AbnRanger

Try deleting your options.xml file (in "My Documents" > 3D Coat), restarting 3DC and import another model, and see if you're still experiencing the same problem. What build are you using and what OS?

Yeah....Mental Ray has been a built-in production render for Max, Maya, and Softimage for a long time now, and if that individual hasn't seen anything like that, then he's obviously not looking or doesn't know how to properly use those renderers he claims he does. Mental Ray and VRay have seen a hell of a lot more film production than LW. That's not to say that LW's rendering is poor...just that it's hard to question Mental Ray and VRay's credentials. What's more is that iRay is now a built-in interactive renderer, that is a subset of Mental Ray, and can use multiple CUDA cards

Phil...that's where the bulk of piracy comes from. Students. The point stands intact. Software is a business expense for business persons. If you have $3k in taxes, you can deduct all of it with a software purchase like Max. With Lightwave, you can deduct $895...and then hand the rest of it to Uncle Sam. What's the difference, Phil? Please, spell it out for us. For artists/studio heads WHO ARE MAKING MONEY FROM THE SOFTWARE, the net expenditure is the same. Uncle Sam is essentially picking up the tab for the difference. What's more is that in order to have the same level of tools, you have to blow a wad of cash on plugins to make up the difference. Plugins for Character Animation. Plugins for modeling tools. Plugins for Instances. Plugins for Hair, etc. And just what are you implying with "Renders like this OUT OF THE BOX..."...? You're saying that Mental Ray can't render that?

The point being, Phil...is that LW is no longer the budget option in my opinion, when you take these facts into account. Most of the users, where price is an issue, would be students, recent students or freelance artists. In each case, there isn't a huge price gap. Whether you deduct $895 from your taxes or $3k, the difference is...Uncle Sam gets to keep the...difference. As for the cost of the EDU licenses, well...I paid about $600 for Max 7 back then, but now it's gotten to where students can get 3yr licenses from Autodesk free. If you want a perpetual license, that is about $340 for the whole Creation Suite (includes Max, Maya, Softimage, Mudbox, MotionBuilder, MatchMover...and the Maya and Max versions have the new Composite...formerly the $3500 Toxik). http://www.studica.com/us/en/Autodesk/autodesk_education_suite_for_entertainment_creation_2011.html So, it's a good deal anyway you look at it.

Not trying to rain of LW's parade, but I just wanted to mention....for what it's worth...that 3ds Max and Maya both are actually in the same price range as LW...for students. There is an EDU to Commercial license upgrade for roughly $1200. Not a lot of people actually know about it and I'm sure AD wants to keep it fairly hush, but it's there. Go to any major CG software reseller, and you can find the upgrade there. It has been available for Max for years now, but Maya has since been added. Softimage too. http://www.motionmedia.com/Autodesk-Academic-to-Commercial-Upgrades-s/82.htm The reason I bring this up is that it's not actually as wide of a price gap as it's often made out to be. And for Freelancers or very small studios...it's a business expense that is completely tax deductible, so the net expenditure isn't a wide gap either. The same goes for the pricey plugins for Max. You can often times buy the edu license, while a student, and thereafter when you are ready to go commercial, the developers will usually allow you to simply pay the regular upgrade price, instead of having to buy the commercial license. That's what I did, and most of them are very generous in that respect. On a similar note, I wonder how Andrew will handle EDU > Commercial upgrades going forward. I bought the commercial when v3 was first released, but when addressing students on 3DC's pricing policy, I don't know what to say in that regard.

The group that is retopo'ing their model, started in Voxels, obviously, Michalis. The other group started in Maya and are not doing any Retopo work, but UV's and Texture Painting.Really nice job on the speeder.

