Is there any plugin, or anything in the works to use a Haptic device like the Phantom Omni from Sensable to work injunction with Z-Brush?
http://www.sensable.com/products/phantom_ghost/phantom-omni.asp
If not, there is a developer tool kit special for 800 bucks that comes with the hardware and software to get started. In Making one for Zbrush…
WOW!
If I was a Programmer I would snatch up this offer…
What a cool device! I want one :D
Yeah totally… I tried it at Siggraph and was totally amazed… Just think what you could do in Zbrush with this tool…
I ordered one for 800 bucks… I will try to develop something, but I can’t even program hello world… I do have other ideas for it… either way its a rad piece of technology.
Their clay-modeling demo felt wrong to me. Out of balance and not at all natural. I’m much happier with the “flat canvas” world of a wacom tablet, I think. That said, I’d still love for my Spaceball to work in ZBrush. Spaceball and Tablet, I think would be a very intuitive and powerful combination.
I wish you the best with your new toy. I don’t think you’ll be able to integrate it via ZScripts, though. This is something that requires the as-yet unreleased ZBrush SDK. Fortunately, you’ve got things to keep you occupied until that comes out. Time to learn programming, no?
What language is your sample code (from the haptic device’s SDK) in?
If it’s C++, I can tell you that 3DBuzz.com has a good online class (free, but limited to Member Sponsors) that’ll get you past “Hello World” (and actually into a little game design if you stick with it). Unfortunately, I can also tell you it won’t go anywhere near the task of writing a hardware driver, probably ever. But, it’s a good introduction to programming, and you could probably use a confidence booster in that regard.
You should also know that journeyed.com is having a big sale right now, so if you’re a college student, you can buy Visual Studio .NET 2003 (encompassing VB, C++, C#, and J#) for like $90. So, if you’re not a college student, now might be a very good time to enroll in some classes.
I mean, it is that time anyway. You’ve bit off quite a lot here…
Wow… thanks for the advice and information. Though I have to say, there is nothing like feeling the model you have in CG. I had no problems working with that Haptic Device. Felt natural and quick to pick up on.
Thanks!
Count
Ctrl-Z,
You forgot to mention the mental capacity to do advanced math…
*8
I’ve had the phantom(big omni) on my desk for years now and find the sculpting ability to be superior to z brush because you can feel how much you are carving out/ raising etc. with zbrush , its hard to determine how much you have raised the surface sometimes - practise makes perfect I suppose.
Just need more time to play with these tools.
However, Zbrush offers much more which makes it a valuable tool in its own right but I think it would be a fine addition to be able to sculpt using the phantom/omni - a sense of touch would be a very welcome addition.
El-d
That’s the beauty of programming – you can fake advanced math. Brute force, trial-and-error? Don’t underestimate the power of these techniques…
Plus, I have to imagine their software development kit has all but eliminated the need for it.
El-d…
What is this Big Omni you talk about? Can’t find anything on this device?
*8
there’s a link at the top of the page.
El-d
Doh! misread that one :lol:
its the desktop/ premium versions
El-d,
Sorry, brain stuck in neutral at the mo…
*8
I would definately pay a bit more for a plugin, or a patch to make this work in Zbrush. (well up to 199$)
I am pretty good at molding ceramic clay, this device would help me out a bunch I bet.
Many years since this thread started, but I have a doubt…
I have a SensAble Phantom Omni, recently issued from my college. Its connected and ready, but I can’t find a single post neither on ZBC nor anywhere on the net which says how to setup Zbrush with a haptic device. Can someone please direct me. I know Zbrush works with the Phantom Omni, I remember a friend working with it a year ago, but I can’t contact him now.
Thanks.
I’ve seen the Phantom Omni demo’d with a sculpting program a number of times. Fairly sure said program was created to demo the Phantom Omni, and wasn’t available in any other form. It was definitely not ZBrush that i saw, though I can see where one might confuse the two.
Where we were at a few years ago:
Pixologic isn’t writing drivers to support devices not commonly in use like this, and the developers of those devices can’t add support themselves without a ZBrush SDK, so it’s all at a stand-still.
To the best of my knowledge, that hasn’t changed.
Possible I’ve missed a major new development on that front, but I have to think if the Phantom Omni were supported by ZBrush, most of the community would own one by now. 
The Phantom Desktop and Omni are used with Sensable’s Claytools, Freeform and Freeform Modeling Plus software. While it’s pretty common for users to import/export between Freeform and Zbrush, I haven’t heard of anyone using a haptic device directly with ZB.
I’ve used FFMP for years, it’s good stuff.
a bit off topic & sure to make fans of the haptic arms hot under the collar but…
I’ve demo’d their systems a couple of times & I find it a bit gimmicky. It’s definitely “fun” to feel your way around but by no means are you going to be doing any blind sculpting just by the touch of the haptic arm. There is nothing that I’ve seen that has been done with a Sensable system that comes anywhere close to what some of the artists in this forum have created using a flat Wacom (tablet or monitor). Ultimately, I think it’s neat toy to try to sell an inferior sculpting platform. Just my opinion
Agree! But a tablet is mandatory to have some way to convert pen characteristics into expression. With the mouse alone the options are severely limited. There is no haptic arm I tried out which would do anything for me.
It’s the same with my space pilot. I used it for 15 minutes and can,t get used to it. Another gimmick concept. Btw… I’m more than happy to sell that Space Pilot for any reasonable offer…
Lemo
Agreed on the WACOM. They really nailed it with how an artist intuitively makes a mark. The way it meshes with ZB works beautifully! Think of the wonderous things WACOM & Pixologic could make happen if they put their minds together! Trying to work ZB with just a mouse is like surfing the web with a fax machine :lol:
i have successfully tried this , it requires an expensive piece of hardware but it does work and it is pretty amazing
anyone who says its “gimmicky” i dont belive fully understands what it is for. its not for making pretty pictures, zbrush is probibly one of the best for that. sensable software ie freeform is for manufacturing designer and development using real world units of measurement and outputting to formats used in CNC tooling.
in the end its just a tool people , you use the right tool for the job , shouldnt be such a big deal. if you like it great if you dont and get great results in zbrush than fantastic. i use both and find the best in both worlds