Member Andreas Posted December 30, 2011 Member Report Share Posted December 30, 2011 Hi there, I was thinking about buying 3D-Coat for a while and now with this christmas offer I'm kind of hovering over the buy-button. BUT! What's the life cycle of an 3D-Coat major release version? I'm seeing it's 3.7 right now, this could mean that 4.0 is out in a few months and I don't know if I'd like to buy a software when I've to expect a major release soon which would mean to shelf out more money again. This would render the offering somewhat unattractive as the price after upgrading would be kind of the same. Anyone able to push me in the right direction? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Shpagin Posted December 30, 2011 Report Share Posted December 30, 2011 Yes, 3.7 is last free update before V4. But V4 development will take some time - it is not fast. Upgrade price will depend on time of purchasing and will gradually decrease for peoples who bought it later. So buying it now will save money anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Andreas Posted December 30, 2011 Author Member Report Share Posted December 30, 2011 Good point, and it's definitely a pretty good price for this kind of software. But as I'm a student I've to count every penny! Well I guess I'll think about it and pass on the Pro Version at the moment. I'll probably buy the Educational one (I'm not sure now, Edu price isn't reduced and will still be the same in a few days?) for now. Is it possible to upgrade from Edu 3.7 to Edu 4.0 or even to Pro 4.0? Sorry if this is a silly question but I'm kind of irritated by the offerings, I'm not sure what's a regular deal and what's for christmas only. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advanced Member Zeddicus Posted December 30, 2011 Advanced Member Report Share Posted December 30, 2011 Hi there, I was thinking about buying 3D-Coat for a while and now with this christmas offer I'm kind of hovering over the buy-button. I'm in the same boat as you, and there is only one more day left to decide. I'm leaning towards the educational version, then if I find I'm using it a lot (provided this old brain can learn it) I'll upgrade to the pro version. I wonder, will it be possible to upgrade from 3.7 Edu to 4.0 Pro when the time comes? Or should I just buy the 3.7 pro version now before this sale ends? Edit: Failed to see that last post by Andreas asking the same question lol. So buying it now will save money anyway. Is that a promise? 3D Coat is definitely worth the cost, regardless. There are lots of plugins for Maya and 3ds Max, that cost more and do a lot less (overall). That is a really good point. The retopo videos I watched were amazing. 3DC might be worth the cost for this feature alone. The UV editing looks good too, plus there is ptex support. In case you haven't guessed, I hate doing retopo and UV's. Anything that makes these tasks swift and easy is a welcome addition to the arsenal. Definitely leaning towards buying it now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Andreas Posted December 30, 2011 Author Member Report Share Posted December 30, 2011 Yeah Retopology and UV are the main functions for me, too Let's hope we'll get an answer before the last day runs out. After much thinking I'd prefer to buy the Edu Version now and upgrade when I feel comfortable enough with 3D-Coat (and when I've a little bit more money lying around ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advanced Member stusutcliffe Posted December 31, 2011 Advanced Member Report Share Posted December 31, 2011 There is ALWAYS gonna be a newer version just around the corner! Why not wait for Version 5 cos that will be even better than 4 ! I got the EDU version to tinker with in a hobby sort of way. That way I can see if I can figure it out, at a reasonable price, and I can upgrade later if need be. Im sure there will be good deals to be had down the line......maybe next xmas? or a summer sale? The retopo tools are miraculous.I usually uv in Carrara and more recently ,really lazyly in Sculptris.But 3DC seems to do it all without much effort and neater! 80 of your Earth Pounds well spent....