AbnRanger

Yeah, UV Editing/Painting in a UDIM layout (2D Texture Editor) is not currently available in 3DCoat and it is something I hope Andrew adds soon. However, it's not a huge deal in 3DCoat. I liken 3DCoat's UV Sets to having UVs arranged in a vertical stack, and UDIMS laid/spread out in a horizontal alignment. You can create UV sets in 3DCoat and choose the EXPORT UV SETS AS TILES in the export dialog, to have them show up in UDIM layout in Blender.

It may not be exactly what you are hoping for, but there are snapping options at the top of the UI, in a drop list (just to the right of Auto Snap and visible when Auto Snap is enabled), for "snapping to nearest/along normal/outer surface." One dirty little trick I use, when something hasn't snapped properly, is to turn Auto-Snap off (temporarily) > select the problem vertices (via the SELECT tool in Vertex mode) > RMB click and choose RELAX. You may need to click RELAX a few times to get a good result, but it works pretty efficiently for me.

This is the case with virtually any paid software, where (during the Maintenance period) you get to use the last available update (perpetually, on a perpetual license) before the period expires. Just yesterday, I upgraded Camtasia from 2020 to 2022. It comes with a year of "maintenance" and I know upfront that it will not get any free updates or upgrades past Sept 12 2023. Why would your experience change for the worse? You received exactly what you paid for, right?

What I would try to do is save a Neutral pose of your character, in both the Retopo Workspace (Low Poly baking target/retopo mesh) and in the Sculpt Workspace (Surface mode). Then, for every Morph Target/Shape Key create a new duplicate (in both workspaces). I will try to record a video showing these steps, soon.

There is no reason to argue, here. I am not a newby. I know what 3DCoat can and cannot do, as I have been using it for about 15yrs. I am simply explaining how CONFORM RETOPO works. If you want to have the Retopo Mesh hidden, you can send a request to support@pilgway.com to request an option for the user to hide it, but currently it is shown because some user requested it to be that way. There is no need to take offense. I am simply telling you how it works. After some testing, it doesn't seem to work as well as it once did, and there are certainly a few things Andrew needs to take a look at. As I was saying with GBBall, there already is some crude TurboSmooth functionality in the Retopo/Modeling workspace, called LIVESMOOTH. It's in the MESH menu, and it will make the edits to the Retopo mesh reflect in the Sculpt workspace...a reverse effect of CONFORM RETOPO, effectively. Maybe Andrew can use that as a basis for Subdivision level quad sculpting, because I can now see that it could be beneficial, if it works well. Conform Retopo needs some work, because just simple sculpting brush edits make the Retopo mesh noisey. It should not behave this way. The way Conform Retopo works is that 3DCoat waits for the user to release pressure from their stylus and then it tries to snap the retopo mesh. I think that needs to change. It needs to be simultaneous, so there is no pause at the end of a stroke or edit. 3DCoat can make large edits with the Move tool, easily, on a Model with 10 mill polys or less, but the performance lag is that secondary calculation (snapping the Retopo mesh to the Sculpt mesh). I will ask Andrew to look into this thread and see what he can do.

