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Surforge 1.4.5 - 3D rendered PBR texturing in Unity

Discussion in 'Assets and Asset Store' started by Sergeyv_3d, Jan 27, 2017.

  1. zebixgameworx

    zebixgameworx

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    I am planning to buy Sourceforge in a month or so (I can't stand waiting for paychecks). Are substances still supported, now that Unity can no longer import Substance files? No matter what, my plans are the same.

    Thanks,
    - Zack Frost
     
  2. Sergeyv_3d

    Sergeyv_3d

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    Yes, you could still use your substance maps with Surforge materials if you want.
    I just replaced several textures of .sbsar format with raster images. So Substance plugin is not required to run Surforge.
     
  3. zebixgameworx

    zebixgameworx

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    Thanks for the quick reply! That sounds perfect for me!
     
  4. Sergeyv_3d

    Sergeyv_3d

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    Great news! Surforge is 30% OFF during May Madness Sale!
    This is an excellent opportunity to start using this wonderful asset.
     
    Last edited: May 1, 2018
    red2blue likes this.
  5. eagleeyez

    eagleeyez

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    Roger that, I will take the oppertunity and buy. What I read above, does that mean I can use all my substances from my complete substance database? When I mean database, I mean the entire database of substances which I bought in a special for 700$ many years ago with substance designer and painter.

    Does this work well with Umodeler? I have not bought that yet, but it does look good. If only spoken tutorial were to be available, then I might just have bought Umodeler already. So keep up your tutorials, as that is the biggest selling point of any asset.
     
  6. Sergeyv_3d

    Sergeyv_3d

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    You could use your Substance materials maps with Surforge, not entire substance materials.
    When you expand the content of your substance asset in Unity Project tab, you could see the maps, generated when substance imported in Unity.
    You could drag-and-drop that maps to the corresponding Surforge materials map slots, to recreate the material similar to your Substance. The controls of your substance interface will work as intended.
    Please note, most likely you will not get exactly the same material, depends on maps used in the substance.
    Yes, you could use UModeler with Surforge. I contacted UModeler developer, and we did a lot at this direction. You could preview Surforge composer material over UModeler object, you could see Surforge material on UModeler UV editor background.
    You could also drag-and-drop your UModeler object to Surforge texture preview. The only little issue now, you have to re-drag-and-drop your model to Surforge model field to update mesh changes. This will be improved in future versions.
     
  7. Sergeyv_3d

    Sergeyv_3d

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    I want to show you one video i stumbled across youtube.
    Some will say: i know this already, and there are similar recommendations in Surforge "Useful tips" section of the docs. But i really like how well this information presented.
    Please check this. The very essence of art, applied to Surforge also:
     
    Last edited: May 3, 2018
    Korindian and neoshaman like this.
  8. eagleeyez

    eagleeyez

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    My review.

    Why the hell did I not find this sooner?

    Ok, not much here to say other than if you make any of your models, whether it be ProBuilder, uModeler, Blender or whatever. Then you will love and I mean love this product and its possibilities.

    A very big thumbs up from me, with a 100% recommendation from me. Very simple to use and there are some good tutorials on the tube. The more tutorials that appear over time the more this product will get noticed and appreciated.

    Keep up the amazing work on this product. And yes I do have Alegorithmics painter 2 but if this product keeps going as it has been going, then maybe I can do everything in Unity. I have also purchased uModeler in the sale today and look forward to that getting better and with more narrated tutorials.

    Well Done!

    I am now a big fan of SurForge
     
  9. Sergeyv_3d

    Sergeyv_3d

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    Thank you very much for your purchase and positive review.
    I am very happy you like Surforge :)
     
  10. AthrunVLokiz

    AthrunVLokiz

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    I've been a fan of Surforge for a long time. Now, I found it's a discounted price. So I have questions before buy.

