MOLDY 2 - for ZB2 (modeling utility - several fixes added)

[Svengali]

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/uploaded_from_zbc/200405/user_image-1084736378cls.jpg


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MoldyTool2.zip (http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/uploaded_from_zbc/200407/user_file-1086048030coc.zip)
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Here is Moldy2, the modeling tool updated. I think I've edited all the necessary script commands so it should work under ZB2.

In the process I have added several buttons and tossed several others. The SNAP-Quicksave buttons are in there, plus two buttons that initiate renders - In Preview and Best mode (I got tired of opening the Render Palette each time to re-render.)

To anyone who might try out MOLDY2 for the first time, be sure to read help and hints under the "What's Moldy2?" button.

One interesting addition is I'm using the XYZ (constrants for modeling) to limit the Smooth, Inflate and Deflate Button operations as well: Example - if you select Z, smoothing, inflating and deflating will only happen along the Z axis of the model.

Any questions, comments, feedback or bug discoveries welcome, thanks!

Sven

[update - 5/16 8:30pm EDT - fixed minor bug in posted zip file... :( ]

[update - 5/31 8:00pm EDT - fixed g1-g4 save model views... when a new view is saved, the data is now stored immediately. In addition, several other obscure exceptions have also been fixed.]

Once again, please notify me of any problems via this thread. Thanks!

[comette]

how the software is installed? :confused:

[Svengali]

Comette:

Just like any other ZScript, you first unzip the files and put them into a subdirectory named Moldytool2 under the ZScripts subdirectory.

Then use the ZScripts palette menu to load MoldyTool2.ZSC. The interface loads into the ZScript area below the bottom of the canvas where you can use it.

Many users will want to insert MoldyTool2.ZSC into Pixolator's ZLauncher software (a special ZScript used to conveniently call up other ZScripts).

Sven

[Dan R]

Thanks Svengali for all ur work on this ... very usefull Zscript ... much appreciated.

:tu:

[Jaycephus]

Does ZLauncher work in 2.0? It's funny that I haven't even tried it. Been too busy ZBrushing.

[Svengali]

Hi Jay,

ZLauncher works... with minor glitches. I guess it obviously needs some Pixolator tweaking, which may or may not happen since there are new alternatives like the Zplugin palette for launching scripts.

A few weeks ago in another post, over in the Q&T forum, I outlined a way to point ZLauncher to load all the old scripts in the 1.55b directory (for now, that's what I use.)

Until we get the dope on Z2 plugins and .DLLs, I guess we just gotta make do.

Sven

[cameyo]

Good work Sven :tu: :tu: :tu:
We are waiting for more Z2 script info... ;) ;)
cameyo

[comette]

thank's Svengali for explications,its cool Zscript.

a+

[souleat]

thank you for your script!!!

[wchamlet]

Excellent! Thanks for sharing this Sven, and I'll be sure to use this as soon as possible. I haven't even had a chance to check out Snap yet.

Keep up the good work, and rest assured that I do appreciate it!

Thanks,

Chad

[Frenchy Pilou]

Moldy "the return" :cool:
Pilou

[Sleeperservice]

Thanks for that! Moldy 1 was my most used script!

[Svengali]

Thanks to everyone for your encouraging replies. If you find any problems, please post to this thread to let me know.

Sven

[wchamlet]

Hey Sven,

I tried out your Moldy tool today, and I must say it is a pleasure to use for modeling. I haven't had any bugs/errors show up yet, so thats great!

One thing that I found during the final modeling stage of what I was working on, is Moldy vanishes whenever you use Projection Master. I don't know how easy/hard it would be to implement it(Projection Master) into Moldy, but that to me would be perfect!

Keep up the good work, and thanks for sharing your script!

Chad

[Bonecradle]

Thanks for updating it Sven. I've been too busy to even look at ZB for a few weeks now, but I'll give it a run next time I'm modelling :tu:

[Svengali]

Hey Chad,

I appreciate the feedback and glad you haven't found any problems yet... as for the Moldy2 interface disappearing when you start PMaster, here's what I think is going on. The area below the canvas is a shared space that all ZScripts use. Anytime you invoke another script, the one you are currently running relinquishes that space. Reloading the previous script is as simple as pressing the left or right arrow once or twice. Experiment. In my experience, once a ZScript has been called, you can recall it with the arrows... and have atleast four Zscripts sharing the reload buffer. I'm always jumping between ZList for materials, Projection Master and Moldy... back and forth... as needed.