No, you do not need to reduce the proxy mesh that low. And no, it will not "destroy everything else" if you step down in resolution just one or two levels. I have been using 3DCoat since it's earliest days. I know how these things work. You absolutely do not need to reduce the Proxy resolution that much unless you simply want to leave the object visible in the scene. The resolution does NOT have to match the poly count of the original low poly base mesh. Perhaps that is what you were used to in another app, but that is not necessary in 3DCoat. 3DCoat's Multi-Res workflow most certainly does solve problems ZBrush has. For one thing, if you try to use Dynamesh or Sculptris Pro with SubD levels and/or Sculpt layers, you lose them. Period. In 3DCoat, you NEVER, EVER have to worry about losing SubD levels, because this approach will take your model however it is, at any point in time, and allow you to step down to a lower resolution level to work, yet without having to lose any detail (3DCOAT keeps the small details from the original Sculpt Tree layer, when the user uncaches/restores it). It's simply a different approach to the same task, and it has absolutely has it's own unique benefits. The other problem it solves is booleans. 3DCoat will allow the user to work with Sculpt Layers and keep them intact, if they should decide at some point to perform a boolean operation (maybe adding some horns or scales, from the SCULPT MODELS or SPLINES pallet, as an example). This is simply not possible in ZBrush. Creating some sculpt layers or morphs in ZBrush and you suddenly decide you want to dynamically add some resolution (via Sculptris Pro) in a certain area, like the face region for example? You can't. Not without breaking/losing your Sculpt Layers and SubD levels. As I said, 3DCoat solves issues like this, and it will even create a new Sculpt Layer for the user, containing the edits made to the proxy, when they uncache the Sculpt Tree layer. As for hiding the Retopo Mesh, when using CONFORM RETOPO....it won't work if you hide it. This is not a bug. It's visible so the user can see both being transformed simultaneously. You may not prefer this approach, but that doesn't make it inferior to ZBrush's way of handling things. I just personally think 3DCoat's solution is more convenient (I was the one who requested of Andrew to add the CONFORM RETOPO feature)...because you can literally bring in a low poly base mesh (with the intention of baking all the details onto it, after all the sculpting work is done), with UV's already done, and never have to worry about losing it, even after working with remeshing tools like Dynamesh and/or Sculptris Pro. The edits you showed in ZBrush, you can easily do on the same model in 3DCoat, even if it has 10 million polys...without breaking a sweat. Just try it. Try making the same edits without a lower res proxy and try it with a proxy reduced/decimated just one level. You might be surprised how well it works.

To be honest, I would suggest using a much smoother version (lower resolution duplicate of the voxel object) of any Sculpt object that has a lot of sculpting details. The reason is, those tiny little bumps and cracks make the Autopo algorithm think it has to create a lot of extra geometry, when you normally want it to be relatively simple topology and not so cluttered (normal/displacement maps can recreate those details in the low poly baking target). Granted, those holes are a concern, but I find they rarely occur. If they are not so rare for you, please notify support@pilgway.com so Andrew can resolve it.

The default Clay Engine brushes use a default alpha, so check USE CURRENT ALPHA to enable usage of different custom brush alphas. You can find this option at the bottom of the MODIFIERS section of the Tool Panel

We can have differing opinions about the application without being offended. I certainly respect yours, Anton's and others, but I also still think 3DCoat's approach doesn't quite get the credit it deserves. It solves some of the problems Zbrush still has. I am personally concerned that it could overcomplicate things by adding yet a third type of sculpting mesh and expect all 3 to work together well. But, I am open to changes if they can help. "In 3D Coat the blocking out stage in voxels and surface sculpts is very good. But once you retopo or autotopo, it becomes cumbersome to make sculpt-like wholesale changes to the mesh because you're using the modeling or retopo room tools...further, there is only a one way linkage between the high poly sculpt and the optimized retopo mesh and it works from Sculpt -> Retopo mesh. In my opinion, being able to control high poly sculpts with low poly geometry is more valuable...and if you think about it, the main selling point of a sculpting application...being able to move millions of polygons with a brush stroke or using a move tool. Wouldn't it be incredibly useful to manipulate a sculpt mesh by moving a single low poly face, edge or vertex? Or even better dictating an edge loop and extrusion to create a ridge where you want it? This workflow doesn't currently exist because changes I make to a retopo mesh have zero bearing on what happens to the sculpt." 3DCoat already has the ability to modify the Retopo/Modeling mesh and have the changes reflected in the Sculpt mesh, on the fly. It's called "Live Smooth." It's sort of like CONFORM RETOPO MESH, but in reverse. Currently, I don't think there is a way to link Live Smooth with an already existing Sculpt object (only one that gets created), but surely that can be enabled by Alexander. I would like to see Andrew bring the Soft Selection tools from the old TWEAK room, into the RETOPO/MODELING rooms, because that is a MUST HAVE for any serious poly-modeling toolset. Once that is done, He could conceivably add the ability to conform in either direction + add SubD levels to the Retopo/Model and enable Sculpting tools to work with them, much the same way the Surface brushes work in Voxel mode.