    -Can I add any material to the tool? And what are the limitations?
    -Can I create a line or angle pattern as like your island pattern?(such as border scratch, angle emission light)
    -Can I bake splat map(mask) for adjust color on some surface.(such as for change team colors)

    Or some plan in future?

    Thank you very much
     
  11. Sergeyv_3d

    Sergeyv_3d

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    Yes. You could easily add your own materials to Surforge, by define them by Albedo, Specular (optional glossiness on alpha), Normal, Ambient Occlusion and Emission maps.
    You could drag-and-drop Unity Standard (specular setup) materials to Surforge texture preview to import it as Surforge materials.
    Custom materials could be saved in your project and appear in Surforge material list for future use.
    You can't paint directly with single texture channels yet, like faded light.
    Border scratch feature is built-in in Surforge materials, and could be controlled in realtime. It is based on the edges of Surforge texture details.
    You could select any texture feature object or decal and make it emissive. There is also custom emission map slot in Surforge materials.
    Yes, you could export Surforge material ID masks as a set of separate black and white antialiased image files.
    Enable the option "export masks: separate" at Surforge Render tab. This could be used as team color masks in your shaders.
     
    AthrunVLokiz likes this.
  12. AthrunVLokiz

    AthrunVLokiz

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    Thank you so much for your answer.

    Sorry about my question and my English :'(
    -"Can I create a line or angle pattern as like your island pattern?(such as border scratch, angle emission light)" I mean "Can I customize border style and how to do it? (such as increase frequency of segments)

    upload_2018-5-9_15-4-32.png
     
  13. Sergeyv_3d

    Sergeyv_3d

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    Yes. While creating this type of assets need some practice, it is for sure possible.
    Poly Lasso profiles are created procedurally, no predefined meshes are used for this type of asset.
    You could create your own assets with adding "PolyLassoProfile.cs" component, or by copy existing one, and tweak the controls to get variety of custom profile styles.
    Please note there is no special gui for editing this assets, just Unity Inspector tab with a lot of controls, such as float arrays of offsets and so on. The fields are well named and described in the script.
     
    chelnok and AthrunVLokiz like this.
  14. AthrunVLokiz

    AthrunVLokiz

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    That's what I'm looking for. you're the best. I will come back with my review.
     
  15. therewillbebrad

    therewillbebrad

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    Got any sweet rock decals that I could use? Trying to build some mexican adobe looking buildings.
     
  16. Sergeyv_3d

    Sergeyv_3d

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    One of the solutions could be to sculpt several bricks from a rectangle primitive in Blender, like in this video at 2:36 https://tinyurl.com/y7crv7wv
    Don't go for extreme high polycount for Unity to be able to handle it.

    Then simply drag-and-drop the brick models to the Surforge scene, assign material IDs with 1-8 hotkeys, duplicate with ctrl+d, and use Unity native transform tools to move/rotate/scale the bricks.
     
    Last edited: Jun 9, 2018
  17. therewillbebrad

    therewillbebrad

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    When you say drag to the surforge scene which part are you talking about? Sorry I can't seem to wrap my head around custom decals.
     
  18. Sergeyv_3d

    Sergeyv_3d

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    You could drag any model to the Scene View, as you normally do in Unity, and use it as Surforge texture detail.
    This is useful for quick adding custom details, without bothering with creating prefabs.
     
    wolfen231 and Akshara like this.
  19. RendCycle

    RendCycle

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    I'm new to texturing so please pardon me for asking this newbie question: Will this work with blocky models made in MagicaVoxel (.vox file)? I use Voxel Importer to directly import .vox files in Unity and it adds any Transparent Shaders automatically. Then I modify and correct the other Emission Shaders settings in Unity because they don't carry over. Planning to then add more details to the models using SurForge if it is possible. Can this use both non-skinned an skinned meshes or rather can it also improve textures of organic living objects like plants, animals, etc.?
     
