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Blender Applink


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  • 4 weeks later...
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On 5/3/2022 at 2:41 AM, gafferwiles said:

Hi,

I was constantly getting the "error" that my Blender Applink was installed but was out of date and instructing me to click OK to fix this. (It didn't fix it when I did click on OK.)

(I am running 3D-Coat 2022.24, but my files are still sitting in a 3D-Coat 2021 folder.)

I poked around and noticed a command windows appear briefly with some sort of batch file running, but this disappeared to fast for me to see what it was.

I ran Camtasia and captured the command window and saw that it was invoking a batch file "copy_applink.bat" that was sitting in \Documents\3DCoat\data\temp\ folder.

The batch file was pointing to Blender 3.0 and was running a powershell, but I have Blender 3.1 installed so the path was incorrect. I changed the bat script to point to Blender's 3.1 path, but the script still failed even though I was running the bat file as administrator.

The only way I was able to fix the problem was to physically copy the files in the \Documents\3DCoat\data\temp\ folder into the proper Blender folder (C:\Program Files\Blender Foundation\Blender 3.1\3.1\scripts\addons\io_coat3D) I got a warning that the folders in the Blender folder were older than the ones I was copying from the 3D-Coat folder, so I guess that is where the problem was coming with the constant error when I started up 3D-Coat.

I hope that Pilgway will start to clean up its installs and move over to a more consistent path name for presets. Having a preset folder for each iteration of the 3D-coat program can eat up your diskspace. And as for the Blender Applink, perhaps there ought to be a better scripting to accommodate people with newer and older installs.

Which files did you copy exactly? I've spent most of today trying to sort this out to no avail.

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6 hours ago, wendallhitherd said:

Hey there! I just finally got the applink to work, after a whole bunch of struggling. The main issue is that old versions of 3dcoat interfere with new ones. The secret is: 

- Delete every applink related folder out of my docs. both the app link and 3DC seems to write text files which contain path strings -- if any of these files contain a reference to an old directory either 3DC or blender will automatically recreate that old folder. In my case, every time I would launch Blender a "3DCoatV4" folder would be spawned

- Deleting every applink folder includes, in my case:
C:\Users\16042\Documents\3DC2Blender
C:\Users\16042\Documents\3DCoat-2021\Exchange (I renamed 3dcoat-2021 to 3dcoat-2021_old)
C:\Users\16042\Documents\3DCoat\Exchange
 

- Open 3DCoat and close it. This will respawn the 3DC exchange folder. (C:\Users\16042\Documents\3DCoat\Exchange)

- Open Blender and plug in the freshly spawned exchange folder to Blender plugin exchange path. I was able to leave the object / texture empty

- Send a Voxel object to 3DC. This will spawn C:\Users\16042\Documents\3DC2Blender folder.

- In 3DC, autopo, automap, and use "export to -> blender". As far as I can tell this will cause 3DC to spawn the C:\Users\16042\Documents\AppLinks\3D-Coat\Exchange\Blender folder. Choose any fbx name you want.

- Export preset should be either Blender Cycles or BlenderAppLink. I used BlenderAppLink

- Back in Blender, click the "GetBack" button. This will spawn the object exported from 3DC and hook up the PBR shader!

2022-05-27 18_18_02-Alarms & Clock.jpg

2022-05-27 18_18_34-Blender.jpg

 

As a side note I think the applink code on the blender side is hardcoded to spawn 3D-CoatV4 folder, as it keeps popping up after I delete it when I use "get back" out of blender. Luckily it doesn't seem to interfere with anything so long as the initial setup is clean.

Fairly new to 3DCoat, so might take a little to get this working, but thanks for the information! 

Edit: for further context, not sure now to get the autopo stuff to work. Would you happen to have any articles or videos I could use? 

 

Cheers again.

Edited by I_was_a_Bullfrog
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Are you following this steps ?
 

- In 3DC, autopo, automap, and use "export to -> blender". As far as I can tell this will cause 3DC to spawn the C:\Users\16042\Documents\AppLinks\3D-Coat\Exchange\Blender folder. Choose any fbx name you want.

