The sculpted shape is then turned into a surface (ignoring the volume beneath and speeding up operations), where it then works much like any sculpting app.īecause 3D Coat objects are made from triangles, the finished model needs to be retopologised to create a workable mesh, and the app provides some excellent automatic and manual retopologising tools.
The advantage over more traditional polygon-based system is that you don't need to worry about the underlying topolgy you simply draw out a volume, adding or removing geometry at will, and the program adds voxels as necessary. 3D Coat takes a different approach to the other apps here, in that the user sculpts using voxels, or three-dimensional pixels. Modo (opens in new tab)Īppearing pretty much out of nowhere, 3D Coat was developed by Andrew Shpagin, a Ukrainian game dev tool programmer. You can of course texture your models in Cinema 4D using Bodypaint, but users are hoping for an integrated sculpting/painting system in a future update.
The newly announced R16 update adds even more features with drawing along splines, poly selection masking and the use of procedural materials as stencils and masks. The system also features mirroring and mesh projection, which transfers your high-res sculpted detail onto a low-res poly mesh for retopologising. Like ZBrush and Mudbox, it features multi-resolution sculpting, with advanced symmetry options and comes with a range of brushes, stencils and stamps for adding fine details.īecause it's an integral part of the program, you can sculpt your object, and then immediately do a full render with it in situ, and the sculpting tools work across the app, so you can smooth out irregular points, for example. Editing help is available.One of the surprise features introduced with the 2012 release of Cinema 4D Studio R14 was its new sculpting module. You can help by converting this section, if appropriate. This section is in list format but may read better as prose. Normally, this kind of polygonal topology must be painstakingly produced by hand.
With minimal input from the user, this technology generates an accurate and functional polygonal mesh skin over any voxel sculpture, (composed primarily of quadrangles), which is the standard that is widely used in 3D production studios. It includes "auto-retopology", a proprietary skinning algorithm.
A live connection to a chosen external 3D application can be established through the Applink pipeline, allowing for the transfer of model and texture information.ģD-Coat specializes in voxel sculpting and polygonal sculpting using dynamic patch tessellation technology and polygonal sculpting tools. Imported models can be converted into voxel objects for further refinement and for adding high resolution detail, complete UV unwrapping and mapping, as well as adding textures for displacement, bump maps, specular and diffuse color maps.
The program can also be used to modify imported 3D models from a number of commercial 3D software products by means of plugins called Applinks. 3D-Coat is a commercial digital sculpting program from Pilgway designed to create free-form organic and hard surfaced 3D models from scratch, with tools which enable users to sculpt, add polygonal topology (automatically or manually), create UV maps (automatically or manually), texture the resulting models with natural painting tools, and render static images or animated "turntable" movies.