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Import external model into 3dcoat for modelling, uvmap, painting


geo_n
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Is it possible to import a mesh into the modelling room? The option I get is import as a retopo mesh. The retopo mesh has no uv mapping.
I want to edit a mesh created outside of 3dcoat but have the materials, uvmapping, smoothing groups intact. Attached simple mesh.

Or 3dcoat can only edit mesh created inside 3dcoat?

test.lwo

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16 hours ago, geo_n said:

No new videos on lowpoly modelling in the modelling room? Are we limited to editing only mesh created inside 3dcoat?

Go to Room modeling.
Mesh-import. You get the low poly mesh. And can editing mesh.

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5 hours ago, Gorbatovsky said:

Go to Room modeling.
Mesh-import. You get the low poly mesh. And can editing mesh.

I tried from mdoelling room to import but uvmap disappears.
I tried to import in paint room and then switch to modellinig room but model can't be edited. 

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I have found a LW model doesn't work in modelling room, cannot select anything.

But isn't this just for retopologising, as the import describes (not for actually adding details to).

 

If you import your model into the sculpt room, you can do anything to it.

 

Edited by MarkC
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15 hours ago, Gorbatovsky said:

image.png

I see the uvmap is intact. Did you import in paintroom?

Which import option or which room did you import into? Can you select vertex, edge, poly and start to edit the model.

To be clear my purpose is to import models from lightwave, blender, etc and then continue to poly edit, edit/add uv, paint in 3dcoat. No retopo involved. 

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I don't know much about Lightwave...
I'm writing this in case it helps.

Do you have multiple UV channels in one mesh?
(UV1, UV2, UV3...)

In the case of modeling that I worked outside in the past
- In my case, I imported an FBX with UV2 unfolded in addition to UV1 for the game lightmap.

There was a problem that UVs were imported incorrectly because 3DCoat did not recognize multi-channels.
- I wanted UV1 to be imported for texturing, but no matter what I did, UV2 was imported.
I had to import it after removing the channel so it was loaded properly.

Edited by Yousung
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6 hours ago, sprayer said:

Bring to retopo, make model, update paint mesh from retopo to paint room and it will be there

Ui9QoYx.jpg


This works. But what a ridiculous way to do it. Just as ridiculous as importing an obj into a subtool in zbrush having to create a dummy subtool and scaling problems.. Super unintuitive
These steps shouldn't be necessary. It should be import in modelling room with the import icon and that's it, the model is editable in modelling, paint, uv room with the mesh info intact as it was from outside of 3dcoat.

The need to go through the retopo room and import model> go to bake tab>update paint mesh from retopo and then that's the time you can see the model in modelling, paint, uv room it's not intuitive at all.

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Is this normal behavior in the modelling room? After importing the mesh in retopo room and doing those steps, I proceeded to modelling room and edit with extrude.
image.thumb.png.1cbc67efe147de9420fa61246465c60c.png


Now I delete the top polys, Why is there a cube behind my mesh?? I'm guessing its the retopo mesh. Why is it there??? Now I have two meshes. The modelling room workflow is not fleshed out at all. 
image.thumb.png.edaa8fe0be7cce31b75986d24d525b00.png

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As a LightWave user myself, I find it much more intuitive modelling in LW anyway.

I just bring the model into 3dc for painting.

I don't think 3dc is designed for importing a 3rd party model to be tweaked, as the import button says 'import mesh for retopo'.

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"To be clear my purpose is to import models from lightwave, blender, etc and then continue to poly edit, edit/add uv, paint in 3dcoat. No retopo involved. "

First: I set up 3DC to work at the same scale as blender. Same scale should work for LW too. How to do this has been discussed many times through the years. If you do not set up the scale, this model comes in really small and you will need to scale up upon import.

Model Used: Test.lwo

Go to modelling room

Import mesh, upper tool bar. Mesh Menu.

Hit enter to apply the import.

The uv set is honored { if the model has one} in the Modeling room and the Retopo room.  To be clear the model also appears in the retopo room but does not show the uv seams but they are there and the uv map shows up in the uv panel.  A feature request would be to have the uv seams show up in the Retopo room as well when importing a mesh into the modeling room.

Do your edits in the modeling room.

Switched to the retopo room. Redo your uv set if you have one as you have edited the mesh. Create seams and unwrap.

Use Baking tool to bake to paint room. Use the method "Retopo--Per Pixel--No Baking. You do not have a sculpt mesh to bake from.

Switch to the paint room and do your work... 

I tested and all works...

Side note: if you want a sculpt mesh in the sculpt room from your imported mesh. Upper tool bar Mesh Menu---Sculpt Mesh. You can subdivide but that is according to your workflow on the model you are working on. Here of course if you sculpt on the model then you would bake a normal map using the standard normal bake function in 3DC.

