Sharpconstruct is coming along nicely!

[TorQ]

Last night I downloaded the most recent release candidate of Sharpconstruct and had some time to review it. I must say that I am very impressed with progress from earlier versions! Here is a sketch that I made entirely in Sharpconstruct starting with a standard sphere.



Nicholas Bishop, the author has done an amazing job fine tuning the basic bread and butter sculpting tools that make Zbrush so powerful. I did have quite a few crashes on the windows version so many will want to hold off on it for a bit more. As you can see this software is already a very useful tool and has the opportunity to become even moreso. Of course one of Sharpconstructs biggest shortcomings at the moment is the relatively low polycount ceiling. I was only able to edit a model of around 500,000 tri polys on a machine that can usually push at least a million and a half in Zbrush. Unfortunately, this is an issue that may never be overcome. I have to say that I am optimistic though! The rate this software is improving over the last year is quite amazing! For those of you that like to be involved with rapidly developing software and aren't afraid of crashes download this puppy and help test it out!

For those of you who do download here are a few tips:

When you save make sure you type the .obj extension at the end of your file name. If you don't your file won't actually be saved. This is a pretty bad bug.

Save often!! This software is a little unstable (at least the windows version)

Don't sub-divide your model untill you really have to! The more resolution you add the slower the tools will become.

In the beginning of a model use the Grab brush a lot to push and pull in the major forms.

Add in large blobs and then smooth them with the smooth tool cranked up to 100 to define larger forms.

Take the time to start with a very basic approximation model from blender that is made up of all quad polygons.

[bigbad]

Where's the picture?

Edit: Nevermind. That looks great. It would be cool if it could export a dismap.

[bigbad]

You should send that screenshot to sharpconstruct homepage. The ones they got are just .

[henrymop]

Very cool.

For anyone wanting to download this:

http://sharp3d.sourceforge.net/media....php/Main_Page

EDIT: Ugh, it needs Windows 2000 or higher to work. Peice of crap. I hate that. Why the hell does it need Windows 2000? What does it have that Windows 98se doesn't? A .dll or two?

[yfkar.]

Originally Posted by henrymop EDIT: Ugh, it needs Windows 2000 or higher to work. Peice of crap. I hate that. Why the hell does it need Windows 2000? What does it have that Windows 98se doesn't? A .dll or two?

Windows 2000 and XP are based on Windows NT line, 98 is based on 95.

[BgDM]

TorQ, fantastic work there. Really shows the power of this application. Can't wait till it gets integrated into the Blender pipeline.

I have played with it and I have to say that the windows version is indeed, very buggy and does not even want to start at times. Though it is a very powerful app and I have done some nice stuff with it.

BgDM

[bigkahuna]

They really need to invest some time to clean up / simplify /debug their installation process. I tried to install SharpConstruct 3 times under Windows and Linux, and I never got it to work. I'm not exactly a noob and my hardware and I followed their instructions exactly. Questions I posted on their forum were never answered. Sorry, but Zbrush is still my tool of choice even if it isn't free...

[Briggs]

Originally Posted by henrymop Ugh, it needs Windows 2000 or higher to work. Peice of crap. I hate that. Why the hell does it need Windows 2000? What does it have that Windows 98se doesn't? A .dll or two?

Win2k is a completley different operating system than win98 (win2k uses the NT kernel). Win98 is now 8 years old, it is an orphaned product. Are you really that surprised?

Anyway sharpconstruct does indeed look impressive. Until it gets the multi-resolution sculpting it wont be much a match for zbrush however. Thankfully the SharpConstruct author has expressed interest in applying for a Summer of Code Project to integrate sharp construct's modelling tools into blender, with additional support for multi-resolution editing. Excellent!

http://projects.blender.org/pipermai...il/014430.html

Cheers,
Xarf

[Edeehem]

Thanks a LOT TorQ!!! SharpC is awesome. IT comes along right when I needed such an application (learning character modeling and right now, I'm using SharpC to add details)

On the other hand it works Flawlessly for me. No bugs nor apparent problems and I'm running windows too so I'm either blind or lucky.

I find the interface really intuitive too and I didnt have trouble to start editing and detailing my face in it.

Thanks a lot again
Slep

[BgDM]

Well, I just dl'ed the newest Windows version and all works flawlessly. No problems for me at all now.

Now, if it could actually export displacement maps, I would be in friggin heaven.

BgDM

[JoOngle]

Originally Posted by Zarf Thankfully the SharpConstruct author has expressed interest in applying for a Summer of Code Project to integrate sharp construct's modelling tools into blender, with additional support for multi-resolution editing. Excellent! http://projects.blender.org/pipermai...il/014430.html Cheers, Xarf

WHAT?!

That's AMAZING news! Getting SharpConstruct tools integrated into Blender
AND with multiresolution editing (highpoly, perhaps displacement modelling?)
would be awesome.

[Edeehem]

I agree that getting this implemented directly in Blender would be awesome. Right now it's ok, The import export isnot too complex as an operation but still. I've read about multiresolution editing and it looks like a nice option. Displacement is also a great idea. I'm looking forward to all this

[Clean3D]

I thought it was pretty cool too when I read that sharpconstruct was going to be built in to blender. It looks like it's pretty powerful (Torq, that's a great model, BTW).

[rexprime]

my constant complaining has been answered

[Milky]

Originally Posted by JoOngle WHAT?! That's AMAZING news! Getting SharpConstruct tools integrated into Blender AND with multiresolution editing (highpoly, perhaps displacement modelling?) would be awesome.

Wow! It's gonna be awesome! Can't wait

[JoOngle]

Originally Posted by rexprime my constant complaining has been answered

I dont know if that was a joke or what...but just for the record:

Complaining - never - leads - to - features!
===========================
Period!

What CAN lead to new features is:

- Well though out functions that are well documented both function-wise and
with examples.

- Suggestions with documents, and similar features in other programs and
how to innovate rather than imitating these, again - with well documented
examples on "how" it could be implemented, even if just with pictures
as examples.

- Suggestions discussed with a large number of Blender users, written down
and honed to perfection, and then put up on a web-page carefully
describing it's functions, use and perhaps with examples on how
similar functions would/could work. etc.

But complaining...to coders doing stuff in their spare time? Nah - that
would never work! Why should it? Coders are people like you and me...
would you go to someones house and install a new sink for free?

My impression is that coders do it for various reasons of their own,
someone does it for the fun of it, someone does it for the challenge,
and most do it for the common goal of expanding our fantastic tool
to be a better tool for all to use (including themselves)...

[Milky]

By the way, yeah BgDM, displacement maps would be cool . I think if he implements this stuff into blender, much much more attention will come to it.

[Ace Dragon]

SharpConstruct does indeed look like a powerful app. and then I hear the author wants to implement it in Blender. I don't know about Ton and the main developers but this should go near the top of the list of priorities.

[henrymop]

After the Summer of Code 2006, I expect Blender to be stupendously supercharged.

[DwarvenFury]

Wow. If that makes it in during the SOC, I'll start flipping out.