129 replies to this topic

[splodge]

A guy from Maxon requested that I post this on the CGTalk thread about Ptex:

I'm not on CGTalk, but please tell the guy that he's splitting hairs and that I'm gonna beat him up.

[Taros]

The most important for ptex in 3DC will be, to make it possible to convert ptex elements to regular uv-mapping techniques.

[rimasson]

The other advantage of using Ptex, is that you can increase Locally (per face) the texture resolution.

[splodge]

and PTex will improve your love life. It's going to be wonderful!..

[Andrew Shpagin]

The most important for ptex in 3DC will be, to make it possible to convert ptex elements to regular uv-mapping techniques.

That is not difficult because in intrinsic level I can show only textures and all this will be represented as "tricky" texturing. Anyway, I am interested how it will work.

[Taros]

That is not difficult because in intrinsic level I can show only textures and all this will be represented as "tricky" texturing. Anyway, I am interested how it will work.

Very good. I am curious.

[Andrew Shpagin]

I was not able to resist to make some tests with Ptex technology & 3D-Coat engine. And I am excited with the result - seams are (almost) invisible! I thought that seams may be an issue for Ptex & 3D-Coat approach, but it works very well. I think I will do Ptex very soon after 3.2 release. Of course that are only first tests, but anyway... Ptex is really worth to be done. And what is good - you will be able to use Ptex objects from 3D-Coat even in engines that don't support Ptex - just export model and textures.
On the picture - only 1 million of pixels.


and with subpatching and bigger depth:



and this is how small bitmaps are packed:

[3DArtist]

That sounds exciting Andrew!
To help me understand, is that equivalent to a 1k map with more pixel density in the trunk (front) of the character?
Are you able to change pixel density per poly? A quick video showing the basics of how it works would be beneficial.
Also, do you have a rough price-point in mind for this plugin yet?
Great stuff!

[Andrew Shpagin]

It is almost equivalent to 1k x 1k. Actually 1k x 1k texture takes 700-800k pixels.
I don't know about price point. Possibly it will be free. At least for existing customers.
Anyway, I have no final point on this.

And the pipeline is easy - import object like it is for microvertices. Now only quads are supported. Local dencity can be changed. Of course I have not checked it, but it is relatively easy to do.

[haikalle]

That is looking awesome. Great job Andrew.

[artman]

Screenshot Looks gorgeous!!Very fine and clear.
Andrew, will it be possible to bake voxels to ptex?
It would solve eternal problem of automapping+microvertex.
Then we could use texture baking tool to transfer the textures to the lowpoly with Uvs...

[Taros]

I was not able to resist to make some tests with Ptex technology & 3D-Coat engine. And I am excited with the result - seams are (almost) invisible! I thought that seams may be an issue for Ptex & 3D-Coat approach, but it works very well. I think I will do Ptex very soon after 3.2 release. Of course that are only first tests, but anyway... Ptex is really worth to be done. And what is good - you will be able to use Ptex objects from 3D-Coat even in engines that don't support Ptex - just export model and textures.
On the picture - only 1 million of pixels.
...

Looks very nice. What about pixel painting? Or is this something completely different? I hope you will support tris, too.

Best wishes
Chris

[Klaus Nordby]

Wow. Fabulous! Soon I can forget whatever (very little) I know about UVs! In the whole world, only Javis will miss UVs. :-)a

[asche]

@Andrew ... damn you are FAST!!
looks promising

is the speed ok ? will there be long waiting times with highres meshes like in microvertex mode now ?

[Digital777]

Wow this looks great, was fast to be added also. Great work Andrew

[philnolan3d]

It's funny, the idea with voxels is having the freedom to sculpt first worry about polygons later. Soon we'll be able to sculpt and paint first then worry about polygons later.

[stevecullum]

Ptex is really worth to be done. And what is good - you will be able to use Ptex objects from 3D-Coat even in engines that don't support Ptex - just export model and textures.

Now that does sound cool!

Why don't you just intergrate it into 3DCoat as any other function? I can see this being a big selling point...No UVing, No Seams, Rock 'n' Roll

[SonK]

Great job Andrew!

[kay_Eva]

Wait, I don't understand, does this mean we'll never have to make a UV map in 3dCoat again? Even for game engines?

[philnolan3d]

Wait, I don't understand, does this mean we'll never have to make a UV map in 3dCoat again? Even for game engines?

No game engines and actually most other 3D programs right now do no support Ptex, though of course this may change quickly. So for now if you paint with Ptex you'd still have to make a UV map and bake the paint to that when you export.