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New Unlimited Clay Modifier Video from Farsthary

38

Farsthary (Raúl Fernández Hernández) made this video demonstration of his the unlimited clay modifier. The unlimited clay is a way to sculpt a mesh without worrying about underneath topology. If you haven't seen it, just check the video. If you have seen it too many times already, may be you want to support Raúl more so we could have it earlier.

From his blog post, Farsthary writes:

Unlimited clay good for:

  • Fast base shape sketching for refining in multires later.
  • Models with high detail concentration in relative small areas.
  • Extending geometry on the fly.

Multires is good for:

  • very evenly detailed models.
  • refining small details in final models.

Links:

  • Tinker Code (Farsthary's blog, where you can start supporting his development)

38 Comments

  1. wow think of the possibilities
    1. quick concept sketch with unlimited clay modifier
    2. re-topo and bake a displacement map
    3. detail and refine with mulitres

    super

  2. Awesome work.

    this came about pretty quickly.

    At any rate, this is definitely awesome for doing organics or just sketching in general.

    Edit:Il eat my words there does seem to be a smooth function there :)

    Cool Cool Cool

  3. Excellent!!!

    That would make sculpting a lot more useful than it is now.

    Problem: in the video, at 2.52, the topology is just too cluttered, those horrible triangles are so large they become visible and deform the surface in an awful way.

    I'm eager to see it in the official Blender.
    Keep it up

  4. Yeah Farsthary that was so like yesterday...how about including the use of stencils like Zbrush/MUdbox come on, it cant be that hard to code!

    Seriously, though fantastic work, with all you coders bringing out cool things, I think I might just get a bit overawed at what to look at next..... :)

    I think Blender should stand as a euphamism for 'christmas come everyday'

    looking forward to your next steps...

    regards

    TFS

  5. Topology is better in sculptris because:
    1) It automatically relaxes the topology to form the best triangle shapes it can. I don't know if this modifier does that already, but i hope it will. The relax animation is visible after every stroke, which gives a neat feel to it.
    2) Sculptris not only subdivides the edges connected to the vertex you are clicking on. If you click in the middle of the triangle in sculptris, even the surrounding triangles get subdivided to make a smooth transition from Low poly to high poly. The subdivision radius is larger then your brush radius. And the stroke is drawn where you want it. Last time i played with UC, i found out that when clicking in the middle of the triangle, absolutely nothing happens, we get a single subdivision when clicking on a vertex though. That's why it was very limited when starting from the default cube. That problem does not exist in sculptris.
    If we get that "Bigger subdivision radius then your brush, with a smooth transition from low to high poly" thing, we wouldn't get the "Visible triangles" topology problem as we can see in this video.

    What Else i'd like to see, that sculptris doesn't have:
    Smooth brush automatically removing polygons while straighting out the surface. Or any other way that would automatically remove triangles where there is no detail.
    There are a lot of spots on sculptris models, where the surface is smooth as a babies behind, but the topololy is very dence at some places, and on some very low poly.
    Sculptris has "Polygon removal" and "Smooth" tools seperate, and the polygon removal brush is kind of unresponsive, you had to do multiple clicks which was kind of annoying.

    Any responses to that?

  6. This is freakin' amazing! Every time I turn around there is something in the pipeline that makes Blender more and more capable of handling whatever I throw at it. With the new layout in 2.5 it makes it easier for me to use (feels more natural). With features like this, I can't see using other programs!

    I can't wait till this is added!

  7. Has anyone done a recent comparison sheet between Blender and other major apps like Maya and Cinema 4d and 3ds MAX? I'm curious as to what kinds of things that Blender doesn't do, and what kinds of things it does better than other applications, because with a lot of this new physics stuff, true plugin support and now this ultimate clay, it seems to be only a matter of time before Blender is able to surpass any application out there.

  8. Jaw-dropping! I don't know what to say that the others haven't said yet!

    @Freemind: You ask: "Any responses to that?". Let me firstly say that I have great respect for you (Freemind) and your technical capabilities. I've been to your web site and learnt things there. Having said that, I think it would be great if you first give Farsthary a bit of credit before just starting to knock his efforts with "Topology is better in sculptris because..." You give no credit anywhere in your comment. The man is not even finished with this version yet! However, I won't hold a grudge against you for not crediting Farsthary - and attribute it to an experienced techie/Blenderer who is a bit over-eager to contribute to Blender's progress :-)

  9. I must confess as soon as we saw this BN article we went and got scupltris latest version (alpha 5) to compare the two, it's instinctive, and what we thought was, that whilst Scupltris is phenomenal Farsthary is making superb leaps and bounds to adding this kind of functionality to blender.

