Curvy 3D Forum

I've added realtime Ambient Occlusion to help define the surface features of a model in the editor itself. This is helpful in seeing how objects relate to each other in depth, and distinguishing flat surfaces that only differ in depth.

(You can already render AO in the layered screenshot)

This example shows the effect well under the jacket, between the fingers, and shading the details of the gun.

Really cool feature Simon, this will be part of Curvy3D 5.0 ?

Yes in 5, and in the Beta as soon as I can polish it all up. I'm also working on an improved Hires screenshot - that should be much faster than before using this AO system.

I would love to see more improvements to the viewport and final output. Curvy models look very nice when rendered in e.g. blender, but I'd like to be able to use Curvy for an entire project also just to save time converting everything.
Things like DoF/Bokeh, more light types would be enticing as well.

DoF/Bokeh should be possible as a post effect, as we have a depth map. I know some 2D programs can take a depth map and calculate a DoF effect from it - I can probably do the same.

Have you tried making your own lightmaps (matcaps) or downloading some from the web? You can get all sorts of lighting and material effects that way
You can also change the shadow angle and sharpness in Panels/Lighting.

For a really nice rendered effect you do need a full renderer - so perhaps I should work on simplifying and smoothing the export process so it is much faster to get models into other software and up and running - at least having another go at getting the colours, groups and names coming through more sensibly. Perhaps even adding FBX if it supports a more accurate export.

I wasn't really hoping for a full renderer, just a more modern viewport. I'm looking at programs like Toolbag, 3D-Coat etc. Bokeh as a post effect is a workable solution, but was thinking of the kind of DoF you see in games from 10+ years ago and newer.
I like that Curvy's interface reminds me more of a paint program than a 3D program, and I think some users might find it appealing not having to export and optimize models for another program. In a way I am thinking of what zBrush started as before the emphasis shifted to sculpting, or something like Paint 3D "on steroids". I look at some of the things you have added to images in post, sparks and smoke... I'd like to be able to make those types of things in Curvy without post. I guess what I am thinking is that materials should be standard PBR materials that could be sent straight to blender or a game engine looking mostly correct, or that materials could be non-photoreal - using things like screen-space reflection or refraction, or using "Photoshop" style modes like additive, subtractive, multiply etc.
I'm probably not explaining it very well. Would just be interested in whether Curvy is supposed to be a quick and dirty concepting tool, or if it is mostly for making game models (which need exporting to other programs for clean up and advanced material settings).

I love PBR and effects in Curvy (I did a lot of in-curvy smoke and glows in earlier versions). But at the same time I like the look of a full raytracing render, and am trying to focus my efforts on modelling and sculpting.

As a one man band, I have to focus :/