You have the 30 Day trial (no limitations), and you can keep downloading the latest updates during that time. If you want to use 3D Coat for Painting, and already know Photoshop, you should be right at home and can just jump right in without any real learning curve...as it is intended to make the UI very familiar (to PS users). Just import model> select the brush or airbrush tool and the type of brush you want (just like you can in PS...in fact you can click the folder in the brush pallet and point to all your PS brushes or bring them in individually) > pick a color or material and start painting (the first layer is already setup and waiting for you). You add layers exactly as you would in PS (little New Layer icon at the bottom of the Layer Panel). Every layer has 3 separate channels working at any given time and you have controls on the top. You can toggle those on or off at any point in time (the colored dots at the top of the UI), using all or any combination. In Mudbox (not sure about ZB), you can only paint these channels on one layer, at a time (one layer diffuse, another specular, another depth, etc). You also have a full range of layer blending modes (Mudbox only has a few). With Disney's PTex (implemented this past year), 3DC is still the only commercial application to offer the full range of features and will output as a simple UV map + textures or the option to export in Ptext format. You don't have to do UV's anymore if you don't want...and it helps eliminate seams. It's essentially an elegant Auto-UV feature. When you want more resolution in a given area, you can click the PTex icon, paint-select the area and then click "Increase Resolution" and it scales those polygons up automatically in the 0-1 UV texture space. Honestly, the UV tools in 3DC are so fast and so good, I haven't taken the opportunity to use Ptex (just some tests). I don't even do UV's in 3ds Max anymore. I always send my models to 3DC, unless it's just a primitive shape. The UV tools are absolutely top shelf. The painting in 3D Coat is arguably the best in the business. The brush speed and feel have recently been taken to a whole different level, and the thing that sets it apart is the fact that you have Image-Based Sculpting built-into the Paint Toolset. Microvertex painting does live displacement map painting, whereas Per Pixel Paint (and Ptex) uses live Normal Map painting (both work through the Depth channel). The Retopology tools are the best in the industry and with Voxel Sculpting...I personally think it has recently reached the same level as Mudbox and ZBrush. I bought a seat of Mudbox a while back, but practically never use it, simply because I like Voxel sculpting better. At the time there were a few major bottlenecks in voxel sculpting, but those have been recently addressed. Of all the tools in 3DC, I think Voxels is the one that will take a little while to get comfortable with. It's definitely worth the price of admission, and I honestly think if you take time to learn it, it will easily become one of your favorite applications.

Pretty cool...thanks for sharing.

Looking good

Bon Apetite, friend.

Really....I'm imagining things, aye? Not qualified, aye? Do you want to put some money behind that statement? What I said is, that if you go to the Pixologic forums, there was a LOT of flak from MAC users prior to ZB 4 being released. The point being (as you well know) that the "grass is not always so green on the other side of the fence." The issue with support for MAC OS's isn't unique to 3DC. That is a FACT. This thread started by an individual taking personal shots at Andrew for not giving him his "money's worth" regarding the MAC version. In the process of defending Andrew's post, I pointed out that there are very legit reasons why (the MAC version of 3DC is behind to some degree). I asked them about a 64bit MAC version, during Siggraph...on behalf of guys like yourself. I hope you have the same level of support as Win or Linux. I don't think anyone here wants to see it any different...so stop trying to throw the FLAME WAR card with every drop of a hat. from ZBrush Central: http://www.zbrushcentral.com/showthread.php?t=77864&page=36&pp=15 Now, Michalis...want some ketchup to go with that shoe leather?

You guys take any criticism of the MAC platform so darn personal. Why? Again, I don't have Microsoft hardwired to my psyche. It doesn't hurt my feelings to hear someone mention an obvious fault of Windows. How is it a flame war to simply make an observation that is obvious. It's not Andrew's fault, nor other developers, who go through the same troubles, that Apple switched gears rather abruptly with their OS's, among other pitfalls they experience. It's much like CUDA vs OpenCL. It's not flaming to point out that CUDA is far more mature than OpenCL and that is one major reason developers are currently ignoring it. You may not like to hear it, but that is just the reality of it. Pointing out that it makes sense for developers to stick with CUDA...CURRENTLY...doesn't make one an NVidia fanboy and an ATI hater. It's the same with the MAC and 3DC...you guys start crying foul at the first remotely negative thing mentioned about your platform...even if it is the absolute truth. Why are you so insecure? The whole point in having the FLEXIBILITY to use BOTH Windows and MAC OS's on the same machine was/is touted as a major advantage. I agree, that is nice...to have that flexibility...so, why not USE IT? I really don't understand. If I needed/wanted to use FinalCut, and PC's had a Bootcamp thingy available, guess what....I'm using it. So, if the MAC version of ZBrush is lagging behind, or 3DC, or whatever....WHY DON'T YOU SIMPLY USE WHAT IS AT YOUR DISPOSAL? If I knew for a certainty that 3DC runs considerably faster on Linux...guess what? I'm going to install a Linux OS, and run 3DC on it. Andrew had expressed recently just how frustrating it was trying to support MAC OS's when...yes, Steve Jobs, made life hell for developers. Those are his words...and yet you guys know more than he does, aye? Michalis, who are you talking to about ZBrush? You aren't qualified to dictate what I can and cannot say? I know full well how much flak Pixologic caught prior to ZB 4 release, for their version seemingly lying in limbo while the PC version got all the updates. Do you need me to link you to all the forum posts there or on CGTalk and elsewhere?