    Last edited: Jun 19, 2018
  20. Sergeyv_3d

    Sergeyv_3d

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    When you create textures more complex than solid colors, the mesh needs proper UV layout. This is required for any texturing tool, not only Surforge. MagicaVoxel imported model, with UV packing where every cube face has its separate UV island, is not enough for detailed textures.
    It is not good idea to use Surforge with MagicaVoxel models, unless you manually create UV layout for it (in Blender for example).

    Surforge is not suited for organic living objects like plants, animals and human faces. Texturing such objects usually involve hand painting and sculpting. Surforge designed for texturing human-made objects.

    Surforge could be used with skinned meshes. You could preview your t-pose model in Surforge texture preview window, and texture it as usual.
     
  21. RendCycle

    RendCycle

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    Thanks for the answers, I appreciate it! In the future, when I have a project with more detailed models, I will come back to Surforge. :)
     
  22. steven12

    steven12

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    Why is Surforge not updated now?
     
  23. Sergeyv_3d

    Sergeyv_3d

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    I'm working on Surforge update right now. It will be ready in the near future.
     
    M-P-F likes this.
  24. Sergeyv_3d

    Sergeyv_3d

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    Guys i am very frustrated.
    Just yesterday released my hotfix with 2018.1.6 and 2018.1.7 and it was pirated.
    2018-07-06_12-01-03.png
    Edit: The situation is under control now.
     
    Last edited: Jul 15, 2018
    PolyMad likes this.
  25. AndreasO

    AndreasO

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    That is very sad to hear. I bought your asset.
     
  26. hopeful

    hopeful

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    Piracy can't be helped, but those people aren't your customers anyway.

    This is a good time to take off for a week. Enjoy your holiday! :)
     
    RendCycle likes this.
  27. Sergeyv_3d

    Sergeyv_3d

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    Thank you for kind words.
     
    Last edited: Jul 11, 2018
  28. therewillbebrad

    therewillbebrad

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    Maybe do something similair to what opsive does by locking off some of the content through their website? Most paying devs don't mind and understand the need to protect your product. Please don't get discouraged as there's nothing like what you're offering on the app store and as a solo dev your product allows me to do things that weren't possible without surforge.
     
    RendCycle likes this.
  29. cygnusprojects

    cygnusprojects

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    Hi @Sergeyv_3d, don't let piracy turn you down! As a fellow publisher myself I know this happens, but I only give support to those that can prove they bought the asset. No prove of purchase, no help.
    As with the Unity updates, it's keep frustrating everyone, I feel your pain, clearly Unity has do to better on communicating their release plans. Now they drop when they drop, forcing the publisher to interupt their current business to fix their existing assets so they are compatible again. Take some time off as suggested, enjoy life to the fullest and come back to us with fresh courage.
     
    M-P-F, red2blue, RendCycle and 2 others like this.
  30. M-P-F

    M-P-F

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    Sad to hear this. Surforge is one of my favorite assets. Actually scratch that, it's my favorite asset, period.

    Pirates suck, but thieves are everywhere - a fact all content creators deal with from time to time (unfortunately). As others have said, they were probably never going to buy your stuff anyway (damn leeches).

    I'll reference this case the next time some smug type tries to convince me it's a victimless crime, though. For all the good it'll do.

    Hope you find the energy to get back into this, can't really support much more since I already bought it for my private account (this one) and for the company, too.
     
    red2blue likes this.
  31. Sergeyv_3d

    Sergeyv_3d

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    Thanks to everyone for the words of support.

    Surforge users do not worry. We will continue to support it.
    Maintain a simple and efficient pipeline - which is not obtained by other tools, that's our goal.

    Now we are working on the asset that could bring you experience of Surforge effectivenes not only texturing but also modeling.
    Stay tuned!
     
    Last edited: Jul 15, 2018
  32. steven12

    steven12

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    I bought your assets, don't let piracy disappoint you, support you!
     
    hopeful likes this.
  33. Sergeyv_3d

    Sergeyv_3d

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    Thank you! :)
     
  34. twitchfactor

    twitchfactor

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    SMBFPS_Twitchfactor_01.jpg If it makes you feel any better, I bought your asset and LOVE it (once I got the hang of it :)).

