Zsphere retopology stuck under model

#1

Hey everyone,

I was doing some retopology using the zsphere method, and had to stop half way through, so I saved my model as a tool and exited. When I came back to it, the lines I placed are still there, but they are no longer sitting on top of the sculpt, but instead under it. I’m really new to Zbrush so I’m not sure how to snap it back into the correct place (besides moving every single point at a time, and even that would be a challenge because I can’t see them under the mesh). Any advice as to why this happened, and a way to fix it?

While I’ve got a topic, a quick workflow question. My goal is to eventually animate the models I make in Zbrush for games/animation. If I do my retopology in Zbrush, but then do some additional cleaning up (adding additional edge loops for better rigging, etc) in Maya, will that cause any issues with placing my bump maps (or anything else) due to the geometry changing? As I said, I’m really new to this.

Thanks in advance!

#2

let me save you time and a headache, use zbrush QRemesher

#3

That feature does seem pretty awesome, thank you for informing me about it. However I tried it on the face I modeled, and it doesn’t seem to do very well with edge loops for animation. Is the best next step to then take it into Maya and correct these areas? Or should I just be sure to do the face manually (and leave Qremesher for the rest of the character)?

I should note I made the face entirely with Dynamesh, would QRemesher do better with the edge loops if I had originally made the base head in Maya instead?

Thanks for the help so far, I’m just trying to figure out the best workflow for making a character ready to animate. Any further tips are appreciated!

#4

i can not see what your doing or what your problems are because you dont post no screen shot.
far as i can guess, if one part works good with qremesher and the other doesn’t
then do partial QRemesh http://www.pixologic.com/docs/index.php/Partial_Mesh_Retopology

hide the part and set poly target count to half is what i think you want, cant see with out a screen wireframe shot.

far as your model not aligning try tool>deformation> unify

#5

I will post a picture then. Keep in mind I am very new to all of this so I’m not claiming to be an expert; rather I am trying to get tips on how to do this all properly, and I’m hoping this picture will make what I’m asking more clear.

The face on the left is a quick one I made entirely with Dynamesh and then used QRemesher as you suggested. The topology is clean and awesome, but it also goes against everything I’ve ever heard about modeling a face for animation. Every class, book, and even the workshop on cgsociety told me to make it more like I drew it on the right side in red. Where it wraps around the mouth, to allow for better creasing when the lips move.

That is why I was originally doing it by hand with the ZSpheres, and why I’m asking what the best method would be to still achieve that using QRemesher. Or should I stick to ZSpheres?

OR, does that topology I drew in red not even matter? Will the equal topology made from QRemesher work just fine for animation? Again, I’m just learning all this so I’m just trying to collect everything I’ve learned and make sense of it.

Sorry again if what I’m asking is confusing, and I appreciate all your advice so far! Thanks again!

#6

use QRemesher Guide brush, its located in the brush pallet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRSZ8lO15_8

http://www.pixologic.com/docs/index.php/Working_with_QRemesher

with QRemesher Guide you can direct the flow of edges like your trying on your image on the right

#7

That does look like what I need, I will give that a try! Thanks for all this help! Much appreciated!
As a side note, I do find it interesting that at the end of the video you posted, the instructor still mentions needing to use the Zspheres for specific geometry, despite how useful this QRemsher Guide Brush looks to be. I guess different tools for different tasks, I’ll give them all a try. Thanks agaiN!

#8

for what your doing use the QRemesher
dont worry about the video where hes taking snap shots all over the place,
just draw out your QRemesher Guide
then turn auto mask on,
if your model is symmetrical then turn symerty on then adjust your curve stiffness slider then QRemesher it.
easy as 1,2,3
most of the time you dont need to adjust your curve stiffness slider.

with auto mask on and your not getting the results then UNDO and mask the area’s that are causing a problem, most problems will ac-cure in the high detail area’s or thin area’s like ears and toes and fingers,
these area’s may need to be masked before QRemesher it, leave auto mask on if your still adding your own mask.

QRemesher it when your all done modeling it.

at the end of the video you watched is not what you want if your a newbie
its very time consuming and you have to some what know what your doing,
in other words you will end up doing it by hand and it takes a while
and for what your doing use the QRemesher.
QRemesher is new and is design to do the work for you so you dont have to do it all by hand.

in other words dont try putting a car together with a wrench and pliers when you have Air tools.
QRemesher is your Air tool :bowdown:

#9

Thanks so much for all the info! It’s really been helping me, I’ve been working pretty non stop with Zbrush the last few days and I think I’m finally getting the hang of it.

Since you’ve been so helpful and since I already have this topic open, mind if I ask 2 more questions?

  1. When I attempt to model using Zpsheres/Adaptive Skin, sometimes when I try to build geometry with clay/buildup/inflate/etc it instead collapses my model and/or puts holes in it (and no, I’m not accidently using Zsub). Do I need to increase the size of my zspheres before I do adaptive skin? Though how would I do smaller stuff like fingers then?

  2. Is there a way to bring an object in while using Dynamesh (such as spheres for eyeballs) without having it fuse into the model when I swipe control to get more detail? Would it just be best to bring stuff like eyeballs in as seperate sub tools?

Thanks again!

#10

i dont fully understand your question but if you Zpshere>convert to Adaptive Skin
you cant go back, so in other words dont save it as a Adaptive Skin> SAVE as a Zsphere
save as ZBrushProject.ZPR threw FILE >SAVE AS >ZBrushProject.ZPR
even know its a Zsphere you can still use brushes like clay build up when its in Zsphere mode( the letter A)
You will have more options as saving it as a Zsphere rather then saving it as a Adaptive Skin,
in other words dont save as a Adaptive Skin, just save it as a Zsphere

#11

Hello,

Thank you for the reply, sorry I am not very good at explaining what I mean. Here, I’ll use pictures again:

  1. This was done with Zspheres turned into adaptive mesh. I used the clay buildup brush. As you can see, it worked fine on the upper part, but below that it started to deform the mesh. I was still using Add (and not Sub) and yet it pushed the model inward and distorted it. Any ideas?

  2. For my second question I dont really have a pic to show, rather just to again say anytime I see people speedsculpt, they add the eyes with Insert Sphere and then are somehow able to model around them, and I was wondering how they achieve being able to modify an inserted object without it combining with the dynamesh of the main object.

Thanks!

#12

1 i think this maybe your problem not real sure
http://www.zbrushcentral.com/showthread.php?168517-1-button-click-to-a-better-life-sculpting!

2 in dynmamesh turn Group on

#13

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