...and the triangular mesh that surrounds it is akin to shrink wrap on Bay's voxel pallet.

Outside of Windows pesky UAC (easily disabled), I like it just fine, so you can rant all you want to about Microsoft. Doesn't hurt my feelings one bit. I don't have fanboy loyalties to PC's, NVidia, ATI, AMD or Intel...or whatever. I just care about what's best for my particular needs. Getting software upgrades the instant they are available and having the ability to build my own PC's inexpensively (generally half what a MAC costs)...is what matters to me. Expecting the same level of support for MAC's that is available for PC's, is idealistic...just not realistic...for 80-90% of the software out there. Again, you're insulting Andrew because you think there is a double standard...indeed, there is. Good morning, Sunshine! Glad you could join us. You have your beloved Steve Jobs to thank for that, not Andrew. And as for getting things fixed...you came here to throw a fit in public, instead of trying to get a solution. Like Andrew said, he has to alternate between bugfixes and features. He works his tail off (to find a healthy balance) doing so. In fact, as I stated before, you would have gotten much further to getting the issues addressed if you had simply come here or e-mailed support directly, and said calmly and tactfully..."Here is the problem I'm having..." If you did indeed purchase a license, you got an e-mail that stated clearly "if you have any concerns or issues please feel free to e-mail support at support@3d-coat.com" Why did you decide to ignore that and instead come here to throw a fit? I appreciate his interaction with the userbase and all his hard work, so when you come here insulting and giving him a hard time, you're stepping on a lot more toes than his...to put it mildly.

I had an issue recently on my laptop, where all the brush alpha's were nearly identical...unlike the standard brushes you point out there. I deleted the options.xml file (in MY DOCUMENTS> 3D-CoatV3) and re-installed the latest version of 3DC, and it took care of the problem. Is that roughly what you're experiencing?

I say "VOLUME" mode just to clarify the difference between what it is/does compared to Surface mode. If I say "Voxel" mode, that can be quite confusing to many (newer users may think..."Wait a minute, I thought I was sculpting with Voxels"), and I personally think the distinction is warranted.

That's an assumption. The reality is that there are likely many of those same pollsters who have MAC's somewhere in the pipeline (perhaps for Maya seats, FinalCut, Smoke for MAC, etc.), or have MACbook Pro laptops of their own...I'm sure Ken Pimentel (Product Manager over 3ds Max) would like to tap into the MAC market as well...but there are likely no cost/benefit justifications for doing so. I'd almost be willing to bet that Andrew has taken a net loss on MAC support...too little incoming resources vs. development hours/resources expended. So, when you get all bent out of shape about not getting your money's worth...step into Andrew's shoes for a moment and think how you'd feel if you were burning considerably more time in supporting one OS for a tiny fraction of the return on investment. It's not his fault Apple has made things so difficult for developers like himself. Even with all that in mind, he busts his tail trying to do so anyway. What gets me is all the boasting about how MAC's can run Windows as well (bootcamp)...but then you have guys like yourself unwilling to use what is at your disposal. If I knew the MAC versions were well behind in certain applications I use every day, you better believe I'm bootcamping. I think a good compromise may be, until a 64bit MAC version comes out and it can be stabilized, for Andrew to offer a dual license to MAC customers for no extra charge. I understand how tough it is for him on the development side, but I also think offering them the ability to use Linux or Win at no extra charge is a reasonable gesture for the time being. I'm sure you meant "MAC's" suck, right. Sounds the same...easy mistake to make, cause Max ROCKS, baby!

Good catch. On the large brush radius issue, I think what is happening is that Andrew added some sort of "Auto-Merge" routine this summer that merges (not sure if it switches to Surface mode temporarily with mouse down, and merges back to Volume on mouse up?) immediately after every stroke, once you've gone past a specified brush radius. I usually get a split second flash screen and progress bar. That's probably hanging somewhere in that process. I wish that could get revisted to make it easier to use larger radius' in Volume mode, without such a penalty. I can't even see what I'm doing with the screen flashing with every stroke...so I just take it as a warning bell and instead switch to Surface mode or cache the layer to use the large radius.

