dgovil wrote:

I'm also interested in hearing your ideas on how youd improve the character selection model (E?). I've had a few ideas (like a UI that pops up under the mouse...kind of like the brush pallette in zBrush) but not good enough at scripting to implement it.

That I'm going to keep close to my vest for now since what I have in mind would be quite a game changer and I don't want anyone to get there before I implement it.

dgovil wrote:

also are you switching over to pySide or continuing with pyQt?

I'm going to start supporting PySide as well as PyQt but might leave behind PyQt if they don't catch up.

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Last edited by dgovil (01-19-2012 4:13 am)

Hey all,

So ScratchPad is well on the way.  This is what I'm calling my new sketching app for Maya.  This will be actual viewport drawing - not nurbs curves like my other China Marker app or Grease Pencil.  It already does onion skinning.  I'm planning on hooking this up with Digital Pose Test so that you can share sketches from one to the other.

I'm wondering what type of drawing options are important to you?  Obviously brush size, colour, erase.  What else do you consider essential?  And don't just say "make it like Photoshop" 

Could you make it like Photoshop?

Heh, just kidding, but you asked for it

Is there any chance for it to obey pen pressure from a wacom tablet? Don't know if that would be necessary but a cool feature nevertheless And will these drawings be captureable by a playblast?

I think as long as it has the following it should be all any animator needs:
>Pressure sensitvity
>Eraser, color, brush size
>Timeline sync
>Camera lock, so if I resize the viewport I don't lose the placement of my drawing.
>Ability to save down with the Maya file
>Toggle-able underlay so the overdrawing doesn't get lost in all the viewport clutter.
>Layers would be a plus, but I doubt anyone would really have a use for it. Maybe perhaps in a takes kind of fashion

>Easy shortcuts for insert new drawing and a toggle for hold drawing by default.


But I think you got most of that :-) I can't wait to see this because it's the one kind of Maya tool I've been wishing I had for ages.

I would love to use it, but I just don't have enough time to play around atm, and have to struggle with another animation program at work on which DPT obviously wont work

Soory ive been off soing other thing this past month. I have a project I can use it on, in the next couple of days. Ill let you know how I get on with it.

O.O How on earth did you... sorry. Maybe try to rename the windowPrefs and /or userPrefs document in your C:\Users\[username]\Documents\maya\2012-x64\prefs directory? I said rename because the userPrefs file contain your whole user setup, excluding the hotkeys and the shelf.

rename it to anything, (while maya is closed, of course) just so maya doesn't find it anymore and reverts to its default settings.

Got it sorted, it was userpref.mel

cgjedi :  I remember a while back you said something about developing a grease pencil kind of tool for Maya, please forgive me if I´m confused, just wondering cause it is something I am in need, badly

PS, something like Blender´s grease pencil would be wicked

Have a great weekend!!!

cgjedi wrote:

Thanks for asking.  Yes, my Scratchpad app within Maya is working.  You can use tablet pressure for thin/thick lines.  You can draw on different frames.  It does onion skinning.  You can have a background layer.  I'm currently putting together a UI for it and making it user friendly.  It's coming but don't know exactly when yet.

but can it make me a sandwich?

I kid, that sounds really great. Looking forward to it.

Really? Maya2013 already?  As far as I know it should be compatible but it will be a while before I will be supporting that.