Whether 3DC will keep the materials created in LW when importing I not know. Was testing only the words quoted. 

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10 hours ago, geo_n said:

Is this normal behavior in the modelling room? After importing the mesh in retopo room and doing those steps, I proceeded to modelling room and edit with extrude.
image.thumb.png.1cbc67efe147de9420fa61246465c60c.png


Now I delete the top polys, Why is there a cube behind my mesh?? I'm guessing its the retopo mesh. Why is it there??? Now I have two meshes. The modelling room workflow is not fleshed out at all. 
image.thumb.png.edaa8fe0be7cce31b75986d24d525b00.png

Did not you import mesh in paint room, or sculpt room first then import same mesh to modeling room?   I suppose it is paint room mesh. (or sculpt room mesh),

  I often see another room model without intention, then usually keep to open tool which can manipulate each room mesh (about your case you may need to open paint object, then try hide it) 

modelingroom.thumb.JPG.7b23f650567c715b14fe8cb9d44f0514.JPG

For me there seems no real difference between modeling room and retopo room mesh. (so I can swap room, when I need, but 2 room keep same mesh)

I just believe, these 2 room difference is which tools will be shown for each purpose. (so to check UV I need to open UV preview window  in modeling room, but retopo room show it as default)   (some tools seems hidden though)

So after import model in modeling room, I keep open UV preview in modeling room.  then they show same UV and same mesh in retopo room and modeling room. at same time to avoid un-necessary mesh of different room (sculpt room/paint room), I open those tool to easy hide / or show. 

My recommend is at first, tweak and customize your room (modeling) setting and show window which you need. As same as you, I actually serch UV view in modeling room , but remember we can open close most of tool panel, then just return it. 

 

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7 hours ago, digman said:

Go to modelling room

Import mesh, upper tool bar. Mesh Menu.

Hit enter to apply the import.

Thanks. I did this and the issue is the model doesn't show up in the uv room or paint room. You would have to do additional steps which is confusing and illogical. 
If I import a model into blender, modo, etc, the mesh, uv info, materials are there and switching mode doesn't require any additional guesswork unlike 3dc. Why doesn't an imported mesh in 3dcoat automatically show up and be EDITABLE in modelling, paint, uv room? All rooms dealing with polygon meshes.

Here's some typical stuff people do I'm sure not just me.

Lets say I started a model in lightwave, modo, etc but decided some functions are easier to do somewhere else.
Lightwave doesn't have any real sculpting, hops boxcutter booleans, etc so its better to do it in  blender, modo, zbrush.
The UV is partially done for me in lightwave.
image.thumb.png.3e725a34904d538a197cd9d95dd0d181.png


I import to blender for sculpting using fbx, obj, odcopypaste, etc.
Very important - The mesh and uv from lightwave is there of course and I can easily create a new mesh> UVmap that new mesh and have new uv islands repacked without disturbing the mesh and uv from lightwave.
image.thumb.png.7528b7954b7fca007552e081174af563.png



After this I usually proceed to 3dcoat for painting because blender's painting sucks and slow.  I'm sure it will catch up eventually.
image.thumb.png.b5cc7aebc0ff8aa94232abab69b5edb2.png


But since 3dcoat has a new modelling room I assumed I can skip blender and do all ADDITIONAL modelling, uv mapping and then painting in 3dcoat. Also having the ability to do this iteratively, modelling, uvmapping, painting, additional modelling edits, additional uvmapping , repainting new part, etc.
But it really is not intuitive even just starting to work on an imported model. It's something zbrush deals with terribly as well.
 

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10 hours ago, MarkC said:

As a LightWave user myself, I find it much more intuitive modelling in LW anyway.

I just bring the model into 3dc for painting.

I don't think 3dc is designed for importing a 3rd party model to be tweaked, as the import button says 'import mesh for retopo'.

Lightwave is dead. There's no more development. 
And 3dcoat 2021's selling point is the new poly modelling room. I expected it to be solid and working seamlessly with 3dcoats existing tools but it doesn't seem that way to me. Those other steps to do just to make it work  is illogical compared to what other apps are doing when dealing with model/mesh info.

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15 hours ago, geo_n said:

is illogical

All sculpt software looks illogical to me) 3dcoat modelling is just like sculpting at low poly)

Lightwave by the way is alive

Stable release
2020.0.2 / July 15, 2020; 12 months ago

It's just big companys making new version every year with tone of bugs, but there is not much new features and they are making because of money to sell more upgrade and leave behind old versions, for example 3ds max can save only 3 version below, and loosing compatibility with 3 years old version, you need to buy new or siting on old. But at beginning new version was developed several years

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