Hi nameless, re:

> Is there a pipe.js that works with v4? Or they all work and I am messing something else up?

As far as I know they all work with v4. If you have one that doesn't work can you please post it here so I can take a look? There should be 2 files for it pipe.htm and pipe.js . If you only have pipe.js then that's the problem.

- Michael

Michael and Brian:

Sigh...I was missing the .htm file. Everything works as intended! Sorry for ringing the hotel reception bell in the middle of the night for no reason :<

Is there any drawback in adding extra commands and scripts in commands folder? MoI launches lightning fast since day 1 anyway.

Thank you for the support!

Hi nameless, I'm glad you got it solved!

re:
> Is there any drawback in adding extra commands and scripts in commands folder?
> MoI launches lightning fast since day 1 anyway.

The main issue is that later on when you get a new beta version installed you will then need to copy them over into the new one as well.

In v4 this can be avoided though since MoI v4 will also look in the appdata/commands folder instead of only in the installation folder one.

The appdata folder is the same place where moi.ini is located, you can find that location by going to Options > General > "Edit .ini file" button - that will open up a dialog and it will show you the location of the appdata folder.

If you copy your extra command files into that commands folder, that's then separate from the application install location.

- Michael

Thank you Michael! I am already using the appdata folders, it's a very cool addition and makes transition between versions very easy.

I am currently using the awesome Object Library by Smirnov and trying to get better at MoI by creating simple elements that can be kitbashed into hard surface projects later. I have used the beta exclusively and I have never experienced any instability so far. The program seems responsive even when calculating impossible operations.

Hi nameless, those are looking good!

re:
> The program seems responsive even when calculating impossible operations.

Yes, commands that can potentially take a long time to calculate like booleans or fillets do their heavy number crunching calculations in a separate process called moi_commandprocessor.exe . That helps to keep the main program UI responsive during those things rather than just freezing up.

The other thing that's very helpful for complex operations in v4 is that now since it's a 64-bit program it can make use of all your system RAM and won't hit a wall at 3GB or so like version 3 would.

I'm glad it is working well for you!

- Michael

@ Nameless There is a "little" Kitbash here!
http://moiscript.weebly.com/kitbash.html

Hi Pilou,

Thanks! I am aware of this small library and I have watched Chipp's video using it. In fact, I have probably watched all of Chipp's videos on MoI and some about other programs in his channel. Chipp's stuff was one of my main resources during my very first MoI steps ^__^

>The other thing that's very helpful for complex operations in v4 is that now since it's a 64-bit program it can make use of all your system RAM and won't hit a wall at 3GB or so like version 3 would.

It really shows. I can't express how much I appreciate what you are doing with this software. If I might express a request for future versions at some point, I know that the UI is fully customize-able, but it would be useful for the people that paint, draw and model all day in front of a screen to have a dark theme option to help the eyes. Again, non-essential and I am sure that there are so many priorities for an one or two man army to handle, but I thought I could place it on the table for the future if nobody has mentioned it so far.

Hi Micheal.
How are you? I hope fine.

Some new beta update on the horizon?

Thanks.

@ nameless - yes an optional dark theme is definitely on my radar. I don't expect to have it for v4 though.

@ Marco - still fixing a few tenacious bugs but making good progress and shouldn't be much longer for the next beta. There will probably be 2 more.

- Michael

Thank Michael for the info.

We'll catch up!

Ciao.

Good morning everyone,
I use Moi v4 beta for reverse engineering and the results with the new SubD tool are very good.
I wanted to know if in the next beta, there will be tools to manipulate the geometry before subdivision?
Currently I import then I export to retouch then I import again and on some files the operation can be repeated dozens of times.

Hi Nico!

