Blender 3d 2.66 Dynamic Topology Sculpting Video by Blender Cookie

[michalis]

I could have some fun too. (many issues for me in 3dc...)

I also use 3dcoat for voxels, or for paint room. (not really for UV editor, blender is much more advanced)

But not for full sculpting, not really. I prefer blender, dynamic topology works fine for 500k, though I sculpted 1-1.2 M (there s a trick )

It tends to look crisper than 2-3M sculptris or LC.

I love the brushes you see. And the no autorelax thing. It's important. I usually retopo, shrinkwrap and go for millions of ply (multires sculpting). Here, new blender builds may surprise you, they perform similarly or better to zbrush. 25M quad poly maintaining excellent zb like performance is not bad. A free application, but never forget to donate.

I also own zbrush. BTW. I'm a small collector of such sculpting apps. I don't have MB but I tried it. Can't spend more money though.

[michalis]

Lot of new features in recent (after official 2.67 blender) builds (buildbot). Especially under edit mode.

However, a new parameter added under bumps node. We have height and distance. This second turns bumps to be more interesting than normal maps in a hardsurf case. Bumps start looking line n maps, especially when an AO map is in use as well.

On this model, only bumps and AO maps have been used. No displacements. A ~1500 faces base, subdivided 3-4 times for smoothing curves. (in renderer only)

[geo_n]

Any working MD2 format exporter for blender?

[Carlosan]

last news

 

Howdy all,

I don't have much good news to share. It's absolutely true that multires and all the other sculpt tools in Blender need more work. I can't speak to any other developer's plans, but speaking only for myself I don't expect to do much to improve the situation in the near term.

The issue is that making significant contributions to Blender (including bug fixing) takes as much energy as a "real" job. I already have a job though, and at the end of the day I don't have enough mental energy to get my head into an entirely different code base written in a different programming language.

The tricky thing with paid Blender work is that it tends to be a freelance model: money from the development fund or Google Summer of Code or Kickstarter lands you a month or three of work, and then that's it. Some people like working freelance, but I'm not one of them. I like a salary and benefits and the general comfort of knowing that I can keep showing up to the same job for as long as I like.

Maybe someday there will be companies hiring people to work on Blender full time, but I don't think that day is here yet (at least not in the US, no idea what it's like elsewhere in the world.) Many companies like to use open source, but it's a rather smaller group that has the confidence to pay developers to write code that then gets freely distributed to their competitors.

-Nicholas

nicholasbishop.net

twitter @nicholasbishop

source

http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?304076-blender-s-multires-really-needs-someone-to-look-at-it-seriously&p=2445797&viewfull=1#post2445797

[TimmyZDesign]

 

last news

 

Howdy all,

I don't have much good news to share. It's absolutely true that multires and all the other sculpt tools in Blender need more work. I can't speak to any other developer's plans, but speaking only for myself I don't expect to do much to improve the situation in the near term.

The issue is that making significant contributions to Blender (including bug fixing) takes as much energy as a "real" job. I already have a job though, and at the end of the day I don't have enough mental energy to get my head into an entirely different code base written in a different programming language.

The tricky thing with paid Blender work is that it tends to be a freelance model: money from the development fund or Google Summer of Code or Kickstarter lands you a month or three of work, and then that's it. Some people like working freelance, but I'm not one of them. I like a salary and benefits and the general comfort of knowing that I can keep showing up to the same job for as long as I like.

Maybe someday there will be companies hiring people to work on Blender full time, but I don't think that day is here yet (at least not in the US, no idea what it's like elsewhere in the world.) Many companies like to use open source, but it's a rather smaller group that has the confidence to pay developers to write code that then gets freely distributed to their competitors.

-Nicholas

nicholasbishop.net

twitter @nicholasbishop

source

http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?304076-blender-s-multires-really-needs-someone-to-look-at-it-seriously&p=2445797&viewfull=1#post2445797

 

This is somewhat depressing to read, but at the same time I don't think it really means that Blender as a whole is in trouble or anything. Isn't there a "core staff" of developers working on Blender full-time, and don't they get paid by the donations made to the Blender Foundation? Plus, there always seems to be a supply of developers who are looking to make a name for themselves when they are first starting out, so they write some juicy bit of code for Blender and then when they get famous for it, they get hired by some company to work full-time. Of course they don't work on Blender anymore, but they leave some nice code behind that others can pick up and start working on. Thus, Blender will keep getting better, but just in a more disjointed way than a regular "for profit" company. On the other hand, this does make 3D-Coat and Lightwave look more and more like great options.

[otsoa]

For retopo I prefer blender, you can't say 3Dcoat his better than blender for that.

[AbnRanger]

For retopo I prefer blender, you can't say 3Dcoat his better than blender for that.

Yes...I can, and I am. 

 

 

This is somewhat depressing to read, but at the same time I don't think it really means that Blender as a whole is in trouble or anything. Isn't there a "core staff" of developers working on Blender full-time, and don't they get paid by the donations made to the Blender Foundation? Plus, there always seems to be a supply of developers who are looking to make a name for themselves when they are first starting out, so they write some juicy bit of code for Blender and then when they get famous for it, they get hired by some company to work full-time. Of course they don't work on Blender anymore, but they leave some nice code behind that others can pick up and start working on. Thus, Blender will keep getting better, but just in a more disjointed way than a regular "for profit" company. On the other hand, this does make 3D-Coat and Lightwave look more and more like great options.

I agree. This sounds like just one disgruntled programmer and not necessarily the norm for Blender developers. I do think the Blender Foundation should make a more concerted effort to solicit donations, so that they can afford to hire at least one full time developer in each toolset. That way, someone like this has less of a gripe....especially if they know what the salary is upfront. I know in College Football, season ticket holders are generally those who have "donated" a certain amount to the Univ. Athletic Dept. So, they are still paying for the season tickets, but the donating part is for dibs on the choice seats.

 

Likewise, Blender perhaps needs to have maybe a FULL version for those who have donated a certain amount each year (maybe throw in a subscription to BlenderCookie.com). And a lesser version that is for the totally free-loading crowd.   I think that could help solve their current dilemma. A "donation/subcription" plan that helps fund development. Some may frown heavily upon this, but you also have to consider the fact that "Free" software always carries the stigma of being 2nd rate or Subpar...even if it's not, actually.

 

I personally think that a donation/subscription plan would not only help with funding, but also greatly improve the application's stature in the CG community. Just having access to all the tools/frequent builds, by getting on a donation plan, is much cheaper than anything else, as the initial cost for the application, itself, is free. I don't think a $200 donation/yr would be too much to ask when you know ahead of time that it will help add some development muscle to the effort.

Edited August 18, 2013 by AbnRanger