Post your zbrush stuff here!

dlangdev · Post by **dlangdev** » Wed Jul 09, 2008 9:10 am

Hi Zbrush users!

Just wondering about your experience using Zbrush. Please post any work you made and perhaps add some opinionated remarks about it. I've started learning Zbrush today and hope i can model environments and actors in Zbrush.

Thanks and happy posting.

christianclavet · Post by **christianclavet** » Wed Jul 09, 2008 4:52 pm

dlangdev, You could use ZBRUSH to create stuff (Use the ZSpheres).

But this is mainly used to create very high details and will create millions of polys. I plan to use it for my maps and characters to create very high details that will be BAKED in primilary in a normal map. (Other maps could also be baked, as the diffuse map and specular map)

Using Zspheres to model, is good, as you can lower back the geometry again. (Save a low poly version and apply your baked maps over the model). If you want to create animated model, you'll still need another application to rig the model and skin it before exporting it back to IRRlicht.

Virion · Post by **Virion** » Wed Jul 09, 2008 5:28 pm

i would love to see the normal mapped model loaded with irrlicht.

dlangdev · Post by **dlangdev** » Wed Jul 09, 2008 5:46 pm

i just finished watching the classroom videos up on zbrush central. so far, my impression of zbrush is still pretty good. i see it now more as a carving/sculpting tool, tho. that may change as i step further into getting more experience.

modeling is a new thing as they have this thing called zspheres, i'll play around with that. i'm still figuring out how to model a room complete with details. not sure exactly what the workflow is at the moment, maybe do a rough model in maya, then sculpt/detail it in zbrush. or it could entirely be done in zbrush. i still don't know how it's done, maybe someone could give more information about that, really appreciate it.

i'll take your advice on the workflow you mentioned, by making a test scene in maya and sculpt it in zbrush. adding details like alphas and normals are easier in zbrush.

also, i've been watching a lot of demo reels lately, some of them are...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyu4amqR2b8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWW_tPqq9Fw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=074WAc54 ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgfwKc9o ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaN-CxrP ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hw39tlt ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oPSUF1g ... re=related

dlangdev · Post by **dlangdev** » Wed Jul 09, 2008 6:17 pm

by the way, i also found out the model can be exported to obj mesh format. that could mean i could model first in zbrush, bring it in maya, uv map it and then bring it back to zbrush for more processing. i haven't tried that yet but i'm going to do that sometime later.

christianclavet · Post by **christianclavet** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 6:05 pm

Yes, that should work. I'm using the OBJ format also to work objects with ZBrush.

The trick is to use ZSphere to model your base mesh without any details (only to get the base shape ok) then your use the sculpt tools to get in the details. Once your base shape is created it's a good idea to save it so it could be used again on other models (since base shapes could be used for a lot of models)

If you don't use the ZSphere, then you could model your base shape (low poly) in any other 3D package (Blender, 3DS, Maya, XSI, Lightwave, etc) import it via the OBJ format, then get in details sculpting with ZBrush after.

Just remember that the fully detailed model can't be used back (unless you got a video card that can render millions of poly PER frame). This detail need to be baked once your model is looking good.

dlangdev · Post by **dlangdev** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 6:13 pm

here's a sample poly edit.

dlangdev · Post by **dlangdev** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 6:45 pm

here's another one with only alpha edit.