Twitter discussion: What Andrew is currently doing.

[Digital777]

http://twitter.com/AndrewShpagin wrote -

I made nice models preview in Merge/spline tools instead of old ugly file tree.

I made this mainly because I am about to provide big library of models in merge/spline tool ...

... and it will be just impossible to use it without nice previews.

Nice, that was a feature i have requested before and it will make workflow much faster having a preview of the 3d models. Looking forward to see what is available with the new library also

[robotbob]

One small feature I'd like to see Andrew add to the Retopo tools, would greatly facilitate the reduction of polygons/edgeloops that currently are added when using the auto-retopo tool, is a Dot Loop/Ring selection. It's at the 1:35 mark. This could make clean-up ridiculously fast.

Select a given set of edges along a loop > Dot Ring > delete key

Right now, the way this auto-retopo routine works, it will hang or crash if you try to go the low poly route. So, anything to make cleanup easier should be a high priority, in my view.

yes, briliant

[artman]

New Meshes Preview seem now to show negative volume in a way its much more easy to figure how its gonna look like .

http://www.3d-coat.com/files/screen/128344163699.jpg

[Digital777]

http://twitter.com/AndrewShpagin wrote -

I improved how scrape/plane and other tools work over thin and complex surface to avoid random pen aligning near such surfaces.

I made new tool to fill inner holes in voxel objects. That holes are useless and produce problems during [auto]retopology, baking, snapping.

[Andrew Shpagin]

Btw, 3.3.14 on server contains all recent changes. I am renewing it sometimes...

(mostly if someone needs something urgent)

[Digital777]

Thanks, does that mean when you post on Twitter it is probably going to be in the latest update even if not on the main changelist?

[Andrew Shpagin]

Thanks, does that mean when you post on Twitter it is probably going to be in the latest update even if not on the main changelist?

Usually I an updating once in 2 days. But I am not announcing it because it is mostly required by one person.

[ifxs]

a voxel fill = GREAT!!!! CAnt wait to try it, I've needed such a tool for a LONG time in 3D Coat

[philnolan3d]

I agree, I was resorting to using Cell Hide to hide the exterior then Fill to clean up the interior, this was difficult and didn't always work well.

[haikalle]

I am making compex experiments with autoretopo to make it better, it takes some time, so there are no tweets or updates last couple of days.

It is really complex math, so no guarantee of success, but I must try anyway, there is hole that must be filled.

Thanks for this info. I'm glad to hear that you are willing to take a risk and really push your skill on the limit. Thumps up

[StriderX]

3.5

what happened to 3.4, did I miss something?

[Andrew Shpagin]

3.5

what happened to 3.4, did I miss something?

There is too much new stuff to call it just 3.4. So it is 3.5 to underestimate status of this update.

[ifxs]

Thanks Andrew! :-)

[haikalle]

I'm excited about 3.5 Bring in on

[Javis]

A few of us were opting for a higher version number. 3.5 is good though.

And as Andrew said, LOTS of features in this build to not go higher with the version number.

[Grandmaster B]

Huh... i hope most of the bugs are fixed. There were some things that did not work right in 3.3.14 (and earlier).

[Grandmaster B]

And there are no bugs in any other software with new update releases? That's news to me. Where have I been all these years?

I dont know dude! I and others have reported a few bugs that still bug me and force me to use workarounds. Im glad you dont have this problem but please dont be that way.

Im also exited about auto-retopo and stuff but last time i checked it broke the other quadrangulation options. The paint room also has problems, for example merging layers not to work right in some cases or the UI get screwed up in some cases and that are no new bugs at all. Its nothing serious but it bothers me more than i want shiny new features because its affects my workflow. Thats all i want to say about it.

And please no harsh comments about my opinion about that.

[Digital777]

Well i have also found various bugs so i see nothing wrong with wanting bug fixes done in updates really. There actually has been various bug fixes for the point releases so Andrew has fixed various things for 3.5 already. Not everyone follows the progress of those or might not visit the forum regularly so i have to agree that comment did seem slightly negative, there is nothing wrong with you opinion Grandmaster B and i want bug fixes also.

In fact i actually un-installed 3DC today due to a bug where it messes up all the shader preview images. I am waiting until 3.5 is released to install it again hopefully restoring them to the way they were before but the bug is still there and it would be good to get it fixed.

Edit -

Installing 3.5 fixed the broken shader preview images as i had hoped. The bug is there still there i am guessing but i don't plan on testing, i listed how it happened part way down the first post in my bugs/ideas list here -

http://www.3d-coat.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=6259&view=findpost&p=47340

[Digital777]

On Andrews twitter page last time i looked it seems that bug fixes and optimization will be the next focus. Myself and others have posted various GUI bugs/glitches/suggestions also so if some of those get sorted that would be good. That is great news though and will hopefully mean the next version will be faster for some tools also.

Edit (With the quotes, and some typo corrections hehe) -

... and return to bugfixing and optimization.

And today i notice this so it looks like there will indeed be speed increases which is great news -

I started using Intel tbb (multithreading) library. The speed of painting (per-pixel) improved a lot, especially for big textures.

[Grandmaster B]

Btw. TBB also works for AMD processors!

[philnolan3d]

Yes Multi-threading in the paint room sounds great especially when I'm just getting ready to start texturing.

Also:

Also we started writing AppLinks for many different applications.

There will be possibility to use almost all aspects of 3DC - ppp/mv/ptex/voxels/uv/retopo/autopo and many other from external apps.

Also Andrew was sick today, hopefully he'll be better soon.

[haikalle]

Great news. That tbb library really sounds amazing. Can't wait to test it out. Also it's nice to hear that Applink is getting more love.

[Psmith]

Don:

I think your bold prediction might be right.

Greg

[haikalle]

You are totally right Don. 3d-coat is that hot name on market right now. And I like the humble way how Andrew is leading this. Like for example price thing, even it's

going up a bit up it still much lower than zbrush or mudbox. And update price is very nice too. And when you think all features what you get, with that price

range.WAU. Also that there is student and unemployeded version. Everyone can be 3d artist(slogan ). And I like it.

[philnolan3d]

Like I said in another thread, I can't say where this is now, but my friend at one of the big Hollywood studios said that her job really likes 3DC retopo and is working on switching over from another app.

[Taros]

Improving paint speed listen like music in my ears. We need it here every day, and the most important wish currently, is a speedup in the paint room. I annoy Andrew already a long time for this...

[michalis]

At this pace, I'm going to go ahead and make a bold prediction that 3DC will overtake ZBrush in this market within 2yrs

I agree. But first 3DC has to add a "zbrush' room among the others. Meanwhile zbrush could add a decent re-topo tool too. This is not a joke. For the moment 3DC is the best partner of ZB. Or the opposite.

[ozukaru]

I agree. But first 3DC has to add a "zbrush' room among the others. Meanwhile zbrush could add a decent re-topo tool too. This is not a joke. For the moment 3DC is the best partner of ZB. Or the opposite.

I dont think 3DC needs zbrush at all...

the only fear that I have about it is that a giant company (as autodesk) could consider 3DC dangerous to its interests and end buying it and burying it...

[haikalle]

I agree. There is no need to fear that at all. the value of 3d-coat is priceless. Andrew has done so much work to get this point. And finally big markets start to use 3d-coat.

This would be the worse time to sell something that starts to be a gold mine tomorrow.

[Rich_Art]

All I hope is that the updates will kept affordable.

Peace,

Rich_Art.