3DCoat 2025 Development

[Mihu83]

@Oleg Shapov Hey, couple of issues with Curves tool:

- moving points with middle mouse button doesn't work - sometimes it will pick the point, but overall, it doesn't work. That mouse hovering on the video is me trying to grab a point.

- twist behaviour around the curve - very annoying thing, especially when the performance/responsivness while trying to correct the curve is really bad. 

and the issue with vox layer tool and practically every other tool that uses this type of selection:

- it just doesn't ignore other objects in the scene(even ghosted) when ignore back faces is selected - very problematic when you work on even slightly complexe models.

Oh, and the thing is, these tools have been working fine back in the days...

p.s.

Do you know if there are any plans for improving/expanding functionality of Render Room? It have been neglected for years.

 

[Dmitriy Nos]

3 hours ago, Mihu83 said:

- moving points with middle mouse button doesn't work - sometimes it will pick the point, but overall, it doesn't work. That mouse hovering on the video is me trying to grab a point.

Perhaps something has changed in the parameters. Now I select Move in the parameters (hot key W) and the points move but with the help of LMB.

[Dmitriy Nos]

4 hours ago, Mihu83 said:

twist behaviour around the curve - very annoying thing

I agree. The preview twists in different directions.

[Dmitriy Nos]

4 hours ago, Mihu83 said:

the issue with vox layer tool

Confirmed and sent. Thank you!

4 hours ago, Mihu83 said:

Do you know if there are any plans for improving/expanding functionality of Render Room? It have been neglected for years.

I don't have such information. Maybe the developers will answer.

[Ctc_nick]

On 7/5/2025 at 8:44 PM, MJonathan said:

These modeling tools doesn't appear in the latest 3dcoat version:

• Edge Flow
• Equalize Edges
• Lattice (These tool was renamed to Wireframe to Mesh, Ignore this)

I think there are other modeling tools that dissapear in this latest version, but I don't know every tool on 3dcoat!

I found the missing commands in \3DCoat\data\Temp\tools.txt. If you dare doing a little coding and need a hotfix: add the 2 lines in C:\Program Files\3DCoat-2025\UserPrefs\StdScripts\cTemplates\retopoTools.py:

def Selected_Edges():

           coat.tools_comment("EdgesModeComment")

           coat.tools_item("[RetopoTool]sfExpand") # Expand

           coat.tools_item("[RetopoTool]sfContract") # Contract

           coat.tools_item("[RetopoTool]sfTransform") # Transform

           coat.tools_item("[extension]RtExtrudeFreeSl") # Smart Extrude

           coat.tools_item("[RetopoTool]sfCutEdges") # Cut edges

           coat.tools_item("[RetopoTool]SnapRT") # Snap

           coat.tools_item("[RetopoTool]ScaleCL") # Scale

           coat.tools_item("[RetopoTool]ApplyTSm") # Relax

           coat.tools_item("[RetopoTool]seSpin") # Rotate CW

           coat.tools_item("[RetopoTool]seSpinBack") # Rotate CCW

           coat.tools_item("[RetopoTool]seSplit") # Split

           coat.tools_item("[RetopoTool]seCollapse") # Collapse

           coat.tools_item("[RetopoTool]seDelete") # Delete

           coat.tools_item("[RetopoTool]seEdgeLoop") # Edge Loop

           coat.tools_item("[RetopoTool]seEdgeRing") # Edge Ring

           coat.tools_item("[RetopoTool]seSelSharp") # Sel.Sharp

           coat.tools_item("[extension]Bevel") # Bevel

           coat.tools_item("[RetopoTool]uvSeams") # Set Seams

           coat.tools_item("[RetopoTool]uvClrSeams") # Del. Seams

           coat.tools_item("[RetopoTool]uvSharp")

           coat.tools_item("[RetopoTool]uvClrSharp")

           coat.tools_item("[RetopoTool]rtStoreSel") # Store Sel.

           coat.tools_item("[RetopoTool]rtRecallSel") # Load Sel.

