New User/Basic Questions

richardandtracy

I have bought Carrera 8.5 Pro very recently, even though I've had my eye on Carrara since 2006 (maybe). I simply can't get on with Blender and its deeply unhelpful video only tutorials. For some reason Hexagon & I don't seem to work the same way, the workflow just seems wrong to me. Carrara, with its detailed V7 user manual, is much more my thing and feels right somehow.

However, there are some things that as a new user, I don't seem to be able to find, so I'd appreciate it if you could bear with my potentially stupid questions & guide me through the learning process. I will keep all my questions in this thread so the forum won't be pebbledashed with 'doh' moments.

I do have modelling experience - I started Finite Element Stress Analysis (FEA) modelling on a PC in 1988, continuing with that up until 2006. In 2004 I got seriously upset with the modeller I was using for the NISA FEA package and threw my toys out of the pram. The modeller hadn't improved since 1990, and I rashly declared that I could do better myself. And did. I wrote a 3d surface modeller in C++ with modelling functionality better than the NISA one in under 6 months. This modeller was effectively my main source of income for the next 2 years, as I was able to charge a higher hourly rate than others, but still make stress jobs cheaper for my customers. Then in 2006 I moved to SolidWorks CAD and FEA, but still tinkered with my modeller sporadically adding little functions. In 2019 I returned to DS, and tweaked my modeller further to work with obj files and have used that as a translator & link between SolidWorks & DS, using it for basic tex mapping, de-triangulation, surface group allocation as well as facet group allocation for easier rigging in DS. I have released a number of DS freebies since 2019 (232), including models of things (55), and would like to reduce the complexity of my modelling workflow which can be summarised as this:

1. Model in SolidWorks
2. Export as STL
3. Use my own STL to OBJ translator to convert the STL to OBJ
4. In my modeller: de-triangulate
5. Remove distorted facets or those left as pointy triangles after de-triangulation
6. Tex map
7. Group surfaces for materials
8. Group Facets for rigging
9. Export as obj
10. Load into DS
11. Apply shaders
12. Rig
13. Save as a DS Asset.

This process is long & tedious, and I hope to do functions 1-8 in Carrara. My own modeller is aimed at engineering, everything is very precise and translations can be specified to 12 digits of accuracy. I simply cannot drag a vertex or facet until it's about right, and modifying the program to do it would be a monumental task, hence the desire to use Carrara.

Please forgive me if I occasionally use FEA terminology. If I occasionally say 'Element' I mean 'Facet' and if I say 'Node' I actually mean 'Vertex'. I've been involved with FEA stuff much longer than arty modelling and the terminology is more deeply engrained. So, I have summarised my experience, but I'm a total newbie with Carrara.

 

First question of (probably) lots:

I have made a TriAx version of Victoria 3 with autofit clones for V4, M4, G3F, G3M, G8F and G8M all created by poses. These autofit clones are just-about there, but could be better, and I'd like to make them better. In Carrara I have tried loading a V3 clone obj shaped rather like G8F, and an obj of the G8F base character. I'd like to use the vertex modeller to move the facets of the V3clone to more closely match the G8F obj file, and I understand how they can be moved in the Vertex Modeller. Trouble is.. the G8F obj file becomes invisible once I enter the vertex modeller.

Q: Is there any way of keeping the G8F obj visible somehow?

If not, it'll just make a laborious process even more laborious.

Regards

Richard

WendyLuvsCatz

typing fast before I get signed out

you can work in the assembly room using the vertex modeller with the spanner on the top left

richardandtracy

Thanks Wendy, I'll try it. Had only previously double clicked on the vertex object which seems to take you into the vertex modeller & hides everything else. I also did it with a posed & dressed DS character, and their clothing was hidden with the character being taken back to the zero pose. That  both surprised & delighted me, as it makes editing the base character so easy.

Regards,

Richard

richardandtracy

Works well. I didn't get the result I was hoping for due to ham-fistedness, but I'm getting progress. Which is such a nice change after the hours I spent with blender failing to finish a single command.

Regards,

Richard

WendyLuvsCatz

oooh glad, check out DArtanbeck's sticky of Carrara links and tutorials too

lots on modelling

Bunyip02

WendyLuvsCatz said:

oooh glad, check out DArtanbeck's sticky of Carrara links and tutorials too

lots on modelling

+1

ShawnDriscoll

richardandtracy said:

1. Model in SolidWorks
2. Export as STL
3. Use my own STL to OBJ translator to convert the STL to OBJ
4. In my modeller: de-triangulate
5. Remove distorted facets or those left as pointy triangles after de-triangulation
6. Tex map
7. Group surfaces for materials
8. Group Facets for rigging
9. Export as obj
10. Load into DS
11. Apply shaders
12. Rig
13. Save as a DS Asset.

This process is long & tedious, and I hope to do functions 1-8 in Carrara.

Similar to my workflow. Lots of steps from app to app. I use the best tools from each app along the way.

BrianP21361

I've exported models from SolidWorks before. I think I used IGES and they imported directly into Carrara without modifying them. 

richardandtracy

Interesting. Not used Iges for decades.. Will try that.

While I'm at it, I'll try Step too. Will find out if it works.

Regards,

Richard

BrianP21361

Good luck.

Bunyip02

When you click on File - Import you will see a list of file types that are supported.

Click on the arrow at the end of Files of type to see the full list