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[POLYGONAL DESIGN] : Hello Michael Winstone ! Where are you from, and why did you need
something like UNFOLD3D ?
[MICHAEL WINSTONE] : For many years I lived and worked in London before moving to New York.
I am currently working in Madrid.
I come from a traditional background in sculpture using all the known
raw
materials.
Over 10 years ago I started to produce interactive sculptures and
drawings, directly with the computer. My work is based in part on
specific trees.
The final pieces are highly detailed, organic, and awkward in shape,
usually with a high polygon count.
I have always used Lightwave as my main sculpting program. To get 1
UVMap, for each sculpture was hard
if not impossible with some shapes. Adding UNFOLD3D to my workflow and
discovering it could get me
that UVMap in one click was a joy.
[PD] :You probably tried other solutions than UNFOLD3D, such as "pelt" way
or LSCM-like based algorithms. How does UNFOLD3D compares with what you tried ?
[MW] : I checked out all the other companies including those who are still
doing beta trials before purchasing UNFOLD3D.
Nothing came close to being as good as UNFOLD3D
The programming has been well thought out and the workflow between
UNFOLD3D and Lightwave has been seamless.
Most companies show you a head, cylinder shape to illustrated there
unfolding technique.
What they tend not to do is demonstrate complicated high poly awkward
shapes as that's when the problems arise.
The fact that UNFOLD3D made UVMaps for my sculptures with ease meant it
was a must purchase.
A manual is not really necessary. This is a statement to how much work
has gone into making the interface
thoughtful and intelligent.
This kind of attention to detail extends over to there customer
support which has always been prompt.
[PD] : Some freelancers sometimes complain about UNFOLD3D pricing. Could you
tell us how much time, (and in a way, money) you saved to date with the help of UNFOLD3D ?
According to you, is in the end UNFOLD3D definitely worth its price ?
[MW] : This is the most difficult question to respond to. The short and in
the end honest answer is if time, money and quality of
product is important to you then the purchase of UNFOLD3D is a must. I
have saved hours and in some cases days of my workflow.
I wish this software had been around when I first started. Learning
the concepts of UVMapping can be one of the hardest
time consuming areas to get your head around.
The problem comes when, as a freelancer you need to justify the
expense. Artists have no guarantee when buying a new
software that they can sell a piece they create with it.
If I sell an interactive sculpture of course it has been well worth
the outlay, but the point is even if I do not, using UNFOLD3D has
allowed me more time to concentrate on other parts of my work. In the
end felt I would be "shooting myself in the foot" if I didn't
include UNFOLD3D in my workflow. I am glad I did, UNFOLD3D has definitely
been worth every cent.
[PD] : Which improvements are you most expecting from UNFOLD3D version 4?
[MW] : The user interface is excellent so I would not want it to get too
cluttered but the inclusion of a 'Cutting tool by edge
selection' is a must with the next update. I am sure it will have
been requested by many users.
The ability to import/export native files, in my case LWO files would
help the workflow process; again I am sure a popular request.
After that everything else is a plus.