    Having read Farsthary's blog over, my appreciation of his [growing] skills and the mammoth task he has taken on is rewarded tenfold by seeing his progress on this feature. Course I'll hit that little golden icon to help ;0)

  10. IvantheTerrible on

    @AnyMation

    There is nothing wrong about telling the truth. I do not think that anyone has any obligation to cheer with the crowd. Everyone is entitled to his opinion. If Farsthary does not like people` attitude and comments, he can stop the development, personally it does not bother me a bit. What bothers me is this particular crowd behaviour that forces everyone to cheer up to every small development.

    Within all these comments only Freemind`s comments bring some light into the real issues, and what needs to be done with the tool, the rest of these comments sound like sunday morning soccer team cheering if you will. I was going to ask for pretty much same kind of requests but after seeing Freemind`s good insight I thought I should comment on people who are going after him. He sounds like he knows what he is talking about, I am not sure about the rest

  11. @IvantheTerrible

    While it's highly valuable to provide insight on a projects progress and possible directions, there is still a way to give tact when providing a critique. I started reading the main critique on this page and it felt like it was also expected to do ones laundry.

    I feel it's important to at least recognize the level of efforts that have taken place thus far. And I can just imagine the level of effort it could take to get the code clean on this type of modifier.

    My own 2-cents is that while I might not feel like this the appropriate channel for a full on dissecting-critique,
    *a thought-out critique should always be embraced no matter the time or the place*.

    For the progressive nature to what else can be pushed, never sleeps.

  12. IvantheTerrible on

    @Drew

    I personally do not think that Freemind`s reply was negative at all, it was rather positive and real. Positive feedback does not mean cheering and clapping. There is no "feedback" when someone hurrays and claps, that is just an easy thing to do.

    Freemind took his time and gave the longest(and the most proper reply in my view) reply to this topic, look at other weak replies please. He did not say that this implementation sucks, he did not mean that the developer is a jackass. He said things that are important for "sculpting" improvement in Blender. I think that his reply was the most positive and encouraging reply from a possible user.

  13. I am a designer and while positive feedback and cheers are nice
    I rather value those who tell me where I can improve.
    I am pretty sure Freemind thinks the same way.

    Of course would have a sentence with thank you for the work
    have sounded nice.

    But Freemind did not say his work sucks but just listed as I did
    where it needs adjustment. And I am sure F is a mature person
    who will see that as constructive and fact based observation.

    But that might be the difference between professionals and hobbyists.

  14. @FreeMind, claas and specially to IvantheTerrible

    "But that might be the difference between professionals and hobbyists"
    Same way there is an enormous difference between the wise and the fool!!!!

    -First how "professional are you?, and if it is so how you dare to call hobbyist to everybody else?

    -It is uneducated at least to not be grateful before starting demanding features or fixes, well unless you paid the guy money for it.

    - it is arrogant if not stupid to get offended without offence, who said somthing about Farsthary's attitude before? I think that somebody here got some kind of paranoia besides been ungrateful.

    Guys, have you thought that farsthary lives in a country without freedom, scarcely having to live, that probably the most money he can ever see is the one he get from donations, would you code likes he does in that conditions? and after all, what the heck have you contributed to blender community or ny other community, or any human been lately?

    I think that Farthary have proofed that he knows what he is doing, even when criticism can be a good tool for him, we all (non troll Blender community) love and apreciate, and yes cheers Farstharys work!!!!!
    Raul you know you ROCK my friend!!!!
    God Bless U!!!

    PD: by the way I am an industrial and graphic designer (and trying to become a software engineer one day) not precisely a hobbyist.

  15. This would be GENIUS as a modifier :D -*turns on effect* *turns off effect* :D *do duplicate modifyer* *collapse* :D *alter influence on object* :D

    so modular, so non-destructive :D

  16. IvantheTerrible on

    @vdmpeniel

    I think that you are totally misreading what has been said and you are also misleading other people. I do not think that anyone is being unappreciative. It does not mean that any other way of handling the topic is being unappreciative, because someone else does not appreciate the way you do or bunch of other guys do here.

    Your comment and some other people`s comments are true road blockers to the real progress. The real progress can happen only with real suggestions and critique.

    Btw I do not remember anyone saying that "noone should donate to this cause". I do not know where you got the idea. I myself or Freemind or some other person may very well donate and come up with suggestions. I do not see any contradiction there.

    Fanboyhood is a childish attitude that has been living in and around FOSS, lets get to the real issues. I do not think that a real developer would need clapping and cheering. If you like the guy`s work just donate him and keep the cheers and hurrays to your donation text message.

  17. "Your comment and some other people`s comments are true road blockers to the real progress."