- Export preset should be either Blender Cycles or BlenderAppLink. I used BlenderAppLink

- Back in Blender, click the "GetBack" button. This will spawn the object exported from 3DC and hook up the PBR shader!

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On 5/30/2022 at 7:57 PM, Carlosan said:

Are you following this steps ?
 

- In 3DC, autopo, automap, and use "export to -> blender". As far as I can tell this will cause 3DC to spawn the C:\Users\16042\Documents\AppLinks\3D-Coat\Exchange\Blender folder. Choose any fbx name you want.

- Export preset should be either Blender Cycles or BlenderAppLink. I used BlenderAppLink

- Back in Blender, click the "GetBack" button. This will spawn the object exported from 3DC and hook up the PBR shader!

Yeah, I did that. Getback just wouldn't work. I'll give it another try shortly, otherwise I'll just learn to live with the pop-up, unless there is a way to disable it.

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  • 2 weeks later...
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On 5/26/2022 at 6:18 PM, Carlosan said:

Hello, on latest version official 3DC applink is update automatically, please give a try.

Folder must be on default location C:\Users\username\Documents\3DCoat

Yes as you said, with recent version 3d coat, the blender applink folda should be default location. 

before we needed to change the exchange file directory in blender , when we use "Relocate 3d coat data". 

I keep to use different data directory in my 2nd HD,  which I set by  "Relocate 3d coat data",.

But about recent version 3d coat,  blender applink exchange directory need to set as default in blender Property>scene

or I could not export <> import correctly.   As for me this setting work.  (Once I delete all old exchange directory, in my PC, then re-launch)

C:\Users\######\Documents\3DCoat\Exchange\

exchangeset.JPG.220195d19fb6639db4c5c6395bf0b449.JPG

So I suppose if I load old blender scene, I may need to change this Exchange path.

And One more. 

When I export new mesh with new/different  scene, 3d coat show import window. but usually it freeze.

I can not click "Accept" and can not change any option in import menu. 

I often need to shut down 3d coat >>  re-launch 3d coat,>> from blender, export again. 

Usually it work..

Edited by tokikake
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And so this add on seems be up-dated and keep maintenance by 3d coat team,

Can I request here about app link (Blender) :rolleyes:

At current to up-date mesh, I need to export mesh (and texture) >> then in blender click "Get buck"

everytime I Get buck, it generate new mesh  object, ,, but  if I work in retopo/tweak room, and modify mesh, I hope there should be option,

not generate new obj, but use shape key as morph shape. (import mesh as new shape key).

Of course, if vertex order, and vertex count change in 3d coat, it cause error, >>> aleart message (you seems change vertex order/count, so generate new mesh!! etc)

it can make easy to maintenance mesh. of course there is case, we hope to keep original mesh (in blender), without up-date

so current way keep as  default. (generate new mesh with blender naming way,, like monkey.001  , monkey 002)

====

Even though I sculpt as surface mode, 3d coat need to change vertex order... so it only work in retopo room mesh, and paint/tweak room mesh.

though at current we do not see gogeous blush set in those room (tweak room/retopo room), but move blush can work to make new morph.

(Ideally,,, sub D temporally >> add new blush set for middle density poligons, >> return blender as morph is best morph loader. I feel..

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Sound as feature request, will be needed more fbx export options added to current fbx exporter (to add shape keys at export)*

please contact Andrew directly asking for this request. Thanks

* Meantime you can create mesh morphs / shape key inside Blender and only export textures (you dont need to use applink for that) from 3DC

 

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6 minutes ago, Carlosan said:

Sound as feature request, will be needed more fbx export options added to current fbx exporter (to add shape keys at export)*

please contact Andrew directly asking for this request. Thanks

* Meantime you can create mesh morphs / shape key inside Blender and only export textures (you dont need to use applink for that) from 3DC

 

Yes, usually or most case I only make morphs in blender,  but I hope to sculpt morphs/shape keys in 3d coat too  :p:

About applink  I had thought  it not use 3d coat default FBX exporter / importer.  and even though there is no option in 3d coat export,

we may only need to add options in blender side UI   I suppose... (after all it use same export FBX (From 3d coat), and change how load it.

