[Fixed] Smart Retopo - Loft as Stroke not working

[ijac]

I watched this Loft Mode video and he uses it like the old Stroke tool.  But when I try to do this it doesn't work. 

Steps:

1. Select Smart Retopo
2. Select Loft Mode
3. Click+hold outside model in empty space, drag across model to empty space, release click
4. No edge loop appears on the model

Is this a bug or am I doing something wrong?  It seems straight forward

[Yousung]

I've heard in an earlier post that it's a bug.

Try the method described by digman

 

On 8/14/2021 at 12:31 AM, digman said:

Till the bug is fixed. Another method for retopoing your mesh.

New Menu------ Select Surface mode, choose the grid.

Left tool bar. Objects tab---Import

Import the model as a surface mode model, you will not lose any details on the model. If you scale the model up upon import and If asked to keep scale, select yes. When exporting your retopo mesh or sculpt mesh 3DC remembers the original scale of the model.

Select a shader that will show the curvature of the model clearly.

Now Switch to the Retopo room for your retopoing. 

This is my prefer method over Preform Retopoly. As I can select a shader and if for any reason I  do any sculpt work on the model I am able too. Plus if I want too bake a normal map, no further steps needed.

 

[digman]

Windows version 2021.31

The strokes tool for importing for Preform Retopology is the bug I was talking about in that thread.

If you have a Sculpt room object, either in Voxel or Surface mode the Smart Retopo loft mode functions correctly starting in open space in the latest version   2021.31 

I am waiting to see if the new version today fixes the Preform Retopology problem.

[ijac]

Why is this marked [Fixed]?  Still broken in the latest release 2021.21

[Carlosan]

because was reported fixed on latest version, it is not ?

 

[ijac]

@Carlosan It is not fixed in 2021.21.  I just double checked.  I also noticed the Strokes tool (in Retopo room) is broken in the same way

Edited September 17, 2021 by ijac

[ijac]

Your website has .21 as the latest version.  But when I did Check for Update in the Help menu it said .39 is the latest.  I installed 2021.39 and it is not fixed.

[Carlosan]

On my previous post, i linked the thread to latest version 2021.49

3DCoat-2021-49.exe

//edit

I tested again Smart Retopo > loft and found it working fine from my side (on Windows version)

[ijac]

Thanks for clarifying.  I tried 2021.49 and 2021.51.  Using Smart Retopo > Loft as Stroke is not working.  I'm starting off the model and ending off model as demonstrated in the video in the first post.  I'm running the Windows version

[Carlosan]

Sorry., i am following your steps but cant replicate

Steps:

1. Select Smart Retopo
2. Select Loft Mode
3. Click+hold outside model in empty space, drag across model to empty space, release click
4. No edge loop appears on the model

[ijac]

 

 

I import a Reference Mesh and do exactly as you did.  But no red loop shows on the model after releasing.

Edited September 20, 2021 by ijac

[cineacoat]

I have this exact same problem when importing a mesh as a Reference Mesh.  It's imported and placed as a Paint Object which the Smart Retopo tool doesn't seem to like.  To make it work I had to go to the Paint Room and go to Bake > Paint Mesh->Sculpt Mesh.  That turned it into a Surface under the SculptTree.  Smart Retopo tool seems to work way better when it is a Sculpt object.

I kind of get why 3DCoat has all this stuff separate, but it would be way less confusing if all the different types of objects were not there.  We don't really need a Paint Object, Sculpt Object, Poly Groups, whatever else for geometry.  Geometry is geometry.  Blender for example has one geometry object that you can sculpt on, poly model with, UV, use for retopo, and paint on without conversions needed.  It's simple.  We don't need 3 different groups for geometry.  There is a little letter next to the geometry for Sculpt (S) and Voxel (V) maybe add a Low Poly (L), but also let the sculpt be used for painting and making UVs without conversion needed.  Instead to get it ready for paint have a warning that says "This geometry has no UVs" if it doesn't have UVs.  Baking high poly to low poly should be an option available between any 2 geometries.  Just a "Bake high to low" tool that pops up saying "Pick high geom" "Pick low geom".  It doesn't need to be so complex with all these conversions.  Going even another step further Sculpt and Voxel doesn't even need to be there as a hybrid could be used where if a sculpt tool is used it moves and changes the points under the brush like if it were a sculpt object and Voxel could change the points under only the brush area like if it was Voxel.

[ijac]

I don't sculpt in 3d Coat.  I always use Reference Mesh.  It never crossed my mind that could be the problem.  But that's exactly it.  Loft as Stroke works on a Sculpt Mesh but not on a Reference Mesh.  It should work on both. @Carlosan