           coat.tools_item("[RetopoTool]rtClearSel") # Clear Sel.

           coat.tools_item("[RetopoTool]rtSpliteEdge") # Splite Edge

           coat.tools_item("[extension]MdlBridgeTool") # Bridge

           coat.tools_item("[extension]MdlEdgeFlow") # Edge Flow   ## <----------this!

           coat.tools_item("[extension]UnifArrangementVertex") # Equalize Edges  ## <----------and-this!

           coat.tools_item("[extension]RtAlignmentVertexs") # Alignment edges

Edited July 10 by Ctc_nick
strange huge auto-format of code paste?

[Mihu83]

19 hours ago, Dmitriy Nos said:

Perhaps something has changed in the parameters. Now I select Move in the parameters (hot key W) and the points move but with the help of LMB.

Yeah, I know the hot key thing, but still weird, as it sometimes grabs a point, so it looks as a bug or maybe badly implemented change under the hood of that tool.

[Stefka]

Hi to all.

Using latest version 2025.09

I found another problem in the Painting room.

In case of a model with 2 narrow adjacent walls, there is a problem with the clone tool.

Here is what I did. 

A very simple object, I painted part of one side with a PBR texture. Selected the clone tool, cloned part of the texture on the same side.
now the problem is, that you have the cloned texturepart as well on the backside of the object.

Attached is a picture showing the problem.
In the Texture Editor window: The red marked area on the front side is the cloned area. The other marked area on the backside is the error coming from the clone tool.

Hope you can replicate.

Best regards
Walter

PS: By the way, I´m not quite sure if it makes any sense to report problems. All the problems that I reported, even though they got approved by the moderators and reported to the devolopers, have not been solved up to now. These are not only the problems I reported within the last month, which might be too short a period for people to solve them, but most of these problems I already reported a very long time ago and nothing has happened until now.

I am fully aware of the dramatic situation in the Ukraine, as well as of every single person living there and my heart is broken.

 

Edited July 12 by Stefka

[Stefka]

Hi to all again.

I´m using version 2025.09

Here comes another problem in the painting room.

Here is what I did.

A simple object, consisting of 2 objects close together, one behind the other.

The object was imported by the starting menu with PPP. Auto-Mapping. No Center snap.

You get Layer 0  and Layer 1 as usual. You stay in Layer 1

I wrote with the text tool onto the surface of the first object. After applying the text, the text can be seen on the surface of the second object as well.

When you apply another text to the same surface on the same layer, the text can only be seen on the first layer.

I did the same test but after importing the object, I immediately added a new layer and applied the text to the new layer, with the same effect. 

To confirm everything I started with a new file, loaded the same object, wrote the first text to the surface and it could be seen on both surfaces. I added another text and this time the text was again visible on both surfaces, as well as the third text.

So I can´t say if the text is shown on one surface only or on both.

Hope this helps and you can replicate.

Best regards

Walter

[Kodra]

I've posted this before... but I think more people should be aware of how far behind 3DCoat's UI is.

3DCoat UI:

A Blender plugin:

[paulrus]

1.  Blender is great, but it's still mainly (and I'm not asking to debate or argue, I'm just stating a fact) used by hobbyists and enthusiasts, not professionals.
2.  Anyone can build anything for Blender at any time and add it, but due to it's nature, support can be great, limited, or non-existent.  So if the plugin dev disappears, stops working on it, you have to hope that someone else picks up the torch.
3.  As someone who has worked in animation, motion graphics and VFX since the late 1980's, I find that circular interface to be absolutely horrible.  I hated it when Maya came out with it and I still hate it today.  Efficiency comes from learning keyboard shortcuts, not fancy UI elements.  Personally, as a former Lightwave & Softimage user, I MUCH prefer text buttons over graphic icons.  

The development team on 3DC has always been small, so if they are focusing on something, pretty buttons is probably at the low end of the wish list.  However, using the API I believe you could create a custom pop-up window with your own icons that call existing tools.  So, if it's a really important thing for folks to have, someone could take the time to build it.