Getting back to what Artman was saying in regards to the "Inflate" tool. The way it works in ZBrush (and Mudbox) is that it extrudes each vertex along it's own normal...right now, it seems to extrude along the surface normal. http://www.pixologic.com/docs/index.php/Inflate_Brush "Inflate: In contrast to the Std brush, which pulls or pushes geometry along the normal of the surface under the center of the brush, Inflat expands geometry by pushing vertices along their own normals. This can be particularly important when you are doing sculpts that displace the surface a large amount with just one or two strokes."

Yeah...this is one of the reasons I feel like the card companies rip off their customers with these workstation cards. The addition value the driver support and few minor additional features may provide just don't make sense under a cost/benefit comparison. 6-12 months later, and those minor "extras" you paid for, are obsolete when compared to a newer generation consumer card. On the whole workstation cards are slower than their consumer card variant.What's more is, you can buy a consumer card that is one model lower than the top and comfortably overclock it to perform as well or better than the top model, and save a few hundred $$$ in the process. You just need to make sure you buy one that has an aftermarket cooler from the factory. These cards are MADE to overclock (they come with a software utility to make it easy for even a novice to do so, and some come factory overclocked, such as the models below)...they have higher yield GPU's and memory than the stock models, and you can often find them to be about the same price. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127513 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=14-125-338&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=10&PurchaseMark=&SelectedRating=-1&VideoOnlyMark=False&VendorMark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Page=2#scrollFullInfo ...just my $.02 worth

Would it be too much trouble for you to clear each layer and start fresh, cause I have had some very rare occurrences where one of those Points and Faces points was hanging out in space or hidden, or just a mysterious hidden vert or something....which exhibited the very same behavior you're describing. After nuking everything (clearing), it was back to normal.

What are they saying to you? ...And how does that make you feel (<what a Psychologist would say)?

It really sounds like your graphic card is struggling with the mesh re-draw at that resolution. Have you considered upgrading your card recently? The rest or your hardware certainly is more than adequate. I have a 275 GTX and never seem to have any trouble moving about in the viewport...even if the polycount is so high that I start to run out of memory. I think you'd be thrilled with a 470 GTX (your card has 64 cores...a 470 has 448 I believe, and that makes a big difference with CUDA in voxel sculpting)? I've recently seen Mudbox choke on a FX1700, as soon as you try to paint or sculpt...so, that may well indicate it's not just 3DC. Can you show a screen grab of the UI when this happens?

I apologize for addressing the wrong person...it was the OP I thought I was talking to. In a hurry I guess. Well...as for the platform issue. I can understand you pay for something and you EXPECT to get equal support...however, that's a false premise. Obviously, there is something with MAC OS's that have been giving developers fits. Now, should they hold up progress on other platforms just because MAC OS issues are 10 times the headache? The problem isn't unique to 3D Coat...just go over to Pixologic's forums and read through all the flak from MAC users there. Just look at 3ds Max, it outsells Maya and Softimage combined, yet they year after year take a pass on creating a version for MAC's. There was a recent poll taken at the Area, where the question was raised whether they should, and I believe overwhelmingly the answer was NO. You can remain in denial all you want...but developing software for a MAC must be major a pain in the bum. Andrew said nearly as much not too long ago, and didn't mince words. Something like "Steve Jobs making developer's lives a living hell" or something to that effect. So, you know more about programming than Andrew, do you? Why then aren't you developing your own then? Have you ever had a paying project that ended up being way more trouble than it was worth? Would you like to be a developer having to do 3 times more work for a tiny fraction of the return you get elsewhere? If it were me, I would drop MAC support...until I could justify the costs involved on my behalf, or Apple made my life a lot easier trying. I'm just a guy on the outside looking in and making an observation...and quite frankly every time I hear... "Is the MAC version ready yet?" or "When will a MAC version be available?" ....I'm glad I went with that pudgy, geeky Windows/PC guy...he's got the goodies, while the cool, suave MAC guy has....to wait. That's not a flame; that's just reality speaking.

Can you use a video screen capture (Jing is free and let's you upload the video to their server) to better illustrate the problem. It helps to see precisely what is taking place and if it is indeed a bug or if it's a setting that needs adjusting. In this case, it sounds like it may be a bug...but screen grabs always help