Blender 2.69 is out

[YouGroove]

Yes and some inetresting FBX features :

 

 

New: FBX Import

Initial support for importing FBX scenes has been added, with support for cameras, lamps and mesh with UV's, vertex colors and textures.

However there is not yet any armature or animation support.

 

 

FBX Export

• Mesh exporter was refactored, it is now faster, generates smaller files (in some cases), and handle polygons instead of tessellated tris/quads. r4740
  
• Improved support for lights cameras and materials
  

 

Bonus : Blender Movie

 

Yes Blender is "big" and FREE.

 

http://www.blender.org/

[YouGroove]

Another bonus : Bisect tool to create stones for example or anything that is hard surface

 

[cassius]

Its been out for some time.Very nice though.

[Guppy]

Beta channel ftw

[YouGroove]

I tested just 2.69 and scultping and just good for a free software.

It has even Dynamic sculpting that is very very similar to Sculptris (but sculptris adapt resolution polys also based on distance from cam to object)

 

 

I'll do more tests tonight, but it seems you have Hard surface modeling, sculpting (i mean basic , not Zbursh high res surface sculpt) , and retopology (specially with new Contour retopo tool : http://cgcookie.com/downloads/contours-retopology-tool/ )

 

Free advanced tool for people not putting money on 3D coat or Zbrush.

[DudeAwesome]

3 threads?

[cassius]

I can;t get Boolean to work.Am I missing smething?

[Guppy]

I can;t get Boolean to work.Am I missing smething?

Not sure I tried aswell but even after applying it vertices that should have disappeared remained

[tournamentdan]

Be careful when using some tools in blender now. Since I believe 2.6 Blender came out with a new mesh system. Which allows you to create n-gons. N-gons are great to allow you to quickly create a high poly model. You should then retopo that mesh, and be sure to use quads or triangles only. A n-gon is a face that can have as many vertice as you like. Which will not convert and be drawn into triangles very nicely. Also it's not a good idea to use both quads and triangles on the same model. One or the other.

[YouGroove]

I tested sculpting possibilities : great and similar to Sculptris using Dynamic resolution.

Seems to handle great density easy (indeed not as much as Zbrush or 3D coat in surface mode), lot more fast from older version i tested long time ago.

I would say yes it can be used to sculpt and like Sculptris you'll have great control on how you sculpt and density.

You can really make hard surface look specially using "Crease" tool inverted.

 

It is super slow if you do "Undo" with good density" or the mirror failed at some point.

 

What lacks a lot:

- need some curve , line and other tools

- painting advanced tools

- baking normal map all options and features 3D Coat has

 

But it's already good for production games (without going as hight like Zburush or 3D coat), the best is you can work on complex model like character with physic clothes, hard surface armor because you stay in Blender you can sculpt character, than swith to armor and do traditionnal modeling

 

About retopo you can draw on model and it will transform lines painted in polygons : as good as 3D Coat.

 

And even more advanced retopo for cylinder like with lines, almsot automatic tool (but not free)

[Guppy]

What lacks a lot:

- need some curve , line and other tools

 

Not really sure what you mean, blender has had curve support since atleast 2.4 http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Doc:2.4/Manual/Modeling/Curves

 

- baking normal map all options and features 3D Coat has

 

don't know about the 'and features 3d coat has' bit but you can bake normal maps with blender just fine

 

And even more advanced retopo for cylinder like with lines, almsot automatic tool (but not free)

 

 

It is free ( in every sence of the word )

 

you can choose to buy it (and so support the people making it, helping make it better) which also gets you support

http://cgcookie.com/downloads/contours-retopology-tool/

 

But the plugin it self is freely available - source:

https://github.com/CGCookie/script-bakery/tree/master/scripts/addons/contour_tools

 

packaged:

https://github.com/CGCookie/script-bakery/tree/master/release

 

 

In that way it uses the same model as blender it self - the software is free, but you can chose to help it's development by sponsoring (or buying from their store).

[YouGroove]

Thanks for precisions.

 

For curve i meande that in fact :

 

You can extrude, draw on voxel or any other tools along a curve : in in the 3D model you place points that define that curve.

Works on texturing mode also.

Not only curves, you have line tool, circle, rectangle that apply all tools along their path also in Voxel or Painting modes.

 

I tested Blender 2.69.

I got some problem launching it, the solution was to make some Bat file

http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?276354-Crash-on-start-up-apears-to-be-python-related&p=2285885&viewfull=1#post2285885

 

Just that commands on a bat file you create inside your install directory :

 

@ECHO OFF

SETLOCAL

SET PYTHONPATH=

blender.exe

 

Some problem :

Blender seems perhaps faster , more easy to use for Retopology than 3D Coat with lines strokes drawing the grease tool (I'll have to test more ).

In older versions, you draw lines with grease tool and hit "Enter" the polygons appears.

Now you have to click on "Convert" button , but there is only path, spline etc ... i don't see any simple way to have SIMPLY what i drawn turned into polygons like older version ?