-PG

[Elemeno]

13 minutes ago, paulrus said:

1.  Blender is great, but it's still mainly (and I'm not asking to debate or argue, I'm just stating a fact) used by hobbyists and enthusiasts, not professionals.
2.  Anyone can build anything for Blender at any time and add it, but due to it's nature, support can be great, limited, or non-existent.  So if the plugin dev disappears, stops working on it, you have to hope that someone else picks up the torch.
3.  As someone who has worked in animation, motion graphics and VFX since the late 1980's, I find that circular interface to be absolutely horrible.  I hated it when Maya came out with it and I still hate it today.  Efficiency comes from learning keyboard shortcuts, not fancy UI elements.  Personally, as a former Lightwave & Softimage user, I MUCH prefer text buttons over graphic icons.  

The development team on 3DC has always been small, so if they are focusing on something, pretty buttons is probably at the low end of the wish list.  However, using the API I believe you could create a custom pop-up window with your own icons that call existing tools.  So, if it's a really important thing for folks to have, someone could take the time to build it.

-PG

thats such a large development take , if you notice alot of tools, features etc arent categorised correctly , so in order to make it properly efficient the whole ui layout would need to change , ive been trying to find the best shortcuts at the moment for modelling room , having a default keyboard shortcuts that we can be remember is whats truly needed

[Elemeno]

using a basic sphere , multires to 32mil i noticeds that the topology was pinching in rows which makes any detail to the model will be bumpy , i cant even smooth them out

[Kodra]

1 hour ago, paulrus said:

Blender is great, but it's still mainly (and I'm not asking to debate or argue, I'm just stating a fact) used by hobbyists and enthusiasts, not professionals.

And 3DCoat is such an industry standard software...? Blender is not Maya, but it's far more adapted in the industry (game and motion graphic at least) than 3DCoat. It's mostly used by hobbyists because its userbase is so large. I'm also stating a fact.

Quote

I find that circular interface to be absolutely horrible

Yeah exactly, circular interface can be horrible, especially when you put completely unrelated tools on one like this:

Quote

I MUCH prefer text buttons over graphic icons.  

Let me introduce my favorite text labels, "Clay F.." and "Scratc."

 

Quote

However, using the API 

If 3DCoat's UI is miles behind than Blender's, its API doc is lightyears behind.

 

You seem to think usability is just fancy buttons. Well, 3DCoat dev seems to agree with this. That's how we got where we are.

Seriously my point isn't how good Blender is. I don't even use Blender that much these days. My point is (to be blunt) how bad 3DCoat's is.

Even Houdini, which is definitely not the peak of UI design, knows how to make a pop-up menu that reads.

Edited July 12 by Kodra

[Elemeno]

1 hour ago, Kodra said:

And 3DCoat is such an industry standard software...? Blender is not Maya, but it's far more adapted in the industry (game and motion graphic at least) than 3DCoat. It's mostly used by hobbyists because its userbase is so large. I'm also stating a fact.

Yeah exactly, circular interface can be horrible, especially when you put completely unrelated tools on one like this:

Let me introduce my favorite text labels, "Clay F.." and "Scratc."

 

If 3DCoat's UI is miles behind than Blender's, its API doc is lightyears behind.

 

You seem to think usability is just fancy buttons. Well, 3DCoat dev seems to agree with this. That's how we got where we are.

Seriously my point isn't how good Blender is. I don't even use Blender that much these days. My point is (to be blunt) how bad 3DCoat's is.

Even Houdini, which is definitely not the peak of UI design, knows how to make a pop-up menu that reads.

unfortunately as good as the devs are , they arent game developers or vfx artists etc ... they dont have to daya by day deal with efficiencies of software workflows ,

so thats why they have this forum , its nice to let them know things dont work but its even better to supply them with suggestions, while i totally agree , a wheel that crams every single feature you possibly can isnt good for the eye you end up seaarching just as long as you would using its current traditional method ,


what they should have done is had 5 columns , you can name them what you like , and then rightclick a tool or section and add to column 'Brush' for example and then you can have a custom wheel that works efficiently for you ,

for exaample when i first start sculpting i would use draw clay and move tool for a big majority , then i can make a column with an areas saying blocking tools with just those three saving flitering through.

