3D-Coat 3.0 ALPHA

[Andrew Shpagin]

ALPHA is updated to ALPHA 13 (only Win now, Mac will be updated very soon).

Changes:

1) Big improvement in curve tool. Now you can create custom patterns, make tree of curves. Patterns can be very complex - any obj file can be a pattern for curve tool. General requirement - part between 0 and 1 along y-axis must be tiled. absolutely precise tiling is not required. You can make osmall overlaps. Just look at samples in VoxStamps folder. The sample of usege:

It could be very good to create a library of sample object for quick sketching.

Objects browser is also used for Merge tool for quick access.

2) Better possibilities for shader makers - now you can use variables

float4 CurrColor and BackColor to get foreground and background colors, use custom texture

hlsl:

sampler CustomSampler1;//corresponds to texture Shaders/CustomSampler1.dds

...

sampler CustomSampler4;//corresponds to texture Shaders/CustomSampler4.dds

glsl:

uniform sampler2D CustomSampler1;//corresponds to Shaders/CustomSampler1.dds;

...

uniform sampler2D CustomSampler4;//corresponds to Shaders/CustomSampler4.dds;

It is useful for creating sparkles, anime effects, environment mapping and many many other.

I have used akira's shader as default, just inverted AmbientColor and used current forreground color as a scene color

[tree321]

new curves keep crashing on me.Will send error report

[Andrew Shpagin]

new curves keep crashing on me.Will send error report

Strange. Does it happens when you add new point?

ALPHA 13 haha!

[tree321]

It may just be GL version just tried DX works fine.Will do more testing.Last GL I drew tube tried to scale and crash

[Andrew Shpagin]

It may just be GL version just tried DX works fine.Will do more testing.Last GL I drew tube tried to scale and crash

Really, tube in GL works strange...

[Andrew Shpagin]

Also one note - if someone will want to create profiles library it is better to create 2 versions of same object

xxxxxxx.obj and

xxxxxxx_lowpoly.obj

first will be used for final apply and second - for preview.

[Juan Carlos Montes]

Yes!! am going to try it know

[tree321]

Really, tube in GL works strange...

www.screencast.com/users/tree321/fo...ce-031a1ec92053

www.screencast.com/users/tree321/fo...f0-a999f9fb8d74

By the way love the new functionality!

[rimasson]

I found a little bug :

when you scale negatively a curve point, the conversion to voxels goes wrong.

[Andrew Shpagin]

Mac OS programmer is away, he will get back evening and create OSX package.

[Andrew Shpagin]

Ok, received 2 bugreports, slightly buggy. I will update in 20-30 min

[Psmith]

Andrew:

I think that the tool set you have provided for volumetric sculpting is complete and functional enough for actual use in laying down a base mesh for adding displacements and textures in the "regular" module of 3D-Coat.

I think you will find that many potential users are using "low end" or consumer grade hardware, and, for us, having the ability to add super high resolution detail within the "volumetric module" is unrealistic, given the hardware dependent nature of 3D-Coat.

So, the best we can hope for is the ability to use the volumetric side to rough out a basic model, (possibly adding even some medium resolution detail), and then to move over to the "regular" side to add finer, displacement based detail and texture. Am I right in assuming these things?

You are calling this series of volumetric releases "very early alpha", and I believe, by comparison to what most of us are used to getting from larger software manufacturers, what you have delivered is closer to what we have been told is late beta or even distributed product. Possibly an exaggeration, but pretty close to the truth.

Can you give us an idea when you plan to release an "early alpha" version of 3D-Coat that would allow exporting to the "regular" side of the program? I think this is what many of us are waiting for.

Thanks,

Psmith

[Andrew Shpagin]

Updated to ALPHA 14.

It took slightly more time...

Additional functionality:

1) curves can start from empty space

2) close buttons over popup panels

[Andrew Shpagin]

Can you give us an idea when you plan to release an "early alpha" version of 3D-Coat that would allow exporting to the "regular" side of the program? I think this is what many of us are waiting for.

Dropping to retopo tool could be done quickly, more smart auto - simplification will take slightly more time...

Ok, I will move to that direction.

[tree321]

Would it be possible to sharpen corners using curve tool?Like u have in draw with spline tool.Also fusing the first and last points?

Gonna try alpha 14 now.

OK GL version is better no crash.Thanks

[Andrew Shpagin]

Would it be possible to sharpen corners using curve tool?Like u have in draw with spline tool.Also fusing the first and last points?

