Shawn Driscoll

Why?

I thought I'd import the 3D-Coat normal map into my Carrara 5 to see what it would do with it. The Deeper plugin didn't like the map all that much (lost all my phoung shading for the model). The Baker plugin, though, has about 7 options to tick for normal maps. I had to flip it first (aka invert, not mirror flip). Then I had to tell Carrara that it was a Relative Tangential Map, whatever that is. And the normal map looks perfect on my fighter jet from all viewing angles and lighting direction. Basically, the normal map is just metal plating with rivets that I painted in 3D-Coat using per-pixel texture mode. Anyway, Vue doesn't have any option settings to tick for imported normal map textures. I tried the Max, Blender, Maya, B & T, T & B settings in 3D-Coat and nothing looked better in Vue. 3D-Coat's Normalize setting, though, I'm not sure of what that is. Vue has a normalize also, but no way of driving it with a normal map image.

Vue broke their BUMP MAP when they introduced NORMAL MAP. They have since fixed BUMP MAP in Vue 9.5, but the NORMAL MAP is still being messed with in each Vue version. Normals work on Vue planes, just not on Vue cubes/spheres very well. I may have to bake with modo and see if Vue understands normal mapping better.

I have the same problem in Vue 10 Infinite. And it doesn't look like normals can be changed inside of vue, like they can in modo if I have a problem with imported normal maps from 3D-Coat.

I need him to fix a file for me.

Who is the webmaster for this site? The person that manages the online files?

I'll try downloading again. Last time, the F file was only renamed to the H file. But it was still the F file installer. ADDED: Still not fixed. Download link points to 3.7.18H which is just a 3.7.18F installer renamed to 3.7.18H. Both F and "H" are the same file size. I sent Andrew a PM just now.

Since I won't be upgrading to V4, I don't see a reason to use the beta for it.

Have the links been fixed for downloading 3.7.18H? Or do they still download 3.7.18F?

The BREAK command in Silo 2.2 creates two objects from one. Each object has its own name. But they both retain UV map information. So I figured, "Hey, doesn't Hexagon 1.21 have that same feature?" So I loaded my model in it and used the Face Extraction tool. It did the same thing. Split one model into two and each model keeps its UV info. No vertex re-ordering, or UV map scrambling. So I am good with that. What's really cool is how I can then import the broken model into 3D-Coat and do an off-the-cuff auto-UV mapping and my painted textures are still in their right place using all new UVs. ADDED: I did the same thing in modo 401, using the "Create null mesh, then cut/copy/paste piece of model into null mesh, then drag mesh to texture mapping folder (and/or assign existing UV'd material to dragged mesh)" method. Painful. Modeling in modo is like driving a car where you have to enable your turn signal first before the steering wheel will unlock and be able to turn only in the direction of the turn signal you enabled. It too creates more than one model when the split is done. And it keeps the UVs intact.

If I can get the mesh broken up, I won't need to use the model in 3D-Coat again after that. The model will be in pieces anyway, so it won't matter if the poly edges of the pieces don't smooth just right. I'm going to download Hexagon 2.5 whatever from DAZ now. I'm not a fan of the program, but if it works.... Anyone know if Silo 2.2 does the disassociate thing? ADDED: I just found Silo's BREAK feature. So maybe I don't need to fuss with buggy Hexagon 2.5. I just need to keep in mind that the models I break up need to stay as one object as far as my rendering app is concerned.

Clever. I forgot about that tool. Does 3D-Coat have such a tool? So the mesh is still one object. Just in parts. That may work. I was thinking I'd end up with three objects. modo 401 was not being friendly with OBJ exporting for me. I love how 3D-Coat lets you export an OBJ with texture maps, and then turn around and let you import the OBJ and it scoops up all the texture maps that come with it. modo only semi-imports texture maps with OBJ models, and doesn't export texture maps at all with new OBJ exports. Its MTL file is blank for all practical purposes.

I'm understanding some of this. I'm visualizing that I'm watching a YouTube video of the process so I know what I'm doing.

Just letting you know that the link to the Windows 32-bit non-CUDA download still points to version 3.7.18F. Not 3.7.18H.

So if I had a simple egg mesh that was already painted in some easter egg coloring, I would not be able to import it into 3D-Coat 3.7.18 (latest beta) and divide the mesh into a few parts (say the egg broke or something) and have each one retain a part of the UV mapping so they don't lose their textures? I'm still learning 3D-Coat in this area. I supposed I could learn how modo would handle it. I only use modo for rendering. Not for any UV mapping or texturing.

Old ones. Silo. Hexagon. modo, which I can't stand modeling in.

I don't know if my modeling apps will let me bust apart models without scrambling their vertex order and UV mapping.

Maybe the setting is saved in preferences instead of in project session?

Is it possible to import an OBJ mesh that is already UV mapped and textured (diffuse, bump, spec image maps) and divide the mesh into three separate pieces, then export as OBJ and the UV mapping and textures still work with each piece?

The bug is fixed in 3.7.10.

If it is a bug, it's been one since version 2.0. I think it would have been fixed by now if it was a bug. Or am I the only one that can do this trick?

Before and after smoothing.

I'm taking about PPP mode and importing the sample head.obj model with subdivision chosen. http://www.shonner.com/drafts/polygon_smoothing.htm shows how low-poly objects do shrink a bit. With more polys, there is almost no shrinkage. The head.obj seems to have enough polys in it that it would not shrink when smoothed just a little. Other sample OBJs don't shrink as much. My own OBJs don't shrink. So I'm wondering why the head.obj model is so small? Or is the camera being moved away from the model? I have to bring the camera in closer when this happens before I can do any painting.

This has probably been answered already somewhere. But why does the head.obj model shrink in size when importing the file with smoothing enabled?

Have fun, Andrew.