3DBob

Hi Andrew, I am so glad you are doing the Re-Topology. You can download and try out Silo for 30 days I think. You will see that it is quite simple to paint onto an object where you want the flow lines and apply them as geometry. You can also build geometry using the modelling tools and the vertexes snap to the surface. I find that the painting is not as accurate as it is in 3D-Coat and the process can be a little hit and miss - though you can delete lines. can be a little difficult to paint loops around a surface. Using what you have in 3D-Coat as a starting point I would suggest you could make use of the splines you have currently that snap to the geometry. Using a series of these would be far better than the painting as is done in Silo as it would give you more control. End points of splines could be made to snap to other end points or parts of splines. I would like to see other types of guides - automated ones such as loop and ring, both closed. Loops would be "Squeezed" round an object using a moveable origin, "squeeze" handle and a rotating normal adjusting the XZ plane and a configurable number of control handles. Once applied, the control handles can be adjusted for fine control of flow. Loops for circumferance/girth form definition. Rings could be a variation of loops, but would be "pushed onto" the surface in the same axis as the normal adjusting the XZ plane. There could be an elliptical/aspect control and configurable number of control handles. Once applied, the control handles can be adjusted for fine control of flow. Rings for Eye socket, Mouth etc type detail. Additionaly there could be a variation of the Ring tool that made a spider web mesh - with number of rings, control points per ring and aspect as variables. These would allow a level of control to lay down the polygon flow that is currently lacking in Silo. If you need Images to get what I am going on about let me know. While we are at it, I would like a spline that can snap to the UV boundaries defined in an object. This is useful in furnature stitch texturing as typically the UV seams are where you want the stitch lines and this would be a real tine saver! Regards 3DBob