For realtime 3D, i thought of real voxels, caus using polygons it's already what we do.
We already use voxel to create incredible amount of details : and make polygons and normal maps from that.
There some example on the net using real voxels, but there is also problems like the resolution and smoothing of the scene, that can't perhaps have hard edges.
But it consumes lot more power than polygosn i think ,and don't know if voxel can have better culling or scene management methodes ?
And you would need an entire new tools fro modeling if voxel would be in real time, something like
Z brush or 3D Coat, with standard software you would have to find plugins to convert scenes to voxels
And what would happen to 3D engines, they would have to redevelop all from ground with voxels !
Well ... not for tomorrow !
faster workflow and thus more details in less time.
I assure you that you already can really go fast to add impressive amount of details with scultping tools
The voxel scultping is not new, old modelers also had some similar features, like nurbs volume sculping and others.
With Voxel sculpt or Z Sphere 2 , you have already a big freedom , what is missing is mixing standard hard modeling in 3D coat,Zbrush, or any others ...
Some worflow :
A 3D coat example , you select a part of an helmet by painting a square , in it you use a brush simulating some fiber clothes,
you don't waste time with a pencil tool, but just use the fill tool (like in 2D editors) , you just fill you square selection , and it is
; you have a detailled square on your helemt in some clicks .
You can make your own brushes : from a 2D paint tool, or use directly imported 3D objects as brushes, or create your brushes in 3D coat, or copy some part of the model you sculpt, to use them as brushes !
I like that a lot !
You can after that copy and paste over a round close spline with spacing your new detailled square with it's normal,specular color etc ...in some clicks !
Check that :
some workflow Well Frank_G, i think you should play with sculpting tools , you 'll have fun and perhaps you'll make incredibl characters packages
