3DCoat 2024 development thread

[Henry Townshend]

I want to say thanks for the updated Gizmo colors in the latest versions! It really eases the overall read when working a lot with the gizmo and the colors tastily blend in. It's a small adjustment, but I really think it's a great UI improvement not to have full sat RGB colors on the handles, but non primary subdued ones instead. Thanks a lot!

Another thing I would like to say is: I noticed that Proxy Mode is now declared as legacy method, I hope that you don't plan to exclude it from the app at any point :/ I really adore this feature in 3D Coat, it helps so much with iterative sculpting. I appreciate Multi Res mode, but it is not the same use case nor a replacement for Proxy mode in any case.
To attain the same functionality as Proxy Mode with Multi Res, a user has to decimate his model several times, sometimes resulting in 6-7 lower subdiv levels. Whereas in Proxy Mode, a user can set the amount like say "16X" , hit the Proxy button and it's done in few seconds. Same when going back up.

So I hope developers are not planning to drop this feature from the program in newer versions, that would be a real bummer for me. Unless we have Proxy and Multi Res merged, meaning we may could use a set amount of decimation for going down a level, Multi Res is not an advanced way of Proxy mode, or even a replacement for it.

Would be highly really appreciated if it would be kept in the program. I think it would be an immense loss tbh if it gets dropped in favour of Multi Res only. It is one of 3D Coats exceptional unique strength, besides allowing dynamic topology with sculpting layers, which is insane. Every other program has Multi Res or Subdiv Levels, non has Proxy Mode. For me it's an exceptional function that frees me from ever having to think about topology during sculpting. I know Multi Res is also topology independent, but as said, it's not a "better way" of doing Proxy Mode. It's a different functionality that serves the user with multiple resolution levels. Proxy Mode is a means to quickly broadly adjust your dynamic topology sculpt.

Just wanted to say this because seeing Proxy Mode declared as "legacy tool" for Multi Res in the Preferences has kind of alarmed me.

Edited August 25, 2023 by Henry Townshend
typos

[Henry Townshend]

I like to report a long standing bug for me in the Render Room:

Turning any lights intensity to zero will fully freeze 3D Coat without recovery on my end.

(An option on each light to bypass/disable the light via a checkbox would furthermore be helpful)

Add: Same happens when I use a shortcut to switch to Render Room (I have it assigned to "F8" in mycase)

Edited August 25, 2023 by Henry Townshend
typo+add

[ebitz]

Windows 11
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX

While we are on the subject of the render room, when running through the render pass options in 3D coat this colorful abstract appears when screen space options are enabled. Disabling the screen space options will give the proper screen pass results. In addition there are black pixels when meshes are being rendered near the borders of the viewport. I have not found any workaround.

[kritskiy.001]

Thanks for fixing the issue with .changeParent() Python method

Would it be possible to add "changeIndex(self, newIndex=Int)" method for SceneElement?

Edited August 28, 2023 by kritskiy.001

[kritskiy.001]

Also I'm having an issue with the new Edge Radius `R` hotkey. It weirdly overwrites my other R-keys. Example: I had Alt+R assigned to Reset Axis command of the Transform tool option, in the latest versions it stopped working, but instead Edge Radius is changing. And I can't assign any R-hotkey (+Ctrl/+Shift).

Attaching a video. Edge Radius is set to 0. I try using my Alt+R key to reset axis, instead Edge Radius is changing to 165. Then I reassign the function to Alt+E and it works. And then I try to assign it back to Alt+R or any other +R key but the prompt "press any key" doesn't go away until I cancel it with Esc 

 

[Mihu83]

I have some issues with installing 3dpacks with shaders in 2023-29 and 28. Don't know what is the issue, but some packs are loading properly with progress bar and other packs are immediately displaying notification about restarting 3DC to apply changes... after restarting, those shaders doesn't show up.

[Carlosan]

May be those packs are for version4, and 3DC 202x don't have backward compatibility.

[Mihu83]

12 hours ago, Carlosan said:

May be those packs are for version4, and 3DC 202x don't have backward compatibility.

Ok, so why it's loading one pack and doesn't load other one if both were created in V4? Other thing, one of the packs was working fine, but I've needed to delete this folder and now 3DC won't load it - same pack that worked previously.

By the way, it's pretty lame to ditch compatibility with previous version, because it forces users to waste time to recreate, very often vast library of shaders.

[Carlosan]

Could you share the link to take a look?

Because the new shader system is based on PBR, all old shaders become obsolete. It is not possible to make a correlated transcription of the code (this change has also happened in several other programs)

But you can convert any of your older style texture maps into PBR textures.

[Mihu83]

4 minutes ago, Carlosan said:

Could you share the link to take a look?

Because the new shader system is based on PBR, all old shaders become obsolete. It is not possible to make a correlated transcription of the code (this change has also happened in several other programs)

But you can convert any of your older style texture maps into PBR textures.

I'll send it to check it out, but a bit later.

As far as I know, all my shaders are PBR.

Anyways, I've found a workaround - I've manually copied folders with shaders from V4 directory to 2023 directory and all shaders show up and are perfectly fine.

[Carlosan]

Ah ok, glad to know you solved it. So you dont need to share the .3dpack

We can convert old mats to new version using this command, but sometimes get some errors.

Version 2021+ added completely new folders structure:

Almost all is split between two folders - data and UserPrefs.
As it is logical, UserPrefs is user-created content. Data is sort of temporary stuff.

The folder in documents changed, now it is Docs/3DCoat

 

-> As soon as 3DCoat detects some files copied to the location in Documents, it will convert the files to the new structure. 
Also, if you will install 3dcpack it will be installed correctly (except presets that use old tools that are not present in the toolset).

