You can just about retain perfect voxel resolution with a DECIMATE of 70-85%. The problem is you need to do this for each and every layer (shortcut key!) In the picture below are 3 of the same models at various levels of polygon reduction.
The closest part (far left) is the original 4.1M poly model. Notice the little parting line on the side of the top.
The next part is the model with a 70% DECIMATION equaling 1.2M polys.
The next part is the model with an 85% DECIMATION equaling 620K polys.
The last part is if you just EXPORT as SCENE and try and reduce polys then. It is set at 80% and is 831K polys.
As one can see, there's little change on the three on the left. The EXPORT as SCENE option with reduce polys is no good. So, each and every layer should be manually decimated somewhere between 70-85% (as they suggest).
This enables exports that can then be reimported and PBR mapped, then exported again.
Here's the model tests (rendered in KeyShot-- click to view full size)
And here's a quick proof of concept where I created a model, decimated it, then added PBR maps in 3D Coat and exported to KeyShot!
> You wrote : UPDATE: Amazingly, even a DECIMATION of 86% and the very small detailed polys are kept well. Now this is a superb answer to the issue:-)
I tried myself and it works for me too!! Thanks a lot.
For the test I'm using both InstantLight latest public beta and Marmorset Toolbag 3 : All worked fine.
But I'm waiting next tutorials from InstantLight creators to see how to use their new "standard vertex shaders" to directly
render voxel/high-poly objects painted directly in 3DCoat.
I know that, like you said, InstantLight has a very "peculiar" and strange UI.
I don't like it at all and I said this to the developers team, but IL also present here a new Bridge to 3DCoat still undocumented and I'm really curious
to see how it works.
Realtime Global Illumination with IL seems to be much, much faster than Toolbag 3.
Anyway, it seems that all this new tools are helping me a lot to complete a very good and effective workflow that meets my needs :
Nurbs : Moi/Rhino
Poly SDS : NVIL/Rocket 3F and sometimes the old but ever green DAZ Hexagon 2.5
Voxels, High poly sculpt, retopo/uving, 3D paint : 3D-Coat
Realtime renderer : Beta testing of InstantLight while taking a look also at Toolbag 3
OffLine renderer : Thea Render
It seems that all these things are finally getting closer to square the circle!
I suppose that prototype modelling has never been so fast before 3DCoat!!
The decimation quality is superb in most cases!
But I think that we can still do a BIG BIG step about the quality of the Hard Surface and the Hard edges.
3DCoat can do much better in that field and also I have to learn a lot to achieve this task.
I think that the 3DCoat forum and its Youtube channel can help us a lot.
First of all thank you VERY much for in depth reply! I read it all! ;)
Thanks also for all the suggestions! I already knew about those guys - Jama. J and Fuad Quaderi. I really like
Fuad stuff and he is big part why i want to go with 3DCoat too. I like the result of his helmet tutorial, looks really clean!
I guess i will also go with 3D Coat...just trow myself in and see what happens. I also wanted tool which will help especially
with initial concept then either make out of it nice polished model in Moi3D and Maya but also a fast concept "sketch" that can stand on it's own
by just work a bit more on it 3DCoat, some texturing, nice presentation and that's it.
Everyone is looking for the holy grail of retopo methods when doing Hard Surface modeling in sculpting apps.
Perhaps have a serious look at Houdini for this, because it supports OPEN VDB, and can work with voxels seamlessly, and from there use the polyreduce SOP which is pretty powerful with some advanced decimation features.
At £15 (half price today) pounds it seemed worth a punt. I dont know when I will have time to have a go but if I learn anything useful I will share it here. The trouble with being a nurse is that I don't get much time to experiment with this software. The trouble with being 55 is I forget what I learn in between sessions;)
Best regards
Keith
55? Oh, to be young again! FWIW, I do have the same problem trying to remember all the stuff from various programs-- that's one reason why I make YouTube tutes.
Thanks for the iink-- bought the course and also bought one of Scott's AE courses (I have a video project due in the next couple of weeks).
Did you create all that "quick modelling" in 3D-Coat from scratch in two ours ?
Chipp, listen to me.....you're becoming a Master!!
I wait tuts from you!!
> "I'm waiting on a tutorial on how to use Instant Light!"
I've been practicing with this new very interesting brand new tools and it seems to be very very promising,
and me too I'm waiting new tuts from its developer :)
Here's a random assembly made just to see how my actual config can handle with decent speed
high-poly count voxels in 3D-Coat.
Well...on my laptop (i7 4790K 4.4 Ghz 32Gb Ram Nvidia Quadro K3100M 4Gb) almost all modelling processes remains very responsive,
while only realtime rendering is very slow.
4 objects, 26Mil polygons.
Here's the render retouched with the great Affinity Photo.
@Klaudio : few facts
ZBrush / 3D Coat
No traditionnal UI / Traditional UI
Ultra detailed models managment of billions of polygons / a little few less ;)
Voxels hidden for the user / Full managment of Voxels
Better to learn ZBrush if you want work in Movie - video sculpture characters!
Still plugging away on workflows. Now playing around with 3DCoat -> Toolbag (baking) -> AE Element 3D -> VR
Another one I want to try is MoI3D (hi-rez poly and lo-rez poly meshes) -> 3D Coat (voxelize and add detail to high poly mesh then retopo and UV normal/displacement map using MoI low poly mesh). If I can get that to work it would be *very cool.*
I also just received the gift of a Vive to start playing around with (but I have to use Unity...)
One other thing. If possible (and it's not too much trouble) could you possible upload your large images as the code below? This way it doesn't force the whole browser (and other messages) to go wide. Once someone 'clicks' on the image it will open in a new tab at full resolution. Thanks!
@chippwalters
This way it doesn't force the whole browser (and other messages) to go wide. Once someone 'clicks' on the image it will open in a new tab at full resolution. Thanks!
Yes!This is a feature should be implemented by default Michael... ;)
> You wrote : "Another one I want to try is MoI3D (hi-rez poly and lo-rez poly meshes) -> 3D Coat (voxelize and add detail to high poly mesh then retopo and UV normal/displacement map using MoI low poly mesh). If I can get that to work it would be *very cool.*"
Yes! Worflow Moi3D -> 3DCoat is absolutely amazing in order to retouch Mechanical things made in Moi3D to make them more natural and organic!!
It's one of my favorites workflow :)
> You wrote ; "One other thing. If possible (and it's not too much trouble) could you possible upload your large images as the code below? This way it doesn't force the whole browser (and other messages) to go wide. Once someone 'clicks' on the image it will open in a new tab at full resolution. Thanks!"
Thanks a lot for the suggestion. ASAP I will try it.
About InsatntLight it's true that it has a not finished UI, but their new RC1 to RC4 versions are AMAZING from the point of view of SPEED
and QUALITY of the realtime PBR rendering ind DirectX 11 e 12.
If they will improve a bit its UI, InstantLight will be a very valid and powerful tool.
I think, MUCH MUCH more powerful than the more famous Mormorset Toolbag 3.
