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Nowherebrain's hit list
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Nowherebrain's hit list // Feature suggestions
Post by nowherebrain // Jul 18, 2006, 9:02pm
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nowherebrain
Total Posts: 1062
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I would like to see the following changed or implemented, (by priority) I'm
sure some of these may be posted. Here's my "A" list none the less.
Sorry if it is difficult to read, but I'm on a Deployment(ARMY), and bandwidth is at a premium. It was typed offline and the formatting is a little messed up.
1. Vertex / Weight maps (Very high)
A: implemented for bone weighting (Very high)
I. Deformation lattice per vert weighting. (medium)
B: implemented as a texture layer.
I. vertex color layer (low)
II. Vertex alpha layer (high)
C: Multiple physics properties (high)
D: vertex morphs, shape keys, motion mixer, whatever. (med)
I. slider enabled.
2.Dirty Laundry (high)
A. re-tooling of the current tools, not just to move them to the new
architecture,
to fix current problems with legacy tools.
I. chamfer: makes ledges in some non convex situations.
II. Mirror modeler: should be able to mirror along any axis about it’s
axis or with an offset.
Should also actually mirror what you are modeling on the opposite
axis, it somehow lost this function.
III. Why don’t we have a turn edge/spin quad tool, besides the fact that I cannot code it myself.
3. Player enhancement. (Low)
A: different draw modes… draw edges, lit wire, front side wire blah blah
blah (low)
B: layer manager, I personally like Newtek’s implementation (low)
C: Middle mouse button = rotation around selection... Big time saver (high)
D: 3D controls toggle… They just slow me down …some of us like hot keys, some like widgets.
Just a wacky world (high)
E. Loop cut. Should have a numeric display in degrees ( 50.05’, 99.70’,74.24’ etc) to the lower R of the mouse.
Holding Ctrl should snap it to integer increments… 1’, 12’, 25’, 50’ etc
4. L.E. simplified(not weakened) (high)
A. simple builing blocks for logic (high)……..example.
“[ ]” represents a brick/block “( )” represent input like a number, “---“
represent wires or nodes to the other blocks.
[IF]>---
--->[DISTANCE TO(object list button)]>---
--->[(int./float) (<, >, +, = =, =) (xxx.xxx)]>---
--->[action {like SDS level or texture swap overtime}( +1)]>------>[output to higher level, if this was inside a character object]
…this could include loops branching etc etc….in essence you could even
create a game.
I know this is implemented already, but it’s vey confusing(at least for
me), and I can’t use a tool I do not understand….
I don’t think others can either. It’s not the concept that throws me, but
the implementation (crawl, walk, run).
5. Texturing improvements (high)
A. Ability to use all shaders in all shading aspects, like turbulence in the
alpha channel.(med)
B1. Continue working on the shaders for Vray, the transition is far from
transparent….(med)
B2. whatever happened to the free version of Vray with limited options?
I’m referring to the original post by Roman on the old forums, when he
first mentioned Vray support.
6. New tools (high for tS8 & up)
A. Band / loop painting tool(high)
I. ability to lower the density of a mesh by painting loops directly on the
normals of other geometry (or be planar).
Bands/Loops would follow the mouse path. Adjustable density by ½, ¼,
etc… of the original mesh density.
Including offset (like geometry paint)
II. loop merging based on a distance tolerance from other loops
III. Boolean operation. For intersecting loops +, -, /.
This could be set with a min/max tolerance in degrees.
IV. Mirror modeling enabled.
V. Create U.V. . create a continuous U.V.
B. Cloth! Please gimme cloth before hair, but after bone weighting (as far as
priorities go).
I love ClothFX from size8 sofware for MAX, and MAX is powerfull very
powerfull,
but it’s not tS and it never will be.
C. Keep trueSpace, well, trueSpace. I've always come back to trueSpace for 2
reasons.
I. Fun, it has always been as much a game to me as much as a tool.
II. Ease of use, MAX and Lightwave[Yes, I own both of them..(REGISTERED
VERSIONS!-I have no bills in the Millitary)]
Are all very powerfull, but what use is being powerfull if the learning
curve is so steep you get nothing done.
