Fusion Applink Installation

Installation:

1. Unzip the archive.

2. Copy 3D-Coat AppLink.py, 3D-Coat AppLink (Auto-Import).py and 3D-Coat AppLink (Create Files for Auto-Import).py files to your Fusion install folder\Scripts\Comp, the path is usually: C:\Program Files\eyeon\Fusion 6.1\Scripts\Comp or C:\Program Files (x86)\eyeon\Fusion 6.1\Scripts\Comp

3. Restart Fusion.

Usage:

In fusion, make geometry node (usually FBXMesh3D or Shape3D) you want to edit in 3D-Coat active (selected and active is not the same thing, selected node is blue while active is yellow, so make sure to make geo node active in fusion), then run AppLink UI by hitting Script -> 3dc_applink.py in Fusion menu bar. Select "Import from 3D-Coat" or "Export to 3D-Coat" checkbox and hit "OK".

If you choose "Export to 3D-Coat", saving dialog should pop, choose location and name of the output file (without extension, .obj is set automatically), choose 3D-Coat Identifier in the next dialog window, then in the last "Options" dialog you can choose to skip importing and exporting dialogs in 3D-Coat and pre-select some options. This last step is optional, you can cancel this window and set all needed options inside 3D-Coat.

Also you should know that pre-selecting this options and skipping 3D-Coat import and/or export dialogs should work only in 3D-Coat version 3.5.06 and up.

After exporting geometry from Fusion via AppLink script, run 3D-Coat (or bring the focus to it's window if 3D-Coat was started earlier), a dialog with options based on your "3D-Coat Identifier" selection in AppLink script should pop up.

Set needed options, hit "OK" and edit imported mesh to your heart content, using 3D-Coat's rich toolbox for Texture Painting, UV Editing etc. When done, select "File"->"Open in Originall App" from 3D-Coat main Menu.

Now go back to Fusion, run AppLink script and select 'Import from 3D-Coat' checkbox to bring edited mesh with textures and maps created in 3D-Coat back to Fusion. A network of nodes should be created, with color, specular, normals and displacement maps loaders, 2D Texture/Displace 3D/BumpMap nodes for this loaders, assigned to the correct inputs of the Blinn material, which is connected to the material input of the 3D mesh node.

You can repeat the whole process as many times as needed.

Usage (Auto-Import):

Now you can send meshes to Fusion straight from 3D-Coat, by using File -> Export to -> Fusion menu in 3D-Coat.

Fusion will be started if needed, to get geometry and textures you've exported from 3D-Coat via File -> Export to -> Fusion menu choose 3D-Coat AppLink (Auto-Import) item in Fusion's scripts menu.

IMPORTANT!!!

To use File -> Export to -> Fusion feature from 3D-Coat, you should create files needed for this feature to work, you can do this by choosing 3D-Coat AppLink (Create Files for Auto-Import) item in Fusion's scripts menu.

Note about Displacement!!!

Current version of Fusion does not allows to tessellate imported geometry. When using Displace 3D, keep in mind that it will only displace existing vertices and will not tessellate objects. To obtain a more detailed displacement, increase the Subdivision amount for the geometry that is being displaced (available only for Shape3D nodes, if you're using geometry imported via FBXMesh3D node make sure to pre-tessellate it outside of Fusion if needed).