[Carlosan]

Please open a new thread to talk about 3DC development INS&OUT, use this post to report bugs.
thanks

[Dmitriy Nos]

23 hours ago, Stefka said:

I found another problem in the Painting room.

Thank you! I've passed it on to the developers.
I hope all or at least the main bugs will be fixed, but you understand everything yourself.

[Stefka]

Hi @Dmitriy Nos
Thank you for confirming the problem.
Maybe you can have a look at the other problem I posted, following the one you checked already, as well. 
I think its also a bug.
Thank you and have a nice weekend.
Walter

[L'Ancien Regime]

A few years ago I posted about how much 3D Coat's Autopo's tool had improved. Well I just gave it a test run on what I expected to be a bit of a mess especially with the hands and fingers. All I can say is let's give a round of applause to all the programmers that have continued to improve and upgrade this feature. I'm impressed. 

 

And the fingers were perfect too. Not a single flaw or glitch in the entire retopology. I'd say you've drawn up equal to Zremesher and that is a big compliment because Zremesher was the best. The only difference is that I could have added a more dense mesh in 3D Coat. 

 

 

 

Edited July 13 by L'Ancien Regime

[Mihu83]

@Dmitriy Nos Couple more issues with 3DC.

1. Render Room - switching views with num pad inside Render Room doesn't work, it only updates when you switch to other rooms. Only number 5 works(switching between ortho and perspective view).

2. Retopo Room - select tool doesn't remember setting when switching to other tools.

3. Sculpt Room/Retopo Room - switching between these rooms result in current preset setting change.

 

[Dmitriy Nos]

On 7/12/2025 at 3:24 PM, Stefka said:

Here comes another problem in the painting room

Correct me if I'm missing anything. I only see a problem with Ignoring Back Faces in the Text tool.

 

 

[Stefka]

46 minutes ago, Dmitriy Nos said:

Correct me if I'm missing anything

Hi.
I think your objects are too far apart, put them closer together.

The problem you realiced is also a problem from the text tool.

Best regards

[Dmitriy Nos]

13 hours ago, Mihu83 said:

Couple more issues with 3DC

I checked everything, everything was confirmed. Thank you for your help!

[Carlosan]

@Stefka @Dmitriy Nos confirmed 

 

[Stefka]

@Carlosan
Thank you for confirmation.

[AbnRanger]

On 7/12/2025 at 9:29 PM, Kodra said:

I've posted this before... but I think more people should be aware of how far behind 3DCoat's UI is.

3DCoat UI:

A Blender plugin:

I am in favor of a Pie menu option, also...however, let's be fair here. The Space Bar menu is somewhat patterned after ZBrush's Brush Panel, and I haven't heard ZBrush users talking about how outdated that is. For what it is worth, I think the developer of the Modeling tools is working on a pie menu...at least for the Retopo/Modeling/NURBS tools. Maybe that will eventually include other toolsets as well.

[AbnRanger]

On 7/12/2025 at 11:10 PM, Kodra said:

And 3DCoat is such an industry standard software...? Blender is not Maya, but it's far more adapted in the industry (game and motion graphic at least) than 3DCoat. It's mostly used by hobbyists because its userbase is so large. I'm also stating a fact.

Yeah exactly, circular interface can be horrible, especially when you put completely unrelated tools on one like this:

If 3DCoat's UI is miles behind than Blender's, its API doc is lightyears behind.

 

You seem to think usability is just fancy buttons. Well, 3DCoat dev seems to agree with this. That's how we got where we are.

Seriously my point isn't how good Blender is. I don't even use Blender that much these days. My point is (to be blunt) how bad 3DCoat's is.
Even Houdini, which is definitely not the peak of UI design, knows how to make a pop-up menu that reads.

