GS CurveTools v1.3 - Maya Plug-in. Curve Controlled Hair Cards, Pipes and more.  

GS CurveTools v1.3 plug-in for Autodesk Maya

New Major Update is here!

Main features quick overview (3-minute trailer):

FULL DOCUMENTATION: 

• If you wish to read the full detailed documentation - the links are in the description of my YouTube video trailer.

DESCRIPTION:

GS CurveTools is a powerful tool for creation and manipulation of geometry cards and tubes (Curve Cards and Curve Tubes). GS CurveTools can be used in numerous workflows, from hair card creation to creation of complex procedural braided cables and much more.

The main power of GS CurveTools is its ability to quickly create complex network of nodes, tailored for fast and procedural manipulation of geometry in a smooth and natural way.

One of the main focuses of GS CurveTools is Hair Cards workflow. Almost every game out there uses some form of hair cards to create complex and beautiful hair styles for its main characters. To be able to quickly create new hair cards, convert curves to hair cards and quickly change its parameters is very important part of GS CurveTools workflow.

BLOG POSTS:

• New features v1.3.12: Blog Post
• New features v1.3.4: Blog Post
• New features v1.3.3: Blog Post
• New features v1.3.2: Blog Post
• New features v1.3.1: Blog Post
• New features v1.3: Blog Post
• New features v1.2.8: Blog Post
• New Features v1.2.5: Blog Post
• New Features v1.2.4: Blog Post
• New Features v1.2: Blog Post
• New Features v1.1: Blog Post
• Quick Tutorial v1.0: Blog Post

MAIN FEATURES:

• Full support of High DPI resolutions (from 1080p to 4k+).
• Fast creation of procedural geometry cards and tubes.
• Conversion of already existing curves to curve cards/tubes.
• Ability to quickly populate empty spaces between curves with new curve cards/tubes.
• Advanced control over geometry. Twist and change Width at any point on the curve!
• Combine multiple cards and tubes and control them with one curve using Warp function.
• Intuitive and fast controls for created curves.
• Powerful layer system for create curves/tubes.
• Fast selection and grouping of curves.
• Transfer of attributes and UVs between curve cards.
• Interactive rebuild of existing curves for additional complexity or vice versa, to simplify control.
• Duplicate entire network of curves with one button.
• Randomize created curves to add realism.
• Smooth/Extend/Reduce created curves.
• Control multiple curves with Control Curve deformer.
• Custom window for all curve controls.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTALLATION GUIDE: LINK

INSTALLATION VIDEO:

RECOMMENDED MAYA VERSIONS:

• 2018.6
• 2019.3
• 2019.3.1
• (2020.4)*
• 2022.3
• 2022.4
• 2023.0
• 2023.1
• 2023.2
• 2023.3
• 2024
• 2025**
• 2026
• 2027

*Maya 2020.4 has a native bug with width and twist graphs that can’t be fixed on my end. Only Autodesk could fix that, but they didn’t. In general, Maya 2020 is NOT recommended if you have other options.

**Maya 2025 has slower scene loading (File -> Open Scene) and can take a while to load the exact same scene as other versions. It's not related to GS CurveTools. If you can - use Maya 2024 or Maya 2026.

COMPATIBILITY:

• MAYA LT is NOT supported.
• Tested and supported: Maya 2018-2027 for Windows*
• In Beta: Maya 2018-2027 for Mac*
• NOT SUPPORTED: Linux and Maya LT.
• Maya 2017 should work, but it will have no support or bug fixes

* Please use the latest patches if possible. For example: Maya 2018.1 has issues that were fixed in the latest 2018.6 and are essential for GS CurveTools functionality. Thank you!

UPDATE INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Delete the old gs_curvetools folder and replace it with the new one.
2. Repeat the installation steps.

UPDATE PRICE:

All future updates are free!

LONG AND DETAILED VIDEOS FOR EACH UPDATE:

V1.3.17 New Features:

V1.3.12 New Features:

V1.3.3 New Features:

V1.3.2 New Features:

V1.3 New Features:

V1.2 New Features:

V1.1 New Features:

V1.0 Full Tutorial:

Bug Fixes:

• Mirror function reset pivot bug was fixed. Mirror operation should be about twice as fast now.