An additional note that is worth remembering is, you virtually NEVER need to decimate or reduce your model to such extremes. 3DCoat can easily handle the task you were doing (tweaking proportions with the MOVE tool) without needing to step down to a lower resolution level...unless you are working on a super dense mesh of 20 million polygons or more. Even then, you only need to step down one or two levels...not 8 or 10. Those extreme levels of reduction and decimation are generally for saving the maximum amount of memory and GPU usage. It's helpful when you are building a big scene, and want to use proxies to populate the scene while being light on the system as you work. I will record something soon to show what I mean.

Sorry for the delay in answering...was on vacation. Here is my reply to the issues you have with how 3DCoat handles things, currently... 1) When you send a copy of the Retopo Mesh to the Sculpt room, you have better options than what you tried in the videos. I think that is the source of your frustration. You could (in the Sculpt Room) try the IMPORT tool in the OBJECTS section of the Tool Panel. Click the PICK FROM RETOPO button > click SUBDIVIDE button as many times as is needed to get a decent base level of resolution for sculpting. Once you commit the object to a Sculpt Tree layer (hitting the ENTER key or APPLY button), you can either try to start sculpting from the mesh, like it is (it will have the same topology as the Retopo mesh, but with triangles). This may not always give good results, when trying to sculpt in 3DCoat. So, the best thing to do would perhaps be to hit the ENTER key, straight away (assuming the layer is in Surface mode. This is the equivalent to using Dynamesh in ZBrush. It creates a very evenly spaced polygonal mesh, which usually works best in most sculpting situations, in 3DCoat....at least until you are working in the advanced/detail stages. 2) You do not need to work from a "Horrible Decimated Base Mesh"...ever. This is not a good example to use. There is never a need to decimate the model as low as you have it, in order to perform such operations as using the POSE, TRANSFORM or MOVE tool. 3) In your 2nd video, you hid the Retopo Mesh, and therefore it did not conform it to the Sculpt mesh. This is not a problem with the Software. This is not having a full understanding of the toolset, or a simple mistake (forgot to unhide the "Polygroups/Retopo mesh"?).

You can remesh at any time by hitting the ENTER key, or you could RMB the Sculpt Tree layer > Auto Retopo. Once you have an acceptable Retopo mesh you can go to the Sculpt Room > GEOMETRY menu > Retopo Mesh to Sculpt Mesh.

Good catch. It seems most of the Legacy voxel tools/brushes are missing this option.

Can you RMB click the tool button and choose RESTORE DEFAULT?

One already exists. It is the Curves tool, at the top of the CURVES section of the Tool Panel (Sculpt Room).

Decimate is the better option for thin meshes, and if it is "janky," try using less decimation (if the original model is 1 mill polys, try 250-500k rather than 50k).

True. I always felt (since ZB 4) that ZBrush artists might stick with a SubD workflow initially, but then use Dynamesh and Sculptris Pro at later stages...much like many 3DCoat users might use Voxels initially, but then switch to Surface mode and use the dynamic Subdivision functionality. It is not my intention to step on any toes. I just think Andrew has already tried to address the needs discussed here, but using a different approach. I would be curious to see a workflow in ZBrush that allows users to keep their SubD levels intact and keep their original mesh with UV's still intact, after using tools like Dynamesh, Sculptris Pro and ZRemesher. I like 3DCoat's way of handling things, better, but I am open to be persuaded otherwise, if someone is willing to show me.

You can't? Would you please screen record an example of what you mean...after first watching the following videos?

