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Blender Applink


haikalle
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  • 5 weeks later...
  • Applink Developer

Here is some updates I have been working with the applink this week.

  • Now dynamic menu is back. Press SHIFT + Q to activate it.
  • If you bring meshes from 3D-Coat, applink will create automaticly collection and place those new mesh inside of it. 
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On 5/4/2019 at 5:40 PM, haikalle said:

Thanks to @AbnRanger, he made this amazing tutorial video about 3D-Coat -> Blender workflow. Check it out :)

Yes! I really surprised because, I did not try to import textured mesh, from 3d coat to blender . (usually I start blender, then export and re-import, but sometimes I start in 3d coat, then did not know ,how plug in work with the case,,)

  and have not thought it is so easy!    I really thanks.  all your work and  AbnRanger tutoriall . ( I hoped ,  AbnRanger would make blender applink tutoriall ^^,

(because there was video for 3d max, and mode ^^;   )

I always check and see AbnRanger training video when up-dated.

 

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  • Applink Developer

No problems. Yes I agree. 3D-Coat/Blender applink is starting to look really nice addon :) Just remember that 4.8.38 does not yet include those features that video tutorial is showing. When Andrew releases next update
of 3D-Coat then it works as in the video. 

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16 hours ago, tokikake said:

Yes! I really surprised because, I did not try to import textured mesh, from 3d coat to blender . (usually I start blender, then export and re-import, but sometimes I start in 3d coat, then did not know ,how plug in work with the case,,)

  and have not thought it is so easy!    I really thanks.  all your work and  AbnRanger tutoriall . ( I hoped ,  AbnRanger would make blender applink tutoriall ^^,

(because there was video for 3d max, and mode ^^;   )

I always check and see AbnRanger training video when up-dated.

 

Thanks, but it's really all of Haikalle's work. For the longest time, there was no way to get texture maps to come along with the old applink. On models with lots of secondary parts, this was such a chore and time drain, having to manually hook up all the image nodes to the material. Uggggh!

Now, the applink does all the heavy lifting and it works as smooth as butter. :good2:  It makes me want to use Blender, more.

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  • Applink Developer

Hi @ikonnow I think that you need to first go to into blender and press transfer in applink panel. That will create export option for 3d-coat. This is not the most user friendly way at the moment but luckily you only need to do it once.
Please let me know of this fixes your issue. 

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • Applink Developer

Hi!

I just committed couple fixes into applink. Now objects dimensions match better with blender in 3d-coat. If there is some issues please report it here and I will try to solve it ASAP.  

Edited by haikalle
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If I did simple mistake, but about recent blender 2.8 versions (beta), I can not find this add on. with preference.

I usually use Git to make up-date and make release. untill compile, (make update by batch file)

I delete old directory, . then it should install this add on in dafault add-on directory,,  before I can easy find your add-on in preference

but about recent version I could not .   (but I see first generate cube always show custom property of this add on still)

Is there new change, or I need to manually download this add on and set-up? 

 

Sorry,, do not mind please,,,, I forgot this add on is grouped as community and  not check it when serch ,^^;  

Edited by tokikake
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  • 1 month later...
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6 minutes ago, Hdharris said:

I apologize if this has been answered before, but I am having an issue. When i go to pick my 'exchange folder' it doesn't do anything when i hit 'apply folder' I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong

sorry i figured it out, i needed to set it in the window to the right before i use it in the N bar

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Okay one thing I AM definitely having trouble with is there no 'export to' option in 3DCoat, and exporting normally to the exchange folder doesn't do anything when you hit 'get back' in the applink there, so the only way things work right now is importing into blender manually, then sending it to 3d coat and THEN using 'open in original app.' I'm using version 4.8.40, was something removed?

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I have a question.

the applink node group is removed when I use applink resending.   I am using blender2.8rc EEVEE.

what is this behavior ?   is it an error?

 

RCERROR.thumb.gif.2b89824059a7ecd2a8116ccdc4271a67.gif

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  • Applink Developer

It's planned design. The purpose of this design is that if you want to resend your mesh it will automaticly remove your old applink nodes.
When you bring mesh back to blender it will create new applink nodes for you. 

I'm open for discussion if this behavior should be changed. 

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1 hour ago, haikalle said:

It's planned design. The purpose of this design is that if you want to resend your mesh it will automaticly remove your old applink nodes.
When you bring mesh back to blender it will create new applink nodes for you. 

I'm open for discussion if this behavior should be changed. 

comment thank you.

when I send back from blender to 3d-coat ,  textures is removed...?

RCERROR2.gif

Edited by jene
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  • Applink Developer

@jene @Grimmy Hi! When you take your mesh from blender into 3d-coat, you can bake some texture info and send them with your mesh into 3d-coat.
Just check this option before pressing send button and it will create textures for you. Right now applink dosen't support back and forth texture updating 
between these two apps. Applink gives and oportunity to take textures from blender but when this is done first time. Then applink assumes that all future texture
updates comes from 3d-coat.

 

Image001.png

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On 7/21/2019 at 12:24 AM, haikalle said:

@jene @Grimmy Hi! When you take your mesh from blender into 3d-coat, you can bake some texture info and send them with your mesh into 3d-coat.
Just check this option before pressing send button and it will create textures for you. Right now applink dosen't support back and forth texture updating 
between these two apps. Applink gives and oportunity to take textures from blender but when this is done first time. Then applink assumes that all future texture
updates comes from 3d-coat.

 

 

@haikalle  thank you for your comment.

