ShaddamIV Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 I may be interested in Form-Z, I have been since "Buried In Time". It's cool because Form-Z export directly to EIAS3D "Electric Image Animation System". So I have been looking the web and documentation to see if Form-Z would be right for me. Form-Z is fantastic, but something is bothering me : How do you texture complex subdivision models like humans, animals, plants etc? Where do you unwrap and burn the UV's? There is only Cubic/Spherical/Cylindrical/Planar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tech Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 Hi ShaddamIV, Yes, formZ works great with Electric Image. However it does not have a dedicated UV editor package. For these effects, you need to Export to another program that does this, and then re-import the result back to formZ (which works well with ZBrush, UVMaper, and others). Does that work for you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
setz Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 For texture painting and complex UV mapping try 3DCoat. They have a free demo version. It works well in conjunction with FZ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShaddamIV Posted January 17, 2017 Author Share Posted January 17, 2017 No It does not work for me. I already have Shade, Strata CX Pro and the latest Cheetah3d and they both s..k at anything other than polygon subdivisions. I am looking for a single modeler solution so I don't have to move constantly from one software to the other. FormZ reminds me of Electric Image Universe Modeler (discontinued). A software that I loved back then before UV unwrapping became mainstream. So if you eventually add a "Select UV Seams" with a proper "Unwrap UV" for polygons/subdiv feature then call me back. If you do it I will buy your product, until then your product is useless to me (not entirely). From what I have read on other websites, this is the feature that prevents FormZ to be taken seriously in the 3D animation/Gaming industry like it used to be. PS: a subscription to your products without the need to have the full license first : a la "3D Studio Max" would be more attractive to amateurs like me. Anyway, thank you for your time and I will fallow FormZ development closely because it could definitely be the "perfect" 3D modeler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Montoya Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 Can someone explain why UV mapping would be considered beneficial over projection mapping? I have no experience with UV mapping, but have seen this topic come up from time to time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
¢hris £und Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 Justin, You can think of UV mapping as a reverse projection (simplification). Where the 3D Coordinates are laid out in 2D space so that a full map can be built. Then the mapping is reversed to apply to the 3D object/Space. Simple objects work well for projection mapping, but complex organic forms, not so much. At least in any kind of seamless mapping. Of course, in order to do this, there is distortion. but when building the map, this can be accounted for because the UV's are provided. A good UV system would be great in fZ. Especially with the newer modeling tools. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Montoya Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 So UV is basically for organic modeling then. I could see how the new modeling tools could really benefit from that! I wonder why there isn't just a plugin for it then? Seems like something a third party could provide since it's unlikely to be needed by most FormZ users who only build things that actually need to be able to be built in real life. Real life = Real budgets , which most often do not allow for complex organic shapes. Sure it would be great if all these extras were provided by FormZ, but then I worry they are being stretched too thin, and we won't get an updated rendering engine that we need far more, IMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShaddamIV Posted January 21, 2017 Author Share Posted January 21, 2017 A simple cushion cannot be properly textured in FormZ because of the lack of UV Unwrap functionality. PS : This was made with Cheetah3D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew West Posted January 24, 2017 Share Posted January 24, 2017 UV mapping is used on more than complex organics. I use it all the time on furniture and it is absolutely necessary. As the pillow example above shows there is no possible way to get a fabric pattern to map properly on curved surfaces. So for anyone (like everyone) who builds interior architectural models it is a must. I have faked it many times in photoshop but an integrated solution would be very beneficial. In the mean time I resort to unwrapping and exporting the UV map in 3DS Max and transferring pieces of the model back and forth. Concerning Shaddam's post about a subscription based software I disagree. I bought 3DS Max in 2012 which was the last year you could buy it outright. Now I would have to pay $1600/year to use the new software. How is that better? Autodesk gives out cheap or free software to the schools to get everyone trained on their product and then sticks it to them when they graduate and every year after. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bartjuan Posted January 24, 2017 Share Posted January 24, 2017 I agree with Andrew West and others, UV Mapping would be a huge boost for Z. I have been waiting for it for years. I still use FZ of course, and too often I have to add weathering and details Post render in PS. Form Z NEEDS a uv mapping tool with proper ability to select seams. I too am skeptical of the subscription plan. The upside could be a monthly plan so you could spend more time evaluating the tool, or using it only if you have intermittent projects than that Might have some appeal for the folks who can't shell out $1200. But for reason that I am sure are financially well thought out no-one does this, its either annual subscription or full license. I would guess it is only a matter of time before FZ goes subscription only - for Pro, anyway. Which I will be happy to pay if we get an included modern renderer (yes Pylon I know about Maxwell I mean included in the price) and a robust UV Mapper. Bart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FZnoob Posted January 24, 2017 Share Posted January 24, 2017 I have to say that any program with sub d modeling tools needs a dedicated UV mapping tool as well as a symmetry tool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted January 24, 2017 Share Posted January 24, 2017 I also would find UV mapping tools of use. I often bring purchased models into Z and have no way of editing or modifying the model or mapping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Montoya Posted January 24, 2017 Share Posted January 24, 2017 Thank you everyone for helping to explain the benefits of UV mapping. I can see now why it is a needed addition to FormZ. It would be great to hear from AutoDesSys regarding the possibility of UV editing in the upcoming FormZ 9. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsiggia Posted January 24, 2017 Share Posted January 24, 2017 Seem to me, this would best be included through Z-Lab as a plugin. Been wanting this for a long time. Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
¢hris £und Posted January 25, 2017 Share Posted January 25, 2017 Big +1 Been wanting for a long time. Though, I have opted to UV map in Modo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShaddamIV Posted January 25, 2017 Author Share Posted January 25, 2017 Maybe Autodesys could simply copy the code of the open source modelling software Wings3D that does it perfectly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Posted January 25, 2017 Share Posted January 25, 2017 +1 for a formZ UV editor. Andrea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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