Let me know if the arrow thing works for you.

A few other new things in Moldy2: flashmask button blinks the existing mask several times so you can see what part is or isn't covered.

Another thing is the stored views are retained between Moldy2 sessions. (just like the model and image root names for the autosave options).

In other words, you can store up to four useful views, leave Moldy to use Projection Master, do some other modeling, and re-enter Moldy2 and retrieve the views you stored.

By the way, MultiMarkered object groups work with the stored views and the axis orientation keys [top, front, left, right, down and back] making Multimarker manipulation much easier (IMHO). Note too there is a set of MultiMarker buttons that help MM group rearrangement. ;)

Most of this is mentioned in the help screens under "What's Moldy2".

Sven

PS - Bonecradle: Great, hope you get to take Moldy2 for a spin soon. I tweaked the XYZ constraint buttons to work a little more logically. As soon as you select an individual or combo axis (X, Y or Z), the 3-way button (marked with a ~) gets automatically deactivated, and if you reselect the 3-way button, all the other buttons are automatically deactivated. Before, it just gave you a warning if you were trying to deactivate all axes at the same time... a hinky situation where nothing can move! :(

[wchamlet]

Thanks for the info Sven! I didn't know about the zscript buffer, and I'm sure that will fix the "vanishing moldy".

And if you can have four zscripts pretty much running in the background, there are some other scripts that I will be using too.

Also, I plan on testing the multi-markers soon, because I haven't really used them in Z2 yet. I will need to though, so I will update you on how I like your settings.

Thanks once again for sharing your script, and the info!

Chad

[Rafael Hernandez]

Thanks for this tool Sven. This is gonna come in handy.

[TVeyes]

Cool script update Sven. Thanks for the work you put into this.

[Game Master 770]

I'm trying out Moldy2 now, and so far it's cool.

I see the limitation mentioned about Projection Master, and I have a simple workaround. In the zscript pallete there is a button "Previous" which load the previous zscript, in this case it would be Moldy2. You can "CTRL+Drag" this "previous" button to your shelf for quick access to get your moldy2 script back after makeing some changes with PM.

[Svengali]

I've just posted a fix/update for Moldy2. As explained at the head of this thread, a saved view is now immediately stored to file. Previously, the data for a view was written only when left arrow or right arrow was pressed to load some previous script... meaning that sometimes a saved view was not available when Moldy2 was reloaded. :o

Of course, a side-effect of persistant view data is that all four buttons will continually have something stored in each. A new model view can be saved over an existing one simply by pressing one of the four save buttons and confirming the overwrite.

Sven

[Svengali]

Flood control resulted in a double post, sorry... :td:

[Ludenhud]

Isnt there a way to set up an image reference in moldy2?

If there is, tell me how? and if not cant you fix that? :D

[Svengali]

Ludenhud,

Reference Images are best handled outside MOLDY2. Have a look here (http://209.132.68.66/zbc/showthread.php?t=136&highlight=reference+imagep://) (a straight forward procedure from Aurick) and here (http://209.132.68.66/zbc/search.php?searchid=6491&pp=25&page=1) (results of a search on REFERENCE IMAGE).

Sven

[Ludenhud]

Thx, i used the search tool but didnt find youre hit, this would make it thx.

[bicc39]

Thank you very much for the time, effort and unfailing generosity.
Much appreciated.

[bisenberger]

Very cool script! Thanks Svengali

Bill

[ryankingslien]

Svengali- Thank you very much for such a useful tool. While I experimented with Moldy 1 I should tell you that Moldy 2 was used in a training session at an awesome undisclosed major studio as a substitute for regular image plane modeling methods and was a great success.

One thing that bothers me is the remapping of my hotkeys. I lose shift and i lose the delete button. Is there a way around this or am I going mad?

Best,
Ryan

[Svengali]

Hey Ryan,

Thank you for the Moldy2-report. Most of the time ZScripters have no idea who is or isn't using any of the scripts that are posted here. It's nice to get feedback.

