Insider news: 3D Coat development plan for the poly paint part, known as LiveClay

Hello folks,

some of you maybe already know that Farsthary is developing a LiveClay function for 3D Coat. I reported it recently in my blog. Yesterday Farstshary wrote some infos about the upcoming development for his topic, I summarize the important parts for you here:

• The LiveClay development is going very well, the smoothing part is about to be finished. The next steps are to tackle extraordinary vertexes, that arises when the detail level between the pen and the base mesh is too different.
• The public beta needs only less time to be released. Andrew will review the code and decide, of it is time to share it with the users.
• The next important part is the mesh simplification feature. Dynamic subdivision is adding details,  but have also to be able to remove them.
• There is a thinking to port the dynamic subdivision tools to the voxel room too. In this way a very powerful voxel LiveClay could be possible. It would allow you a smooth interchange between the surface and voxel mode, without loosing adaptive details.
  To paint fine details in the voxel mode, currently you have to double the whole voxel resolution data. This costs a lot of memory and speed. Having LiveClay for voxels would allow to refine any part of the object in a local and adaptive way, without increaing the whole voxel resolution.

That are really very exiting news. If you are more interested in the whole original post, Farsthary have opened it in the 3D Coat forums, he offers you there a way to post questions and start discussions. Updates about the LiveClay development will be posted there, too.

To the origin forum post: Read me...

Insider news: Quadrangulate routine will be updated

Great news for users of the "autopo" routine:
Andrew had a new idea to optimise the quadrangulation routine("autopo": auto tesselation/retopo). The main focus was on technical objects, which are build of straight and clean shapes. Additionally the new routine tries to create more quads, then tris - which is very good for users who use 3D Coat to prepare their basemeshes for apps like zBrush or Mudbox.

The old routine works already well on organic shapes, but not very well on technical objects, the polyflow of retopologized objects was unlogic and looked sometimes random and uncoordinated. The only help was to set guide strokes manually, but not always with the expected results. A further problem were ngons, the new routine will eliminate them up to 80% in compare to the current used solution.

Andrew have already implemented his new routine. You will be able to test it in one of the next builds. Attached you see an example, how the new retopo routine will tesselate models now. Great results, if you ask me.

3D Coat BETA Update - Version 3.5.16

Mainly Bugfixes and stability improvements:

• Fixed a bunch of instability problems + retopo transform problems.
• FBX import supports color, normal and specular textures now, if attached.
• New floating server released, it is is compatibel with previous 3D-Coat version, but it is better to use versions 3.5.15/16 - (Informations)
• Adding faces/bevel and other retopo tools will not destroy current UV set. Changed islands will be automatically updated!
• Dropped image can be assigned to be a viewport background now, too.

Download the current beta here: Wanna have it...

Insider news: 3D-Coat to ZBrush AppLink released

Hi friends.

The long awaited AppLink for zBrush released. Now you can switch between 3D Coat and zBrush on the fly. Currently for Windows only.

For a free download, more detailed infos and a documentation read the related thread, please: AppLink for zBrush

Here is a first demonstration video posted by Denis S:

Insider news: New Floating license server for 3D Coat released

"New floating server released, it is is compatibel with previous 3D-Coat version, but it is better to use 3.5.15"

Read the offcial PDF documentation for 3D Coats floating license here: http://bit.ly/f7gZpk

Art update: Leigh Bamforth

Hello,

from time to time I will update you with some nice new designs by my featured artists and me(soon).
Here is a nice result by Leigh Bamforth, he posted some days ago. Have fun.

Click here to visit the original forum link: Visit Leighs forum post...
If you are more interested in Leighs work, feel free and visit his website:

http://www.scary-monsters.org

3D Coat BETA Update - Version 3.5.15A

Updated to 3.5.15A.

