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New Curves development feedback


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I am starting this thread for giving the development team feedback for the new curves beta or post a bug.  Please keep all comments constructive, avoiding harsh critical statements. Any new tool takes a little time to adjust too.

1. Make the Curves panel a breakaway panel. We have more options now in using curves and the panel's location in the upper left part of the UI is quite far away from the curve being worked on.  I keep tool panels close to the area I am working on.

2. Make pressing the ESC key twice for deleting the curve. Currently you have to hover over a section of the curve line, RMB, next scroll to the bottom of the tool popup panel and then LMB on the deleteitem. This is a lot of steps to delete a curve. If there is a shorter way, not by hotkey, I am all ears.  

3. The Show items in the popup tool panel would be remembered once selected. They are deselected by default except for show points which of course you need when starting a curve.

4. The ability to adjust Brush radius per control point if possible after placing the curve. We can now adjust brush radius globally but not per control point

5. Possible bug. At times pressing the Enter key will not apply the curve. This has not happened so far in beta version 4.8.15. I will post a update if happens again.

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Update:

Brush radius per control point after placing your curve. Change your brush radius. Select then slightly move the control point and it will inherit your brush radius.  This is the same as when you are creating a curve point to point.

We need a lock radius per curve added to the popup tools panel in case we just want to edit the curve but not the radius of the control points. This is how the show items work. They work per curve. 

The reason for the request it would be easy to forget as we change our brush radius a lot in using the curve tool. Also if you do not have show radius selected the user could be unaware he is not only editing the curve but the radius too.

7 hours ago, digman said:

4. The ability to adjust Brush radius per control point if possible after applying the curve. We can now adjust brush radius globally but not per control point

Number 4. is still valid because if you did not want to move your control point slightly to change the radius then you could use the popup tool panel to set the radius per selected control point as you do globally now.

Update 2: If you select the Selection tool in the upper UI panel, select a curve, pressing the delete key will delete the curve. 

Number 2 in my last post is still a vaid request as your are placing control points and the curve is selected by default. Being able to hit esc once to stop placing points and hitting esc again to delete the curve is fast. 

Example: You are not happy with how you placed several control points and want to start over quickly. 

 

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Beta Version: 4.8.15

Surface Mode. When pressing the Enter key to apply the curve (depth, radius etc) it brings up the "Enter required voxel poly count panel". You have to press cancel then the curve ( depth, radius etc) is applied. This is not the expected behavior when pressing the enter key in surface mode to apply the curve.

 

 

surface.PNG

Edited by digman
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Beta version: 4.8.15

Possible bug.

Surface Mode.

Live Clay--- Crease Clay brush. The depth is incorrectly applied along the curve see picture. 

I have not checked all Live Clay brushes, others could be effected as well.

Crease.PNG

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I am fascinated with Attach tube or models array, this + IM = WoW !

 

- Will this commands be added ?

Reverse the direction of a curve -origins-

Paint curves using strokes.

Models random size parameter - useful for eyelash-

Meshes used for Start and End Caps -example zip model, have top stop, box and dent meshes-

Thx

 

Attach.jpg

 

Curves.jpg

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Beta version: 4.8.15

Symmetry bugs

AttachToSelCurves.

Symmetry on.

When first selecting the AttachToSelCurves using a spline, the tube is also created on the opposite symmetry hiding the spline model. Shown in first picture

Tools options panel. Changing the parameters. shown in 2nd picture

When changing the parameters in the Tools options panel the opposite symmetry creates multiple copies of the spline model. Shown in 3rd picture. 

Is it possible to add a reset to Default button for the parameters in the AttachToSelCurves Tool Options panel.

tube.JPG

Tools.JPG

symmetry.JPG

Edited by digman
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Workflow improvement.

Multiple Curves. 

Select one curve, the others are deselected. Press the enter key. Result is that the deselected curves are applied (depth, radius etc) again. This is not the expected behaviour. Pressing the enter key should only effect the current selected curve. Atm, you have to right click on the curve and from the popup panel selected "Apply for Selected/this" to only effect the current selected curve only.