At current it load FBX as new mesh /  load as shape key data. (generate new shape key, from base)

Though as I said, it only work when user not add new geometry.  (in paint room / tweak room  or modeling room /retopo room )

I may hope to see more brush set which can easy deform for base meshes.  (but not triangurate >>  do not touch vertex order >> so we can generate morphs  as sculpt medium density meshes easy :rolleyes:

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I think this problem is somehow important (and maybe it is bug for 3d coat view port)

3d coat orthographic view seems have clear limit, to zoom in. usually with full size, 3d coat can zoom in almost 1 unit to 0.5 unit. we can not zoom in any more. 

At same time blender applink keep unit size in blender, when import to 3d coat.. 

so measurement unit is not matter. (blender applink simply ignore all measument unit then export to 3d coat and import with keep the mesh Unit.

That means, when user model 30 cm  =  blender 0.3 unit, when set  unit = 1m  then we export it to 3d coat, as 0.3 unit. see this pic please

blender32cm.thumb.JPG.489f5fc585224c906ace87d15e75332b.JPG

Then I export it to 3d coat with applink, (at current I only hope to paint , so I send it as per pixel painting)

In 3d coat , which measurement unit is not matter for applink, so I set it as mm. but applink not care it.  just export mesh to 3d coat as 0.3 unit size.   like this.

3dcoatunit.thumb.JPG.83adec81994e3516ebd50aca9ffa483b.JPG

Though it show as 0.32 mm it is not matter, applink only check the unit size = 0.32. then can return as same as before to blender.

but the real problem is, we can not zoom this mesh with orthographic, beyond the 3d coat 1unit or 0.5  limit in 3d ORTHO view.

Ortholimit.thumb.JPG.a937b7e34e29e2a5f28bf1e07e3328b4.JPG

at same time in UV room, it have same limit for Ortho but with perspedtive, mesh disappear (need to zoom out more) 

So I can not work any detail in UV room if I keep this size in blender.  it related this issue too.

check this please. 

To avoid this issue, I may need to change scale in blender, (so I may need to scale up this mesh in blender as 30 unit = 30M) etc.

If it is really difficult  to remove 3d coat view port limit (Zoom in) with Ortho / and UV room perspective view bug,  At least blender applink may need to offer option, change import scale size .. (so auto scale up as user defiend value eg 1unit to 10unit  >> then when return it to blender with scale down as 0.1)

 

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  • 1 month later...
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Hello and thanks to everyone involved in the work put into the Blender Applink. It is working great overall and is a delight to use.

I have two questions/suggestions about it:

1. From a Game Art perspective, as someone who constantly back/forth low poly retopo meshes as well as high poly surface meshes to bake from between 3D Coat and Blender:

Would it be possible to have the "Auto Smooth" option deactivated by default when sending any mesh from 3D Coat to Blender? It is always active after import and it causes in most cases unwanted shading on objects anyways. It is kind of a bit tedious and time consuming having to disable it every single time after sending an object over.

I looked in the Scene Properties if there is an option to already do so, but it seems there is none? (See attached pics 1+2)

Furthermore, I am not 100% sure, but it seems that sharp edges set inside 3D Coat during retopo are not transferred to Blender via Applink, which is unfortunate, as I like to set Hard Edges and UV splits simultanously during retopo, but I have to redo them in Blender cause they seem to get lost after sending to Blender... or do I need to use a function somewhere like "apply sharp" or something before sending the retopo mesh to Blender? I could not find anything till now.

2. Every time I go "File-> Export Retopo/Poly Mesh to Blender", a file system dialogue opens and asks me to choose a location to export the mesh to. I feel this step is not only unneccesary but tedious, as I most likely won't ever need to store the file on my system, cause I just want to back/forth it during work. Is there something I might be missing in the setup or this intended? If not, it would be nice to not be asked every time to store the mesh on disk, cause this is exactly what one tries to avoid when using an Applink: Import/Export.

When using Jose Consecos inofficial Blender<->ZBrush bridge from Github, there is no such thing as export dialogues and meshes just go back and forth without interrupting user flow.

3D Coats Applink is able to transport a lot more data back and forth than the GoB ZBrush bridge though, like entire shader networks, which is honestly breathtaking. So maybe there is a reason for it having to store the mesh inside the file system with this kind of data, but I don't see one for just sending a retopo mesh part of just a few kilobytes.

