Wow! 4.0 seems awesome...

[Simon]

Making progress with beziers with holes. Going to add custom bevel shapes and extrusion along paths too (like shaped Curvy Lines).
Almost finished the SVG import - need to add ellipse arcs to get exact circles.
viewtopic.php?f=45&t=3040

[Simon]

Lines with custom profile shapes works now. I need to do a fair bit of UI work to make it easy to use (And avoid the confusion of Lofts). In fact this might end up improving and simplifying the Lofts too.

[Dan Silverman]

Lines with custom profile shapes works now. I need to do a fair bit of UI work to make it easy to use (And avoid the confusion of Lofts). In fact this might end up improving and simplifying the Lofts too.

If things are similar (i.e. like profile shapes, lofts, whatever), then perhaps having one icon that changes what is seen in a properties panel. In the properties panel, the end-user can check/uncheck functions as needed. The most common functions can be automatically checked, if need be. This sort of workflow tends to simplify the UI by having less buttons and allows the end-user quick access to commonly used functions while also providing ultimate control.

[Simon]

I quite like the brushes approach, with a bit list of shapes you can make (including modifiers). It would act like a Preset to all the options we currently have.

And then you can either use the preset 'brush' or open an additional settings panel to muck around with the preset by hand.
Common and frequently used settings like radius, length, resolution would probable be available without an additional layer.

SPHERE = Lathe Round Profile
CUBE = Square End + Straight Rail
CYLINDER = Circle End + Straight Rail
Most of the the other prims now become a combination of END and RAIL, with the option of parametric defaults to replace Curves.

Lathe PROFILES, and Slab BEVELs have a similar role, and you should be able to convert between the two by adding/removing an END (using one profile as a bevel)

There could be multiple workflow depths:
1) Select a preset, then draw the number of curves it requires. No UI required.
2) Select a preset, draw END (makes a Slab Object). Adjust Radii and Resolution in simplified preset UI
3) Select Slab. Select Bevel Slot in simplified UI, draw Bevel.

And if you want to go beyond the preset..
4) Select Slab. Open Full UI popup. Change End Mode to Blob. Select Rail Slot. Draw rail to make Extruded Blob. Delete End curve to become Line. Simplified UI now updates to show Circle End radius. Delete Rail. Becomes CYLINDER with round ends.

The highest level toolbar only need have a single 'create' button if you like, and if you expand it you show as many presets as you like, with common/frequent first, then a 'full' list with more types.
It would work exactly like 3.0 if you want it too (Select, Draw, set Prim Options) or you could have presets for all kinds of combinations and varients (tempting in as much as it might be a sort of tutorial if they had a good preview image, and perhaps even workflow tips as to which curves to draw and where).

[Markku]

A lot of progress, it seems.

Take your time. If there will be demo period, I'll be interested...

[Simon]

There will be a Beta - probably shortly after I the time I get the new UI working and hook stuff into it. And you are welcome to test it out then

[Funken]

Do you already have an estimated date when you want to release the beta to the public? Is it like weeks, months...?

[Simon]

No date, sorry. I'm currently just prototyping to see what I want to include in the next version. Once I have a good idea of what it needs to do I'll be able to mockup a new GUI to support that.

If it works out like previous versions - I reckon months to get the first Beta, but then things should get updated regularly after that.

[Markku]

Take your time, Simon. Trust me, in the end it will be faster to make it carefully. Rushing causes bugs. Those bugs can be very hard to correct.

[ChadV]

Just bought 3.0 because of the work you're doing in 4.0 I look forward to testing it.

[Simon]

Thanks Chad, I appreciate the support! I've added you to the private Beta forum.

[ChadV]

Thanks Simon !

[mald]

Hi Simon

As a registered user of Curvy 3d V3 I wonder if it would be possible to gain access to the V4 beta forum?

Cheers
Mal