Any 3d tool enhancements coming?

I'm wondering if any enhancements for the 3d tools are coming, or if they're pretty much locked in. Top of my list is mirror/copy (I'm optimistic) and bump maps (unlikely blue heaven).

You can already copy an object -

Select the object, edit, upper right corner is a check box - copy selected - I think. This will copy a single or grouped prims.

You can also copy an object by holding SHIFT while dragging it by the positioning arrows.

Combine this with "local axes" and "snap to grid" and you've got Object Alignment for Dummies.

(Also, "yes please" for a mirror-copy function)

ooooh bump mapping ....... I so wish.

I would just like to be able to layer textures actually, just 2.

But bump mapping....... isn't it nativly supported by all graphics cards SL supports anyways? I dunno....it would be nice though.

Oh and I want Orthogonal Views!

I know there's a snap to grid, but honestly it's not great on smaller objects. What I'd love to see is a snap-to-object / snap-to-edge function.

So that, when enabled, if you drag an object close to another one, it'll automatically align perfectly against it's edge.

Also, what I'd really like to see is the ability to lock to an axis when rotating, but to move in increments less than 5 degrees. 5 degrees is just great for positioning grid like stuff, but when you're trying to put together more complex geometric shapes and you need to do exact angle adjustments (while remaining locked on one axis) it makes things very frustrating. The ability to turn on 1 degree increments would be sweet! Or perhaps even user defined increments... so say if you're make a pentagon, you could specify to rotate in 72 degree increments so it'd be perfect.

Etc, etc, etc.

Mirror/copy isn't the same as copy/flip. Try doing it with a car fender you will see. Mirror is a very different and powerful capability. I am the former high priest of drag/copy/link repeat; I originally built my entire house out of real bricks, with real external mortar (because there's no bump maps ;p). Having seen how far that goes (and maxing object count in Natoma) I switched to big pieces with aligned textures, which all in all isn't so bad, but when you look sideways at the walls...no bump.

There is only 2 things I would like see added,

1) Subtractions of objects. Example taking Box A and subtracking it from Box B, to get a hole in box B, where box A was.

2) A vertex making tool. To make up some shapes of our own. This would just make the 3d modeling in SL a whole bunch easier and allow us to make more detailed shapes. But if this was implimented I believe their should be a limit set on to how many vertexes a obj can have, to reduce framerate from some users.

I belive if some of these features would be added, that it would be added to a more advanced section of the "Editor". Like in a tab for instance. As for some users only the basic 3d editing tools is all they need and they will not need all the others tools to confuse them...

Yes, mirroring would reduce the tedium of modeling by an incredible amount, and I would love to see it happen.

I also like the idea of 'negative' objects -- create a hole in one the shape of the other, as mentioned above. Some transparencies such as hair fringe manage to do this by accident (at some angles, I can see through the hair, through the avatar's head, and into the opposite wall), although I'm not sure; can we set objects to be non-corporeal, and let avatars walk through them? I haven't found a way.

non-corporeal is referred to in SL as 'phantom' and needs to be done through a script.

I've played with a program (I think it was Bryce 3D) that uses "negative" shapes that subtract from a solid shape.

It'd actually be physical, and remove the portion of the solid shape much like hollow and cut from do.

this would be perfect for SL.

i wouldn't mind being able to specify the degree increment... that would be pretty handy. However until then you can just use a script.

I think it would be cool to specify the origin (axis/whatever) of an object. Sometime I want it to be at the end of an object instead of the center. (Linking objects just to move the axis is kind of clunky.)

yep.. thought of that.. even thought of making a script that would build the geodesic dome for me... then i kinda had to stop myself and realised how truely insane that would be

math = evil !

heh not insane, cool! I have an instant ampitheater script, it is not quite as cool since rez'ed objects are set to modify, but it is still pretty cool.