Shawn Driscoll

Ok. That's what I thought would be needed. Thank you.

I have lots of planet textures in Mercator projection format.

Ok. Will try that. So smart material will always be the go-to tab now for doing this? There is no regular material tab anymore?

In the old days, I'd load a color photo across my screen and start painting the photo as a material onto my model's surface. How is this now done in version 4.8? The YouTube videos are from 2010 when 3D-Coat was another program practically.

Yep. We are everywhere!

It looks way too complex to export an object after selecting an app format. I just say OBJ, and give me my texture maps is all (in PNG), when exporting. When I import the OBJ into something else, the texture maps get applied as well. Once in awhile, I end up with texture maps I don't really need. Or the app didn't know where to apply them to. Just takes a few clicks to bring those texture maps in for their channels. The main thing is OBJ. 3D-Coat's OBJ import/export is solid. But if you're doing any rigging, or using something like GoZ, never mind all that I said.

Also, freezing still allows some paint-over to get through. That needs fixing, or needs better default settings. Freeze should stop 100% bleed-through of any paint-over.

Modeled in Hexagon 1.21 and Carrara 5.1 Pro. UV-mapped, and being painted in 3D-Coat 4.7.32.

Yep. Good practice is to do all your UV map set updating in the UV room, and canceling when asked about it in the Paint room. I like that 4.7.32 has the Update UV map set button highlighted now. That helps to see it as a reminder.

I can't duplicate your result. Which lightmap are you using for your 3D-Coat?

3D-Coat needs to disable Glossiness controls while in metal metalness material mode. Too much bleed-over when selecting 3D-Coat materials to paint with, causing user to keep an eye on Glossiness settings toggling on their own. Maybe something to add in version 5.0.

What is the best practice for using the Freeze Tool so that NOTHING can be painted over where you just freezed?

Does this app work with 3D-Coat 4.7? I have both modo 501 and 601 installed on my Windows 10 machine.

Flat Shade?! You mean downgrade my graphics quality while painting? I'll never do that. Anyway. I found the bug. 3D-Coat treats Glossiness Intensity two different ways: A Glossiness Intensity of 0% is not the same thing as a disabled Glossiness Intensity (according to 3D-Coat's programming), as far as painting a basic paint color over a smart material color. In other words, disabling Glossiness Intensity breaks 3D-Coat's ability to completely paint over existing paint with 100% coverage. Maybe this has to do with Glossiness belonging more to diffuse material than to metal material? 3D-Coat needs a warning displayed to let users know the consequences of turning on/off Glossiness when smart materials are detected in an object's paint layers.

Ok. I only work with OBJ file format between apps. No issues with scale changes.