Some ZBrush work

[bmh216]

Mentat7,
I love your work and you are obviously very talented. I have often wondered about ZBrush. I did the demo thing and have worked with the slightly ungainly (IMHO) interface. The main thing that put me off of the app was the fact that you cannot make true 3D objects. Sure, they are excellent representations of 3D objects, but isn't it necessary to "freeze" the object before you texture, light, etc.? I am honestly asking, because that is the impression I got from the demo.

I love 3D because once I've created a model/scene, I can use countless camera angles, camera "lenses", F-stops, Depth of Field, Lighting solutions, etc. I can animate any of the above in real-time, seeing the results almost instantly. I found this to be lacking in ZBrush. Am I wrong? Again, I honestly question, because I have seen some excellent work done in this app (yours included) and for the price, it seems almost "too good to be true".

I know your NDA does not allow you to discuss the next release in much detail, but are they moving towards true polygon-based modelling? I find this a necessary element in any 3D app. Yeah, NURBS are nice (true NURBS, as in Rhino), but it all gets turned into 3-sided polys in the render engine. Will ZBrush begin to become a true 3D modeller? Because the Z-Spheres method of modelling looks fascinating!

Just looking for info and including my $.02

Brett

[Mentat7]

Hi Brett,

I will attempt to answer your questions. If you have further inquiries please feel free to ask!

First off the interface has been redesigned in 1.5 and that's all I can say about that.

Second a 3D object is a 3D object just like you would find in any other 3D application. ZBrush objects can have materials applied (from a large selection of easily modified materials supplied with the software) and they may also have textures (.bmp or .psd image maps) You can choose to texture your 3D object either manually or by exporting the UV map and using a paint program. When texturing within ZBrush it is normal to "drop" the 3D object so that ZBrush's large arsenal of paint tools can be utilized to apply a very nice texture. There are built in routines to "pick" the 3D object back up with texture in tact. TextureMaster is a free ZScript utility that makes this process nearly painless (and very fast). Once you have modeled your object, applied a material, and textured you can save it as a native ZTool which can be loaded during any session and edited, used, etc. or you can export it as a .dxf or .obj for use in other 3D apps.

Third, ther are no camera angles in ZBrush so in that instance it is not like your standard 3D apps. If you wish to create a different viewpoint within the scene you will have to rebuild it. This can be expedited through the use of markers which are points of reference that can be laid down within the document that will recall a tool's size, material, color and other properties.

Fourth, since there are no camera angles lighting is always from the front half of a 360% sphere. What I mean by that is you can't move the lights physically behind the scene (but you can move them anywhere 360 degrees in front of the scene) although you can through a selection cause the light to become a backlight.

Fifth, for the most part the rendering is done after you are finished editing the objects. At this point they are "snapshotted" into the workspace. They lose their true 3D attributes but they retain Z depth. This is what allows the render engine to render a 3D scene at very fast speeds. As I pointed out earlier just because you snapshot the object into the scene doesn't mean it is no longer useable. The tool will remain active on the tool pallet and you can reload it from your hard drive too as long as you saved it.


Sixth, ZBrush does not do animation....yet. Perhaps in another version down the road.

Seventh, I am not sure what you mean by "true" polygon-based modeling as I have seen at least three different methods for this amongst various apps. ZBrush deals mainly with polymesh divided surfaces. They are not built polygon by polygon or via any type of extrusion process. The best analogy I can give is that it is like working with clay. You create a basic form then begin moving, cutting, adding, and otherwise editing the mesh like you would a clay model. Zbrush contains many tools for doing this. It also has a number of built in deformations commands that can help build shapes.

Eighth, I think when you say "true 3d modeler" that perhaps you should qualify that statement. If you are wanting to create a 3D model, texture it, bone it, rig it, animate it then ZBrush can't do all of that. If you are wanting to create 3D art then ZBrush would be an excellent tool. And it's fast. I can create a complete 3D picture (or model) in just a few hours. From start to finished render. If you are wanting a 3D app capable of producing exacting mechanical models then ZBrush probably isn't what you are looking for. If you are wanting to create life-like organic models then I believe ZBrush is unparalleled in that arena.

Ninth, Zbrush is a great and inexpensive alternative to DeepPaint3D for example for use in texturing models. Especially with the improvements in 1.5

Tenth, the ZSpheres are wicked wicked wicked and very versatile. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]

If you have additional questions fire away! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

You are welcome to view more of my ZBrush work at my Renderosity Gallery

[bmh216]

Thank you for your prompt and obviously well-informed replies. As I said, I have seen great work done in ZBrush, and the "modelling" methods intrigue me. I am a somewhat frustrated organic modeller in the 3D app that I own (Lightwave) and am always interested in getting the objects in my mind onto the monitor. That Z-Spheres thing looks incredible. I will have to wait for the release, and eventual demo to give it a shot.

Thanks again,
Brett

[Ross Macintosh]

It is my understanding that another moderator may have deleted a posting from this thread. I just came by to see what was up. I found another inappropriate posting & deleted it. I also deleted the two postings that followed it and made comments about it and not about the thread topic.

Regards, Ross