Advanced Member The Candy-floss Kid Posted May 28, 2014 Advanced Member Report Share Posted May 28, 2014 Hi folks, I've created an alpha that I would like an accurate sharp 3d relief from in surface mode. I've tried raising the local resolution to sharpen the results using the alpha with the move tool but find the edges seem still too pixelated. Is there a best liveclay brush that creates detail resolution to create a nice crisp detailed relief from the alpha? Liveclay resolution is dependent on brush size - that would effect my resolution if my stamp was bigger? I've tried setting some test brushes liveclay brushes to stamp mode but for some reason the computer lags very badly with a liveclay brush using stamp mode. Any advice would be much appreciated on the best setting for a a good stamp mode brush from an alpha that can create enough localized resolution for crisp results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advanced Member The Candy-floss Kid Posted May 29, 2014 Author Advanced Member Report Share Posted May 29, 2014 Still attempting to create a really good brush using BuildClay - never realized you could raise the detail past 5. I set it higher but the brush defaults to detail value of 10 - is this the max available? Also trying to use stamp move with high depth with BuildClay - notice as I move it across the mesh I sometimes get sharper results than other times or some areas are better/ cripser /less pixelated than others. Hm - tricky. Does the BuildClay align to camera view? Is this perhaps the issue. Again any help much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advanced Member The Candy-floss Kid Posted May 29, 2014 Author Advanced Member Report Share Posted May 29, 2014 Ok -yes build clay aligns to view it seems the best solution I've found is LiveClay at the detail set to 10 with stamp with moveable brush (stamp mode itself causing lag) Any other suggestions to try appreciated. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advanced Member The Candy-floss Kid Posted May 29, 2014 Author Advanced Member Report Share Posted May 29, 2014 Useful tip: Focal Shift can adjust the proportions of the alpha. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Contributor Tony Nemo Posted May 29, 2014 Contributor Report Share Posted May 29, 2014 Thanks for the overview. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reputable Contributor digman Posted May 29, 2014 Reputable Contributor Report Share Posted May 29, 2014 (edited) Inflate Clay brush... Use the subdivide brush (surface mode) a few times in the area you want to place the stamp in. Subdivide that area a few times. Keep the detail level at 10 on the LC Inflate Clay brush or whatever you need. and then do your stamping. I use the stamp mode tool (X looking in the e-panel) for stamping... I then use the reduce tool to get rid of the extra polygons around the stamp. The reduce tool reduces and relaxes the mesh at the same time. In the old days we could push past 10 on the detail slider, worked great... but Andrew changed it. Now you have to subdivide the area first, necessary on large brush stamps and then do your stamping. I did my best in asking Andrew to change this back to the old way but to no avail... Some would say screw it... but we all live in the confines of the actions of others, so it is either use the tools as they are or move on... I am not talking about you but life in general... I use 3DC a lot but am as any user of the software not always pleased with Andrew's decisions... Image, not fancy and sloppy only to to show the process... Edited May 29, 2014 by digman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advanced Member The Candy-floss Kid Posted May 29, 2014 Author Advanced Member Report Share Posted May 29, 2014 Mr Digman, thanks for your feedback and advice, much appreciated. I shall give your suggestion a whirl as I am currently creating a library of preset brushes to speed up workflow. After a long historical avoidance of LiveClay and surface mode I am studying it with renewed vigor. Perhaps still not as robust as I might favor - occasional blown open meshes etc. With better understanding I'm finding ways to avoid some of the old lingering but far less frequent issues. Even for an old hand at 3DC it's been a journey fraught with temperamental goats on narrow mountain passes. The learning curve I am happy to say has been worth it . For whatever reason LivecClay had given me better results than Inflate - that said I had not tried laying a higher sub-divisional bed before planting my flowers. I can only guess Andrew removed it should a first time user squeeze it to the max and not know why certain flowing brush responses lagged and choked. A secondary dialog with a little more poke for old rockers would have been most welcomed for the reasons you lay forth. Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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