Michael (if you happen to see this and have some time): I am trying to bring over simple subD models in MoI to test a new workflow. Using Smirnov's importObj and then SubD script I get a good solid after Joining. When I use the beta's implemented SubD command, I get a larger group of surfaces. Most likely I am not getting something, or using the right tool for the wrong job, but what am I missing? It's the same obj and the size is significantly different.

ps. It occurred to me that the implemented SubD feature, tries to get real nurbs, but I am still curious as to why the different size and if I did something wrong and it could not close the curves correctly. :<

Hi Nico, there won't be sub-d editing tools built in for version 4 but it's definitely something I want to work on in the future.

- Michael

Hi nameless,

re:
> Most likely I am not getting something, or using the right tool for the wrong job, but what am I
> missing? It's the same obj and the size is significantly different.

Max's OBJ importer is designed to scale objects when you import them. There is an option to disable the scaling though, see here:
http://moi3d.com/forum/index.php?webtag=MOI&msg=6674.453

The new built in one does not do any scaling.


> and it could not close the curves correctly.

Looks like your polygons do not have welded points. You'll get a result like you show if faces have their own individual vertices where they touch rather than faces sharing a single common vertex.

What are you using to make the OBJ file? Can you post it or e-mail it to me at moi@moi3d.com ?

- Michael

Hi Michael,

Bingo! You were correct. Points were not welded :'( I modeled it using Zmodeler and polygons that belong to different polygroups get disconnected during obj export. When all polygons get a single polygroup the export is unified and the conversion works flawlessly. With a quick inspection moving a specular highlight over the surface, it looks even better than the result of the first method.

And that link is super useful, I needed that "exact" option since I go back and forth multiple applications. You are a national treasure! <3

The simple possibility of applying SubD after import or not during import will be great and will save me time, i hope is possible?
The results obtained with Moi 3D V4 are better than the expensive software I currently use.
Best regards.

Hi Nico, I would like to make that possible in the future but not applying sub-d during import would require a new type of sub-d control mesh entity in MoI which will take time to implement. So that won't be possible in the v4 time frame.

The focus for v4 is just to get a reliable and high quality sub-d to NURBS conversion working as a starting point.

- Michael

1)From a UI perspective why is OBJ import not part of the File>Import command?
2) The filesizes for these imported OBJs is quite large. Looking forward to some of the other options you mentioned with fewer edit points with the possibility of some editability or a lighter file size.

Hi parel,

re:
> 1)From a UI perspective why is OBJ import not part of the File>Import command?

Because it's not a general purpose OBJ importer, it is only meant to import an OBJ file that is structured for sub-d smoothing. MoI itself exports .obj files that are set up only for rendering and not sub-d smoothing and so it could be confusing to have it on the regular Import command with different behavior than the Export command.

In the future I expect to add more Sub-d tools including more on the "Create" menu and then the UI won't look as odd as it does currently.


> 2) The filesizes for these imported OBJs is quite large. Looking forward to some of the other options you
> mentioned with fewer edit points with the possibility of some editability or a lighter file size.

In the next beta there will be an option to choose between Patch type "Fewer patches, more control points" (which is the current method) or "More patches, fewer control points". The second new style will make little patches around extraordinary vertices but regular areas of the mesh will have less control points. It will reduce file size a bit but not really too much.

I would not expect either of these methods to generate something suitable for NURBS control point editing. If you want to edit control points the ideal place to do it is in your sub-d modeling program before you generate the .obj file in the first place. Also the ideal way to make a lighter file is to use a lighter control cage for your sub-d object from the start as well.

In the future I want to add a new type of object into MoI for representing a sub-d control cage. Then the sub-d importer would make that type of object and you would be able to access the sub-d control cage points in MoI rather than only the converted NURBS object as it is now.

- Michael

>In the future I want to add a new type of object into MoI for representing a sub-d control cage. Then the sub-d importer would make that type of object and you would be able to access the sub-d control cage points in MoI rather than only the converted NURBS object as it is now.

Wow... That would bring the game to a whole other level. I am already all over the subD coversion of the beta, but being able to control the result on the fly... I am very excited! But first things first!