Sculptris - A Free ZBrush clone

[betajaen]

I did a search and the only sculptris post is in the Python-Ogre forum.

Basically a very clever chap has made a working free Z-Brush clone within six months.

http://www.sculptris.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DNRg6pdNeE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P3lsj2X ... re=related

It only exports as obj files at the moment, but I'm sure in the future it could have a plugin system to allow one of us to write an Ogre exporter for it.

[jacmoe]

I know about Sculptris. It's incredible!

Less than a week after being announced on BlenderNation, look here:
http://www.blendernation.com/unlimited- ... n-blender/
Unlimited Clay.

And we've got a Blender exporter already - although not one for 2.5 (yet).

[wacom]

Too bad the symmetry mode only works with symmetrical models. But nice nonetheless, especially because I find Z-brush to be really awkward to use.

[mkultra333]

I've just started modelling in blender. I'm definitely going to give this a look. I only hope it has some decent import/export options, at least .obj format.
(Just noticed, opening post mentions .obj)

Edit: Played with it for a few minutes. Very impressive, be great for modelling organic objects.

[MrD]

Saw this myself too a few weeks ago via twitter. Had a go with it and was really impressed, I could actually make something that looked sort of, well, not like a box which is a vast improvement on most of my attempts at modelling.

Unlimited Clay looks interesting too. I'm not really a fan of Blender since I find it really confusing to use, but I might give it a go none the less.

[mkultra333]

Blender is, AFAIK, the best free, open source modeller you'll find. But as you said, the interface is hell, it is the epitome of a non-intuitive, user-unfriendly interface. Not so bad once you know how, but that's hardly an excuse since the same can be said for any home-made-in-hell interface. And it's actually quite difficult creating models, it practically boils down to manually sewing together vertices. I've made myself a CSG modeller that I can use to export .obj models into blender, where I can then do fine tuning, animate, and export to .mesh.

Sculptris adds another handy modelling technique.

[jacmoe]

I actually find the Blender interface far more intuitive than MAX, Maya or XSI ...
Depends on what you're used to, of course.
Blender 2.5 intends to improve the interface.
But I really like the workflow in Blender: extremely efficient.

[mkultra333]

Perhaps it's good once you know your way around, but for the new user it's pretty tricky. There's nothing intuitive about it, everything has to be studied and memorized before you can use it.

[BTolputt]

And we've got a Blender exporter already - although not one for 2.5 (yet).

One thing to look at in the near future then is Erwin's GameKit project that loads resources directly from the .blend file itself. Currently the 64bit version is working and there is current efforts to get the 32bit version working.

I actually find the Blender interface far more intuitive than MAX, Maya or XSI ...

I'd have to agree with mkultra333 above, Blender is less intuitive at startup than Maya & Max (wouldn't know XSI). And, more importantly if you make a living using said tools, MAx & Maya share alot of user interface axioms with other graphics programs where Blender basically starts with it's own ideas in mind (like ZBrush does).

Blender 2.5 is a large step forward in my mind because it offers the ability to customise the shortcut keys and functionality to better match learnt behaviour. I've also heard that Blender is better as you get used to it. I've not found that myself, just that I get better at knowing where things are. One can get used to any interface over time, that doesn't make it a better interface - just more familiar

[xavier]

Blender workflow actually has more in common with Maya than people give it credit for...assuming you are willing to replace "keyboard" with "mouse-click" throughout. Or to put it another way, one of the "selling points" of the Blender interface is that you never have to go to the standard UI menus, since you can do it all with the keyboard. In many cases, the same is said about that Maya RMB context-sensitive menu. That drove me up a wall about Maya until I "got it" -- the same was true about Blender; the "everything happens via the keyboard" just drove me up a different wall.

[jacmoe]

Well, it was only a matter of time before Pixelogic bought it...
Sculptris is now a property of the makers of ZBrush.

[betajaen]

Gah!

Shame it wasn't open source.

[Praetor]

I believe ZBrush is going to release one last version of what was the "alpha" build of sculptris for free. Then hopefully we will see some of the cool ideas integrated into zbrush.

[jacmoe]

Who needs Sculptris now?

Watch this:
http://www.blendernation.com/2011/01/10 ... sculpting/

Isn't it amazing?

[jblovloss]

Its likely the creators of Sculptris wanted to be bought out. If you give something out for free that's a clone and dont open the source, you're kind of asking to get bought. And I'm sure the money they got was substantial. It's annoying, but only a matter of time before an open source solution comes along.

[so0os]

they

It's a one man's work

[jacmoe]

It's annoying, but only a matter of time before an open source solution comes along.

Er..
Did you check my link? ^^
There *is* an open source solution.
Inspired by Sculptris, as a matter of fact.
It's called 'Unlimited Clay'.