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By illusionLAB - 6 Years Ago
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This is a very quick demo on how cool 3D Coat is for creating props really quickly. It's not a tutorial, as I just wanted to show how easy the process is (once you're experienced). 3D Coat is the Swiss Army Knife in the CG community... hopefully this quick demo shows that.
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By Kelleytoons - 6 Years Ago
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I can't imagine anyone serious about 3D who doesn't have this in their toolkit (if nothing more than painting physics weight maps).
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By Data Juggler - 6 Years Ago
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Ok, sold. Is there any particular version of 3D Coat I should / need to buy to be able to do that?
I just upgraded to 3DXchange pipeline, so if it is too much I may have to wait a week or two, but assuming I can do what you just did that looks a lot better, plus I like your poker chip image better.
Animation is an expensive hobby.
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By Data Juggler - 6 Years Ago
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@Kellytoons Prior to 2018 I had never even considered animation, so going from Paint.Net which I have used for 10+ years (and worth every penny and than some), but Crazytalk Animator convinced this stuff isn't that hard, then I bought Crazytalk, then IClone.
As to your reply about 'I can't imagine anyone who is serious about 3D animation not having this in their toolkit, if nothing else to do (paint?) weight maps'.
I don't even know what that means, so that is why I don't have it I suppose.
Baby steps.
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By BlueyCreative - 6 Years Ago
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Because some of us use blender to do texture painting and decals 
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By sonic7 - 6 Years Ago
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Thanks Mark!
Yes - sold me too .... I've been coming to the realization that having the ability to hand paint textures is needed to get 'believable' sets and props.
It's funny, while 'searching' the net for videos about 3D-coat with iClone, I stumbled across Mike's video on 'weight mapping' a dress to obtain the proper 'fall' under gravity (iClone's Physics) - So this is something 3D-coat can do. Mike's video is here: https://youtu.be/zvkjjhS1qLY
Then with Data wanting to surface these poker chips - that's another case for 3D-coat (props and sets).
Mark! - you make it look so easy! (I did miss your voice though! ).
There's also a video about painting an avatar's face using 3D-coat -- oooh the potential! -- here: https://youtu.be/bviMTFk07h0
Having pre-ordered CC3 pipeline, it's time to save for 3D-coat (may wait to get the "December Special" Mike alluded to)
here: https://forum.reallusion.com/377985/RE-Very-basic-Sculptries-or-Z-Brush-question#bm378057
So a big thanks to Mark, Mike & Data
Edit: I can see how you could achieve this in a photo editing program as suggested on Data's other thread here:
https://forum.reallusion.com/378914/How-would-I-go-about-applying-a-picture-to-a-cylinder
But I 'imagine' that if the geometry you end up painting becomes rather 'complex' (like an avatar's face) - it could be easier to work in 3D space.
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By Kelleytoons - 6 Years Ago
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Physics Weight map painting is this:
And you couldn't do this in Blender in an hour <g>. But what you *really* can't do in Blender is create UV maps -- and you *will* want to do that some day. Lots of videos on this about the web if you're interested.
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By justaviking - 6 Years Ago
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Kelleytoons (9/12/2018)
But what you *really* can't do in Blender is create UV maps -- and you *will* want to do that some day.
Why do you say you can't create UV maps in Blender?
Are you saying you can't do it as well as with 3DCoat?
Even I have made UV maps in Blender. I'm not saying they were great, but then again I suck at Blender because I do it only a few hours each month and I forget faster than I learn.
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By Kelleytoons - 6 Years Ago
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Try 3D coat (or watch the demos) and you'll see what I mean. Once you've seen it, you will realize you cannot really create UV maps in Blender.
Let me qualify that (because you're my bud -- don't know what I'd do without you, Dennis).
You can definitely create some very elementary UV maps in Blender. But for any object more than a VERY simple one, you just cannot do it. You really can't. 3D Coat does it automagically. It's kind of like saying we can for sure animate using Indigo, but no one is actually doing it (because, you know, ridiculous). But animating using the iClone renderer? No problem.
