I’m thinking that this may be more of the appropriate forum to post this in because the majority of mudbox users were probably zbrush users prior so they might have more experience with this.
What is easier to pickup and learn how to sculpt/texture etc. ZBrush or Mud? Is there major differences to the techniques of the programs? I tried ZBrush a while back a few times before it had a 3d viewport and the whole ui seemed really, really different and hard to adjust to vs any other program I’ve used. Zspheres confused me a little to. Are they easy to get used to or does mudbox have a better way of doing a similar thing?
I was just hoping to pick the one that I might be able to get rockin with the quickest! But I’m not sure if either has any features that the other one doesn’t have etc. I know my way around Maya pretty well if that counts for anything… I’m horrible at mental ray rendering so maybe one has a rendering option thats easier/better also or do you need to use a 3rd party renderer?
Thanks! any opinions on any of the subjects I would be grateful for : )
You’ll find that most stuf like this is a subjective opinion to be truthful. But mudbox has a fair few plus points ahead of Zbrush. I’d like to think my opinion counts for something as I’m the only guy to ever release more than one dvd for each of the 2 major sculpting aps as well as having wrote the longest and most in depth of the 3 zb books I’ve also done both the ‘Ground Up’ and ‘QuickStart’ series on mudbox (That are available for free and run to many hours with more still to come.)
Bottom line is that zbrush is very complex to learn in depth to an advanced stage, whereas mudbox can be picked up very fast. Its more powerful than zbrush (although the zbrush fanboys will tell you its not and proclaim zbrush as best at everything in the world bar making the dinner lol.) I did a couple of video tests that put them both head to head and mudbox came out on top each and every time. (Which zbrush fanboys avoid like a dose of the clap as it deals with proof and not oppinions lol.)
Mudbox’s real time viewport render options are far in excess of anything zbrush has, in fact if ou realy ‘needed’ to, you can even use zbrush style matcaps in mudbox 2009. Zbrushes texturing capabilities have some serious limiations. The fact that polypainting is directly linked to your polygon count men it will always be impossible to have a razor sharp texture at a low polygon count. Zbrush is limited to painting a colour or bump map in its viewport, whereas mudbox alows you to paint more map types than you can shake a stick and view them as you paint in real time along with the real time viewport render options. Added to that a texture for allow poly object wil be as razor sharp as a one for a uber high polygon count one.
Fo me its a no brainer from a production point of view. So why doesn’t everyone simply move to mudbox then no doubt your thinking? Put simply many of them spent 2-4 years learning zbrush and hate to feel that that time is ‘wasted’. (Although in fact skills from zbruhs are transferable to mudbox so some of it may just be down to fanboyism.)
I’d recommend taking a look at what mudbox can do both in the videos on the autodesk site and the ground up and quickstart ones of mine that show just some of what it is capable of. (You can find them both on my site and on autodeks ‘TheArea’ site as well.) Mudbox was written for the ground up as a hardcore and easy to pick up production tool…zbrush was a hobbiest aimed app that hit on at the right time and as such carries a heck of a lot of unneeded baggage.
Well thats my oppinion for what its worth and bearing in mind my rather unique experience of both maybe it counts for something. But I’d still urge going on what feels right for you and not what anyone (even myself) may tell you.
Good luck in your choices.
Now, rendering is done in mudbox correct? Is it easier to pickup on then mental ray for a photorealistic render? Realistic hair… is there tools in mud for this or what would be the approach?
Thanks again! I’m just trying to really think about this because I will need to purchase windows and taint my mac with it just to run mud and I really despise doing that but I am soooooo mad at pixologic for all their mac release date BS that I’m starting not to care that they even have a mac version! I pray that if I go with mud that they will release a mac version since they originally stated on the website that they created it to be ported easily should they have the desire but now that stinkin autodesk has a grips on them I don’t know…
One more thing… should I decide to purchase it are there any coupon codes anyone knows about or is it best to download the trial and try and get an authorized reseller down on the price like I did with maya?
If your familiar with Maya already then I think it will be an easy transition for you. I don’t know enough of either Zbrush or Mudbox yet to tell you the nitty gritty stuff but where Zbrush has so many options and an advanced interface, Mudbox seems to be lacking some basic options which bothers the hell out of me. But it is Autodesks first version so I’m sure the first update will fix some things.
I stuck with learning Zbrush until I came across the digital-tutors Intro to Mudbox video. As I went thru and learned the basics it made more sense to me to spend more time learning Mudbox and use that as my displacement mapping tool. I’m at least going to give MB a fair shake and then go from there. But for now, I’m going to stick it out with MB.
Thanks guys for all your comments. I’m going to download them both on my work mac (bootcamp) and give them both a whirl. I really appreciate all the comments!
As for the “fanboy” comments. I will say that people who use the word “fanboy” towards other professionals in the field should really re-think their wording. Calling someone a “fanboy” is for gradeschoolers not adult professionals. I’m a mac nut because “in my experience” with BOTH pc’s and macs… I choose mac and nobody could convince me any different. I don’t dis-credit pc users unless they don’t have any experience with a mac. Even then I don’t call them names… I just discredit their opinion in my own head because they obviously haven’t had enough experience and are blindly following. Those that have alot of experience with both and choose pc… then thats what suites them best. Either will get the job done and is a pro product.
Maya vs Max… same thing.
ZBrush vs Mud… same thing.
Leave the “fanboy” word for your kids to say. Be a respectful adult professional with your own professional opinion here
Thanks everybody! I really do appreciate all that has been said!
I’ve decided to join the ZB camp though. I believe that Mudbox is easier to learn and has its advantages as was said but I just can’t bring myself to go with a company that has no mac version. Heck, its even more expensive then ZBrush for no apparent reason and I would have to drop a few hundred bucks on an OS that I don’t care for.
I’ve signed up for the escape studios online course which entitled me to the edu cheaper version on-top of things.
So, I’m not much for bandwagoning and I love learning multiple programs so if mudbox decides to ever go with a mac version then I’ll be back here to learn…
PS. Autodesk’s site is horrible! ZBrush’s site sells itself alot better due to all the images etc. The-Area is cool but thats a separate community…
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