

It's all just opinions really. But you're right, it always risks turning into an "argument".

So no more opinions from me...

..for now

[artman]

- Now after applying symmetry in retopo room you UV-coordinates will be copied too.

I made some test creating overlapping Uvs inside 3DCoat and baking normal maps

....and there is no visible seams at the symmetry line. Pretty cool!

Zbrush does not support overlapping Uvs when baking normal maps and Xnormal either.

For game indusry its great addition to 3DCoat.

(to people who dont know(I know Don asked about that sometime ago):

the purpose of having overlapping Uvs is not to simulate symmetry painting(which we all have by now anyway in many apps)

it is used to save texture space.It is mainly for game industry where texture space is very important.

All model parts which share same "details" should share same texture space...otherwise its just wasted.)

[Polygoon]

Fantastic work Andrew, really liking the way 3D coat is evolving. I for 1 really appreciate it, thanks.

[haikalle]

AbnRanger, when you press "on pen", scroll up there is some more options for rotation your object. Maybe you already have tried those?

[Nemoid_]

excuse me while I go gather my jaw....

wow, the hard-surface auto-quadrangulation is rockin' now!

(all I did was increase res to 6000, from default 3000...couple

of clicks, a minute or two of calculation, and BAM...done)

very impressive, Andrew!

This is what i call a good result !!!! Autoretopo is gonna rock.

[Andrew Shpagin]

Mac build uploaded too.

[ghib]

I know this has been mentioned already but I was just wondering what the official word is on having Auto Quadrangulation work on an imported Reference mesh?

Baking an externally sculpted object to voxels really isn't an ideal solution all the time.

This came up the other day when a colleague tried to import a relatively 'thin walled' leather jacket for retopo and the resulting voxel stamp had holes and artifacts all over.

Cheers

[kadu3d]

I know this has been mentioned already but I was just wondering what the official word is on having Auto Quadrangulation work on an imported Reference mesh?

Baking an externally sculpted object to voxels really isn't an ideal solution all the time.

This came up the other day when a colleague tried to import a relatively 'thin walled' leather jacket for retopo and the resulting voxel stamp had holes and artifacts all over.

Cheers

I Think it would be a lot more logical/intuitive to state that the auto-RETOPO feature should be in the RETOPO room as a MERE TOOL!!!!

It's better for ergonomics and for production -- converting an object to voxels and then retopologisin takes more time; more chances for error, and we always loose a bit of detail here and there.

There should even be a sort of way to define a region (paint an alpha) where the auto-retopo should be applied -- imagine you retopologised the face full of details and you are now moving for the arm where the auto retopo does perform beautifully....then you retopologise manually the wrinkles on the palm of the hand but use auto retopo for the fingers...etc...hummmm that should be reely nice!!

[artman]

I would personally make an uberfantastic release announcement with classy vids and good info when official final release is there. Quite the same other apps do. A monthly newsletter could also help people to stay tuned with the app's development.

I agree totally to this.Retopo Groups deserved a newsletter for themselves.

It completely passed under the industry's radar I think.Some people still think Topogun is superior solution.

while 3DCoat site is still advertising the Cap tool..I mean Cap tool is cool,but Retopo Layers are groundbreaking.

IMHO advertising by users on forums is bad marketing,most of the times it gives a phony impression

and leads to arguing and needless petty talks.

[ghib]

There should even be a sort of way to define a region (paint an alpha) where the auto-retopo should be applied -- imagine you retopologised the face full of details and you are now moving for the arm where the auto retopo does perform beautifully....then you retopologise manually the wrinkles on the palm of the hand but use auto retopo for the fingers...etc...hummmm that should be reely nice!!

YES, +1 for this idea. I thought a while back when Auto Quadrangulation was 1st introduced to 3DC that it would be good to mask areas of the Reference mesh for auto retop. Fingers crossed for the future. You should post this idea in the Feature Request section if it's not already there

[Lucky_1]

Thanks for the quick fix Andrew !

cheers

[splodge]

I Think it would be a lot more logical/intuitive to state that the auto-RETOPO feature should be in the RETOPO room as a MERE TOOL!!!!

I agree. It would seem more logical to have the quadrangulate function in the retopo stage. But I can see Andrew's dilemma of not wanting to convolute the whole process and confuse newbies that just want to quickly quadrangulate their mesh.

Perhaps add the Quadrangulate option to the Retopo menu. And in the quadrangulate options panel show a message telling the user that any frozen areas previously marked in Surface mode will receive more polygons. And that any strokes that have been drawn will be used to guide the quadrangulate process.

This way a user can hit Cancel and go mark their strokes and dense areas or just hit 'Continue' to quadrangulate their mesh.

[philnolan3d]

Here is a screen capture demonstrating the lack of control we have, to orient an object in the "On Pen" mode. If it simple had some addtional sliders for rotating along the 3 axis' then it would work...but right now, it's more of a novelty than a tool that you can use.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ifyk7FUAjIc

Don, have you tried the Pitch slider?

http://screencast.com/t/ZWQ5OGQxMzkt

[Taros]

Don, have you tried the Pitch slider?

http://screencast.com/t/ZWQ5OGQxMzkt

What the heck...

[Javis]

I already warned people in this thread, about making off topic posts. I leave for a mini-vacation and this is what happens?

Once more, NO MORE OFF TOPIC POSTS. Andrew even politely asked that posts be on topic. I will gladly start dolling out suspensions.

/endofline