Modeler as silo of wings

[ludo_si]

I think that a classic modeler in 3dcoat would be a good idea.

Stop to play betweel different software. Just one for all.

[BeatKitano]

[Tony Nemo]

Suitably Delphic reply.

[AbnRanger]

[AbnRanger]

You can actually use the Retopo Room as a modeling app to a large degree, but it still needs a few things to make it more of a feasible option in this regard. I made a bunch of requests for these on Mantis. Soft/Gradient selection is a must, in my opinion. It's in the Tweak Room....why not mirror that functionality into the Retopo Room. Same thing goes with a Shell modifier (to create thickness). Bridge tool, to join selected edges/edgeloops.

[BeatKitano]

The problem with that is that it'll always feel clunky since you need to toggle options for freeform poly creation. It works ofc, you can say it's a modeler, ok, but it's still a retopology tool at the core and in that regard, while it may be sufficient for some people (as base mesh for instance) it'll feel limited and feel like fighting against the software at times, since you'll always have to have a starting point to lay the very first polys before going further (if you don't you'll place your point wherever and that's not efficient).

The best solution would be to give a complete streamlined subdiv modeler a second engine for sculpting/painting which can completely ignore topology while making changes, and transfer those changes back to subdiv model when you want to edit the "cage" for further changes.

A bit like zbrush's goz with an instant autoproject/remesh of sculpt changes when switching between the two engines (while staying in the same app). That would be....nice...

[L'Ancien Regime]

Geomagic is close to being the ultimate solution; it goes back and forth from being a parametric brep solid modeler, to a subd live clay modeler that automatically recognized hard edges and preexisting creases and generated extra precise topology for them, to a voxel sculpt environment then back to a NURB brep modeler with fitted splines determining the retopo with a reverse engineering parametric surface and then back to subd again. Then you can just work in total freedom, moving back and forth between different modeling approaches effortlessly in one seamless theater of operations.

If only Andrew could do this...without that stupid $5000 haptic device/dongle thing stuck in...3d coat would rule supreme for modeling...it would put Modo in the shadows. He'd probably grab a lot of people currently using Maya Max C4D and XSI too...they're all falling short when it comes to the next wave of modeling workflows.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFIfP1UMPEk

http://youtu.be/XIPyt-3Ze8A

Here's a free solid modeler...maybe he could emulate a lot of what they're doing?

https://tinkercad.com/

Why just putter around with bits and pieces here and there? why not initiate a grand all encompassing scheme.

Edited May 30, 2013 by L'Ancien Regime

[L'Ancien Regime]

http://youtu.be/9xVnLOyz6uk

He builds a subd surface around a brep model of the enclosed machinery and at the 9:00 min mark he voxelizes the subd surface..and then at the 9:50 mark he starts drawing splines on the voxel body he's created then he starts using greyscale images to physically sculpt the voxels...

And notice the texture of his voxels is listed parametrically to fit in with the overall measurement of the piece he's working on.

Pretty cool stuff.

Edited June 1, 2013 by L'Ancien Regime