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Replication/Merge tool


vivi
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I was thinking, it would be very useful if I could use the merge tool to scatter my objects that I have created in my 3D animation software, without voxelizing it. Though 3D coat allows only one object to be merged, then switching to surface mode which then won't allow further merging.

Is this a logical restriction? I thought it would so cool to have the merge tool ( on pen function ) to replicate on voxel objects.

My goal is to build a huge factory for my shortfilm which is very complex but uses some repetitive objects scattered and realigned around the whole thing. If I use voxel, I will end up with a cool model which I then won't be able to export back to my 3D animation software. So I was thinking I could model my kit bashing objects, bring it in to 3D coat and scatter it around.

Is there a way to do that?

vito

post-3388-0-67410000-1319994261_thumb.jp

post-3388-0-09117300-1319994435_thumb.jp

post-3388-0-43996900-1319994450_thumb.jp

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This is one way of doing what you are asking.

Merge without voxelizing. check your merge settings, it's there... Close and reopen 3Dcoat before doing this, explain about that later..

The model will be place in surface mode no need of subdividing.

Make instances of your model using the intstancer tool (left toolbar) and use the transform tool to to scatter them around. Instances will be put in the subtree of selected volume (default setting). Making more intsances of the main volume will keep muliplying your instances. Uncheck the Put in Instance subtree and see how that affects creating your intances.

Once done, RMB on your main layer and go to export/ export scene....

All instances and main model will be exported.

Just experiment around with the instancer tool to see how it functions...

Picture shows you a cube with the instances in 3DCoat and a picture of them in my modeling program after exporting scene.

3DCoat will triangle them...

post-518-0-76386000-1319998452_thumb.jpg

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Merging is surface mode is a lot more complicated. In general it is boolean operation. Booleans operations in general not stable.

But you gave me a good idea. I will try because I have good boolean routine.

Andrew, this sounds promising. Do u think there is a way to implement a function that would allow to Export/import the instances without loosing it's instancing, into my 3D animation software?

I know that instancing might work different in all applications, but maybe there is a way to do so? It will loose the instancing for sure during export, but maybe there is a way to tell the importer/ exporter which instance consists of which object.

On my factory for example, I want to use proxies, so that I could put the whole factory together of just a few parts without increasing memory.

This would be a cool feature and I think that even Zbrush doesn't have the possibility to do such a thing.

Vito

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This is one way of doing what you are asking.

Merge without voxelizing. check your merge settings, it's there... Close and reopen 3Dcoat before doing this, explain about that later..

The model will be place in surface mode no need of subdividing.

Make instances of your model using the intstancer tool (left toolbar) and use the transform tool to to scatter them around. Instances will be put in the subtree of selected volume (default setting). Making more intsances of the main volume will keep muliplying your instances. Uncheck the Put in Instance subtree and see how that affects creating your intances.

Once done, RMB on your main layer and go to export/ export scene....

All instances and main model will be exported.

Just experiment around with the instancer tool to see how it functions...

Picture shows you a cube with the instances in 3DCoat and a picture of them in my modeling program after exporting scene.

3DCoat will triangle them...

Digman, thanks for your reply.

I know what you explaind, but I am also thinking of using the pen tool to place objects since it would be very fast!!

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Andrew, this sounds promising. Do u think there is a way to implement a function that would allow to Export/import the instances without loosing it's instancing, into my 3D animation software?

I know that instancing might work different in all applications, but maybe there is a way to do so? It will loose the instancing for sure during export, but maybe there is a way to tell the importer/ exporter which instance consists of which object.

On my factory for example, I want to use proxies, so that I could put the whole factory together of just a few parts without increasing memory.

This would be a cool feature and I think that even Zbrush doesn't have the possibility to do such a thing.

Vito

I tried to put down my idea...don'T know what's possible though...

https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1L9sCSM3YUArZmU-LNO75oANVI-tYfFswFDapNGOeMTg/edit

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What would be really nice, is if you could create instances of polygon objects at the precise location/orientation of any given voxel layer or sublayer. This way, you can use voxel modeling for kitbashing, retopo a single instance of whatever needs to be replicated. And then use some "Create Polygon Instances at Voxel Layers" command. Then you could drag/drop or better yet, in a perfect world, use some kind of nodes system to connect any given polygon object to any given voxel layer. In this way, you can have a method of procedural modeling that will allow people to kitbash directly from voxel -> polygon version without having to do overly complicated retopo and without having to manually reconstruct the polygon object by hand after having already modeled it in voxels.

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  • 7 years later...
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bumping this.

It would be great to have a tool that can paint instances of a mesh throughout the sculpt scene.

  1. The ability to have instanced paint room models (uv'd textured) in the sculpt room
  2. Place them with the import tool's various settings
  3. Each instance creates it's own unique instance layer in the Voxtree
  4. Voxtree layer retains the transform information (scale, rotation, location)
  5. Linked dynamically to the source object (3b file, obj, fbx, models library, retopo object, paint object, etc)...can be updated and refreshed.
  6. Should be applinkable
  7. Ability to create an array of several objects and paint them randomly in the scene.
  8. Option to have objects "fall" naturally or placed at the pick position.
  9. These objects wouldn't be directly editable...they'd just be displayed...you'd have to edit them at their source...whether it's another 3b file or in the paint room, retopo room or as an obj or fbx file on disk or source application.
  10. Exportable for pipeline purposes...

So in the example below.  I'd like for each of the balls to be an instance that way I could make modifications to it and have them reappear in same spots. with an updated texture or model and be able to leverage the work done in 3D coat in Blender or Unreal or Sketchfab, Marmoset, etc.  

I would suggest something similar for the Curves tools as well.  It kind of already works this way because the curves are persistent and I can change what I use on it after the curve has been placed.  But it'd be way nicer to have the options listed above for instancing geo on the curves as well.

image.thumb.png.36481ebc7f27b66f2dc4f0711fe534d2.png

 

Edited by gbball
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