    Here's a pic of what I've done with it, so far... believe me, paying customers appreciate your work.
     
    tosvus, TS42, chelnok and 4 others like this.
  35. MostHated

    MostHated

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    I will say this in regards to piracy. If someone is going to pirate it, either A. they probably never had any intention of buying it in the first place or B. they want to honestly try it out before they buy it, which is not unheard of. When I first started to use Unity, I had a friend who had some assets and he sent me a few, as I had never tried out any 3rd party things before. I was instantly hooked, anything I tried and liked, I bought right away. So I would honestly not worry about it, because if they had no intention of actually buying it, you didn't actually lose any money.

    If you can't help but worry, you might want to switch to a more secure support model. Having a private/secured channel in Discord that only verified users have access to. Start out with no one verified (unless you know for sure they own it), then have people send you their invoice numbers, you verify them, and then add them to the verified user list, which then gives them access to the support channel and state here on the forum, on your assets page, etc, support is only provided via discord, email, or if you have your own private forum that you can control how you want to set them as verified. (you must include your invoice number when requesting email support). That will at least discourage those who have pirated it from getting assistance with something they didn't pay for.

    Honestly though, for all we know it could even be a dishonest person who actually works at Unity, who just has access to all the assets as soon as they come in. There would not be much that could be done about that either. Hopefully, that is not the case.

    That being said, I have owned this asset for several months and only really played around with it for an hour or two, but hopefully, I get to a point in my game soon in which I can actually take advantage of all it has to offer. : D
     
    Last edited: Jul 21, 2018
    chelnok and red2blue like this.
  36. FreakForFreedom

    FreakForFreedom

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    Yeah, don't let yourself get disappointed by piracy... in some strange way one might think it could even be a compliment that you made something so amazing that some dude would spend his time trying to pirate it. :)
    'Been using Surforge for quite some time now and it has become my top three unity assets alongside Amplify Shader and ProBuilder - it's simply awesome!
     
    red2blue likes this.
  37. ShockWave2048

    ShockWave2048

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    Very sad news! This is the best tool for me!
     
  38. Sergeyv_3d

    Sergeyv_3d

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    This is a sneak peek of a new modeler asset i am working on.
    The goal is to make it possible to edit the UVs, with the details of Surforge being attached at the same time.
    2018-08-11_03-37-53.png
     
    Last edited: Aug 12, 2018
  39. Aaron2348

    Aaron2348

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    Hi, First off Im sorry to hear someone would pirate your asset, some people have no life nothing else to do but be jerks, really it's sad.

    Im wondering about the detail objects, does SF support height map data too be able to raise or inset the detail? If not can this be added

    Also is there any masking features currently or to come in future release
     
  40. AndreasO

    AndreasO

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    Looks interesting. But does this mean Surforge will be obsolete in the future? Some posts earlier you were frustrated because of piracy. Now you seem to develop another new asset that will without any doubt be pirated as well.

    I really don't want to want to come across rude here with my question but is this what you showed in this post going to be a paid update that otherwise would have been included in Surforge?
     
  41. Sergeyv_3d

    Sergeyv_3d

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    Surforge is able to export heightmap and material ID masks.
    The detail objects could have optional normal map and ambient occlusion map. "Random rocks" kitbash item has such textures included.
    Let me explain what I'm working on right now.
    Imagine the ability to add changes to the model, while keeping your texture work untouched. A completely mind-blowing new concept of creating content.
    Creation of variants of models with ease, for example "upgrades" of buildings, such in-demand feature in the industry.

    Surforge is close to this, because based on generating, not drawing.
    Theoretically, nothing prevents it from moving UV island, preserving the Poly Lasso objects on it, and details with relative offset.
    We add some more to the model, set the UV edges, run unwrap for new polygons, and repack the islands, saving the details.

