Tesla Work Flow

#1

In anticipation of Tesla’s release, I fired up my old copy of EIM. Right away, I spotted several things I hope Tesla has improved upon.

So - any word on the Interface and Workflow? I would love to see a true Perspective window, not the older Isometric view. I would also really love being able to chose having a manipulator. With the ability to switch it off, for those who don’t want the screen clutter. I’m also hoping that the Persistent Selection can be switched on or off as a user preference. My preference would be off, but some do like having it on.

Screen shots? Any word at all?

Thanks.

#2

Brad has promised me an alpha version and as soon as I get it, I promise to start sharing information. Hang in there.

#3

I’m guessing since Alpha is about to kick off it may be a bit late to request a preview pane on how the model’s tessellation will export to Animator.

A few points I would like to know on the review of the Alpha would be on the basic level.
-Speed on a high level subD model. Compared to Modo/Siloh (EIM became a bit slow on high subD models)(it may even be an OpenGL related answer)
-Error message handling (more tolerant?)
-Shortcut Keys modifications
-Window Pane modifications (Old custom shelf was nice)
-If Tesla is a stand-alone for now then implement Animator into it, as a modeler only, what export options are available or what is the cross 3D platform roadmap?
-Will tesla rely on plug-ins? (will this add to the overall cost of modeler?)
-Bells and whistles the EI community has requested (which may appear on release 1)
-Bells and whistles that other apps may not have (suspense?)
-Backwards compatibility FACT files for older EIAS or other legacy animation progs.
-Vector import & Export from illustrator or Nurbs curves.
-Easy topology extrusions from CAD or DXFs, DWGs.
-How will it play with new CS3 from Adobe apps. Can we wrap an illustrator file as a texture?

Other that application requests… How are our developer(s) holding up? Are they getting fed well? :beer: Did they get a chance to watch Iron Man? How are teams collaborating so far for future implementation of modeler into Animator?

#4

(Will they work harder if we send them cookies? :slight_smile: )

About SubD cages manipulation, I’d urge them to take a look at Hexagon: its style of smart vertex-edge-face selection and universal manipulator widget is, imho, far more agile than Modo’s and Silo’s. Also, it has some very nifty edge-along-edge tools.

#5

I totally agree. Hexagons manipulators are the best I have seen in any package.

If Tesla = EIM + Hexagons manipulators, then it would be a great application without anything thing else done to it.

Robert

#6

That probably would have been better advice when the project started as opposed to when it ends. Luckily, I have full confidence in the writers of Tesla to blow us away.
(not that I set the bar too high for them) :bowdown:

Cj

#7

Well, we suggested those some time ago (as threads are not persistent, these ideas tend to get lost here in this forum). Let’s hope the dev guys took a hard look at what’s around SubD-wise :slight_smile:

#8

For Robert (Bradfilms),

I’ve sent you a PM regarding Hex.

Thanks.

#9

I think all the “old” EIM threads are long gone… so I dont know how much was exposed to the new version.

and, I agree… SDS is my #1 modeling technique now.

Cj

#10

Yeah is nice if you want to model anything less acurate than using Nurbs. I still think Nurbs has so much precission if well implemented. i was modelling a truck and it took me a long time i still modelling with started as a cube and it has become a 3 door jepp but i dont get use to this method. With nurbs it will be so much easier. My personal opinion.
So i hope they had work on the NURBS as well.

#11

Well, it is a NURBS-based modeler, what with its ACIS engine and all that (“Tesla, son of EIM, God of NURBS” :D), so no worries there.

#12

Yes Juan, but you have to know the secrets for modeling in EIM the power of NURBS is great lets not forget is very picky in beveling edges. It is frustrated when i got the modeler and start getting errors evrytime, so i just put that modeller aside and than now i feel more mature coming from Maya i think i can handle EIM. I just cant run it in my new machine.
Saludos desde Barcelona.
Edgard

#13

My relationship with EIM is a bit strange: after so much time not digging it at all, suddenly I started to understand it just when it became end-of-line’d. NURBS are not that much fun to me yet (actually, I am pathetically attached to beziers’ ease of use, even if they mean potential trouble for further modeling of an object. I am trying to drop them), plus EIM is a bit intolerant and spartan in places. My hope is Tesla does it better.

My old copy of EIM is rather unstable on my Mac Pro, so I am not doing much with it nowadays.

(I started playing with Hexagon some months ago, and I think I am beginning to get results with SDSs. The thing is, Hexagon, being of Amapi’s lineage, does certain things different than other SDS players (it has NURBS-like surfacing tools, construction history, etc.), and IMHO, it is more handy a tool than Modo or Silo in certain ways. I’d like Tesla to adopt its style of SDS cage tools, as I don’t like EIM’s ones too much.)

#14

Is funny you mentioned Amapi product line i was using Amapi to the bone before EIM came out. It had a good .FACT exporter with clean surfaces. Intolerant that is the perfect word for EIM it is so god at saying no no that is no the way. :slight_smile:
Well Tesla is not gonna solve EI problems they have to focus on the core package.

#15

Well Tesla is not gonna solve EI problems they have to focus on the core package.

So far, the core package has been upgraded several times, implementing many, many requested features; especially for rendering.

Tesla may grow to become the new flagship core package, only time will tell. :slight_smile:

#16

Oh yeah,but lets not forget that the instruments had change, but not the maestro. And what is tesla ? it should be called EIM v4. Now we need to buy another package and the numbers go on and on.

#17

I’m curious,

How would Tesla be at remeshing scanned or dense data? Are there plans for a draw on surface remodel mesh tool for head , car, product scan data? Is there a live draw on surface like in Maya, Modo, or Zbrush?

EIM may not have had it but as a stand alone that would be a useful feature for me (character or product modeler). Any type of fast workflow of retopolizing a high poly surface?

If so, would this also include a fast polytool for drawing “quads” not just polylines on the surface?

#18

So after receiving an email from EITG that Tesla was pushed slightly back to early June, is there any word in cgsociety or elsewhere about beta? Does that mean that select EI users will see the beta? Or is it open to the public to probe and test?

Brian, Ian, ScottFox? (my usual suspects list) Any word?

As far as term Beta from EI could anyone clarify if this beta release as announced is meant for select users (Brian like yourself) that will post on cgs what new additions we may have?

Thanks in advance…

#19

Yeah, what ever happened to talking a little about the alpha? That was 3 weeks ago.

#20

What email is this???

Ian