Gonna try alpha 14 now.

Of course. I just wanted to show something

I will add closed curves and sharp edges.

[tree321]

Of course. I just wanted to show something

I will add closed curves and sharp edges.

Thanks Andrew I know u probably have lots of features u want to implement and we just have to be patient.Have u ever thought about cloning yourself?

[rimasson]

the apply to whole curve button is nice, but :

when you change the size of a curve point, enable the 'apply to whole curve mode', select another point : the whole size of the curve change suddenly.

It's size shouldn't change until you change the size of a point, not when you select a point.

[Psmith]

Andrew:

Regarding production of base mesh within the voxel module: (thinking in parallel terms relative to ZBrush functionality), roughing out a base mesh with voxels quickly, for re-use as a retopo base, approximates using ZSpheres to make a very rough, low resolution (adaptive skin) for re-use as a sculpting/texturing base.

Your voxel tools already provide more functionality and refinement than do ZSpheres for producing a base mesh. I know that creating an "automatic" algorithm that produces a usable and proper low resolution cage is a very difficult thing to accomplish, (especially one that pleases professionals and hobbyists alike), but many people are bypassing this step, (since nobody seems to be pleased with how programs like ZBrush produce an adaptive skin), and heading straight for the retopologizing approach. And your retopo tools are faster and more efficient than anything on the market, even at this early stage of development.

I encourage you to implement the translation of volumetric "base meshes" for use as a "retopo base mesh" as soon as you can, seeing your algorithms for retopo are so good, and, for the reason that most users will probably be wanting to retopo manually rather than rely on any kind of automatic remeshing function you might so aptly invent. Lots of development time will be saved and 3D-Coat will be launched as the 3D artist's "application of choice" much faster.

And, for users of low powered hardware, this is also the most practical approach.

Thanks for all your work and enthusiasm,

Psmith

[3dioot]

Andrew:

Regarding production of base mesh within the voxel module: (thinking in parallel terms relative to ZBrush functionality), roughing out a base mesh with voxels quickly, for re-use as a retopo base, approximates using ZSpheres to make a very rough, low resolution (adaptive skin) for re-use as a sculpting/texturing base.

Your voxel tools already provide more functionality and refinement than do ZSpheres for producing a base mesh. I know that creating an "automatic" algorithm that produces a usable and proper low resolution cage is a very difficult thing to accomplish, (especially one that pleases professionals and hobbyists alike), but many people are bypassing this step, (since nobody seems to be pleased with how programs like ZBrush produce an adaptive skin), and heading straight for the retopologizing approach. And your retopo tools are faster and more efficient than anything on the market, even at this early stage of development.

I encourage you to implement the translation of volumetric "base meshes" for use as a "retopo base mesh" as soon as you can, seeing your algorithms for retopo are so good, and, for the reason that most users will probably be wanting to retopo manually rather than rely on any kind of automatic remeshing function you might so aptly invent. Lots of development time will be saved and 3D-Coat will be launched as the 3D artist's "application of choice" much faster.

And, for users of low powered hardware, this is also the most practical approach.

Thanks for all your work and enthusiasm,

Psmith

I think what your asking for while easy to implement is way, way too early in development to ask for. It might be easy enough for andrew to implement but it also means he will essentially be giving fully functional voxel sculpting away for free (since he cant charge yet for v3.0). When he implements the option to retopo a voxel sculpt what stops you from using this early alpha v3 voxel technology for commercial work?

Also i think its really important Andrew pushes voxel sculpting as far as he can before starting to worry about mesh based sculpting. Ofcourse you will be able to use everything thats in 3dcoat at the moment on your voxel sculpt after conversion. Thats a no brainer really. It is however one of the last pieces to do; integrate voxel sculpting into the rest of 3dcoats toolset.

Skull sculpt in progres

This is what im working on now. 3dcoat has incredible potential if its development will be treated as a true digital sculpting app. Not just as a gimmick with gimmicky tools. No real, good brushes. Excellent brush presets and library's. Excelent scene management. Those are the points Andrew should be focussing on.

I get a little sad to see him distracted by requests such as these.

3dioot

[BluEgo]

I think what your asking for while easy to implement is way, way too early in development to ask for. It might be easy enough for andrew to implement but it also means he will essentially be giving fully functional voxel sculpting away for free (since he cant charge yet for v3.0). When he implements the option to retopo a voxel sculpt what stops you from using this early alpha v3 voxel technology for commercial work?