I feel tS7 lost some of it's fluidity in workflow, I will adapt, but
"keep it simple stupid."(coders know what I'm sayin' here)
I nearly forgot,
I would also love to see a conform to mesh tool.
You could model a shape and use it to push or pull geometry,
and possibly settings for falloff in size based on stroke length...etc.. |
Post by TomG // Jul 19, 2006, 4:59am
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TomG
Total Posts: 3397
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"
3. Player enhancement. (Low)
A: different draw modes… draw edges, lit wire, front side wire blah blah
"
Already exists - click on the properties tool in the library stack (on the right in most layouts) and there are sliders to control point, edge and surface size, color and transparency. This allows for a flexible draw setting, ie not "wire" or "not wire" but control via a slider as to just how much wire is visible, and control via slider as to just how transparent the surface should be, etc.
"
architecture,
to fix current problems with legacy tools.
"
Not being done - the old architecture is being phased out, and it makes no sense to put time into correcting tools that will eventually be removed / become redundant. But, see the next point :)
"
2.Dirty Laundry (high)
A. re-tooling of the current tools, not just to move them to the new
"
It is in fact impossible to just move the tools to the new. They have to be re-written as the architecture to the software is entirely different. The tools in the Player are replacing the tools in the Modeler, but when they do so, they come with redone logic, user interface, functionality etc.
If a straight port were possible, then this would have been done immediately - this is one reason for the bridge and the old tools still being there, as straight ports of moving the tools to the new cannot be done, even if we wanted to :)
So, problems with legacy tools as noted in the previous point will be fixed when the tools get replaced over in the new architecture.
All points on animation - morphs, vertex weighting for bones, etc - are being addressed as relevant to the new animation and bones system for tS7.5.
"
C: Multiple physics properties (high)
"
I don't know what this means - how can one object be both paper and steel? Not clear what should have multiple properties, nor what those multiple properties should be. Could you tell us some more?
"
D: 3D controls toggle… They just slow me down …some of us like hot keys, some like widgets.
Just a wacky world (high)
"
Already possible. You can rewrite the 3D tools, or delete them entirely, in the existing implementation. I suggest a thread asking for information, as there are many ways to skin a cat, and I am sure there are several possible solutions.
Well, that just answers a few, it was a long list :) Hope it helps though!
Tom |
Post by Alien // Jul 19, 2006, 9:24am
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Alien
Total Posts: 1231
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Tom beat me to it on a number of points, but here's my input:
I would like to see the following changed or implemented, (by priority) I'm sure some of these may be posted. Here's my "A" list none the less.
Sorry if it is difficult to read, but I'm on a Deployment(ARMY), and bandwidth is at a premium. It was typed offline and the formatting is a little messed up.
Try the tag instead of tabs/spaces. http://homepage.ntlworld.com/alien42/smilies/helmet3.gif
1. Vertex / Weight maps (Very high)
A: implemented for bone weighting (Very high)
I. Deformation lattice per vert weighting. (medium)
B: implemented as a texture layer.
I. vertex color layer (low)
II. Vertex alpha layer (high)
C: Multiple physics properties (high)
I haven't tried it, but how about assigning 1 set of properties, use 3D encapsulate in LE, then assigning a secondary set of properties to the newly encapsulated object?
D: vertex morphs, shape keys, motion mixer, whatever. (med)
I. slider enabled.
Yeah, sliders for stuff [as opposed to the draggable double-headed arrow in Model] are cool, especially as sliders respond to the mouse wheel being rolled when they're selected. Mouse wheel functionality on... well, as much as possible, is something I've been asking for for ages.
2. Dirty Laundry (high)
A. re-tooling of the current tools, not just to move them to the newarchitecture, to fix current problems with legacy tools.
I. chamfer: makes ledges in some non convex situations.
II. Mirror modeler: should be able to mirror along any axis about it’s axis or with an offset. Should also actually mirror what you are modeling on the opposite axis, it somehow lost this function.