As I stated in my previous post, the SPACE BAR menu is patterned after ZBrush's Brush Panel, and that has seemed to work well for that community. I too would like to see a Pie menu (some for the Modeling/Retopo workspace is supposedly in the works), but I personally believe too many people are overly harsh in their criticism of 3DCoat's UI. When User requests are implemented and improvements are made to the UI, nobody here says "Thanks guys, great job." Only complaints...all the time and it gets really old. In case you haven't noticed, there is a huge war going on in Ukraine right now and the developers have to constantly worry about their safety and the safety of their families, with air sirens and explosions going off EVERY SINGLE DAY! And in the midst of this war, they have to fight to compete with a FREE application like Blender, who gets massive corporate donations to fund their development. It's not a fair business environment for Pilgway or any small 3D application, including Marmoset. Competing against User donations-only is totally fair, but funded by huge corporate donors like Nvidia, AMD, EPIC, etc is NOT. How would you like to be in their position and on top of all the stress they have, they have to deal with harsh demands on their own forum? I would not want to be in their shoes.

They are doing a great job holding it together as far as I can see, and over the past few versions, there have been a number of UI improvements such as the Minimalist layout (toggled by the TAB key), Gizmo-less Transforms ala Blender, Viewport Navigation widget, Undo Navigation icon beside it, Activity Bar that is is similar to Photoshop's Tab Bar (just inside the right column) and hidden until the cursor is within close proximity, all new icons were added in 3DC 2021, color coded layers, Tool Groups ala Photoshop, to help consolidate similar tools/brushes into a single tool group. With regard to the Minimalist Layout, you cannot get a cleaner UI than that...in ANY application...and you can bring any tool or panel to your cursor with a hotkey.

That Radial Tool Menu you showed above, from the Paint Workspace, works just fine for me. There is not a single "unrelated" tool in that menu. It lets artists pick ANY tool in the Tool Panel, as well as displaying the primary color wheel, which is very useful and efficient. The Retopo/Modeling workspace has a contextual RMB menu, much like the Quad menu in 3ds Max. Just because you prefer something a certain way, that doesn't mean the application is FAR BEHIND/OUTDATED. I know there are improvements that can be made and I too ask for them all the time...but I try to be patient, tactful and polite when asking. It helps a lot more than using harsh criticisms, like saying the developers are not game developers or VFX artists.

First of all, Andrew, the chief developer, came from a Game Development Studio, so he does have experience in that field. The Modeling/Retopo workspace developer came from a CAD/Sketchup style application background. Why would VFX experience necessarily help him? This is not a VFX toolset. It's a Texture Painting, Sculpting/Modeling, Retopo and UV editing software.

[Mihu83]

3 hours ago, Dmitriy Nos said:

I checked everything, everything was confirmed. Thank you for your help!

Thanks for the info.

[MJonathan]

I'm changing the icons in my 3DCoat setup to make it more readable and artist-friendly. What do you think? It took me 20 minutes to change 20 icons. I'd like to finish the rest! If you find it useful, I'd be happy to share it with the team.

Edit. Sorry I posted in the incorrect thread! Ignore this post.

Edited July 15 by MJonathan

[AbnRanger]

4 hours ago, MJonathan said:

I'm changing the icons in my 3DCoat setup to make it more readable and artist-friendly. What do you think? It took me 20 minutes to change 20 icons. I'd like to finish the rest! If you find it useful, I'd be happy to share it with the team.

Edit. Sorry I posted in the incorrect thread! Ignore this post.

That is a good idea and it looks good. You could also use different colors...when it makes sense to do so.

[L'Ancien Regime]

My problem with the space bar pop up menu is that the top shelf of chosen favorites get individually deleted if I don't click them very very carefully when I'm selecting them. Perhaps the solution is to  make them fixed once you dump them in their slot and if you want to delete them or change them for whatever reason you should have to right click on the icon and then specifically choose to delete them from that spot.

Edited July 16 by L'Ancien Regime