Also i think its really important Andrew pushes voxel sculpting as far as he can before starting to worry about mesh based sculpting. Ofcourse you will be able to use everything thats in 3dcoat at the moment on your voxel sculpt after conversion. Thats a no brainer really. It is however one of the last pieces to do; integrate voxel sculpting into the rest of 3dcoats toolset.

This is what im working on now. 3dcoat has incredible potential if its development will be treated as a true digital sculpting app. Not just as a gimmick with gimmicky tools. No real, good brushes. Excellent brush presets and library's. Excelent scene management. Those are the points Andrew should be focussing on.

I get a little sad to see him distracted by requests such as these.

3dioot

3dioot, I am agree with you... Obviously there will be other features soon, but brushes that give us "artistic touch" are the key, cause actually they are not so good IMO.

If we can have only the tool that are already there, but with the right feeling and more options to create custom presets, 3d coat will be THE sculpt application.

And I think that all brushes have to be organized in the logical same set of options.

Anyway... I have noticed that conversion surface to voxel is really incremented, WOW !

Thank you Andrew as usual

[3dioot]

Thankgod someone feels the same. At least im not alone. Thanks BluEgo.

3dioot

PS

Ive had to replace the images with links Andrew. So they are all still there just as links. My image host began to complain. Appearantly this thread gets alot of vistors

[Ztreem]

I also agree with you 3dioot. Don't rush to release 3.0 make it outstanding first, make the sculpting tools as fast and as good as they can be.

I would like to see pens with different shapes work in voxel sculpting without converting to surface sculpting as draw with pen seems to do. Actually I would like all tools in voxel sculpting to just work on voxels and don't convert to surfaces and back as it works quite bad and make artifacts in the model. I also want the ability to increase resolution in a addaptive fashion so we can have higher resolution where there are alot of details an lower resolution where there are lesser details.

[3dioot]

I also agree with you 3dioot. Don't rush to release 3.0 make it outstanding first, make the sculpting tools as fast and as good as they can be.

I would like to see pens with different shapes work in voxel sculpting without converting to surface sculpting as draw with pen seems to do. Actually I would like all tools in voxel sculpting to just work on voxels and don't convert to surfaces and back as it works quite bad and make artifacts in the model. I also want the ability to increase resolution in a addaptive fashion so we can have higher resolution where there are alot of details an lower resolution where there are lesser details.

Actually ive drawn out a request for profile curves to dictate brush shape. I also know Andrew had a working version of voxel flatten (with problems appearantly) and that pinch (his words) would not be too hard to do in voxel. I have been asking for voxel equivalents for all tools for a while now since yes, the conversion brings artifacts AND breaks symmetry (not to mention the slowdown). Andrew did allready implement some of my suggestions regarding the carve brush though and he said brushes were next on the list after this curves stuff. So fingers crossed.

And yes increase and decrease would be nice eventhough i have no idea how to do that with voxels.

3dioot

[Ztreem]

maybe you can subdivide the voxels a some places where detail is needed.

[Deadman21]

Love the new tools

Just had to try and make my own spline shape. And of course a tentacle is a must

[wailingmonkey]

Andrew, can you consider this option for the Curves tool as well?

[BluEgo]

Spyke and curve tool IMO are very similar... can you merge them in a unique tool ?

You can add a check to curve tool, something like "draw curve" or "spyke", so one can sketch the spyke as usual, without displaying underlying curve, and then, unchecking it, he can also changing the curve of the spyke.

What do you think ? So spyke would become an option of an existing tool

Another thing.... flatten seems to be more "clay" than the actual clay brush.

And about the clay brush, why it flickers ?

[philnolan3d]

Works great but uh... it's purple. Like a grape jelly bean at Easter.

Spyke and curve tool IMO are very similar... can you merge them in a unique tool ?

You can add a check to curve tool, something like "draw curve" or "spyke", so one can sketch the spyke as usual, without displaying underlying curve, and then, unchecking it, he can also changing the curve of the spyke.

I was thinking the same thing about Snake and Spike, just add a "taper end" check box to Snake and you have both in one tool. Combining both of them into Curve would be even better. It could be called "Uber-curve"

[tree321]

Works great but uh... it's purple. Like a grape jelly bean at Easter.

Use color picker to change color