z-brush workflow

[blank]

you asked:

does it actually export out the high-res scuplted mesh or does it only export out displacement and bump maps to affect the mesh back inside the original modeling app?

you can do what you want though remember that if you export out a 20 million poly ZBrush model into max it may struggle a little if your system cant handle it.

So if you want the high poly ZBrush model for rendering in MAX you can export that, if you want Displacement/Normal maps for lower poly models your animating, you can also export those from ZBrush

--------------------------------
you asked:
I know you can paint colours inside zbrush directly onto the model. Does this mean there is no need to do the UVWs inside max?


you can set out UVW's in Zbrush if you want, or you can set them up in MAX or the UV layout application of your choice and then disable them in ZBrush which will enable poly painting. Then once you have finished Painting bake the poly painting onto you origonal UV layout.

[gringer]

hey man,

thanks for that reply.

Have a good one.

[gisugosu]

1. Make a Simple Basemesh in Silo, Wings3d or other 3D Apps. Or Make a Zsphere Model in Zbrush.
2. Import the Obj Basemesh in Zbrush, or make a addaptive Skin of your Zsphere Model.
3. Sculpt what you want, dont think about Edgeflow and Topology.
4. Make a new Topology with your finished sculped Model inside Zbrush with Projection on
5. Go to your lowest SubD export that (the Mesh with the new Topology) as Obj for UV Mapping - or take AUV Tiles (but i dont recomand this).
6.1. When UV Map is Finished export back to Z3. Subdivide Up to the highest Level of your Basemesh and Save as Obj.
6. Inside Z3 with your Mesh open, import your new Mesh (the Mesh with the new UV Map). The new UV Map was imported to your Mesh.
7. Export your new Mesh with the highest SubD as Obj.
8. Open Zbrush 2 (install the Plugins Zmapper and Multidisplacement2) and Import the exported OBJ from Z3.
9. Reconstruct your SubD's (to the lowest Level)
10. Check your UV's when ok extract your Displacement Map - the highest SubD's you dont need for Displacement so delete the highest SubD's. Go to the lowest SubD and extract the Displacement Map.
11. When exported the Displacement Undo your SubD delete or load your Model again.
12. Go to your highest SubD Level of your Displacement Map, and delete all lowers.
13. Open Zmapper and extract your Normal Map, you can also export a Cavity Map.
14. Undo the SubD delete or Reload your Model
15. Go to the lowest SubD export that Model as Obj for the reimport in other apps.

Finaly you have a raw Basemesh with a new Topology and UV Map, and the Displacment for the Form, and a Normal Map for the fine details and a Cavity Map for textur painting in Photoshop.

This Workflow is very long, but at this time Z3 has no Zmapper and Multidisplacement Exporter but you need that for good Maps.

[cresshead]

note this is the ''current'' workaround...using zb2 and zb3...
soon [i hear this month >>...july] that the zmapper etc will
be out for zb3.

[gringer]

hey gisugosu,

Thanks for that man, really helpful. Although I'm not advanced enough with z-brush to fully understand it, I'll print it out and keep it for later use.

Thanks again man,

Cheers.

[gisugosu]

I'am sorry its a very raw Workflow, its hard for beginners in Zbrush but is the best Way to get good results.
When the Plugins Multidisplacement3 and Zmapper2 for Z3 are available you get a faster Workflow (you dosen't reimport your Models to zbrush2, you can stay only in Z3). I hope the new Zmapper can handle more than 500k Polys.

[n-drew]

lol, max struggles a little bit? its not possible to load a 20 million poly object in max or other 3d apps on 32bit os. and we are talking about max and not maya or xsi :P

[blank]

sorry should have put a wink or sarcasm emote on that sentence ;-)

[Norman3D]

hey, i'm having some trouble with the workflow aswell. This is what I did:

1. Imported very low res basemesh to Zbrush.
2. Sculpted in Zbrush up to level 7
3. I started the retopology in Zbrush, but exported it as obj into max and finished it there.
4. I unwrapped the new topology in 3dsmax and exported as obj again.

What should I do next?
I have this new topology as an obj file, and then I got the high res model in Zbrush. How do I apply those levels to my new topology?

[cresshead]

you project the hi rez sculpt down onto your lo rez retopology

the main man 'MEATS' has a very nice and incredibly CHEAP chapter video
for download here that covers retopology and mesh projection here:-

http://gnomonology.com/prod/19?&p=2

$6 amazing deal and instant download!...no post n packaging!

http://gnomonology.com/upload/tutorial_thumb/68/main.jpg

[Norman3D]

I have seen that tutorial already. But that's not exactly what I want to do. I finished the retopology in 3dsmax! I have 2 different meshes now. The super high res in Zbrush and the retopology and (unwrapped) mesh in 3dsmax. I want to import it into Zbrush and project the details of the high resolutinon one, on it (the retopology I did in max, which is an obj file now).

In the tutorial you just posted the retopology is done in Zbrush.

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