Following changes:

• Better stability in exporting/filling holes over huge meshes
• New item: Voxels->Edit scene scale - You will found a description inside the menu
• Some bugs related to gizmo in retopo tool fixed
• Pose tool bug fixed
• Floating license changes, but I will announce it a bit later

Download the current beta here: Wanna have it...

3D Coat BETA Update - Version 3.5.15

Hello friends,
don't miss this update. It have some really cool new changes at existing functions and of course new bug fixes, for some of the fixes you have been long waiting for!

Updated to 3.5.15 (Win only), Mac + Linux soon - [beta, currently not verified]:

• Clone function in Retopo room->Select [faces] implemented to clone parts of mesh.
• You will be able to transform whole retopo mesh or it's selected part with new transform tool in retopo room.
• EPS file format supported for importing shapes for E panel.
• Symmetry panel have got "Lock symmetry plane" checkbox to lock symmetry plane and avoid unnecessary movement by TAB key. Also ALT-TAB will not come in conflict with symmetry plane.
• Surface smooth tool improved a bit, to avoid producing visible seams. Spikes were also removed, they appears on noizy surface due to backfacing.
• Shape and cleanness of voxels strokes improved in CUDA mode, Andrew found why BUILD tool was producing dirty results sometimes.
• Really big work on memory management, many leaks found there. The new version will improve stability and speed after hours of work in 3D-Coat.
• FBX export crash fixed, that were mentioned in 3.5.14B. But FBX export of big meshes is still too slow, we wil optimize it.
• Export big meshes/close holes have better stability on big meshes.
• Fixed possible instability in texture baking tool.
• Draw by lines issue fixed - http://bit.ly/fOkslE
• Freezing issue resolved - http://bit.ly/dFXFV5 
• 64 bit builds will produce very useful bugreports now [to discover crash reasons] if crash will occur. 64 bit bugreport was almost useless before this change because of missing callstack. 90% of peoples are using the 64 bit version, it was so pity that Andrew was not able to analyse bugreprts deeply. Now it is solved. It is an important step to make 3D Coat more stable. Version 3.5.15 contains multiple stability improvements based on bugreports that was sent to Andrew based on this operation system.

Download the current beta here: Wanna have it...

3D Coat BETA Update - Version 3.5.14E

Small info for all users who likes to be always up to date:

There is a new small update online, that was not mentioned officially: 3.5.14E.
I have no detailed information about the fixes inside this new version.

Download the current beta here: Wanna have it...

Best wishes
Chris

3D Coat BETA Update - Version 3.5.14D

Hotfix:
"Win version updated to 3.5.14D mainly to fix crash reported by Frankie."

Changes (since 14B):

• If you import a mesh in the retopo room, the gizmo will be well centered. The gizmo properties will be shown too, for a numerical input if need.
• Clone functions  in Retopo implemented -> Select [faces] to clone parts of a mesh.
• You will be able to transform the whole retopo mesh or it's selected parts with new the transform tool inside retopo room. 

Download the current beta here: Wanna have it...

3D Coat BETA Update - Version 3.5.14B

Windows version updated to 3.5.14B mainly to provide correct 64 bit bugreports.
List of changes:

• correct and useful 64-bit bugreports (will help me a lot to improve stability, send me all crash reports please)
• cleaner brushing with build/extrude/airbrush in CUDA mode
• correct (but a bit slow) FBX export. 

Download the current beta here: Wanna have it...

Insider news: Important memory problems solved

Hello friends,

this are really interesting and good news for us, seems like Andrew has solved some really important problems and increased the program speed by the the way... I am very curious for the next update.

Andrew Shpagins latest Twitter post:
"I performed really big work over memory management. Found many leaks. It will improve stability and speed after hours of work in 3D-Coat."

Best wishes
Chris

Preview: "Live Clay" in 3D Coat

As I posted in my recent news, Raul Fernandez, known as "Farsthary", is working on Real Clay functions inside 3D Coat. Real Clay means in this case, you are working in regular surface mode, not in voxels, but the model is remeshing in realtime. Fine detailed polygons appears only at the areas where you are sculpting.

