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View Full Version : topology BEFORE exporting to ZBrush?

Cnine
03-28-2010, 05:03 PM
Hi there - Im currently watching a tutorial DVD from Gnomon and in it, is a segment where the model is complete and ready to be exported as .obj and to be imported into ZBrush for some finished touches. However, beforte exporting, the tutor first cleans the mesh (correcting edgeflow and deleting triangles etc) <- Why? I have always been under the impression that ZBrush practically destroys any edgeflow you had going for the model anyway? Am i wrong to think this? The final result of this model, I think (there's two editions in the series, but the 2nd one isn't out yet) that this model is to undergo retopology and be animated - But either way - why sort out the topology before exporting to ZBrush? he doesn;t go into this in the dvd

Thanks for any light you may shed on this issue. Much love.
Psyk0
03-28-2010, 05:29 PM
Zbrush will subdivide the mesh roughly the same way a subdivision modifier would in a traditional package. The topology will remain the same but it's best to keep triangles and ngons to a minimum or well hidden if you cant get rid of them. Non quads and poles will produce pinching, so it's something to keep in mind when building a basemesh.
paulius-st
03-28-2010, 07:28 PM
he cleans the mesh out of triangles because when subdivided these triangles give pinches that are hard to get rid off and later when you import the maps back in to your application they give bigger pinches when animated, posed , rendered. about the topology fixing - either you retopologyse after sculpting or before it. cause if you fix topology before sculpting , then you will fix uv's and with uv's unwraped you can export good normal, bump, displacement , cavity, texture maps out of zbrush that you can use emediately. and save some time.
and if you wont fix your topology and uv's before sculpting than you'll have to retopologyse the mesh and import it back to your pacage for uvw unwrapping and then import back to zbrush to project the sculpt back to your new mesh and then make all the maps you need.
it requires some time.
i work with zbrush a lot and my advise would be:
make a very simple base mesh in your aplication or in zbrush with zspheres -> sculpt out the main forms, shapes, details. ceep it rough till 4th - 5th subdivision -> retopologyse -> fix uvw in your aplication -> import back to zbrush -> project all the sculpt back -> sculpt final details -> make displacement, normal maps and export everything . texture the model if you want. :) lots of professional cg artists use this technique cause its faster than modeling all the mesh and then sculpting. way faster.
good luck. :)
cheers
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03-28-2010, 07:28 PM
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