Psmith

3dCal: I've thought a lot about making several "paid" series for 3D-Coat, but I am unsure what the demand would be. I have some pretty specific tastes in 3D modeling and animating - and like to stay within the bounds of my own interests. I also like to be able to use a single application to take a project from a thought - all the way through to a final rendering and even an animation. 3D-Coat, alone, is not quite equipped to do this. If anyone is interested in a detailed set of videos featuring the producing of a natural landscape with trees, shrubs, grasses and water - along with some decaying technical artifacts having come to rest in this natural environment - all made with 3D-Coat - let me know - and I'll put together a series. Thanks, Greg Smith

Polyxo: I have to agree with you. I have always hated the "paying beta tester" paradigm - and users should not be made to jump through hoops to point out things that just don't work. Feature requests is another matter. I don't think such lists are paid very particular attention to, anyway. Wish all you want - but the roadmap for new features lies embedded in someone's head - already fairly predetermined, I think. Greg Smith

If you are using the standard "Sphere" tool, when you hold down the right mouse button and drag to the right - yes, the brush size gets larger, but the Sphere that will be produced by single left-clicking will match the size of the brush. It's a quick way to generate spheres of all sizes and positions. You can also produce spheres by using the "Primitive" tool and scaling it with the "gizmo". If you want to produce a network of connected spheres, which produce cylindrical tubes - with an ending hemispherical shape, you can use the "Curve" tool - (which produces spherical "nodes" that are colored red, as you described). To produce the body of the Rat, you can either place a single sphere using the "Sphere" tool - and then "Move" it straight upwards with the "Move" tool (having X symmetry enabled) - or you can use the "Curve" tool to place a tapering network of cylindrical tubes - that can also create a neck and head - arms, legs, fingers and toes of the Rat. Greg Smith

Maybe I just don't know reality when I see it, but after looking at the Substance Painter gallery showreel, I became convinced that the conglomeration of artists who compiled those model examples must not know what reality looks like anymore. I do know that the real world (man made) is not composed of materials that look like those applied to objects in the gallery. It's a subject for another discussion, but it raises the question about what comprises reality to those who have spent the majority of their lives "inside" one video game or another. To these sorts of people, substances and places and the things that inhabit them have become what these people perceive as reality - every day. At least this is the kind of "real" visual experience that dominates their consciousness. It proves to me that the current trend of authoring computer graphics has wandered from that of reproducing actual visual reality to producing a synthetic reality that conforms to that standard which is contained in the most popularly played computer games. This is the prevailing goal, it seems. And, to me, continual exposure to the kind of substances and worlds and objects and people that populate the modern video game is very tiresome - a never ending stereotype of visual nothingness. Greg Smith

Since we already have a kind of Axial Symmetry by means of the "Axial" tool, whatever new feature is added that behaves more like Zbrush's "Radial Symmetry" setting - should also be titled "Radial" something - and probably just appear as a checkbox in the existing "Symmetry" dialog or Panel, with options for the axis of operation. I wouldn't worry about proprietary use of the term "Radial" - because it cannot be a proprietary term or function - only a general one. The concept and application of this function cannot be patented or copyrighted. At least, I don't think so. Greg Smith

It's not tomorrow, yet.

There actually is no need to venture beyond the confines of 3D-Coat to produce landscape elements of every kind - which can be assembled into a scene - even a world. Beautiful skies, rolling countryside, mountains, hills,rocks and stones, rivers and valleys, trees, shrubs, grasses and flowers are all possible and quick to create - all within 3D-Coat. These scenes can be rendered with spectacular lighting and depth of field - for near photographic results. Stills and animated flythroughs from any point of origin within the scene can also be made. Use these results for portfolio pieces or for prototypes of film and game environments and sets. Without giving too much away, keep checking the following link for new installments in the video series: The Making Of A World First installment should be up by tomorrow. Greg Smith

