headus 3D tools

[dustinbrown]

I would LOVE to be able to use the relax brush and the move brushes (SHIFT+MMB/CTRL+SHIFT+MMB) in 3D view. Imagine setting up a split view, setting 3D view to show the numbered texture, and being able to use the brushes there.

[headus]

The latest beta releases (anything after and including 2.08.01c) adds something that's pretty close to your request I think. You can get the betas from your uvlayout.com Support Extras page.

So currently you *have* to have the UV and 3D panes open together. If you just have the 3D view visible, then it doesn't work (that's the remaining bug I haven't gotten round to fixing yet). Anyway, if you have the UV and 3D views opened up, and have a trace image loaded and turned on the the 3D view, you can move the applied texture around in that view with Shift-MMB. If you want to change the brush size, you can with the usual '-' and '=' keys when in that mode. The trace image is the one loaded from the "Trace" button in the Display panel.

The thinking behind the new mode then is that you can view an applied texture in the 3D view, and you can move the texture over the surface with Shift-MMB to line the texture up with the geometry. It could be used for example to fit an existing head texture to any other head shape.

Phil

[dustinbrown]

Thanks for the reply. I'm more thinking about the visual disconnect that can happen when you're looking at the checkered/numbered textured on your mesh in 3D view and seeing areas that need adjusted. You try to then find the corresponding spot in UV view. Sometimes I guess wrong and have to undo "whoops it's not that red area, it's this other red area over here!" I was just thinking that being able to use the brushes in 3D view would eliminate the guess work.

An alternative solution might be to lose the brush hotkeys in favor of brush modes. These could be buttons you activate in the UI. For example you would activate Relax Brush Mode and your brush circle icon would appear and stay visible while in that mode. While hovering the brush over an area in either the UV or 3D views, the brush circle also shows up in the corresponding area of the other view to bridge the visual disconnect.

This could also provide an opportunity to introduce pressure sensitivity to the brushes for folks with wacom tablets. Something most digital artists have come to expect any time they use a "brush" tool.

Thanks again!

[headus]

"You try to then find the corresponding spot in UV view"

Ahhh, OK, I see where you're at now. The best way to do that corresponding thing is via the G poly marking. So in your case, just G paint one or more of the red polys in the 3D view, then back in the UV view you can do G-Home to focus in on those polys. It also works in reverse (i.e. G mark polys in UV, then G-Home in 3D to focus in on them).

" introduce pressure sensitivity "

Interesting, I hadn't thought of that!

Phil

[dustinbrown]

Cool thanks for the suggestion, Phil! I really appreciate it.