So, you may copy it from download folder to Docs/3DCoat.

Or in Documents\3DCoat\UserPrefs\SmartMaterials\corresponding PBR folder name

[zf3d]

I hope to strengthen this tool for selecting and operating

At present, it is not possible to adjust the axis. If you want to adjust the mouth opening, it will be very troublesome. I hope to strengthen this tool

[zf3d]

When importing the model, it is not possible to determine the scaling ratio and rotation angle
There is a lack of precise scale and rotation data here, only moving data makes it difficult to accurately determine the size of the model

[zf3d]

1In the heavy topology room, click on the mirror and preview it. I found that the model of the mirror has a large gap, but it seems to work normally, with a serious deviation in the display problem

 

2 In addition, the transformation of topological rooms is much more user-friendly,
It's just that my model has 100000 faces and it's quite sluggish when moving. If only it could be faster

[zf3d]

Hi, I seem to have found a way to accelerate. If I ensure that the UV and polygonal wireframe are not displayed, the seams are not displayed, and the speed is directly real-time, very smooth. At the same time, this also exposes the problem that the polygonal wireframe and UV display seem to slow down the operation speed

[zf3d]

Add a bug, re topology the room, and transform the tool: After changing the axis, navigate the mode of transformation. Do I use a 3D mouse, and its axis remains in place

[rubeos]

I read the great news from Andrew’s Twitter. Live booleans on high density meshes should look a lot like emerging SDF technology.
One advantage may be that no conversion will be required.

 

[tcwik]

 

How to kill that shortcut?!! in any room.

[Carlosan]

With the cursor mouse pointing the command press the END keyboard key.

That action let you to change the shortkey for another one.

[tcwik]

4 hours ago, Carlosan said:

With the cursor mouse pointing the command press the END keyboard key.

That action let you to change the shortkey for another one.

This doesn't work on any 3D Coat to this day .. That S shortcut always back after I reopen the software :/ ...And yes I saved the shortcut file.

Edited September 19, 2023 by tcwik

[Carlosan]

I changed the key to "I", close and reopen the software and the key doesn't changed.

Try using backspace to delete the "S" key.

Reopening the app works as expected ?

[tcwik]

No joke this is something with a shortcuts system in 3dcoat, I know how to add or delete shortcuts in this software ;]

There should be a place [not text file like it is now  XD ] to see all shortcut pins in this software for different rooms too, because now is fokin madness...

Edited September 22, 2023 by tcwik

[Mihu83]

Hm, I have some lag issues in 2023.30( need to check if it occured in earlier versions) - when moving cursor over a model/scene, changing tools or parts in voxel tree and coming back to viewport, cursor just hangs for a second. Especially visible with Move tool - it kinda looks like cursor trying to pick object/it's sticky(auto pick is off, ignore back faces is off). Really annoying behaviour.

Overall, Move tool is weird in couple last releases, it behaves like tools with Steady Stroke enabled...

I might try to record it a bit later.

[tcwik]

 2023.29 win11 Vox layer symmetry according to Pligway XD ręce kurwa opadają  and moving between  freeze [ or better say mask XD ] and transpose doesn't work properly.

[zf3d]

I hope that the curve tool can increase the ability to quickly create lines according to angles, which can greatly reduce the time for drawing lines. Blender has options for selecting continuous edges, usually edge edges. If 3dcoat adds lines for quickly creating edges, it can greatly increase the speed of chamfering, which is closer to the chamfering of Blender polygons

 

[zf3d]

and

1. I hope to increase the creation of curves through masks
2. Freeze according to angle
If freezing can be done according to the angle, then the curve of the edge can be generated
Conversely, if there are curves on the edges, masks can also be generated based on angle selection

 

[zf3d]

Suggest adding a preset for mirroring,
Sometimes changing options can be cumbersome. If you can customize the preset image, achieving the same image effect next time will be very simple and effective, such as
10 world coordinate system mirrors,
20 mirrored B-axis images
Next time, I only need to switch between two types of images to achieve this

[Henry Townshend]

Hello, after a random while of sculpting, at some point, the viewport camera constantly gets wide offset the model, without any cause by the user. It was already something I battled with on a daily basis using 3D Coat. Hitting CTRL+A only focuses on the model again for some seconds, before the cam gets offset wide out of focus randomly again, with no means to continue the sculpting session anymore, but having to save an iteration, quit and restart.

However, before v30, it happened only occasionally, but kinda frequently, but, a save and reload usually fixed it for some time.

Ever since 2023.30, the problem seem to have intensified. I have to close my sculpting session every few minutes , which is unacceptable really. I can't work like this anymore. Could this please get fixed? It is incredible flow breaking. I saw its been reported somewhere already but I can't remember. This is a major usability bug I feel. One that ultimately would have to drive me over to blender for sculpting, which I'd love to avoid, cause I absolutely adore 3D Coats sculpting.

I hope it can be addressed soon.

Edited September 29, 2023 by Henry Townshend
typo

[Carlosan]

Strange, do you have a pencil AND a mouse active on a tablet ?

[Henry Townshend]

1 hour ago, Carlosan said:

Strange, do you have a pencil AND a mouse active on a tablet ?

OMG, thanks for asking this. I just realized not long ago I enabled "touch" on my Wacom tablet to be able to zoom without mouse in some things like Unity Inspector and Substance Designer graph view. I will disable it now and see if the problem disappears.

However, I'm fairly certain it was also there before I started working with touch enabled. But I'm not 100% sure. Crossing fingers. Thanks!