3D-Coat 3.0 ALPHA

[polyxo]

To get it to work you need:

1) Go to

http://www.nvidia.com/object/cuda_get.html

2) Choose your OS and download CUDA 2.1 BETA:

- driver

- toolkit

and install both of them

Sometimes you have driver and toolkit but they are older then CUDA 2.1 BETA so it does not works.

Hi Andrew,

I downloaded both installers you suggested but get the following error:

"The Nvidia SetupProgram couldn't find any drivers which are compatable with the current hardware"

However - my graphics-card should be Cuda-enabled (Quadro FX 1600M). http://www.orangecom.com/ebay/8710w/NVIDIA...FX%201600M.html

Could a general graphics-driver update help here? I'd love to get newer display-drivers in general because

I see quite a few display issues - however the latest release by HP (producer of my Laptop) is from March 08).

Would you know another way to get newer drivers and to get Cuda to work? That would be awesome!

greetings, Holger

[Andrew Shpagin]

But for some reason Quadro FX 1600M is not in list

http://www.nvidia.com/object/cuda_learn_products.html

Strange... You may ask on NVidia forum why...

You have told "both" - do you mean driver and toolkit?

[renderdemon]

Hi Andrew,for similar I mean practically the same(I can't see the difference with eyes).

I have a geforce 8600,it doesn't seem to help much here(I'm testing with big radius(50,100,150,200,250 size on 4 miilions and a 18 millions voxel)checking and unchecking the "use cuda" check,with clay,move and extrude,the brushes I use more.

About the artifact,it happens on clay brush with bigger radius(100),basically you see seams on the bounday of the brush.

Edit:

Also the extrude brush give some artifacts on boundaries

[Andrew Shpagin]

OSX V42 uploaded. But no CUDA support there...

Renderdemon, what PC are you using? (HHz, cores?) Maybe your software processing is faster then CUDA...

[renderdemon]

Quad core 2.4 ghz.

Currently on my system the performance are really good without cuda,only when brushes are big(more than 50 radius) there is slowdown,here I hoped cuda could help,If I'm sure there is an improvement I can buy a newer graphic card.

Edit:

It seems that if multicore is enabled,cuda doesn't help,if is disabled,cuda helps to speed up.

[Andrew Shpagin]

I am using 9800 GT and speeding up is obvious. But I have not very strong CPU - AMD 64X2 4000+

I think SonK can tell how Cuda helps. He has strong CPU and strong GPU.

[Andrew Shpagin]

Also, in cuda mode 3DC has extended functionality that is very important for detailing. Enable mask (crackles) or some material that has depth channel and try to use airbrush, build, extrude, carve, 2d-paint, smooth, follow.

Applying different masks is very simple using CUDA and costs nothing for performance.

[akira]

Alpha 42 CUDA works perfectly here, about 3~5 times faster than non-CUDA version

.

for example:

using extrude tool

brush size: 35

triangle count:4 mil

sum: 20~30ms with CUDA

60~100ms without CUDA

XP SP3 32bit 8800GT E2180@3.0G

akira.

[Andrew Shpagin]

Also I will test AMD Stream techonology soon (in couple of weeks). I don't know what can be expected there... But HD 4870 has 800 processors... vs 112 in 9800GT. They will release drivers 10 of December.

Tomorrow I will meet man from NVidia and possibly from AMD.

[renderdemon]

Interesting numbers akira,mine are different.

for example,same tool(extrude),same radius(75).

with cuda I have:

Triangulation:10 ms

Operations:173 ms

Summ:184 ms

meses:278

Without cuda:

Triangulation:20 ms

Operations: 125 ms

Summ: 145 ms

meses:303

btw,without multicore it speed up also for me,so probably I'll buy a new card.

[lc8b105]

Thanks Andrew, the new feature "RenderFramesSeq" works fine! But how can we get(or save) the rendered video?

[polyxo]

You have told "both" - do you mean driver and toolkit?

Yes, but I can't install the drivers and did not even start with the toolkit as driver installation failed...

I wanted to follow the instructions on the Nvidia site and install the drivers first - correct, no?

thanks, Holger

[TOXE]

OSX V42 uploaded. But no CUDA support there...

Renderdemon, what PC are you using? (HHz, cores?) Maybe your software processing is faster then CUDA...

Good! Sorry Andrew, i'm super busy with other things, but i'll download it today:-)

-TOXE

[Andrew Shpagin]

Thanks Andrew, the new feature "RenderFramesSeq" works fine! But how can we get(or save) the rendered video?

It is in ReneredImages\ folder

[Andrew Shpagin]

Yes, but I can't install the drivers and did not even start with the toolkit as driver installation failed...

I wanted to follow the instructions on the Nvidia site and install the drivers first - correct, no?

thanks, Holger

Of course drivers installation should be first...

It is better to create some topic in NVidia support forum...

[akira]

Yes, but I can't install the drivers and did not even start with the toolkit as driver installation failed...

I wanted to follow the instructions on the Nvidia site and install the drivers first - correct, no?

thanks, Holger

Hi Holger,

If you don't want to wait for HP to make a new driver for supporting CUDA, there is a handy tool to modify desktop drivers for laptop use:

nVidia Mobility Modder Tool

http://www.driverheaven.net/nvmodtool.php

hope this helps.

akira.

p.s. for 180.60Beta you may need to manually extract the files from the driver executable with WinRAR or 7Zip(Right click on it then select extract file to...).

[SonK]

Andrew,

here is cuda related brush error. hmm is alpha 42 doesn't seem to be faster with CUDA on...in my machine. In fact its slightly slower with CUDA on. need to run some more test.

[JulesD]

Scaling of texture still not working in beta42.

When holding shiftkey and right mouse button then moving mouse left or right.

