Hi, i have never really made clothes (or characters) before and just wondering how best to proceed. I’m wanting to make a robe like this http://i.imgur.com/kXYmEsn.jpg , is it a good way to make a very rough shape around the body, starting from a plane and the sculpting the folds and such in mudbox? Having a hard time thinking of how it would look really like cloth and getting the folds right.
i have access to 3ds max, mudbox(little experience) and photoshop.
here is the character im working on 
Yeah, you have the right idea. Either that, or use a simulation-based program like Marvelous Designer.
Sculpting this is possible but would take a while.
Simulation is the way to go I think.
To make a toga like this you need to know how it looks when laid out flat (A simple version could be a rectangular sheet of cloth, 2x1 size ratio perhaps).
Create this as a spline in the top viewport in Max then add the Garment Maker modifier and adjust the tessellation so its not too much, but enough to define some basic folds and ripples.
You can then loosely deform this around your character to define how the cloth is worn. No need to fit it precisely at all except aligning the contact point on the shoulder.
Lastly, use the Cloth modifier (or mcloth if you have Max 2013 and up) to simulate the cloth which should then drape nicely and naturally on the character. You may need to define some vertices to adhere to the characters shoulder so the whole thing doesnt slip off during simulation.
The result may not be as nice or as quick as Marvelous Designer, but at least you should be able to do it all in one program.
Thanks for all the tips!
here is what i got: http://i.imgur.com/VjDv0LP.jpg
the top part i roughly modelled around him in 3ds max and imported to mudbox and modelled the folds and imported mesh back into max, for some reason it seems very shiny but reflection is at zero in the material :S
the skirt is using cloth modifier and simulation
Yes, your material looks fine.
I assume the top part has a different material to the skirt and that both these materials use the same texture for diffuse.
If so, what happens when you apply the skirt material to the top part?
Its the same material, i just cloned it and turned off reflection to see if the chrome effect changed at all
Just to be sure that something hasnt become corrupt with the shiny top material, apply a brand new grey vray material to the top and the skirt below to check that they render the same.
If not then there must be something wrong with either the smoothing groups, or perhaps the normals of the top mesh.
Also, check the top is not included in any light it shouldnt be.
Completely stock vray material.
fixed it somehow… added pro Optimizer modifier and left normals out and its fine, something is messed up. lol