    Yes, I can feel the Earth's orbit coming to a halt.

    What's the point of progress if you don't enjoy the process? What's wrong with stopping everything, and letting something be awesome for just one moment?

    This isn't even Farsthary's blog. He might not even read this for another week.
    I come to Blendernation for the news and to share thoughts about some the exciting tools and outputs that are constantly being developed and tested. It's one of the few places where I can simply exclaim, and I don't have to explain why, because yuse-all use the same interface as I.

    My initial post was submitted, not after reading any critique, but from after reading a response to a response, based off a critiques initial request to "any response?".

    It's the jumping on a compliment or lack there of, It's about lumping everybody who has something nice to say; into some happy-glad hand camp, and dismissing one as an unfocused 3D user; that we are not capable of much else. Words like fanboy and the like can only be applied after a certain heavy consistency.

    I may only say how something is awesome one day, while the next, something might be more in my field of experience and I might have something of insight to contribute.

    "donate him and keep the cheers and hurrays to your donation text message"
    I see it as the complete opposite, at least via this channel of blendernation.
    Give and give as much observed praise as possible, it is free after all, and I find being specific enough can help cement a concept or push an element that otherwise would sit on the back burner. ...And if you want somebody to actually do some work for you, then pay or help out.

    I'm going to be done with this now. My only argument is that compliments (and yes, critiques as well)are valid motivators in this field; they can expose marks of progress, and squashing them is ridiculous and alienates people from saying what they want if it has to explained or justified.

    I'm just someguy with an internet connection and an opinion, yet I use blender everyday of the month. I just get tired of all the bashing over a little excitement.

    (Farsthary, if you read this, I didn't mean to get into this on a page linked to your work, the topic came up and I couldn't get past the notion that one should have to think before giving praise.
    thanks, for all your trials of patience being sharpened with this project)

  18. @AnyMation You are probably think I'm someone else. I don't have a website. Just my music site and some works flying around here and there.
    I have already said my WoWs when UC was just announced. And it's one of the soon to come features I'm most excited about. I even donated to the guy. I don't feel like reapeating my WOWS when ever i see a UC video. Just cause I like it, that doesn't mean the flaws of it (Or atleast what I see in this video) should be ignored. I do know that this is NOT the finished algorithm for UC. Farsthary said so in the blogpost. I'm just stating my observations on what makes Sculptris tessellation work as well as it does (+One egoistic feature request).
    Actually, I want UC to work better then Sculptris, but i have no Ideas how to improve it over that.
    everyone Is like "Wow this is the best thing ever". The idea behind it is amazing, yes. However, nothing is perfect and everything can get improved in a way or another. Every creator needs criticism.

    I did watch Blender GURU Live, where he spoke about Criticism, and he made sense. I think I'm not doing anything wrong

  19. @FreeMind

    You are correct: I am mixing you up with Feeblemind (sounds a bit similar: http://feeblemind.org/blog/index.php?tag/blender).

    To me it's not about "wow's", but acknowledgement. Farsthary did a damn good job on a damn complex software topic - even more so taking his situation into account. I'm sorry if I did not see you acknowledging that, but you left the impression that Farsthary's work was not good enough because of what you say:
    * "Topology is better in sculptris",
    * "That problem does not exist in sculptris",
    * "...we wouldn’t get the ... problem as we can see in this video"

    I just feel he can get proper acknowledgement in such a public forum - and that one can perhaps provide critique more privately at places like the BlenderArtists forum, or even private mail him.

    I work with software developers daily (and have been for many years). They (we) are a different breed, I have a fair idea of how their/our minds work.

    No matter how much of a geek a s/w developer may be, no matter how much he is turned on by technology, no matter how much coffee he drinks or pizza he eats -> he is still human. They may be introverts and may not show feelings, but they do appreciate their work being valued.

    And *most* software developers are very proud of their work: most don't like bad comments about their code and they DO appreciate positive feedback - and I am not talking about imitation cheers and crowd behaviour.

    @IvantheTerrible: Your attitude of "If Farsthary does not like people` attitude and comments, he can stop the development, personally it does not bother me a bit." ... well, that SUCKS! Especially towards people who work without remuneration on open source software - for the love of it!

    @claas: I'm sorry, but I do not buy your statement about "But that might be the difference between professionals and hobbyists". Not if you imply that because you are a designer, nor if you mean professionals don't need acknowledgement. My experience with professional software developers prove otherwise. And "professional" would imply he is getting paid for it, which is not the case.

    - - -

    Maybe I'm just the more conservative kind who believes in appreciating the HUMAN behind the work. And maybe the modern means of electronic social networking has made some people a bit more blunt to human feelings and emotions...

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