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By illusionLAB - 6 Years Ago
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Getting into 3D Coat can be gradual... obviously start with the 30 day demo to see if you can get satisfying results - afterward the "Amateur" version is probably enough for most iCloners... it has 100% of the features of the "Pro" version, but limited to 7 layers. If at some point you think you need the "Pro" version, you can upgrade for the price difference. If timing isn't important, there is an annual Christmas/New Year's sale.
I admit, it's not the 'sexiest' looking program out there... but it really is the most creatively useful tool in the 3D arsenal. It's like the Photoshop of 3D with an incredibly powerful sculpting tool thrown in! It's actually fun to use, and the more you use it the more you'll appreciate the scope of work you can do - quickly and professionally.
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By sonic7 - 6 Years Ago
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Yes, well it'd be great to become "proficient" at using 3D-coat.
And the "Amateur" version sounds just fine ....
I *hope* it's not considered being too "lazy" going this 3D-coat route (rather than *cutting teeth* on the 'photoshop' style approach) .... 
But it sounds like the 'all-round' solution for most texturing needs .....
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By nealtucker - 6 Years Ago
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Thanks for this post guys, 3D Coat looks great, I'll have to download the trial version to see how I get on, the free resources look interesting with pre-build model parts and ready to be painted.
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By illusionLAB - 6 Years Ago
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Hey Steve,
The exporting to Photoshop (or other) is functional and artists can yield great results... 3DC goes beyond that as you can optimize your UVs to allow for more detail in the areas that require it. For example, in the poker chip demo you see the UVs created after I've created the 'chip' shape. The front and back face 'circles' are the same size... but if I know this chip is only going to be seen from one side I could make the 'front face circle' much larger and 'back face circle' much smaller to get maximum resolution on the 'hero' face (front). I used a 512 texture, so instead of giving both sides 200 ish pixels of detail the front could have 300 pixels and the back 100. Also, the "ol' skool" painting on wireframes of UVs is one channel at a time... in 3DC you can use smart materials that paint depth/colour/gloss all at once.
cheers, Mark
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By sonic7 - 6 Years Ago
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Yes - I can see tons of merit to using 3D-coat for sure. It seems well worth the money, and 7 layers does seem adequate for most needs.
This sure is interesting stuff .... I love the idea of painting in 3D ... and this fills in a few more 'holes' in a person's workflow.
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By Kelleytoons - 6 Years Ago
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The 7 layers is all you need. At first I was worried about this, so much that I wrote to the author of 3D Coat (who is a standup guy) and told him my situation (about being on a fixed income but worried that I couldn't use the program for what I wanted in iClone -- at the time I was thinking of the layers like the different materials on an object, and many of the Daz ones have more, but I wasn't thinking UV maps. In any case, the guy gave me the Pro version for free -- as I said, he's wonderful -- but at no time have I used even more than two or three layers).
As Mark says, wait a few months and there will be a sale (usually around Christmas, as he's very devout). But definitely get it.
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By kungphu - 6 Years Ago
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sonic7 (9/12/2018)
Yes, well it'd be great to become "proficient" at using 3D-coat. And the "Amateur" version sounds just fine .... I *hope* it's not considered being too "lazy" going this 3D-coat route (rather than *cutting teeth* on the 'photoshop' style approach) ....
But it sounds like the 'all-round' solution for most texturing needs .....
Hay Sonic, anything that gives you results faster and easier isn’t lazy at all, it’s considered smart! Anything that improves ur workflow is a good thing for sure! I use the amateur version along with many others here. There’s a few cool tutorials that Reallusion did out there showing workflow. It really is a Swiss Army knife for 3D!
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By Warped Reality VFX - 6 Years Ago
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I have to agree 3dcoat is an amazing piece of software, and there are a great many tutorials available to get you started.
And you can't beat the price I have been working with the software for a little over a month.
here is a sculpt I am working on now.
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By Kelleytoons - 6 Years Ago
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That's beautiful, Kevin (I sure wish I had some talent to do that).
