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Modo appLink


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Hi Modo and 3D-Coat users,
 
here’s a new v3.0 of the Modo-3DCoat Applink I have been working on with changes stated in the Release Notes below.
 
Version 3 has been tested with Windows, macOS and Linux, Modo 9-13RC and 3D-Coat 4.8.
Since this is the first release of the overhauled version, I hope everything works fine.
 
Installation:
  1. Download the attached zip and copy the „coatlink“ folder into Modo’s user folder „Kits“ (Quick access via Modo -> System -> Open user folder).
  2. Restart Modo.
  3. Inside Modo you’ll find the applink in the Kits popup at the top right. Add the Applink to your Kit workbench for quick access.
Path settings for the exchange folder should be set automatically, but check them if you encounter any issues.
 
You can find more information about setup and use of the Modo Applink in the Manual that’s accessible via the respective button in the Kit or in the /Manual folder.
 
Depending on the shader you want to use in Modo, simply choose the corresponding export Preset that comes with 3D-Coat when sending items back to Modo (e.g. Modo Physical/Principled, Unity, Unreal or one of the Vray-Presets). Additionally you can use the attached Preset for the glTF shader (install via File -> Install extension) or build your own custom export Preset.
 
Feedback, Bugreports, Code-Contributions or demo videos are welcome.
 
P.S.: At its core the overhauled Applink is based on the classes designed by Styler in version 2. Many thanks for that!
Thanks to Pilgway for their support!
 
---
v3 Release Notes
  • Added support for Modo’s Unity, Unreal and glTF shader and basic Vray support
  • Added support for Metallic/Roughness/AO/Curvature layer transfer
  • Added support for RGBA channel packed maps. They relink in Modo according to the way you packed and exported them from 3DCoat.
  • Swizzling automatically gets set in Modo according to the color channel the map was packed to in 3DCoat
  • Colorspace per layer gets set in Modo according to the shader specs
  • Added support for multiple material masks per item
  • Added support for multiple UV maps per item
  • Moved from .obj to .lwo as exchange format
  • Options to update textures or geometry or both
  • Options for Geometry import: Replace geometry / Replace mesh item / Add new mesh item
  • Options for Material import: Import all Materials / Ask per Material
  • New interface using Modo's Kit UI
  • Some additional tooltips and warning/error messages in the log. Relevant messages display as dialog.
  • Manual added
  • Removed options to configure 3DCoat Export Preset from within the Applink due to growing config complexity with different shaders and channel packing

modo-applink-3-screenshot_s.png

modo_applink_v3.0.1.zip

glTF.3dcpack

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Anybody on Windows having trouble getting the new Applink to work? I'm stumped. I turned off firewall, Anti-Virus...anything I thought that might block the files from being properly exported. Tried the recommended temp folder and others. Nothing.

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Thank you guys very much for your feedback!

Prepared a minor update to 3.0.2 that Pilgway already made available on their Applink Download Site:
http://3dcoat.com/de/download/applinks/

To install or update the Kit, place or overwrite the coatlink directory in your user Kits dir.

---

v3.0.2

  • Complemented Alpha/Transparency transfer for advanced Material and Unity Material
  • Restricted auto creation of masks in Modo to texture workflows
  • Added dialog warning when object to import not found
  • Renamed Send/Update buttons to Push/Pull
  • Fixed unsought change of viewport from camera to default
  • Fixed exception messages about 'incompatible scenes'
  • Fixed internal path setting of Export.xml
  • Fixed auto swizzling for Modo 902
     
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@AbnRanger
Thank you for creating a new video about the Modo Applink! Your tutorials are done so thoroughly and illustrative!
 
 
@mues
2 hours ago, mues said:

The normals sent over from 3dcoat are off in modo. I've tried messing around with different normal map export options but can't seem to get it right?

Thanks for the feedback! I’d like to reproduce the issue you are experiencing to see what could possibly be done to fix it.

How/When does it occur in a way that I can best see the difference between both programs after transfer? (preferably with steps to reproduce)
 
Btw. I did notice that jagged artifacts in textures render out more explicit in Modo than in 3D-Coat, but these were cases with artifacts caused by painting on (jagged) uv seams.
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3 hours ago, mues said:

The normals sent over from 3dcoat are off in modo. I've tried messing around with different normal map export options but can't seem to get it right?

I find that if I invert the green in the normal map, with Modo's render, it works properly, but Vray doesn't work with RT GPU for some reason.