When using a mask, any gray areas will produce positive or negative relief. Only pure black will not produce a relief (or white, if you are holding down the Ctrl key). You could produce a mask which is derived from a grayscale image - containing only posterized white and black - to produce a relief of cracks on a surface. Greg Smith

I've observed some forum feedback by new users having more than a few questions and problems regarding getting started with 3D-Coat - which is a very complex application, overall. There are many deep functions which contribute to its complexity, but there are also many which are "on the surface", so to speak, and can make you productive right away. I still think that this "From Scratch" series of tutorials covers just that sort of basic functionality needed by new users. Why not take a look: 3D-Coat From Scratch, Part One Happy New Year! Greg Smith

In the drop down menu for the Quad Tool, select the "Direct" option. Greg Smith

I can do that. Greg

Until the links in the 3D-Coat application are fixed - please load and then download to disk - the following file: http://pilgway.com/web_users/greg/3DCoatManualCreditsNov2013.pdf If this version of the 3D-Coat Manual is opened with either Adobe Reader or Apple's "Preview" applications, the entire Table of Contents is found under "Bookmarks" in the former and "Table of Contents" in the latter. For anyone wishing to read the Manual in iBooks format (iPad, iPhone, Mac), please let us know here. There is a version available. Thanks, Greg Smith

Be sure to check out the 2nd installment of "The Foundations of the Face" - with the link in the first post of this thread. Greg Smith

Never paint on layer 0 - it's reserved. Always start on 1. I don't know of a way to reverse this (I don't think anyone has that many undos in memory). Greg Smith

1) Launch 3D-Coat and from the Opening Dialog choose "Voxel sculpting". 2) Click on the icon which looks like a folder. 3) Select your model (which you have saved as an .obj). The Voxel Room will open and your model will be in "Transform Mode". (If you can't see it, it is scaled too small - so use the middle gizmo cube to scale it up until it is about 1/2 the size of the Viewport). 4) Press "Enter" to add your model to the scene - it will now occupy the first available Voxel Layer. (Maybe this first Layer is the guy wearing the pants). 5) Add a new Voxel layer to hold the pants (with the little "+" key located at the far right of the name of the Voxel layer, in the Voxel Layer Panel). 6) Highlight this new layer and from the Tool Panel on the far left, choose the "Merge" tool. From the bottom of the "Tool Options" Panel, choose "Select mesh" - and select your "pants" model using the opening dialog. 7) Align the pants to the guy using the Transform gizmo, pressing "Enter" to add the pants to the new Voxel Layer. Now, you have 2 independent Voxel layers which can be detailed separately. When complete, go to the Retopo Room to create topology for each separate Voxel layer, or, you can Merge the 2 Voxel layers first, to add topology to the combined model. Greg Smith

Can you upload a screeshot of your result along with posting a list steps you have taken (numerically in order - 1,2,3,4 . . .)? Greg Smith

If you plan to add shape and detail to any model you have made (outside of 3D-Coat), inside the Voxel Room - then you must import each model by using Voxel "Merge" tool, or command. Every model can be on its own Voxel layer. This way you can align separate parts with the Voxel "Transform" tool, and alter the detail level for each imported model part - either keeping them separate and Retopoing each separately - or Merging all parts into one Voxel model and Retopoing everything as one giant model together. Greg Smith

Assuming you are following along with the "Proverbial Pirate" tutorial: 1) Make sure you are in pure Voxel mode (there will be a "V" in front of the Voxel Layer name in the Voxel Layer Panel). 2) Click the "Brushes" tab on the far upper right to see the "Brush Alpha" shapes. Choose the one on the top row, farthest right. 3) Choose the "Move" tool. Now, when you drag, you will be creating voxels as needed (like dynamic topology). Brush Alpha shapes determine how the brush drags out new voxels. My guess is that your Brush Alpha shape is not the one on the far right, top row. Unless you have drastically changed 3D-Coat's UI - things are pretty much the same in version 4 (with the exception of graphic icons and a few controls at the top of the interface). Greg Smith

