The big MagicaCSG and SDF modeling thread

[Metin_Seven]

Meanwhile, Clavicula is also progressing…

https://twitter.com/hypnotau/status/1678456912113704982

Here’s the BA thread about Clavicula:

Clavicula 3D editor

Clavicula is a 3D editor offering several 3D modeling methods, including SDF modeling. It’s available for Windows, macOS, Linux and Oculus VR. Video of the recently added SDF functionality: [Clavicula 0.9.9.2 :: SDF modeler]

[Metin_Seven]

Animated a simple test character I made in MagicaCSG.

Simple character rigging and NLA test

Created this quick, simple test character to practice 3D character rigging and non-linear animation in Blender. The thumb intersects the hand here and there, and the feet are rotated outward a bit too much, but still I’m reasonably content with this first result. https://metinseven.nl

[Metin_Seven]

Added two more Blender SDF add-ons currently in development.

• ConjureSDF add-on

• FantaSDF add-on

[Metin_Seven]

MagicaCSG’s upcoming helix primitive is pretty versatile:

https://twitter.com/ephtracy/status/1690319733151633408

[Metin_Seven]

Wheeeee!

[metin-seven_stylized-3d-illustrator-cartoon-character_pogo-stick-bomb] Wheeeee! https://metinseven.nl

Modeled using MagicaCSG.

[JohnKaz (João Desager)]

Appreciate the plug as always Metin

Though it’s worth pointing out that ꕯჄ⚉Ⴤꕯ’s ErnstRenderer is not planned to be public. I’ve talked to them recently to confirm this

It’s (sadly) just a tool for them personally, to create some very unique artworks. I would have loved to support the Ernst renderer with ConjureSDF somehow, but alas.

I’m also quite curious as to how Fanta’s SDF addon will evolve. My early tests with a geometry nodes based approach were deemed too slow to be viable. But perhaps I jumped the gun too quickly

[Fatesailor]

Clavicula needs a good step by step tutorial video. There has been so much work by its author but without gaining a lot of users. And this owes to the fact that there is still a lack of a good tutorial series demonstrating how to use it.

Its navigation too is very confusing. It has not a clearly working turntable navigation (with a grid plane in the scene). The sdf primitives are uploaded in an upredictable way. They need to appear having a gizmo on them so that the user can position them precisely.

As to the Magica CSG… what does the 2 euro subscription offer? It is not clearly put forth in its site.

[Metin_Seven]

@JohnKaz

Appreciate the plug as always Metin

@JohnKaz

Though it’s worth pointing out that ꕯჄ⚉Ⴤꕯ’s ErnstRenderer is not planned to be public. I’ve talked to them recently to confirm this

It’s (sadly) just a tool for them personally, to create some very unique artworks. I would have loved to support the Ernst renderer with ConjureSDF somehow, but alas.

That’s a pity. Thanks for letting me know. I’ll remove ErnstRenderer from the list.

[Metin_Seven]

@Fatesailor

Clavicula needs a good step by step tutorial video. There has been so much work by its author but without gaining a lot of users. And this owes to the fact that there is still a lack of a good tutorial series demonstrating how to use it.

Its navigation too is very confusing. It has not a clearly working turntable navigation (with a grid plane in the scene). The sdf primitives are uploaded in an upredictable way. They need to appear having a gizmo on them so that the user can position them precisely.

I agree. Clavicula has some great tools and features, but the UI and UX are not very accessible yet.

@Fatesailor

As to the Magica CSG… what does the 2 euro subscription offer? It is not clearly put forth in its site.

I guess you’ll only get access to news and tutorials, not the MagicaCSG downloads.

[Fatesailor]

@Metin_Seven

I guess you’ll only get access to news and tutorials, not the MagicaCSG downloads.

Thanks Metin!

[Metin_Seven]

@Metin_Seven

@Fatesailor

Clavicula needs a good step by step tutorial video. There has been so much work by its author but without gaining a lot of users. And this owes to the fact that there is still a lack of a good tutorial series demonstrating how to use it.

Its navigation too is very confusing. It has not a clearly working turntable navigation (with a grid plane in the scene). The sdf primitives are uploaded in an upredictable way. They need to appear having a gizmo on them so that the user can position them precisely.

I agree. Clavicula has some great tools and features, but the UI and UX are not very accessible yet.

Having said this, if I’m not mistaking, Clavicula is currently the only locally installable SDF editor that’s available for macOS. Unbound will also be available for macOS, but that’s more like an SDF-based game editor, with only partial dedication to SDF modeling.

[Fatesailor]

Recently when I mentioned -in its Youtube channel- the needs that Clavicual has, its author appeared a little bit annoyed (maybe I am misaken but this was my impression at least). He said that it is a ‘personal project’. So I did prefer not to continue the dialogue.

It is evident that he is a talented programmer but ok, he has his personal choices. Let see what can be done with the other existing around sdf options. Magica CSG is a great app but I do not like the subscription way through which is offered. I would buy it in an affordable price but the subscription way is annoying to me.

Btw, there is a related Blender addon too which is still in its experimental phases (Conjure SDF). It looks very promising. So let see!

[Metin_Seven]

Meet Mister Bright!

Modeled and rendered in MagicaCSG, with some post processing in PhotoScape X (Pro).

[Son]

Any insight into this twit? I am not on his patreon so not sure what’s going on with development.

https://twitter.com/ephtracy/status/1698070950619545935

[Metin_Seven]

I’m still a Patreon supporter, but there has been no update since a few weeks ago, when the helix primitive was added. As far as I understand, the tweet is about the first prototype of MagicaCSG, not about a recent update.

However, if it is referring to a recent update, and if “the first prototype” means the first release candidate, then maybe the voxel approach might be new and hopefully paves the way to SDF-based sculpting and deformation modifiers.

[Ratchet]

I think the goal is to convert MagicaVoxel creations to MagicaCSG automatically.

This could allow users to create stuff the easy MagicaVoxel way using cubes then have that automatically converted to smooth MagicaVoxels volumes.

While this will need sort of groups and blending option between those to not deform MagicaVoxels on areas that should stay cubic for example.

[Metin_Seven]

@Ratchet

This could allow users to create stuff the easy MagicaVoxel way using cubes then have that automatically converted to smooth MagicaVoxels volumes.

That’d be great. I’ve still got doubts about “the first prototype” in that tweet though.

I’ll just ask Ephtracy.

[Metin_Seven]

I’ve asked Ephtracy on Twitter / X and Mastodon, but no response yet. He’s probably hard at work finishing the next version.

[Metin_Seven]

Ephtracy responded.

The tweet was referring to the first MagicaCSG version (when it was still called SDF Edit), but it may be used in some future work.

[Ambre_Jaffrain]

MagicaCSG is an incredible tool! but it would miss a true tutorial to know all the functions. I seek two things:

• how to deactivate the fact that you can click on the sub strokes without wanting to. when i click in the empty space sometimes i select my sub strokes. apparently it’s possible because on the example of the car when you click on the empty space nothing is selected.

• how do you duplicate an object, modify one without modifying the other?

thank you,
last question is there a community place for magicacsg (discord, reddit, here )

i hope my message is understandable english is not my language i m french