Jump to content
3DCoat Forums

Can't export. Trouble with Rooms, selections, hiding, UVing, and more. Learning version.


Recommended Posts

  • Member

This is not very urgent but I wasn't able to post to the other forum, it's greyed out.

Current problem: I can't export.

If this is a function of the Learning version, it's bad: I'm a new user and literally can't continue my project. Why:

 

I started UVing a model in the Retopo Room. I'll get into the reasons for that below, but one reason is that it's recommended in the forums here and 3D Coat videos which is unintuitive: of course a new user will think they should UV in the UV Room. Anyway, I wanted to hide a whole UV set (or object "B" in the Paint Objects menu in my screenshot, which would function the same way for me). Problem: unfortunately clicking the eye on the Paint Objects menu doesn't hide it, it just makes it slightly transparent. Problem: I don't know how to hide it (the whole Object group at once, I don't want to hide polygon islands one by one). Googling didn't turn up anything useful, only old videos and forum posts with outdated UI menus I can't find. So I thought I will just go to UV Room and finish there. Problem: can't do that because the UV Sets I set up in the Retopo Room are NOT in the UV Room. I don't know how to transfer the sets. I read that models are all different between rooms, so you actually HAVE to export?

I don't want to start over in the UV Room because that has problems too, which is why I started in Retopo Room to begin with.

How I got to this point:

Imported a model for UV unwrapping, went to UV Room. In UV Room, created new UV sets. Cleared the auto-generated seams and clicked Unwrap to get groups. Started adding those groups to my new Sets. Problem: part of my model has A LOT of little islands. I did not want to manually shift-click each one, so I thought I'd just drag and select many at once. Problem: this isn't possible in the UV Room(?), only in Retopo Room. Great. So I go to Retopo Room and Problem: discover my mesh is all grey, can't select anything. I don't know what to do, none of the tutorials I can find show this and they're all outdated. Hours later I find an answer: Restore UV button. Now I try to select those small parts by drag-clicking and Problem: it doesn't work. I don't know why. Also now my model is tiny. I don't know what's going on, I quit the software and restart and re-do all the steps. Now it works, I can select like expected. Problem: the selection only gets the front facing polygons. I don't know how to change this, so all I can think to do is select as many as I can and then click Expand A LOT until the entire geometry is selected. So finally I move those and everything else to the Sets I want. And I want to start making seams, but part of the model is in the way. Back to paragraph 1 above.

 

Maybe exporting can be solved by buying the software? But there were 9 other problems in the course of trying to do something very simple. That makes me worry that I won't want to use this even if I buy. What's the recommended solution for someone who wants to keep learning before they commit?

Export.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Advanced Member

At first you need to calm down. Believe me zbrush interface much much worse, so you need a bit time to understand how program work.
I think you also need to watch some video tutorials, i am recommend not official, they are too long with tone information what you do not looking. Old tutorials also work well, the main tools works the same except live clay was replaced
https://www.youtube.com/user/AlienMinefield/playlists

https://www.youtube.com/c/PolyToots/playlists

https://www.youtube.com/c/RaccoonImages/playlists

The room difference only in tools panel (but you can even change that for any room), all visibility in types of model like object paint, sculpt tree, etc, you can open their windows in any rooms and switch visibility.

You do not need anything to export in most case

The second would be better if you showing screenshot for every problem.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member

Thanks digman, just two sets.

Unfortunately I can't share this file. But maybe one problem could be that it's over the limit for triangles for Learning version. Screenshot.

 

Separately, I thought maybe I can get to the UV room with UV Sets intact if I used the "Apply UV-set" button, but the whole app crashes. I sent in a bug report, but could also be related to tri limits on Learning?

Tris.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member
8 hours ago, sprayer said:

At first you need to calm down. Believe me zbrush interface much much worse

This is unnecessary. It's about UX problems, it isn't personal. I've seen way too many defensive responses to other users from 3DCoat staff and affiliates, here and on the YouTube channel. As if anyone who's having trouble or thinks the program has issues is wrong or stupid.

"ZBrush is much worse". Absolutely not to this extent. I learned ZBrush recently enough to know this and was able to use it for work within weeks. Yes there are hurdles, but they create high-quality tutorials with every release and have multiple ways to get help. In the past few years I also learned 4 other 3D packages, all easier to start in.

I made this post because this is not the first time I've encountered issues every step of the way in 3D Coat. This time I had a record of what actually happens, though yes more screenshots would help. Nonetheless I'd hope this is considered useful information if there's a goal to improve UX.

I described specific problems in detail. Specific answers are helpful.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Reputable Contributor

Ok, I will try to help.

The below is just an example. I do not have access to your file and how model was created, material groups etc. This you will after reading my post do any adjusting as necessary. 

The UV room is generally for working on a model that already has a uv-set created for adusting purposes. That is the reason 3DC is auto-generating a uv set for you.

If the model has no uv set at all. 

Close the New Panel when loading 3DC, then go to the retopo room. Under the Mesh menu choose import mesh. Scale up if necessary.  No snapping required.

Create your two uv sets. I created top and sides uv sets. I renamed Default to Top and created the Sides uv set.

Create your two polygroups.  I created Top and sides. renaming the default one.

Use your select tool to select polygons and move the selected polygons to the correct uv set and polygroup. 

Create your UV seams, Make sure you are on the correct uv set and polygroup. 

Unwrap each uv set being sure you have selected it. Also be on the correct polygroup.  This avoids any confusion and possible problems.

Once done now export using the Mesh menu----Export.

Picture shows: Arrows point to where you create your uv sets. The move to function next to it which moves selected polygons to a uv set. 

The move icon in the Poly Groups panel. You select polygons first. Once the polygons are selected, switch to the correct polygroup and then use this tool. 

One arrow points to the polygroup names. 

Important Side Note:

Simple example I shown but shows the process. Now you can have more than one polygroup in a UV set. I just gave a simple example.

Not really necessary to be on the right polygroup when unwrapping.  I was giving a simple example to help clear up confusion.

The most important thing is to make sure all polygroups you want are in the uv set that you want to unwrap and have that uv set selected. 

I generally have no problems creating uv sets. selecting and moving polygons to certain polygroups and uv sets then unwrapping. 3DC works as expected. 

oops forgot picture.

workflow.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...