Instead it is resizing brush, same as holding ctrl and right mouse button then moving mouse left or right.

[patejdl]

Andrew,

here is cuda related brush error. hmm is alpha 42 doesn't seem to be faster with CUDA on...in my machine. In fact its slightly slower with CUDA on. need to run some more test.

Yes the same here. Even the previous 3d-coat CUDA versions did not seem to be faster (big brush, smaller brush etc) than cpu mode. The only thing that's really visibly faster (in the info mode) is the carve tool. Everything else is either as fast as software mode or slower. I'm on Vista 64 and 8800 Gt with all the needed cuda drivers/toolkit (even though the nvidia control panel system information shows i've got 180.48 and not 180.60)

[akira]

Yes the same here. Even the previous 3d-coat CUDA versions did not seem to be faster (big brush, smaller brush etc) than cpu mode. The only thing that's really visibly faster (in the info mode) is the carve tool. Everything else is either as fast as software mode or slower. I'm on Vista 64 and 8800 Gt with all the needed cuda drivers/toolkit (even though the nvidia control panel system information shows i've got 180.48 and not 180.60)

Hi patejdl

Have you tried switching to full-screen mode by pressing Alt + Enter? I noticed that the performance get boost a lot in full-screen mode on vista.

akira.

[geo_n]

Good news! Reasonable price, at least 160$ or more cheaper than in China.

I found running Windows on MacBookPro is really hot, while running Mac OS X there's no problem. So I think you would like to stick your programming work on a PC, while doing Mac porting & testing on this MacBookPro. Hope you'll get it soon.

so expensive. its only 192000yen http://kakaku.com/item/00209017459/.

Are you using 3dc in macbook? what other 3d appz do you run in macbook that's as good as pc?

[stevecullum]

Something seems to up with the latest 64bit Alpha - when I go into sculpt mode, there is no voxels to sculpt on!

Anyone else see (or not in this case ) this?

[patejdl]

Hi patejdl

Have you tried switching to full-screen mode by pressing Alt + Enter? I noticed that the performance get boost a lot in full-screen mode on vista.

akira.

yes.. I actually read the whole 90 pages and tried the fullscreen "trick' long time ago.. doesn't work.. the only tool that is faster (2x to be precise) is the carve tool... all other are few miliseconds slower and sometimes even 2x slower..

[philnolan3d]

Something seems to up with the latest 64bit Alpha - when I go into sculpt mode, there is no voxels to sculpt on!

Anyone else see (or not in this case ) this?

We were just discussing this a few posts ago. Trying turning off Cuda and restarting 3DC.

[DaveM]

Hello, I beleive you guys are heading in the right direction with regard to voxel modeling. I've been waiting for a program to address this

issue for many years. The only other voxel modeler out there is Sensable's Phantom FreeForm. I have used this tool sense rev. 1.0 and

have 7yrs. experience with the product. But it's very expensive and most digital sculptors cannot afford it. I know first hand the sculpting

advantages of voxel modeling and you are doing it.

When will I be able to import a .obj file into 3D Coat, convert it to voxel data, model it then and then export it back out as .obj again.

When you are able to do this and I can test it, I will have justification for our company to invest more into your product. Really waiting

for this single capability.

Thank you for you time.

David Mills

BKJ Digital Design and Development

mills.dave@yahoo.com

[Mantis]

When will I be able to import a .obj file into 3D Coat, convert it to voxel data, model it then and then export it back out as .obj again.

When you are able to do this and I can test it, I will have justification for our company to invest more into your product. Really waiting

for this single capability.

Thank you for you time.

Hi David, you can already do this, you can import an .obj by using Merge Tool under Object Tools, and Select mesh.

You can choose any .obj and convert it to Voxel.

Then you can use retopology tool to get back your Voxel model to any other software, or use To Polygons feature.

Hope it helps.

[stevecullum]

We were just discussing this a few posts ago. Trying turning off Cuda and restarting 3DC.

Thanks! - I didn't spot those earlier posts

[Pavel (pzdm) Zoch]

Hello everybody

Yeah I know, Andrew is really very busy now - he works on new releases and Moscow presentation, but I still miss few minor, but still very important features and maybe would be great add them to release 3 funcionality...

And maybe you know about others, too... Second and third we found together with Andrew.

1) Open pick color window > IMG tab > some tools don´t working

2) You have few models in your scene and you delete one from them > You delete an object´s material as well, but scene still contains UV map of deleted object!

3) Import UV/Export UV for an object via "object manager" > there is not necessery export whole scene in many cases > this feature could solve problems with improt export UV´s with C4D (via OBJ format - there are problems with complex scenes, works nice with one object, but more objects do problems)

4) "UV Points welding" in textures preview

Have a nice day, Pavel

[polyxo]

Hi Holger,

If you don't want to wait for HP to make a new driver for supporting CUDA, there is a handy tool to modify desktop drivers for laptop use...

Hello akira,

thank you for your advice - but is this really save? I need my Laptop professionally and can not affort spoiling all my graphics-settings by some hacks...

[lc8b105]

so expensive. its only 192000yen http://kakaku.com/item/00209017459/.

Are you using 3dc in macbook? what other 3d appz do you run in macbook that's as good as pc?

Hi geo_n,

Electronic products are really much cheaper in US and Japan.

Yes I'm using 3DC on MacBook pro, and I just recorded a video tutorial on it this morning, if you are interested, here is the link:

3D-Coat tutorial: Render turning video of your model.

MacBook pro 470/471 are strong enough to run all the current 3D softwares smoothly, for example Maya, Cinema 4D, modo, 3D-Coat, Unity 3D, etc...

The only problem is heat elimination, that's the common issue of all laptops IMO.