Farsthary published an early preview video for 3D Coat on his website:

The origin link: Tinkers post

3D Coat BETA Update - Version 3.5.14

3.5.14 [beta, not verified] uploaded. Win only, Mac+Linux - soon
previous version 3.5.13 got status [beta, relatively stable]

This update includes some important bugfixes for texture artists, so don't miss it.

Changes:

• I made support of painting/carving over planes/surfaces defined by 3 or 4 points - http://bit.ly/gk6xi0, http://bit.ly/el1Sql
• Image picker will respect usual navigation rules to navigate image.
• Fixed bug in Logo tool that was causing dirty result sometimes.
• While fixing Logo tool I made possbility to load grayscale pictures as contours in E-panel (through "Load shape" button).
• I made improvement for merged objects scale - http://bit.ly/dTKpNX
• The problem with single polygon hiing resolved - http://bit.ly/eaGejr
• Undo in polygon hide mode done - http://bit.ly/gEQHaT
• Specularity merge down issue fixed - http://bit.ly/ijpvy0
• Painting whole polygon issue fixed - http://bit.ly/fcLDYg
• The problem in "Merge without voxelizing" resolved - http://bit.ly/gIK3n6
• I fixed some problems in AUTOPO and it will always produce meshes without holes.
• I made possibility to render turnables [from help menu] with post-batching to create customizable videos.
• Fixed UV room texture mapping issues - http://bit.ly/euXzrQ

Download the current beta here: Wanna have it...

Featured artist: Juan Carlos Montes

Hello,

my featured artist article for this month is dedicated to Juan Carlos Montes. Juan is living and working in the beautiful Puerto Rico. I love his great characters, mysterious but fullfilled with charisma.

Enjoy the interview!
Your Chris


The artist

How old are you?
35.
Where are you currently living?
I currently live in Puerto Rico.

What are you doing, when you switch your PC off? Do you have other hobbies?
I like spending time with my family. I also like playing PS3 once in a while.


About the work
How did you get the idea to be an digital artist, why digital?
Back in high school, I was pretty good at drawing and painting. That lead me to art school where, on my sophomore year, they installed a computer lab for digital design classes. I saw that as a great opportunity, so I jumped right in. I ended up concentrating in Digital Imaging and Design.

Do you have a special education in arts? 

I graduated from the School of Plastic Arts in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Are you employed or do you work freelance?

I’m employed by JWT, an advertising agency.

Which recent projects were the most important for you?

I recently completed a music video for the Grammy-winning group Calle 13.

http://vimeo.com/1609968

Which project was a particular challenge for you?
That video was a challenge. It took me more than a year to finish, as I had to to most of the work on the little spare time I had.

Where do you get your ideas from?
I think they mostly come from my day-to-day experiences. I also get inspired by the ton of amazing work you constantly find online. Sites such as CGHub, for instance, serve as daily sources of inspiration.

Are you working with references or is all your work from imagination?
I think I work mostly from my imagination, but I often seek out references depending on what I’m working on. For instance, if I’m working on something more “realistic”, I use a lot of references.

What are your plans as an artist for the future?
I’m still working on that. I guess I’ll just keep creating things I enjoy while I figure that out. At least I know I definitely want to get more into 3D design and animation.

Which software are you using for your work, and which hardware?
I use Blender 3D for most of my work. I also use PhotoShop and 3D Coat in pretty much everything I do. I have a humble PC with an AMD Quadcore processor, Windows 7, 8GB RAM, and 1GB Gforce nVidia video card.

Which tool do you like the most and never want to miss?
I have used many 3D program, but I keep coming back to Blender 3D. I already know it well and I can used it in any computer.


The portfolio
If you are more interested in Juan Carlos work, feel free and visit his website: http://www.moxstudios.com
http://mox3d.deviantart.com/#/d38cxuz