3D Coat

Started by efflux, November 10, 2008, 05:42:13 PM

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rcallicotte

As far as a decent video card, I've wondered about getting one of those high-end Nvidia cards.  What are you using?
So this is Disney World.  Can we live here?

efflux

My system is an old PIV 3.0 GHz hyperthreading. In fact I have two of these. I now have a Quadro FX 3000 card bought from eBay just for more Open GL. For example 3D Coat would be no good if I hadn't done that but it's a stop gap until I get a new system.

The real top end cards are overkill for certain apps. Obviously total overkill for TG2 but a lot 3D modeling apps don't even utilize the full power of the Open GL shaders. For example it wouldn't surprise me if the previous owner of this Quadro I have never got the full effects from it.

That's something I'll be looking into because high end graphics cards are very expensive. In fact I think it's really good buy to get older systems but with top end cards that have plummeted in value. A lot of people have the cutting edge then ditch them when something even faster comes out.

rcallicotte

I think you're right.  Ebay is a good place to check.

Thanks.
So this is Disney World.  Can we live here?

efflux

#18
This app is awesome for creating or editing terrain heightfields. You bring them in as displacement textures and just wander around spreading stony textures or eroded effects with brushes but it especially brilliant if you have a graphics tablet because you can vary it all with pressure sensitivity.

rcallicotte

How do you do this?  Bring the heightfield into 3D Coat and just work on it there.  Then, export it as a heightfiled?

I need to check this out.
So this is Disney World.  Can we live here?

efflux

I'm using Mojo heightfield outputs. Getting stuff out of TG2 seems a lot of hassle. You can get .ter files but then you have to convert those. Supposedly you can get .exr out. I can't get that to work but at the end of the day it's best to get terrain from elsewhere. TG2 is not as good for terrain as some other apps.

You bring in a flat plain of polys then apply a displacement texture to it - your heightfield. This then displaces the flat polys obviously. Then you just get to work with all the immense power in 3D Coat to paint whatever you want. You then export that displacement texture. You can create your own brushes, you have layers, you can even bring in another picture move it around and stamp in in. There is no point in even explaining anything. You can do everything with this app. Tablets are awesome though because then you have vast variation with the brushes.

I'm still experimenting but I may post some screenshots of some terrain being worked out.

efflux

I already told someone someone who uses Mojo about this app. They just went and bought it straight away. You just don't argue about something as brilliant and low priced as this. It will not remain at the present price that's for sure.

Mohawk20

Quote from: efflux on November 14, 2008, 03:53:10 PM
Supposedly you can get .exr out. I can't get that to work...

If you export as exr, you have to open it in an app that can read it, like PhotoShop, and then you have to adjust the exposure settings until you have the right balance between black and white (I believe it starts completely white, if memory serves).
Not so hard once you've figured it out...
Howgh!

efflux

I have one app that I sometimes use in Linux which can read .exr but the preview (which can also convert images) on my OSX system normally views .exr. It doesn't work with TG2 outputs. All I see is white.

I've had nightmares of file formats here. I think I need 16 bit out of Mojo (I'm not sure about this but the .png output is certainly useless) I've now got exactly what I want in 3D Coat. A beautifully detailed terrain to edit. I can sculpt into this like a piece of clay with numerous tools and pens which I can create myself.


Matt

The values in the EXR files saved from heightfields are the elevations in metres, to minimise ambiguity about how to scale the data. Most values are therefore greater than 1, so a very basic EXR previewer will show white almost everywhere.

Matt
Just because milk is white doesn't mean that clouds are made of milk.

efflux

OK thanks for the reply. I will look into this.

efflux

For TG2 terrain you can use TerraConv to take the .ter to .tif then straight into 3D Coat as .tif.

efflux

They're all history. At least for organic modeling. Every single one of them useless compared to 3D Coat. Modo, Silo, Lightwave, Maya, you name them. ALL rubbish compared to this app. It's a masterpiece. This weird blob took seconds to model. People are reporting 90 million polys on top end systems. Retopology is the most superb in any app I've seen.


Mohawk20

90 million polys... is that a good thing, or a bad thing?
Howgh!

Oshyan

Quote from: Mohawk20 on November 15, 2008, 01:32:33 PM
90 million polys... is that a good thing, or a bad thing?

That would be a good thing if it can handle that level and maintain a good interaction speed.

Efflux, you haven't mentioned Mudbox yet. Any reason for that?

- Oshyan