III. Why don’t we have a turn edge/spin quad tool, besides the fact that I cannot code it myself.
Tom covered this 1. If you mean tools on the Model side being fixed, it's not going to happen. If you mean Model-side tools being recreated for the Player, minus the flaws, that'll happen... eventually
3. Player enhancement. (Low)
[indent]A: different draw modes… draw edges, lit wire, front side wire blah blah blah (low)
B: layer manager, I personally like Newtek’s implementation (low)
C: Middle mouse button = rotation around selection... Big time saver (high)
D: 3D controls toggle… They just slow me down …some of us like hot keys, some like widgets. Just a wacky world (high)
In addition to Tom's point, IIRC TomasB said that the ability to toggle the visibility of stuff like 3D controls has been added to the to-do list. |
Post by nowherebrain // Jul 22, 2006, 4:18pm
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nowherebrain
Total Posts: 1062
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I'll type a propper Re: later, for now, thanks for reading that superfulously(spell chack) long list. |
Post by nowherebrain // Jul 26, 2006, 10:55pm
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nowherebrain
Total Posts: 1062
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O.K. , Now that I have a moment.Things are busy in
Ramadi.
I appreciate the critisizims(though, I'm not very good at being
critisized) and let me re-iterate, I really love trueSpace.
I was not trying to imply that the coders
were merely moving the tools across to the new
platform, only that(and this is true from my
perspective) some of the tools are not what
they could be...possibly due to the limits
of the old architecture. I think all tools
deserve some form of tool bar property('Ya know,
RMB in player open up tool properties.) i.e.
mirror modeler should of course have options for
-welding tolerance
-across X,Y,Z, and possibly offset.
-Mirror weights....
etc..
I also was not very
clear on some other points.
The 3D widgets in older versions
gave access to a few more tools...like the SDS
levels during modeling. I should have stated
that with the widgets off I would like to see
the same functionality in SDS modeling tools.
As far as the physics "different properties
applied to different weight maps/selection sets,
this is more of trying to remove the limits
of current physics. Clothing, for instance, has
more stiffnes at the seems, hair has more the
closer it is to the root etc..
"player" the draw modes I'm refering to don't
really matter too much, I understand/ know about
the current implementation. It just feels slow to me
to need to re-adjust everything every time I start
to model....but like I said low priority(like I make
the rules when it comes to setting the priorities).
I re-read my old post (MS Word ver.) and I guess
I did sound a little like I was on a soap box, so my
appologies to any whom took offense. I just want tS
to be the best it can be, not necessarily to compete
with alias and newtek or pixologic or anyone else..
just be its' own entity and make it's own rules. Break
Paradigmes(however you spell that).
One last thing.
The reason for my poor formatting was due to a time
constraint. I typed it up in MS Word, but the station
that it was posted from only had note pad, not even
word pad was installed???? I did not have time, we have a
20 min. time limit and a bandwidth of about 14k, so
it is just enough time to open the page, read a post,
and post a pre-written response. So I apologise. |
Post by TomG // Jul 27, 2006, 4:14am
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TomG
Total Posts: 3397
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I didn't feel there was any soapbox here, or criticisms, and sure didn't take any offence :) I did try and reply to show what is done now, and to clarify on some requests where I wasn't sure.
That sort of implementation of cloth sounds more like a system that would have something similar to "bones" underlying it, though at this level they may not be called bones etc. Sounds like equivalents to joint stiffness, and vertex weighting, etc. It won't be related to assigning different physics properties to different vertices though I don't think, kind of a different area - physics controls the movement of one "thing" rather than different vertices. What you do though is create something like "bones" and "skeletons" (since a conceptual level for cloth is being considered in the new animation system, they may well not get that name, which is why the "" around them) and then physics interacts with one part of that, moving a "bone" in the skeletal system, and the vertices in the object then follow.
In tS6.6 you can't apply physics to bones and skeletons. In tS7.5, both will be designed to work together though, so sounds like your needs will be met there.
For the Player view modes, the concept of having stored settings is already raised (by me, among others :) ) so that you can hotkey settings, eg wireframe, solid, transparent with wires showing and points too, etc. Now this has been requested, not saying anything about what will be implemented, just letting you know that it is something thought to be useful so is in the request pipeline.