OK, I checked  "Diffuse" on Applink setting.   the color texture is sent in 3D-coat   : )

but, it is so slowly.   it takes times more than 30seconds to bake it.    I am going to think what is wrong.

 

Thank you .

 

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Hi haikalle :rofl:

When I use alpha , then send buck to blender, your plug in 3d coat node group already have alpha socket but they not connected untill I manually plug them.

2 place need to be connect manually.

1. For 2.8 as you know, principled bsdf finally add alhpa node to make opacity easy (not transparent  properaty= refraction)

then I assume 3d coat node gorup alpha auto connect to princpled bsdf alpha.

at same time it need to set default alpha value as 1.00(white) for your node group. or it may show transparent, if plug in auto connect them to pricnpled alpha input.

at current plug in seems not auto-connect alpha,  but if auto connect it may cause problem.

alpha1.JPG.8e8fc5b745cddc77234f764d0b19d4ac.JPG

2 . in coat node group, most of case, we only need to pick up alpha form  color (diffuse) texture map alpha  , then connect it 3d cpat gorup node alpha input.

if user do not set diffuse as RGBA,  plug in need not connect alpha. but basically as default , I think, plug in can connect alpha node when there is color map. even though user set color as RGB only.   

alpha2.thumb.JPG.529ab46c5c7ba5e666f451332d95d16f.JPG

ideally (though it is not so important,)

there is case only alpha map user will hope to send to blender, then use the alpha map for blender material nodes alpha.

I hope plug in can manage it (as future request), because we can use alpha de-couple from color or diffuse map. (if you can)

eg,, when there is alpha or opacity map user set, use the alpha for 3d coat node gorup alpha. (it depend user, how set export setting, most of user may just use deffuse alpha, I think,, but there may be case user only make alpha map then use it for blender node)

 

 

alphaonly.JPG

Edited by tokikake
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  • Applink Developer

Committed these changes into applink:

- New live update. No need to press GetBack button anymore. Applink will update your textures when you have exported them in 3d-coat.

- Alpha is improved. Still need some small adjustment with this. TODO: using Alpha texture when exits.

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No error . My alpha is just opaque no matter what I try to do. Maybe I'm just doing something wrong. Is there a help doc anywhere for exporting alphas? I've tried hooking an exported alpha from 3dCOat using the Blender nodes and changes the type to something other than opaque but the material remains opaque.

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17 hours ago, Grimmy said:

No error . My alpha is just opaque no matter what I try to do. Maybe I'm just doing something wrong. Is there a help doc anywhere for exporting alphas? I've tried hooking an exported alpha from 3dCOat using the Blender nodes and changes the type to something other than opaque but the material remains opaque.

Do you prefer Eevee for render or cycles?  if you use  Eevee render engine (2.8 default)  need some tweaking about alpha to show correctly.

and eevee have some problem about alpha. (it can not render compelx node group which use refraction, correctly, eg lyaered refraction)

but if you only need alpha to get opacity mask, it work without problem.I may offer setting image.

And  even though at current add on not full support aboug alpha, you can  pick up texture from exported mesh location. 

(the setting is decided from add on UI.) scene property object/texture folder. 3d coat export all texture and mesh (with option) there.

when you up-date texture in 3d coat (export for original app) .

1.  set texture/file path for add on. 

3dcoat1.thumb.JPG.31b6e31acddddfb0ea6d40e62d6b45b7.JPG

 

2 launch 3d coat, then  use blender plug in, export  for 3d coat from tool panell

3dcoat2.JPG.1c088de8c8f1526588974e52a4c9fa45.JPG

3 make material with use mask stencil or set smart material etc, then "should hide layer 0"  when export (it is already colored, then hide it to keep alpha transparent)

coat3.thumb.JPG.1b5ea51d65f5c6247c79b8e9bc92c97b.JPG

I think there are some ways to export alpha map but usualy I just set up like this.

alphaonlysetting.thumb.JPG.d3f27fc2cd54e542b6f7e72e181d4571.JPG

then ok.

in blender node editor, open 3d coat group nodes. then add one more image texture node, open and select the alpha map which exported from

3d coat export directory,  then connect  image to 3d coat group out put node >alpha socket  (as  you know I connect from exported alpha map,

not use diffues alpha about this test)

I do not know, which color space is best for this case,  but basically I believe I can set" Non-Color" for alpha only map. 

(then I assume I may need not use png, but it should export alpha, then I use it,, )

mycoatset.JPG.c6dd2556d1e71a062afe510068097a40.JPG

 

any advice is welcom (eg I must need to use color out put node,, etc ^^;  I do not know,)

then it work with cycles like this

finish.thumb.JPG.5a073507235157db32fc213af1defa3e.JPG

for eevee, just use same node gorup, but you need to set srender setting to scrren space reflection, and refraction ON first.

and change alpha setting for materials. You may play with each mode of material refraction setting.

eeveesetting.thumb.JPG.56d57d318c6390b6f25c9df134b4ca86.JPG

 

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Then there should be case, user just hope to export alpha as  "Jpeg"  non color map, (then may invert and use for iray cut out opacity, or old opacity map)

and for blender may plan to use jpeg black and white values,  as alpha value.

opacitybw.JPG.8e103967546ba45f1105b810b963a199.JPG

 

so about this case (export alpha as jpeg etc, ),, plug in need to use  "color" socket to connect alpha.

Though I do not know, which type alpha map, this plug in will support , (eg only export alpha with png or black and white  as alpha value.

bwsetting.thumb.JPG.300a9a79e04a6cca63c1cca2958ba3a3.JPG

 

 

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