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Hey, thanks for replying :)

I basically; sculpted in 3dcoat - did an autotopo - baked sculpt onto retopo with auto uv. Then used the 'send to modo'. Normals are off, (can see the seams), I tried to invert the green, still weird. 

image.thumb.png.97f3c201ea22a286b62c7070cebd39c9.png

Note- it does work to export the normal map separately from 3dcoat and bring that into modo. But it would be nice if the link one worked for me :)

I had fiddled a bit with the normal map settings, which didn't seem to work. (same problem with the default and tweaked normal prefs)

image.thumb.png.865a6a492c7768a239c96a8c83ce2ba8.png

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Okay I see and here are a few hints:

Green channel (some background information)
Just read that Modo by default interprets normal maps in the OpenGL way instead of the DirectX way and these two interpret the green channel contrary (because the y axis in UV space is inverted).
So inverting the green channel in Modo is one option - thanks for the hint!
The other option is to invert the green channel when exporting from within 3D-Coat. This can be done by setting the "Normal Maps Export" in the Preferences to "Maya, Blender".

So "Maya, Blender" corresponds to the "OpenGL" way normal map
and "3DS-Max, LW" seems to be like a "DirectX" normal map

By the way I have to agree with Gary (https://3dcoat.com/forum/index.php?/topic/20056-why-so-many-normal-map-options/ ) stating that the option to invert the green channel in 3D-Coat might be more accessible with a separate checkbox (or by naming the dropdown options like "OpenGL" and "DirectX") instead of binding the preference to Software names. The software specific stuff should only be saved in within the chosen options of the "Normal Map Sofware Presets".

Padding
Unchecking "Denormalized TB" seems to create a padding once, which had a positive effect here (though does not completely solve the issue).
Also make sure "Create Padding" is checked in the export dialog.

UV Map
I believe the issue is partly caused by the jagged UV map 3D-Coat's auto unwrapper is creating. On your model the critical areas probably are placed on that kind of UV seams, too.
Modo seems to be pretty merciless rendering jagged UVs, but I’d be interested to know if this is just a question of correct settings on the mesh or texture maps. 
Currently I didn’t get better results by manually exporting/importing the normal map. Let me know if there’s anything particular to take into consideration.

I do notice though that the critical areas are already visible in 3D-Coat (at least in my test case), but harder to see.
So ultimately a nice UV map might solve this, but more tips and hints on a smoother normal map exchange are very welcome! 
 

Edited by Robert N
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48 minutes ago, Robert N said:

Okay I see and here are a few hints:

Green channel (some background information)
Just read that Modo by default interprets normal maps in the OpenGL way instead of the DirectX way and these two interpret the green channel contrary (because the y axis in UV space is inverted).
So inverting the green channel in Modo is one option - thanks for the hint!
The other option is to invert the green channel when exporting from within 3D-Coat. This can be done by setting the "Normal Maps Export" in the Preferences to "Maya, Blender".

So "Maya, Blender" corresponds to the "OpenGL" way normal map
and "3DS-Max, LW" seems to be like a "DirectX" normal map

By the way I have to agree with Gary (https://3dcoat.com/forum/index.php?/topic/20056-why-so-many-normal-map-options/ ) stating that the option to invert the green channel in 3D-Coat might be more accessible with a separate checkbox (or by naming the dropdown options like "OpenGL" and "DirectX") instead of binding the preference to Software names. The software specific stuff should only be saved in within the chosen options of the "Normal Map Sofware Presets".

Padding
Unchecking "Denormalized TB" seems to create a padding once, which had a positive effect here (though does not completely solve the issue).
Also make sure "Create Padding" is checked in the export dialog.

UV Map
I believe the issue is partly caused by the jagged UV map 3D-Coat's auto unwrapper is creating. On your model the critical areas probably are placed on that kind of UV seams, too.
Modo seems to be pretty merciless rendering jagged UVs, but I’d be interested to know if this is just a question of correct settings on the mesh or texture maps. 
Currently I didn’t get better results by manually exporting/importing the normal map. Let me know if there’s anything particular to take into consideration.

I do notice though that the critical areas are already visible in 3D-Coat (at least in my test case), but harder to see.
So ultimately a nice UV map might solve this, but more tips and hints on a smoother normal map exchange are very welcome! 
 

Thanks for the added info. Could you append the Applink Manual by pasting this information into it?

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Oh, It was actually pretty simple..

The maps from 3dcoat needed to have the colorspace changed + invert green. exporting manually and dragging in gave me a prompt to adjust color correction (which i had forgotten about before). 

BTW thanks for this great applink!

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1 hour ago, mues said:

Oh, It was actually pretty simple..

The maps from 3dcoat needed to have the colorspace changed + invert green. exporting manually and dragging in gave me a prompt to adjust color correction (which i had forgotten about before). 

BTW thanks for this great applink!

Can't you switch how Modo interprets the green?

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Has anyone tried this on 3dc 2021? I am not able to pull textures back to Modo (v10). They export from 3dc OK, to a folder named ModoDefaultScene, which is automatically created by 3dc, but Modo gives the error "Object file not found: <path to  exchange\export.txt> "  The path is correct, the files exist, it should work.

 

Clues?

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  • 10 months later...
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Still no joy? I can only get Modo to Open 2022, but 3dc does not attempt to import the object from Modo Tried in Modo V10, and v14

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