I think there has been a shift in focus from Voxels to LiveClay (and Surface) tools - mainly based on the vast amount of interest in this area. Personally, I don't find a need to use so many different (yet amazingly similar) tools to get almost any sculpting job done. Even though LiveClay has so many tools, and is more economical to use for many things - I like the fact that the voxel tools offer fewer surprises and need fewer workarounds. Straight forwardness - this is what I prefer - so this is what I demonstrate. I did a 3D-Coat demonstration once - for the lead designer at Mattel Toy Co. and he emphatically told me he wouldn't use our product or (a competing) product because - and I quote, "I don't need all this $#T&*@#, just give me 7 good, solid tools, and I can make anything." Or words to that effect. He was tired of fooling with things and tweaking settings. He just wanted a small array of reliable, predictable tools with which to design toys. Greg Smith

Putting radial features (like tire treads) on a tire are best accomplished with the "Axial" tool. It's a little different than typical "Radial Symmetry" so use it as follows. 1) Create tire "base" shape (Best to start with a new file, and if using a Primitive, default orientation). 2) Create a second layer which contains a "positive" version of your tread pattern (that intersects the tire base shape). Set the number of duplicates with "Axial symmetry order" slider. 3) Right-Click the "tread" layer and choose "Subtract from" (choosing the base layer). Repeat as many times as you need radial features. P.S. I think you would have a terrible time trying to create tire treads in the Paint Room, alone. I'm sure someone might still advise you in this matter, however. Greg Smith

Carlosan: This works really well: 1) Pick the second Brush Alpha from the left and lower the intensity way down. 2) Choose the "Toothpaste" tool (Voxel Tools) and check "Snap to surface" (top controls). 3) Draw strips. Better resolution makes better strips. Greg Smith

Existe: Also, no editable UV maps become available until you "Merge" into the Paint Room. Once this has been done, they appear in the UV Room and can be rearranged, islands re-sized, etc. As Tony has said, it may prove to be handy to make a kind of "base head" on one layer - perhaps increasing the resolution once on the way - then add additional layers with higher resolution for those facial features which require it (mouth, eyes/eyelids, ears). When the whole thing is done to your satisfaction - Merge all layers together and run the AUTOPO routine (just to see how close you can get your topology automatically). Refine as desired. I'm working on a head tutorial that illustrates many of these steps - but it will be a little while coming: "A Few Quick Ones" (Tutorial Section). Greg Smith

Existe: Here are some quick rules of thumb: 1) If you have a hardware super-system, use Voxels to keep adding details until your machine becomes too slow to tolerate (Voxel tools have been refined the most and offer a very trouble-free sculpting environment). 2) If you have a moderately powerful hardware system - either start with Voxels (adding detail until it becomes too slow), switching to Surface or LiveClay to finish adding detail - or start directly with either Surface or LiveClay tools. 3) If you plan to export your work for rendering or animation elsewhere - there is no need to add all model detail by means of actual geometry - whether in Voxels, Surfaces or LiveClay. Add the highest frequency details by means of the Paint Room and Bump, Normal and Displacement maps. The original idea for creating the Surface and LiveClay tools was simply to preserve hardware resources - and allow the user to make very detailed models without needing a hardware super system - (as working with pure voxels would do). This would make 3D-Coat accessible to a lot more "average" users with "average" systems. Remember, also, that no retopology or UV maps become permanent and "real" until you use one of the "Merge" commands from the Retopo Menu - or by using AUTOPO and one of the automatic Paint Room methods (Voxel Layer menu - Right-Click - AUTOPO for per pixel, for example). Once you have taken your model from the Voxel Room, through the Surface or LiveClay modes and into the Paint Room - you are in the "home stretch" - finalizing your model and textures for use elsewhere. If anything still needs explaining - please ask away. Greg Smith

Existe: While you're asking - are there specific subjects/projects that you would like to see (Voxels, Surfaces, Texturing, etc.)? Depending on your skill level and familiarity with 3D-Coat - there may exist something that would help you now. Greg Smith

Thank you, Frenchy. Your work is very much appreciated. Greg Smith