(SOLVED) Feature request: Add able to load 3b file using import.txt

[haikalle]

Hi!

I would like to have this feature. If inside of import.txt file has only one line: c:\temp\demo.3b, it would load that 3b file into 3d-coat. 

Edited September 1, 2018 by haikalle

[PolyHertz]

Why would you want such a feature? afaik you can't load .3b files in any app other then 3D-Coat so it's not really a suitable format for use with applinks?

[haikalle]

I made a video about this feature. So my main goal is that if blender object is painted in 3d-coat it could store 3b file into object data in blender. 
This feature helps when you have very complex scenes with many objects and you are using many diffrent 3b files to diffrent objects. Then you have a very quick way to access to your 3b file and  
don't need to remember where your saved 3b file is. 

Right now 3d-coat will create last_saved_3b_file.txt and I can get the 3b path into blender. And this feature already works when 3d-coat is closed. My code will start 3d-coat 
and loads current 3b file (Using command prompt). The problem I have that if 3D-Coat is already open. I don't have any way to give this 3b info in this situation. 

 

Edited September 1, 2018 by haikalle

[PolyHertz]

I see. Though if you made any changes to the models in Blender and then exported the linked 3b file to 3D-Coat it would be bringing in an older version of those models, which could be very confusing to the user.

[haikalle]

Hi PolyHertz!

Glad for your answer. I have been hoping that we "applink coders" could talk more about what direction we should take the applink. I invite all others too that are interested about applink to join and 
give a feedback, help us to make sure me take applink into directions that users wants.

So my main question is that when someone has brought an object back from 3d-coat into 3D App and have made some changes into his models. You say that he can't use 3b file anymore (Where is the objects with texture layers)??

Edited September 1, 2018 by haikalle

[PolyHertz]

Well, to be clear, you can actually load 3b files using import.txt if the third line is set as [3B]. But, I don't think it's very useful in its current form. It would be a different matter though if Andrew implemented simultaneous importing (3b+obj at the same time) and a comparative utility that pops up on import to show the differences and let the user decide on what parts to import.

[haikalle]

If we talk about 3d app -> 3d-coat -> 3d app workflow. If I take for example my workflow. I usually finish my model before I take it into 3d-coat and there I do only texture painiting. (I really don't take my unfinished objects into 3d-coat to paint).After painting I bring them  back into 3d app with textures. I may add some modifiers on the top of my model, but my main base model remains the same at this point. Of course I could do some small tweak but if I want to update the model in 3d-coat also I could use 'replace geometry' option in 3d-coat and it still keeps my textures layers. And reason to go back to 3b file is to update textures and bring them into blender, not the model. The idea to link 3b file into object came to my mind when I had a  large scene in blender where I had 5 objects and I had own 3b file for each objects where I did my texturing. It really speeds up when I don't need to search my folders to find the right 3b file. I could open the right 3b file inside from blender.

Edited September 1, 2018 by haikalle

[haikalle]

If 3d artists bring a object to 3d-coat to paint, does it mean that the base mesh is quite finished?

Edited September 1, 2018 by haikalle

[haikalle]

51 minutes ago, PolyHertz said:

Well, to be clear, you can actually load 3b files using import.txt if the third line is set as [3B]. But, I don't think it's very useful in its current form.

I have tried that I leave first two lines empty and add 3b path to third line but it dosen't work that way. This could be very easy feature to add and I think that it could help a lot. 

[PolyHertz]

2 hours ago, haikalle said:

I have tried that I leave first two lines empty and add 3b path to third line but it dosen't work that way. This could be very easy feature to add and I think that it could help a lot. 

That's not how that works. The first line is the path 3D-Coat loads, the second is where you'd want it to save the file, and the third is just [3B]
The third line is not a path, it's just that small abbreviation to let 3D-Coat know what method it should use to import the file.

[haikalle]

I was just testing and hoping that it could work also that way  But like I said I could use that feature Where I can load 3b files using import.txt. 

Edited September 1, 2018 by haikalle

[PolyHertz]

But like I said, you CAN load .3b files using import.txt

The import.txt should look something like this:

C:\Users\Greg\Documents\3D-CoatV48\Exchange\testsphere.3b
C:\Users\Greg\Documents\3D-CoatV48\Exchange\testsphere.3b
[3B]

[haikalle]

Now I understand! Wau I have to test this right now. Thanks for pointing me right direction again

[haikalle]

Yeap. Works like a dream  Thanks again.