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advanced Member Zeddicus Posted December 31, 2011 Advanced Member Report Share Posted December 31, 2011 There is ALWAYS gonna be a newer version just around the corner! Why not wait for Version 5 cos that will be even better than 4 ! Yes we're all well aware of the fact there is always going to be a newer version, barring something terrible happening such as bankruptcy of course. It's pretty obvious that version 5 is not "just around the corner" though. On the other hand, version 4 is. Inevitably this is an important consideration to folks strapped for cash, a common occurrence at this time of the year. I can pay $250 for 3.7 ($350 if I miss out on the sale) and another $60 for the 4.0 upgrade in the near future. If I wait a little bit longer, I get to save that $60 and put it towards something less wasteful, like groceries or bills. Impatience can get very expensive, very fast. I honestly don't see the harm in being absolutely sure we're not making a mistake by buying 3D Coat within the next 24 hours, which is hardly enough time to give the 3.7 demo a decent shakedown I might add. It's all just good common sense really. PS: Since the forum software won't let me make any new posts for a while, can someone please tell me how to roll the camera? In ZBrush it's just a matter of holding shift, and then letting it go as you LMB drag the cursor over an empty part of the canvas. I have 3DC set to ZB-Like controls and hitting shift only snaps the view. Releasing it does nothing. I've already searched the forum, the manual, and in-program popups but couldn't find an answer. Thanks all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advanced Member Zeddicus Posted December 31, 2011 Advanced Member Report Share Posted December 31, 2011 I'm sure there will be an upgrade from the current EDU to the next, but keep this in mind, it has been approx. 3yrs since the last full release. There have been HUNDREDS of features and improvements since then, and it has come a LOOOOOOONG way since that point. That's kind of my point. Andrew just said in this very thread that "3.7 is the last free update". Buy in now and get little to no updates along with having to fork out extra to upgrade not too far down the line, or be patient and buy in when 4.0 is released which nets me 3-4 years of free updates at no extra cost. I'm sure 3-4yrs from now it will have undergone another major transformation...to the point that it will be hotly debated as to which application has the best sculpting toolset. The pace of development is just too fast for ZBrush and Mudbox to maintain their current lead (in that area). Version 5 is a very long way off and a lot of things can happen between now and then. It's not really germane to the 3.7 versus 4.0 conundrum which is far more exigent. I certainly agree with you about the pace of development, though I'm uncertain how relevant this is in regards to ZBrush. In some ways it's a competitor to 3DC, but in some ways it isn't, especially when one looks at the philosophy behind each. It feels as if Pixologic is more interested in making a 3d version of Adobe Illustrator instead of something that could displace any of the other, more established modelling apps. This is actually part of what is attracting me to 3DC. Andrew seems to have a genuine interest in listening to the artists and providing for their needs, unlike Pixologic which often seems obsessed with doing everything their own unique way. Not that this is bad in any way, it's just that there are a number of features a lot of ZB users have been asking for that may never see the light of day, especially given their pace of development. I can't really speak for future versions of Mudbox, though it does look impressive from the demos I've seen. It also has the benefit of tight integration with 3ds Max, Maya, and XSI which is sure to improve and help make it successful. Development is slow here too though, and I get the impression Autodesk doesn't really listen to their users either based on the forums I've browsed. 3DC has a lot going for it and it boggles my mind that it isn't more popular. The more people that invest in 3D Coat, the faster we all get there. It is mostly a one-man show, and Raul recently joined the team to develop LiveClay. With those two at work, look out! I honestly don't have a problem with spending money, especially when it's something beneficial and clearly deserving. I've donated to a number of open source projects, which I like to do when I find something imminently useful to me and feel it has the potential to bring others folks some prosperity. I've even been considering buying bSurfaces for Blender even though I don't currently use it. If I won the lottery, I'd probably give much of it away. Unfortunately I'm not a millionaire and have to choose carefully where, and on what, I spend my money. Due to failing health, I'm forced to live on a relatively tight budget these days and don't make any income from doing art. CG is hobby and something I do to placate my soul. It fills an empty part of me that nothing else can. I've considered doing it as a job, and probably would if I could live my life over again. I choose not to however because then it becomes work. Work tends to be stressful, something which would ruin it for me in all likelihood. In any case I doubt I'm good enough to be a pro, so it's really a point that's moot. 