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While the new Curves tools is under construction, I would like to take this time to plead with Andrew for a new, well-thought-out BEVEL tool that works in conjunction with this new Curve tool. This area has been a major weakness of modeling in the Sculpt workspace. Beveling has largely been a real PITA, unless you just click SMOOTH ALL to round edges. That works some times, but isn't sufficient when you want to apply specific beveling. Elements of a new Bevel tool would include...

1) Small Library of Bevel Profiles (that can be added to, by the user, much like Spline Profiles, now)

2) Points along the Curve have the option to "Show Profile" (brush radius with the profile inside it), and rather than the brush radius sitting flat on the surface, it would be perpendicular to the surface, facing down the curve path (just like repeated CURVE tool objects do, currently)

3) An option to rotate selected points or entire curve (slider in Tool Options panel and/or gizmo similar to current CURVES tool)

4) Preview mode option would be awesome.

5) Needs some Corner (self) Intersection correction option to resolve problems 3D Coat currently has when trying to use brushes along a curve, to bevel. It creates a mesh in the inner corners.

 

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Beta version: 4.8.15

Major problem for hard surface modeling.

New Curves Beta.

Staircasing of the object surface using the Cut Off Tool  and  the Close Spline. 

The current Close Spline makes smooth cuts. Shown in picture "1"

The new beta curves creates really bad staircasing when using the Close Spline and the Cut OFF tool. Shown in picture "2"

This is a bad flaw in the new curves. The Cut Off Tool using the Close Spline is a major part of modeling hard surface models.

You must be able to create clean cuts with no staircasing. 

I am liking the power of the new curves, there is much to like but the above problem needs attention...

 

smooth.PNG

stairs.PNG

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Beta version: 4.8.15

Possible bug. Selecting "Attach tubes or Models Array" the popup panel defaults to the number shown in picture for "Expand /Tie off.

This off centers the tube or models. You have to set it to "0" to position the tube or models correctly. Once you set it to "0" it appears to work correctly in the current 3DC scene.

To test, close 3DC and reopen. Create a curve and select Attach tubes or Models Array"

First picture shows the problem.

Second picture show the setting at "0" with the tube being centered correctly.

This bug does not seem to appear every time you open 3DC but is random.

Bug.PNG

correct.PNG

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Another reason to have a lock Radius in the popup panel for the curve control points.

It is great to be able to quickly change the radius when working with the Curves Models. This is a good feature to have for designing your curve models.

We just need to be able to lock the radius of the control points when we are done designing for just  repositioning the control points if needed.

lock.jpg

lock radius.PNG

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Beta version: 4.8.15

Problem. Selecting "Don"t distort model" in the Tool options panel, does not prevent the models from being distorted when changing the control handles lengths.

This is not the expected behavior. 

Also you get some model distortion just moving the control points. Second picture.

This also is not the expected behavior.

distort.JPG

distort2.JPG

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34 minutes ago, TLE said:

Hit Esc key doesn't remove the curves in cut tool. it only bring the square lasso. is this still bug? i am testing the 4.8.15 version.

I posted about the Esc key and asked for a return to hitting once to end the curve and the second press of the esc key to delete the current selected curve.  

Thanks for testing and posting your suggestions. I agree and +1 them. 

Andrew posted in the thread he would be the following this thread closely.  

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3 minutes ago, TLE said:

is this the bug on 4.8.15?

Tube Array tool is gone. and Attach Tubes to the curves right click option is not there any more. I checked the 4.8.14 version and it has those tool.

It is not gone in my version of beta 4.8.15. There is a way to make it disappear which might be a bug. I had it happen once but got it back.  I still need to replicate it again to be sure.

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Please make MMC (middle mouse click) to use as move point on the curve ( love the functionality on the Curves tool). able to adjust the point while placing the curve w/o switching tool.

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On 4/9/2018 at 5:25 PM, digman said:

Another reason to have a lock Radius in the popup panel for the curve control points.

