Mudbox Newbie - Fundamental Questions?

#1

Hello all.

Ive been using Mudbox 2009 since a couple of weeks and i really dont get it. It looks so simple, not much tools nice introduction vids. But my mesh somehow just wont work.

I have modeled a basemesh in maya2k9 and now i would like to add some details to the clothing with mudbox but how ever i start, or try to make it, it looks some kind of crappy. The strokes i sculpt look still pixy and raw, even when i go up with subD.

Can anyone please tell me ifs my mesh the thing which makes it impossible, or the hierarchy? Or is it just me not understanding a certain thing?

I appretiate your help and postings.


#2

looks fine so far… whats the prolbem…?
go one level higher and keep on sculpting…

#3

The problem is, that even if i go up to over 4.million faces, some small brushes look still crappy. Big sized Brushes are good working, but the smaller i need to do strokes, the more rough does it look.
I have a tablet, which i take for the sculpting, but even if i use the curve tool, the edges of the stroke look pixy (hope you guys understand that word).

And in my opinion 4 million faces is way to much for a little bit of detail. The thing is, this char needs to be animated later. And i cant do that with a 4 million mesh.

Thanks in advance,

Duke

#4

Have you tried building up the details in several passes whilst smoothing between strokes? if you’re just trying to achieve the detail in one stroke then this could be your problem.

#5

That is why displacement and normal maps exist so you dont have to try to rig, skin and animate a multi million polycount mesh. Digital sculpting is all about flow…sculpt with the polygon flow and you need lower polygon counts…go against it and you’ll need a lot more.

Wayne…

#6

Okay, Displacement sounds great and i know that, but how do i get it done? And please dont think you need to give me a whole tutorial here, thats not my point. The thing is when ever i tried to start getting more detail on the jacket, something went wrong.
My Mesh doesn´t look that bad and this is where i have no clue.

Like musashidan mentioned, maybe my thinking is wrong, that my “perfect” strokes can not be done in one pass. But i dont get it how to manage all that stuff.

Also when i tried to get a stroke with a curve, sometimes it happens that the beginning and the end is thinner than the middle part.
I mean, its a reaaally simple looking software, thats why im getting really frustrated because i dont get it.
Yes, Displacement or Normal Maps will be the definetly right thing for my animation. But how?

Thanks for your postings and your help, and in advance again. :wink:

Cheers,

Duke

#7

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