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By nealtucker - 6 Years Ago
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Quick question for those who have had more time than me (1day) using 3D coat which is so easy to re-paint an OBJ object like a model exported from Exchange but.....and this is where I am stuck and cannot find the answer or a video on it.
Can you import an exported OBJ and cut it up or add to it?, that would be great to do for IC exported prop model. I tested repainting full models and it works great, and also when importing back into IC but what about adjusting them in some way.
N.
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By Delerna - 6 Years Ago
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Looking into 3DCoat may certainly be worth while as it has been shown here how it can make things easier to do for iClone and CC. Like anything there is a learning curve to overcome so we get familiar enough with its functions to get things done how we want.
What I want to say is I have trialed 3DCoat about 5 or 6 years ago and I found it pretty easy to learn.I was getting into modelling with it more than texturing. However the creators of it were saying that if they discovered any of its users creating things that were against their beliefs (too sexy or evil and ????) then they would cancel their licence. That got me concerned about it so I ended up not buying it and getting into Blender. I don't know if that is still the case. I would like to buy it but I don't want to be concerned about loosing my licence just because I might make something they don't like.
I might look back into it. Maybe its changed or maybe their being against these things, especially evil, is not as high as I though back when I tried it.
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By Delerna - 6 Years Ago
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Just checked their current terms and conditions and it has changed from when I read it way back. Better said now but still thinking about what the last half means.
3.4. Your License may be revoked in case we find out that you use our Software in violation of law or the License, or it is being used on sites that feature defamatory, pornographic, or inflammatory content. Your License will be revoked if we find out that you are violating the License or these Terms of Use including, but not limited to, hacks and cheats for any of our Software or any other content that PILGWAY finds objectionable or unlawful. Your License may be suspended due to requirements of law or force-majeure.
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By Kelleytoons - 6 Years Ago
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I said this about another company (Daz) but a company can say anything it wants to say -- enforcing that is another matter entirely.
With 3DCoat it would be impossible (not even "almost" but completely) for them to determine if you used it to create any one particular thing. Oh, I suppose you could do a YouTube video showing your use of their product (most likely what they fear) but otherwise? It's just language there that is null.
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By Delerna - 6 Years Ago
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Oh My, I actually did end up buying it 4 years ago and I forgot about it after loosing all my software on C drive on my computer when Windows 10 did a big update and restarted my computer with a blue screen of death. Geez my brains getting old.
Reinstalling it now and looking back into it again.
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By animagic - 6 Years Ago
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Since YouTube is a site that "features" about anything, you would indeed be out of compliance if you post your video on YouTube according to the EULA as written.
3DCoat's EULA is actually one of the aspects that made me very hesitant to buy the software. But as Kelley says, how would it be enforced?
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By sonic7 - 6 Years Ago
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That's interesting Delerna - hadn't heard of that before ... I could understand if you were uploading (interacting) with an 'online' service then *maybe* they would be "concerned" with content usage. But for creative software you're actually purchasing - I'm wondering how that works with artistic endeavours?
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By illusionLAB - 6 Years Ago
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Can you import an exported OBJ and cut it up or add to it?
Absolutely... 3D Coat is ideal for reworking props. You can make basic "morphs" in the tweak room, or completely resculpt the prop in the sculpt room. The thing to remember is that sculpting will increase your poly count - so the standard workflow is:
1. sculpt
2. retopo (to make low poly version) + edit/create UVs
3. bake 'normals' from the hi-rez sculpt to the lo-rez retopo
4. paint textures
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By nealtucker - 6 Years Ago
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Thanks ilusionLAB, Been playing around with 3D coat this afternoon and managing to change and deform models, the painting of models is fairly easy when using a new layer each time, just like in Photoshop,
Retopo and bake normals are the next things to understand,
They have some good user videoes on their forum which I'm checking out.
N.
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By Warped Reality VFX - 6 Years Ago
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Thank you kelleytoons for the kind words.
Best Regards
Kevin Lewis.
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