As with all modeling and sculpting applications, primitives form the basis for many and varied starting shapes.
Almost any model can be composed, almost entirely, from a positive and negative combination of basic primitive shapes.
Each can be modified using variation transform tools, placement, posing, and sculpting.
Using these two panels and their functions, you can interactively add new basic and custom shapes to your scene with various boolean operations to interact with existing forms.
When using the Primitives tool, you may toggle between two different transformation modes with the Transform/Lattice Toggle function in the Tool Options panel of the Primitives Tool.
Press the plus (+) icon to add your custom primitives by importing your mesh files (.obj, .lwo, .fbx, etc.), adding to the Models and/or Splines panels.
Primitive types
3DCoat’s arsenal of usual and unusual Primitives proves to be the most powerful and flexible set available. Each can be modified, within the Primitive Workspace, using unique Transform, Placement, and Distortion interface elements.
Let’s look at these modes:
- Common Primitives
- Free-Form Primitives
As with all modeling applications, using Primitives forms the basis for many and varied starting shapes. Many mechanical models can be composed almost entirely from a positive and negative combination of basic primitive shapes.
Common Primitives
When choosing from any of the Primitive varieties, you are presented with a temporary representation of that Primitive, complete with its unique “Gizmo” or “Widget” for manipulating and placing this Primitive into the scene with the desired orientation, distortion, scale, and position.
You can adjust all of these parameters visually, or if you prefer, use the numerical entry fields provided in the Primitives Panel.
If you’d like to use another point in space to base your Primitive Transform value, choose the “Move only gizmo” option and then reposition that Gizmo.
At any time, you may “Reset” any axis or position of your Primitive shape.
Free-form Primitives
Derived from the Standard Primitives, this variety allows you to define and use a Distortion Frame composed of rows and columns of movable Points and Edges that determine the nature of the distortion you wish to impose upon your Primitive.
It is possible, to begin with a very basic Primitive shape and alter it substantially using the Free-form lattice (or Distortion Frame), making extremely complex forms practical.
- Add your Custom Primitives using the “More Primitives” option.
- Adding your .obj files to a standard folder gives you access to your Custom Primitives.
It is important to note that the Primitives Panel is the only limited method of adding and subtracting generic shapes from your Voxel sculpture. For even more convenience and flexibility, choose to use the “Import Panel” and its functions to interactively add new basic and custom shapes to your scene or as boolean shapes to interact with existing forms.
Free form primitives got thickness parameter.
Also, the “Windows > Panels > Sculpt Models Panel” provides a visual interface and storage facility for your most often used Custom models, shapes, greebles, and nurnies.
A few of the parameters for the new Free-form Primitives are as follows:
Transform as a whole: Gives you the ability to translate, rotate and scale using the default transform tool.
Local Symmetry: Enables local symmetry of the Free-form Primitive, which gives you more creative freedom and control.
ResetPrim: It lets you reset any changes you’ve made to the object.
EditPoints: Allows numerical values for each visible point of the lattice cage. Inner/Outer Radius & Thickness are only applied to some Free-form Primitives, such as Free-form Disc and Free-form Tube; they allow for the radius of the inner section or outer section of the tube and the thickness of some of the primitives with keyable values.
The drop-down list also has a few more options, usually different OBJ files with different cages for similar shapes, such as Free-form Discs.
When holding “Ctrl”, you can constrain the movement of your selection along its normal.
Click to place (Merging On Pen)
One of the most fluid and spontaneous ways to add nearly any predefined shape, model, greeble, or nurnie to your existing sculpture is to use the “Import Panel” or, for more frequently used elements, the “Windows > Panels > Sculpt Models”.
Just choose the “Click to place” option to access this powerful set of functions.
When this option is chosen, you can assemble a composite of any number of shapes, the on-the-fly – interactively changing the shape’s position, scale, rotation, and “penetration” or “levitation” on, into, or above the surface of another object or shape.
Every shape added in this way can be positively combined or negatively subtracted from any existing shape.
Mouse gestures adjust the scale, position, and penetration depth of your “Merged” object.
- Use the “Right Mouse Button” and drag to the left or right to Scale the Merged object.
- Use the “Right Mouse Button” and drag up or down to adjust the surface penetration of the Merged object.
Change the position of this object, respecting the orientation “Normals” of the object that is being added simply by moving the mouse cursor where desired and sliding its preview along the surface of the existing object.
If you’d like to use another point in space to base your primitive transform value from, choose the “Move Only Gizmo” option and then reposition that gizmo.
At any time, you may reset any axis or position of your primitive shape.
Boolean Operations
As mentioned above, you can import with this tool using boolean operations.
These boolean operations allow you to create very complex shapes quickly with basic shapes and are especially good for hard surface sculpting.
These boolean operators are:
- Add: Adds the mesh you’re using with the Import tool to the current VoxTree layer, combining them into one sculpt.
- Subtract: Subtracts the mesh you’re using with the Import tool from the current VoxTree layer, removing the said piece from the current sculpt.
- Intersect: Retains the area inside the Primitive tools mesh of a selected VoxTree layer and removes everything outside the Primitive tools mesh.
- Split: Separates, or splits, the area within the Primitive tools mesh from the currently selected VoxTree layer and creates a new layer in the VoxTree for the split item.
Booleans operator can be added with Soft Booleans option. In the additive mode it could lead to soft transitions.
As example use it for combining an organic model’s body parts into one connected piece without ugly lines.
Tutorials
New Primitives Tool Options: Quick Placement & Boolean Modes: This video demonstrates some new options in the Primitives tool in 3DCoat. Namely, the ability to quickly place, scale, and align the orientation of a Primitive onto another object in the scene. It also covers some Boolean options (Add, Subtract, Intersect, Split).
New Primitives Tool Options: Lathe Modifier: This video demonstrates the usage of the new Lathe Modifier, a component of the Primitives Tool. Other techniques are shown to create objects similar to what the lather can produce for comparison’s sake.
Primitives Tool: Fillet Option
Primitives Tool additions: This video demonstrates some of the new additions to the Primitives tool in 3DCoat 4.5, including a new Text Primitive that can “Click to Place” and conform to the shape of another object.
Kitbashing with the Primitives tool: This video demonstrates the ability to take any model from the Kitbashing Toolset and immediately use it as a Freeform Primitive. Making very fast work of scaling and shaping an object on the fly.
Kitbashing Tools : This video demonstrates the Kitbashing Tools in 3D Coat, which allow for fast and efficient storage or retrieval of Voxel Layer content or standard OBJ format files. 3DCoat creates thumbnail images for each and displays them within a dockable pallet for easy access.