Your question about the Shift and the Del key sent me back to my original ZScript. It turns out that loss of the Del key is a side-effect of my adding hotkeys to scale the BrushSize. the < and > keys let you scale the brush size up and down by five units. However, since those keys must be shifted, I just asigned the comma and the dot (period) as hotkeys to scale brush size. Unfortunately, the Del key is also the dot (period) key on the numeric keypad.

As for the Shift key being disabled, I could not reproduce that in my version of Moldy2. The Shift key works fine for me as a shortcut to Smoothing. Not sure why you would have a problem.

Again, thanks for using Moldy2, Sven

P.S. If you want, send me a private message at ZBCentral with an email address where I can send you a version of Moldy2 with a Del key that still works. ;)

[deity]

well I dont like this at all :lol: ever sense I have installed it, it messed up my zbrush. everytime I use the move tool to get the form I want it stops after dragging off of the model. before it would go nice and smooth and i could get the forms really quick. is there a way I can fix this? I have hit init zbrush and it didnt fix the problem.

[Svengali]

Hi Di,

Sorry to hear Moldy is giving you problems.

I can't quite tell from your description what the problem is or how you got there. Perhaps the best thing for you to do is to save the 3dTool you are working on and exit Zbrush2. Then restart ZBrush2 and reload your 3dTool.

That should restore you to what you are familiar with in ZBrush2. At that point try experimenting more with Moldy (constructing a test model, one you don't care about) and try to understand what each Moldy button does.

If the same problem returns, go immediately to the ZScript menu and press End Rec and save the script under some name like MoldyTest.txt. This will create a script in the ZScripts subdirectory that you can then up load to this thread so I can watch it to see what you are doing. Maybe then I'll be able to help.

The other option of course is to just not use Moldy.

Sven :)

[asecbrush]

Hey Svengali: I just wanted to thank you for your great work and sharing it with others.

I only started the day before yesterday with ZBrush, and the Moldy2 has already become very valuable to me for the Top, Front, Left, Right, etc. functions.
When drawing ZSpheres it's great to be able to know where I'm starting, e.g. the Front, so that I know 'where' I am.

Do'nt know about the rest yet, but I'm sure it will be great!

Thanks!!! :tu:

[MacGregg]

I have loaded the script dated 5/31/04.

Script is not loading as a plugin? It is not in the plugin menu.

There are several things not working in Moldy2 as I see it. Any axis button ~,X,Y,Z or axis will just increment the BrushDepth and NO indicator light changes state. The 1,2,3,4 and g1,g2,g3,g4 save correctly but again the indicator lights dont change until you close ZB2 and re-launch. The symmetry x,y,z also increment BrushDepth and no lights.

Shouldn't there be an indicator light for Draw+-? Since it is just a toggle.

thats as far as I went there may be more but I am now done looking for problems... it would be great if you could fix these issues or make the script availabe.

Cheers,
Gregg
ggreayer[at]socal.rr.com

[Svengali]

Hi Gregg,

Thanks for the status report on Moldy2...

The Moldy2 script is simply an upgrade to the original Moldy which was written for ZBrush 1.55. It was never meant to be a plug-in. Originally it was written to work as an option in Pixolator's ZLauncher - or to be launched conventionally using the ZScript::Load command.

Which brings me to the anomlies you found with various buttons and the erratic LEDs. I tested my old copy of Moldy2 and discovered that I too now have problems with certain Moldy2 functionality. (I actually haven't used Moldy2 for quite a while but when I put it away, it was totally functional.) When I need some of the functionality, I use an unreleased version that is more well-behaved.

In testing this out I discovered if I press the Init Zbrush button under the Preferences Palette, Moldy2 then functions exactly as advertised. This leads me to conclude that one or more of the autoloading plugins released by myself or by one of the other scriptors has created a script conflict with some of the Moldy2 code. Which other plugin it is I can't say without taking the Zplugs folder apart.

As you say, Moldy2 is getting old. It's way past time for a rewrite. More likely, its time for Moldy3 or better yet a completely new approach to modeling add-on tools (something I've been thinking on for a while - we'll see soon enough.)

For now, if you continue having problems it might be better to just delete Moldy2 altogether.

Sven