I understand this rationale, but I have a few points to submit for consideration... 1) The ability to import a base low poly mesh, with UV's left intact, already exists in 3DCoat. 3DCoat just separates this into a separate workspace (Retopo). Yes, it is implemented in a much different way than ZBrush and Mudbox, but it actually works and quite well in my opinion. I find 3DCoat's approach to be a LOT less hassle and it seems much more efficient than ZBrush's. 2) SubD levels/Sculpt Layers/Morphs in ZBrush ALWAYS get nixed when artists use Dynamesh and/or Sculptris Pro. 3DCoat doesn't make users jump through so many hoops and it doesn't break Sculpt Layers when dynamic subdivision is applied to a model, or booleans. In these kinds of conversations, perceived weaknesses of 3DCoat's SubD/Multi-Res implementation are often mentioned without acknowledging the benefits it actually offers....benefits that nobody else does (offer). The frequent breaking of ZB Sculpt Layers and SubD levels never gets mentioned. Yes, I understand that stepping down to a lower res proxy (especially Decimation) in 3DCoat can take longer than stepping down to a lower SubD level in ZBrush, but in my opinion that is a very small price to pay in return for the other unique benefits it brings to the table, especially when you consider 3DCoat will add changes made to a proxy to a new Sculpt Layer. That is pretty freaking amazing...but nobody ever mentions these things. Anton, could you perhaps record an example of the SubD workflow you want to see implemented in 3DCoat, using ZBrush...including regular usage of Dynamesh, Sculptris Pro, Sculpt Layers, Morphs and ZRemesher in the process, while keeping your original low poly SubD, UV'ed mesh intact after all the subsequent edits? I can thereafter, record a video showing how I would try to currently handle this workflow in 3DCoat, and maybe offer Andrew some ideas in the process? Sound reasonable? I would beg to differ. Can you please record an example of a simple edit taking a lot of tweaking to the base (Retopo) mesh? I am the one who requested CONFORM RETOPO meshes from Andrew, to alleviate the issues mentioned in this thread. Including CONFORM RETOPO usage with Brushes. It has always worked well for me.

You are very welcome. I hope all goes well in your workflow.

If you created a model in the Modeling room, just go to the BAKE Menu and choose which option is best suited for you. This will send a copy of the visible mesh(es) to the Paint Workspace. But first, you need to decide what you want to do about UV's. Do you want to AUTO-UV during the baking process? That is the default option if you have not created any UV's in the Modeling workspace (it has a set of UV tools that are identical to those in the UV room...which is specifically for Paint Room objects). If you have created UV's in the Modeling workspace, then KEEP UV's will be the default option in the BAKING (Import) dialog. Once the baking is done, your new Paint Object is waiting in the Paint Workspace, ready for you to proceed with texture painting.

Yes, but a user can opt to have 3DCoat create a shell, during import. This would give it a specified degree of thickness, to overcome this problem.

Yeah, I would definitely try to import it into the Sculpt room as a Voxel Object, first, to do all of the worst parts of a scan cleanup. Then, the FILL tool could be used to quickly fill all those holes.

You are very welcome. I think many people underestimate 3DCoat's ability to handle extreme levels of detail when sculpting, and they also overlook the fact that once the high poly mesh/Voxel details is baked to a Retopo mesh, they can use the Paint tools in the paint room, to add insane levels of normal/displacement map via the DEPTH channel. This would be one of 3DCoat's answers to ZBrush's HD Geometry. The Rhino models (done by Flavio Rygaard) in the recent promo videos show how crazy the polycounts can get in the Sculpt Room (Surface mode), if the user has a fairly robust system (if your system can play modern video games very well, it will likely perform very well in 3DCoat. 64 GB+ RAM and perhaps a GTX 1070 or better, would be recommended for really large scenes). As for Subdivisions, 3DCoat has it's own way of handling SubD levels. It's not the same, but it is more flexible and forgiving and can be used at any time. Dynamesh and Sculptris Pro will break SubD levels, but 3DCoat doesn't care what you do to a mesh...you can ALWAYS step down to a lower resolution level and have the work done at that level transferred back to the original level. Regarding Poly Groups, there is some level of equivalency in 3DCoat. For example, with the Pose tool, you can select any part of an object and create "PolyGroup" selections. 3DCoat's MASKING tool, in the Sculpt Workspace, is called the FREEZE tool. You can save it and reload a selection at any point, but you can also convert a freeze selection to a Pose Tool Selection and Polygroup selection (stored in a paint layer). You can see this at work in the above video.

These are all some videos that show a few of the features mentioned, plus Smart Retopo