I had no problems with the post formatting, just that it was hard to reply to, and with so much in it, it was hard to reply to everything :) That's probably something you will want to complain about more, as people may have missed some points (but that's ok, just ask again about the ones that weren't answered yet, and we can go through in multiple passes to reply to everything).
HTH!
Tom |
Post by Alien // Jul 30, 2006, 11:48am
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Alien
Total Posts: 1231
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I was not trying to imply that the coders were merely moving the tools across to the new platform, only that(and this is true from my perspective) some of the tools are not what they could be...possibly due to the limits of the old architecture. I think all tools deserve some form of tool bar property('Ya know, RMB in player open up tool properties.) i.e. mirror modeler should of course have options for
-welding tolerance
-across X,Y,Z, and possibly offset.
-Mirror weights....
etc..
All good points. :)
I also was not very
clear on some other points.
The 3D widgets in older versions gave access to a few more tools...like the SDS
levels during modeling. I should have stated that with the widgets off I would like to see the same functionality in SDS modeling tools.
A good point, I don't know whether you've tried the SDS plugin that comes with the Monster Modelling kit, which itself comes with the dePak, but it allows you to toggle between the base poly mesh & the SDS mesh - something that really needs to be implemented in the Player. It's not perfect, but it's certainly a step in the right direction.
As for the "balls" that allow you to switch between different SDS levels, I've noticed that when they are visible tS can sometimes switch to a higher level of SDS than the 1 you want to edit, without your permission - toggling 3D controls off then off again hides the balls & keeps the SDS set on that level until you exit point edit mode.
As far as the physics "different properties applied to different weight maps/selection sets, this is more of trying to remove the limits of current physics. Clothing, for instance, has more stiffnes at the seems, hair has more the
closer it is to the root etc..
I'm not sure how you'd do the hair 1, but the clothing sounds feasible, & I think there ought to be an easier way than the 1 suggested by TomG. If an object was designated as cloth, it could have a stiffness value set, which would be proportionate to thickness. Even better would be if it had a default ratio/formula for relating thickness to stiffness but allowed you to also define your own. That way tS would know that [for example] a single thickness piece of cloth has stiffness S, & a hem area might have a Stiffness of Sx1.5 or Sx2.
I re-read my old post (MS Word ver.) and I guess I did sound a little like I was on a soap box, so my appologies to any whom took offense. I just want tS to be the best it can be, not necessarily to compete with alias and newtek or pixologic or anyone else..
Absolutely. I didn't take offense, & sorry if you thought I did. The reason I also added to the point about tools in modeller side is [unlike yourself] some people still don't get the nature of the modeller side & understand what's going to happen in the future with tS. I thought you were 1 of those people [I know different now], & I'm sorry if I made my point a bit too strongly.
One last thing.
The reason for my poor formatting was due to a time constraint. I typed it up in MS Word, but the station that it was posted from only had note pad, not even word pad was installed???? I did not have time, we have a 20 min. time limit and a bandwidth of about 14k, so it is just enough time to open the page, read a post, and post a pre-written response. So I apologise.
Yikes! Do you not have a seperate, perhaps not net-connected, machine you can work on, & then transfer the file via floppy or something [without it counting towards your 20mins]? Other than what you mentioned in your post I don't know anything about computer access/privileges in the army. I know someone in the US Navy, & from what you've said, & what he's told me, he's got the better deal [as far as computer access/privileges go], even when he's at sea.
1 little tip - to save you the bother of wondering if your lines are too long or not, just turn on Word Wrap in notepad [Format menu] instead, & just use enter when you want to do a new paragraph, the forum will automatically wrap text that's too long for a line at the right places [unless it includes a long web address].
The forum does also have a WYSIWYG mode [you have to set it in your user Control Panel options], which is kinda like using Word/Wordpad.
If you do have access to another machine that you could type stuff up on, there's a page with a list of all the foum codes here (http://forums1.caligari.com/truespace/misc.php?do=bbcode). [assuming they let you have access to a printer, of course] |
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