It is great to be able to quickly change the radius when working with the Curves Models. This is a good feature to have for designing your curve models.

We just need to be able to lock the radius of the control points when we are done designing for just  repositioning the control points if needed.

lock.jpg

lock radius.PNG

Yes. need to lock the curves points radius by default. I accidently change the radius w/o knowing because my brush size changed.

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Tube Array vs Curves Tool:

There are some major differences between them and I think If can consolidate it into one tool.

Here are my thought and comparisons between two:

Curve Tool: 

Pros:

love this tool. Able to middle click and adjust the point in fly. Doesnt' snap to the surface when you moved the points (allow to drag off the surface or sink it in). Click start point and end point, then ad middle points to make curves w/o switching tool. (very handy to create cables ect... that connect to two points). scale points base on brush size and click or using gizmo. Able to move the whole curve with checked option (no need to have to select all the points)

Here is the Cons:

Destructive (after commit enter, you can't change anymore).

Only able to use with Curves Model Tab and not Model Tab.

Missing all the options the Tube/Array have.

Tube/Array Tool:

Pros: 

None destructive (Very huge one. After enter, it created a separate layer and still keep the curves and able to comeback layer to change the curves or the mesh. Wow.wow.)

Able to use both mesh in Curve Mesh Tab and Model Tabs.

There are a long list of options in tool options. Awesome !!!

Cons:

The Curves is complicate to work with and has snap on the surface. Its very hard to move the point off from the surface.

have to switch tools (from add point to move points to add and move again ect..). have to select all the points if wanted to move the whole curves.

 

So the bottom line is. if can add those pros from Tube/Array tool to the existing Curves tool, then it would be perfect. Have it None Destructive with all the tool options and easy to place and manipulate the points.

Just my two cents.

 

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  • 3 weeks later...
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Hi,

I was absent some time and have now downloaded a new version of 3DC. I must say, like the new curves. They are really powerfull (looking at ZBrush ;-)). Wanted to mention a minor point from UI design perspective. If you click on the curve button, the viewport is resized and the curve buttons appear. I think it would be nicer if the buttons are attached at the top of the view instead (pic1). This would insure that there is no "flickering" when the view is resized, because a resize of the view would not be necessary (pic 2).

 

 

ui.jpg

ui2.jpg

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Version 4.8.16 changelog:

Curves:

- fill by patch remade. Should be faster and more accurate.

- joining points.

- reworked RMB menu

- projecting points on plane

- Correct EPS/spline import export. IGES supported. But IGES is not included in community version, if you need to test it, send me request I will send special key.

- possibility to link several points if snapping to points enabled. They will be moved together.

- many more small changes

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Version 4.8.16

New Beta Curves.

Using the Cut Off Tool.

The new curves still does not make smooth clean cuts as the old curves do. The new curves are still in beta but before final release the new curves need to make clean cuts as the old curves do when using the cut off tool.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

New Beta Curves.

Now if you use Cut and Clone tool the cuts are clean and smooth. 

The clone tool also created a clean smooth surface.

nosmooth.PNG

Edited by digman
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  • 1 month later...
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I will write brazenly right here. Finally, add the ability to edit the scale of curve points with a hotkey, rather than a boring mouse size transfer. I'm not interested in adjusting the size of the mouse to the size of this section of the curve each time, while the spline is rarely symmetrical with respect to the center of the brush.

Edited by Dmitry Bedrik
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  • 3 weeks later...
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Can't seem to assign hotkeys to the top left  Curve editor functions, tried both exe's and checked the xml file to see if they were there (they were).

Initially it assigns the key but as soon as you load another brush and then go back to it, it disappears.

Also moving a curve point and inheriting the brush size should be optional or should only happen with a hotkey, otherwise it's very unpractical,

      and I don't really understand why the Curve editor functions panel appears and disappears, i cant see the point of it.

It would seem however that this is one of the best tools available in 3D-coat, it makes Zbrush look very poor in comparison.

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