    Let's talk about the things required for this.
    We need data structure, fast, supporting n-gons, UV seams, hard/soft edges information. Done.
    3d editor, which is also need to be good. This is huge thing, i am currently working on and have very good progress.
    UV packer. Done.
    LSCM unwrapper. Tricky stuff, but also found some possible solutions.

    As you see, this is too huge to be added directly to Surforge, and obviously that should be rewarded.
    A good moment here is that lot of code going to be used in both Surforge and new modeler asset.

    I hope I could convince you that nothing is planned to be abandoned, and piracy will not stop me.
    On the contrary, I am very ambitious and work is in full swing.
    A lot of work, in the field in which I am well versed.
     
    Last edited: Aug 18, 2018
  42. chelnok

    chelnok

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    Of course you should do what feels right and what you want to do, but are you sure you want to do 3d editor (edit: as an unitystore asset) ? I mean it's pretty huge project, and there is already free probuilder that is included to unity editor, and couple popular paid assets ..and quite a few not so popular ones.

    Now that probuilder is part of unity editor, what about focusing to surforge and integrating it deeply to probuilder? I think surforge is unique, and if it would work seamlessly with probuilder, your asset could be next one to be included to editor.
     
    Last edited: Aug 18, 2018
    Razmot likes this.
  43. Razmot

    Razmot

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    Maybe you could do the modeler as a plugin on top of probuilder, since probuilder is part of unity and free ?
     
    Aaron2348 likes this.
  44. florianalexandru05

    florianalexandru05

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    Very impressive!!
     
  45. Aaron2348

    Aaron2348

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    I personally think this would be the best approach.
     
  46. AndreasO

    AndreasO

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    Thank you for your thorough answer. I'm glad Surforge won't be abandoned in the future. Looking forward to your new tool.
     
  47. florianalexandru05

    florianalexandru05

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    RHE_SC-91b.jpg RHE_SC-92.png Book of the Dead has really good lighting. Kudos Unity Team! My models actually look proper in the Book environment. I have a lot to learn... Now I want to use this lighting :rolleyes:
     
  48. tosvus

    tosvus

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    Sorry to hear about your piracy troubles but happy to hear you are going full force forward! The 3d tool sounds exciting! I have been trying to get Umodeler to work with Surforge and can't make heads and tails of it, so if you can make something VERY tightly integrated with Surforge, I'm all for that. It would be nice to have some different size building blocks to just drop in place to create a level as well. I.e. an more generic version of the excellent Rome Fantasy Pack II. I think that could be a real differentiator!
     
    Last edited: Aug 30, 2018
  49. twitchfactor

    twitchfactor

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    Or... he could do whatever he wants and possibly provide an alternative, for people who aren't enamored with ProBuilder (I know... heresy! But it's true... not everyone loves the interface and the way ProBuilding treats meshes, sorry.)
     
  50. PolyMad

    PolyMad

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    Just bought this great texturing solution, but I run into a problem: I use multimaterial meshes, and it only reads the first indexed material, the rest remains hidden.
    Do I really not need multimaterial meshes? Because I have in example a wheel mesh, where I need a plastic/paint and metal material together.

    Edit: I find the snap settings a bit too invasive, is it possible to reduce its distance?
    Snaps are good to use, but they are really set to a too large distance.

    Another problem: it seems that the UV reader "forgets" some polygons. Maybe due to the multimaterial thing? I will try to save the mesh with a single material.

    Another little problem: canceled rendering of a 4096p texture but something went wrong. It's now baking the AO and seems stuck there.

    Is it possible to edit a polylasso shape once it's done? I can't find any option about this.

    Edit: saving with single material on the mesh didn't work, I'm actually losing some UV faces, very strange. I am on 3DS MAX. The mesh is now rendered whole in the viewport, and the faces are there and mapped: if I add detail to the zone, it gets mapped.
    It just doesn't show up the faces in the UV projection from Surforge.
     
    Last edited: Sep 20, 2018