3D Coat has better tools in every other area, than ZBrush does. Much better painting, UV Editing, Retopology/AutoRetopology. Also, if you have a model with lots of sub-components, 3D Coat can now bake all of those in one shot, without any overlapping issues to contend with. You'll get no arguments from me there. The capabilities of 3DC are certainly formidable and always improving. I'm really enjoying the 3.7 demo right now and finding it easier to learn this time around. So far I've run into one potential navigation bug, plus I cannot figure out how to roll the camera instead of spinning it, but otherwise things are going relatively well. It's certainly made me more inclined to buy it before the sale ends. Unfortunately the forum is severely limiting my ability to post more than once per day so I can't really get more of my questions answered before then. That's what I get for procrastinating about signing up I guess. The construction tools in the Voxel Sculpting toolset is the best in the business right now, and the main reason why I rarely model outside of 3D Coat anymore. I can build anything I want without messing with a single edge or vertex. I can trim and cut with splines (I really like the B-Splines), without any messy Boolean aftertaste. If you don't want to use the manual Retopo tools, you have two good options to use in many cases. That is Autopo and export the model straight from the voxel room via "Projected Quads." It is generally a nice clean quad mesh, that you can further reduce either in the Retopo room (deleting edgeloops), or outside in another application. I've just watched a video on how to use booleans and they look like a great deal of fun, not to mention easy to use. I should be in bed right now, but I can't resist playing around with everything now that it's all falling into place mentally speaking. I truly am well impressed by what one can achieve with 3DC, and how easy it is to get there. I don't know what the problem was the last time I tried using the demo, which often had me stumped (and rolling my eyes at crashes lol). I can see quite clearly all the ways this program is superior to ZBrush and I don't say that lightly. They are undoubtedly an unbeatable combo when paired together. I wonder if Andrew would consider a highly scaled back free version, similar to what Pixologic is doing with Sculptris. I know he probably doesn't really have the time, but it could be a useful means of drawing more folks in and help increase 3DC's popularity. That in turn means more profits, which means more staff and a little more free time. Could be a win-win for everyone on both sides of the fence. Anyways thanks for taking the time to post your thoughts. I'm now off to sculpt some more and discuss this potential purchase with my wife when dawn breaks hehe. Honestly, buying 3DC is almost a given at this point. The only thing left is for us to decided whether to buy the educational or pro version, and whether to jump in before the sale is over or wait until 4,0 comes out if we go with pro. Catch you later, and take care! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Andreas Posted December 31, 2011 Author Member Report Share Posted December 31, 2011 Thanks AbnRanger for taking the time to explain all that! I'm in the same boat as Zeddicus, I'm practically sold. All I need to know is the upgrade stuff. Edu 3.7.x > Edu 4 (Full price aka new License or upgrade pricing possible?) Edu 3.7.x > Pro 4 (Possible at all?) When that's possible I'm going to give it a shot. If this isn't working I'll have to rethink that as the Pro version isn't that cheap for me personally: $249.00 + $47.31 VAT (19%) = $296.31. That's alot for me (not that much for a software like that, as mentioned before). This Educational Version would be a perfect opportunity for me to get used to 3D-Coat and after that I'd feel much better to shell out the money for the Pro version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Gravin Posted December 31, 2011 Member Report Share Posted December 31, 2011 I agree with AbnRanger, 3dcoat is well worth the full asking price. Even if you only use the retopo, painting and UV tools it's a great deal, voxels are just bonus. If your only needing a solid tool for UV and retopo, maybe even texture painting so far as you don't need texture resolutions over 2k then the edu price is an even more amazing deal. If upgrade pricing for the pro license to 4 is anything like it is from 2 to 3 then the holiday price is a good deal since you would be paying just a bit more then regular price overall to upgrade to 4 down the line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philnolan3d Posted December 31, 2011 Report Share Posted December 31, 2011 I'm not sure if this was mentioned but the cost of buying 4.0 should be the same as buying 3.7 now and upgrading to 4.0 later. Unless something has changed that I am unaware of. Plus if you buy in now you'll most likely be able to test and use the 4.0 features before they're released. At least that's how the 3.0 launch worked. We were testing voxels out for months before they were released in 3.0. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advanced Member kay_Eva Posted January 1, 2012 Advanced Member Report Share Posted January 1, 2012 It's worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member morgan Posted January 1, 2012 Member Report Share Posted January 1, 2012 I think this is the best deal on the net for 3D, I recommend it to all of my friends. I felt great about buying my license and being a proud owner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advanced Member Zeddicus Posted January 1, 2012 Advanced Member Report Share Posted January 1, 2012 Well, after playing around some more, I've decided 3D Coat isn't really all that good. It's... fantastically great! Even though I know I'm barely scratching the surface of what 3DC can do and have only played with 3.7 for one day, I chose to finally pull the trigger and buy it. I picked the educational version because, after reading who it's for and what it's limitations are, I realized I'm exactly the type of person it was meant for. Once I know it better, and especially if I do run up against those imposed limitations, I'll save up some cash and upgrade to the pro version. I also realized I could buy a 3dConnexion Space Navigator with the money I have left over. Hooray! I Hopefully that will make navigating in 3DC much easier. All in all I'm quite happy. In the end it was the comments by the other users here who really helped make my decision easier, so thank you all for taking the time to post. It really goes to show you that artists tend to be your number one resource, Andrew, especially when it comes to advertising! I also realized the ZB-Like navigation "bug" I mentioned earlier is probably meant to work the way it does. When I'm holding the ALT key to pan, then lift the pen off of the tablet, panning continues to happen. I have to pull the pen really far away from the tablet before releasing the ALT key. If I release the ALT key prior to lifting the pen instead, I end up zooming a bit. Just in case anyone is interested, I also accidentally figured out how to roll the camera in that mode. If I draw circles clockwise in empty space, the mesh will slowly roll counter clockwise, while drawing circles counter clockwise causes the mesh to roll clockwise. I also discovered by accident that holding the right mouse button while moving the pen up/down/left/right allows you to change the brush size and strength, and that the cursor also displays opacity level. These are intelligent features that I really like. AbnRanger was right about retopo, UV's, and even painting too which is something I've never really felt comfortable with in ZBrush for some reason. Brushes, materials, and especially rendering are still areas ZBrush feels stronger in though. Someone mentioned in another thread how an Octane license for 3DC might be a good option, and after watching the video on Youtube I have to agree. But I digress. I tend to babble when I'm excited lol. Once again, thank you all for taking the time to comment. Take care all, and happy 3D Coating! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philnolan3d Posted January 1, 2012 Report Share Posted January 1, 2012 I have a Space Pilot and of all the apps I've used it in I have to say 3DC works the best. Just make sure you set the camera to "Rotate around current Pickpoint" and it will always rotate around your mouse cursor or the last place you touched the model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advanced Member Digital777 Posted January 2, 2012 Advanced Member Report Share Posted January 2, 2012 Yes, 3.7 is last free update before V4. But V4 development will take some time - it is not fast. Upgrade price will depend on time of purchasing and will gradually decrease for peoples who bought it later. So buying it now will save money anyway. Do you mean we will need to buy a V4 update to get 3.8 etc? or will it go directly to V4 when the final 3.7 is released? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philnolan3d Posted January 2, 2012 Report Share Posted January 2, 2012 There will be no 3.8, 3.7 is the last 3.x release before 4.0. Everything from now until then is more or less bug fixes or 4.0 beta. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advanced Member Digital777 Posted January 2, 2012 Advanced Member Report Share Posted January 2, 2012 So basically it will just skip versions, this is what i was originally thinking as a lot of company's seem to do that. I was kind of hoping for some needed GUI updates like a better preset system and a updated resource system with sub folders before V4 as i have requested them for the last year or so but i guess that won't happen. My wallet doesn't like my 3D hobby much as i don't profit from it at the moment but i am sure V4 will be great and having seen all the amazing LiveClay updates recently i am sure it will definitely be worth buying the update. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philnolan3d Posted January 2, 2012 Report Share Posted January 2, 2012 Well like I said, you may see them, anything is possible as there will be downloads like 3.7.5, 3.7.6, etc, you just wont see a 3.8 or 3.9. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlosan Posted January 31, 2012 Report Share Posted January 31, 2012 Hi all Same question here: I don't know if I'd like to buy a software when I've to expect a major release soon which would mean to shelf out more money again. And about license: The license for win64 and win32 is the same number ? Can i use it on my desktop win64 and/or in my laptop win32 ? ------- What if i change my computer: Need I to ask for a new license ? -------- Members at CGSconnect have a big saving... the offer is valid and up to date ? 3D Coat - $50 OFF CONNECT Members save $50 off 3D COAT new licenses and upgrades -------- Sorry to many questions, ty in advance and regards ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlosan Posted February 1, 2012 Report Share Posted February 1, 2012 Ty very much ! At javisjones there is a Dual License deal... interesting. I'm contacting Stas at sales@3d-coat.com Regards !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member RP_Seattle Posted March 4, 2012 Member Report Share Posted March 4, 2012 Hello All. I have a copy of 3DC v2 with a valid license. I have not been able to use it due to my old computer. It is fully upgradeable to v3.7. I am selling it for $200.00. Just upgrade for $60 on here and you have 3DC for $240! Roger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philnolan3d Posted March 4, 2012 Report Share Posted March 4, 2012 I actually paid $70 for my copy of 3DC (3DB at the time) 2.x. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member RP_Seattle Posted March 4, 2012 Member Report Share Posted March 4, 2012 $200 + $60= $240? Dang, showing off those mad Math skills, are we? That's the first time I've seen someone buy a seat of software and years later try to get more than (double) what they paid for it. V2 was like $80 initially. Nothing unethical about trying...just a rare occurrence. Yeah, ok, won't let me edit it to $260. ...thanks for catching that error...and the bump! Still, I think it's a fair deal for someone who is buying into the software for the first time, right? Also, would consider a good offer too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member RP_Seattle Posted March 7, 2012 Member Report Share Posted March 7, 2012 Yeah, ok, won't let me edit it to $260. ...thanks for catching that error...and the bump! Still, I think it's a fair deal for someone who is buying into the software for the first time, right? Also, would consider a good offer too. Anyone interested in this? I am willing to negotiate a fair price for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Cloner Posted May 14, 2013 Member Report Share Posted May 14, 2013 Will there be a decent upgrade price for those of us who decided to support and buy 3D Coat from long time back? Or do we have to pay all over again? Please do not mind. I have a tight budget, so might need to save up. It's good if I could have known the amount I would be expected to pay for the upgrade from Version 3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Contributor Tony Nemo Posted May 14, 2013 Contributor Report Share Posted May 14, 2013 Current 'guess' is $99. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Javis Posted May 14, 2013 Report Share Posted May 14, 2013 Andrew has said that it wont be over $100 USD, so that much I can safely say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PolyHertz Posted May 14, 2013 Report Share Posted May 14, 2013 https://twitter.com/AndrewShpagin $84 for the first month after release. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Cloner Posted May 15, 2013 Member Report Share Posted May 15, 2013 Why don't we get a prepay option? Poser 2014 is going to be released on May 21, but I could pay my upgrade price and book it right now. It helps me keep control of my little budget, and lessens worries. Priorities and funds keep changing on a daily basis. I know it's not the same for every one. My regards to members for their kind responses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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