It would help the flow if it would just get stored in memory and the user would not be asked to store it temporarily on disk. 

Maybe there is a step I am missing, I often read you have to set up the "Exchange" folder. But it seems that this is automatically set up in newer versions (If I am not mistaking)
(Please see attached pic 3)

https://3dcoat.com/forum/uploads/monthly_2022_07/image.png.46d6f209e33636d8e0fdfc09a830a0b2.png

https://3dcoat.com/forum/uploads/monthly_2022_07/image.png.1ad0dfa3bd874f0e8622dfeae8dd9584.png

image.thumb.png.3d9605da9739104be36831fe875e4cef.png

Edited by Hardev
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4 hours ago, Carlosan said:

About setup exchange folder. Is this thread useful ?

 

Actually behavior had changed. at least about new version I do not think we can change App link Exchange folda anymore. so it need to keep default.

(We can still change user 3d coat directory, then before we need to set the path (which we change in 3d coat) as exchange directory, but about recent 3d coat and app-link, we need to use default exchange folda lcoation. 

at least for me, it is only way to work with current blender app-link. 

current my app-link setting in blender 3.2

exchangedir.thumb.JPG.3923561c4d7e323fd66aeb0c4aa99d19.JPG

But I set 3d coat user directory like this.. (so it not used for applink any-more)

relocatedata.thumb.JPG.7bb9251af176b812b11e1155b6a32b51.JPG

(though I still see some file, in my relocate dir , which seems relate with app link ^^; but never touch them..do not know if I can safe delete them or need to keep it anymore... (I just do not touch these)

complexdir.thumb.JPG.6eb95a8e48c3748f733a1bbcb75f58f1.JPG

haha I seems forgot directorys which I set for export import mesh/texture directory..above dir was actually I set it so in blender

(you may hope to change it, for each blender scene) though I do not know actually these are used about recent app-link , because we can change it when export texture and mesh from 3d coat... too..   )

 

 

Edited by tokikake
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On 8/16/2022 at 3:39 AM, Carlosan said:

So is it working fine, or need a clean up ?

Dear Carlosan

For me, I mainly use applink to simply make textures in 3d coat.. so it not cause many problem.

But applink seems auto set Scale or voxel in unit etc I feel.. (though do not know how it set or I miss something)  >> it cause clip issue. so I now try to export as obj with scale 100 (which I mentioned in another topic)

Then I may hope you generate simple 20cm cube in blender (default meter unit = 0.2 unit)  and export it by app-link, in paint room >> change orthographic view >> zoom in to tweak more detai

I think you should see clipping issue, (can not zoom in anymore) if you do not have problem I hope to know Carlosan 3d coat setting (scene scale, voxel unit, and unit scale) please .

Edited by tokikake
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6 hours ago, tokikake said:

Dear Carlosan

For me, I mainly use applink to simply make textures in 3d coat.. so it not cause many problem.

But applink seems auto set Scale or voxel in unit etc I feel.. (though do not know how it set or I miss something)  >> it cause clip issue. so I now try to export as obj with scale 100 (which I mentioned in another topic)

Then I may hope you generate simple 20cm cube in blender (default meter unit = 0.2 unit)  and export it by app-link, in paint room >> change orthographic view >> zoom in to tweak more detai

I think you should see clipping issue, (can not zoom in anymore) if you do not have problem I hope to know Carlosan 3d coat setting (scene scale, voxel unit, and unit scale) please .

btw, if I do not keep fix scene scale as 1.0 I think it work well but maybe 3d coat everytime auto-adjust scene scale.  then it  make user somehow un-stable feeling,

because we often confirm the size aproximately with use 3d Grid unit size ..  when model something..  so to adjust it user need to tweak unit scale etc>> it is actually compex ^^;

eg if I change scene scale as 10 then use fix scene scale I could solve this issue. (now I can zoom in x10) but customized grid or view change .. though I do not say it is bug, but ideally hope to zoom in as we like. (unit as cm,  scene scale = 1.0 voxel per unit as 1.0 then can zoom for 0.1 unit mesh etc)

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