What are Voxels: Voxels are volumetric pixels.
The big difference that separates 3DCoat from other sculpting programs is that instead of using only polygonal meshes, it can also use voxels.
Voxels are like a 3D equivalent of pixels.
When sculpt operates over volume and allows you to sculpt without any topological constraints and make complex details from nothing. You can change the topology as you wish.
This approach gives you an absolute feeling of freedom in sculpting. It is not based on surface deformation but on volume building and filling.
The default voxels density is very different in printing and in 3DCoat because printing works with mm and there are 5 voxels/mm by default, in 3DCoat we have 1 voxel/mm by default.
Voxels are better for organic modeling and the initial blocking out phase while the Surface mode is better for hard surface modeling since it’s a lot easier to retain hard edges while manipulating your model.
There are a variety of tools and methods you can use in Voxel mode, which, as long as you keep your voxel layer at a reasonably high resolution and avoid operations that apply automatic smoothing, will allow you to create some pretty nice hard surface models using voxels.
Working with voxels we have faceting on the model surface because voxels do not have surface normals which allow the viewport smoothing you see in Surface mode and all 3d applications.
Voxels are just volumetric cubes or pixels in 3d space so we need to subdivide the geometry.
If you want to do hard surface modeling in 3DCoat I’d highly recommend checking out this awesome series of tutorials by Anton Tenitsky.
Clay Engine
Clay Engine: A new voxel brush engine introduces, creating changes similar to the surface brush engine.
The Voxel brush engine got the option “Smooth brush mode”, which allows the creation of brushes similar to the surface brushes, but natively voxel-based. It makes it possible to make more accurate clay, flatten, smudge, and pinch.
Pay attention, Voxel Engine is subject to change, so we can’t guarantee your OLD presets related to the voxel engine will be preserved. Anyway, it is faster, more flexible. And very good point it offers real clay-like brushes for voxels.
New Voxel Brush Engine Part1 This video explores the new Voxel Clay Brush Engine in 3DCoat, which is very similar to the new Brush Engine introduced in 3DCoat 2021, for Surface Mode. It includes a brief explanation of Voxels and Surface mode for the benefit of new users.
New Voxel Brush Engine Part2
Voxel Sculpting Tools
When you’re in the Voxel Room, there are a robust set of tools that you can use for sculpting and performing different operations.
Voxels Tools
Surface Tools on Voxels
Adjusting tools
Paint tools
This option was added for version 2022+
Allow painting on Voxel or Surface mode using the same tools that you can find switching to Paint Room.
Pose tools
Intro to 3DCoat 012 – Sculpt Room – Pose Tools: Anton Tenitsky shows us in this video the functions of the Pose group tools in Sculpt Room working in voxel mode.
Objects Tools
Intro to 3DCoat 013 – Sculpt Room – Object Tools by Anton Tenitsky.
Curves Tools
Commands
Density and Resolution
Tutorials
Preserving Sculpt Layers: This video demonstrates a method artists can use to preserve Sculpt Layers while switching from Surface mode to Voxel mode…which would otherwise nullify the Sculpt Layer information.
Creating Chainmail This video covers the steps to commit the simulated cloth mesh to a voxel layer and then use a stencil to create the Chainmail pattern.
Cap Open Objects with Voxel Primitive
Cleaning Voxel Artifacts: This video demonstrates some tools and techniques for cleaning Voxel artifacts that can appear in rare circumstances due to the nature of Voxels.
Voxel Conversion Dialog Options: This video demonstrates the new options in the Voxel Conversion Dialog (which opens when converting a mesh from Surface Mode to Voxels).
It also explains important considerations for Importing models correctly to avoid faceting or other problems relating to Subdivisions.
Local Symmetry Copying: This video demonstrates a few tools and techniques for copying a local portion of a model across the Symmetry plane rather than the entire side of the model.
Adding Thickness: This video covers adding thickness to a voxel object in 3DCoat, and why it is so important to use. Voxels are volumetric by nature and thus cannot work properly with single-sided and open meshes. Therefore some “thickness” is required to make it work.
It is ideal for applying that thickness in one’s host application before importing, but if that is not feasible, this is the way to add it just before voxelizing the object.
Voxel sculpting primer Old tutorial showing Navigation and Voxel principles.
Voxel sculpting brushes Old video showing The main voxel brushes, Accurate smoothing, Surface tools, and Various tips on brush usage.