Wings3D>Zbrush2... Dragon WIP...

[gidgit]

Ok, finally got ZBrush 2 back up and running... and wow, had some time last night to play around some, and did I ever fall in like with this app....

Holy moly, put a boxy organic model into ZB and then move some stuff around, and paint on some more geom, and, and, wowie, is this ever a relaxing app to use... just like sculpting... really... cool...

now then, I am wondering Mike, if you would care to share a tut or two on just how to go about putting on some paint to this dragon, while still enabling things to be 3d edited...

any tips or tricks spelled out the way you do your tuts would be more than just cool

and hey, don't laugh at this meager critter... it's only the begining eh

[randyrives]

Cool dragon! I have the upgrade to Zbrush2 but haven't even tried it out yet.

[Mike Bailey]

Cool model Gidgit, here is a brief example of using ZBrush2 Projection master to texture map a model.
Please excuse the sloppy painting in this example.


1. Finish modeling then assign a UV mapping mode in ZBrush or use a external application.
For this demo I will be using ZBrush adaptive UV tiles. You will find the UV settings in the tool palette under texture.

2.Draw the model onto the canvas and position it to begin the painting.

3. Click on the projection master Icon or press G (shortcut key) on the keyboard. You have some options to select, Just select color and drop the model. Zbrush will ask create texture map and continue? Click to accept. ZB places a new blank texture map in the texture palette.

4. The model is dropped onto the canvas and you can begin painting with any of the tools brushes etc... in the tool palette, use any alpha, stroke type, color, materials. You should take some time to familiarize yourself with 2D painting in ZBrush.

When you have painted all parts of the model from this view, press G to pick the model up bringing it back into 3D edit mode, reposition and drop the model as many times as needed to complete the paint job.

When you are finished, save the new texture map to disk.

In this example I have exported the model as an obj file and I exported the texture map to be used in poser.

To use the map in Poser I will have to flip it verticaly to correct the orientation. If using your map in another application and it doesn't work try flipping it verticaly. Also the models poly count will effect the details, Higher poly counts yield better results when using AUV tiles.

Happy texturing.

[Mike Bailey]

[Mike Bailey]

If you have any questions feel free to ask

[gidgit]

@ Randy... hiya Randy, good to see ya

Thanks, and oh boyo, are you ever in for a treat with ZB2... though I really don't know that much about it myself as I just got started in fooling around with it, I can say that it is so cool to work with... a bit left field when it comes to expecting a more traditional workflow perhaps, but wow on all the new goodies, and just how this new version feels... very stable, and so relaxing to work in once ya get over the new changes in UI...

Here for example, I took the boxy version of the dragon model, and smoother it once within Wings3d before exporting, just to give more geom for ZBrush, which btw, handle heavy geom with ease...

Tools> Import .ojb file into ZB, and then once dragging on the canvas to "draw" this new file,

I went into Tools> and hit Edit so as to enable 3d work like mode...

then I hit "frame" icon to gain the shaded wire mode...

then I clicked on the little >x< button to gain symmetry..

Now you add more geom by staying in edit mode and hitting "draw" icon and painting right on the model... you change the size of your brush to allow for more detail, or more volume...

and When ya just want to tweak areas, you would hit the "Move" icon and then same same, sizing your brush will aloow for more or less area to be affected... like one cool magnet tool

Ya might want to go into Tool> Geometry and hit the subdivide once or twice to gain more mesh to work with for such tweaking...

and that's as far as I have gotten, and I had a blast just working with these few tools...

Oh, and be sure to go up into Prefs>Mem and dial up the undo's and such for the options within said expanded menu...

Oh, and once you have a model all brushed out nice like, go into Documents>save as... and be sure to save the tool as well as the document... the document will open back up frozen to the canvas, the tool will open via Tool>load tool, as your 3d ready model... just hit edit and gooooo...

Have fun Randy



@ Mike....hey wow, the "press G" was going to be the next question and you already covered it Mike... so cool of you to do this for us noobs

Geez, you make it look so simple I like the examlpes, like wow, just like that...

Hey, about these UV's, Mike... so I model some creature such as the dragon I did, and take it into ZBrush and microploy the heck out of it, and thus end up with a pretty high mesh count... now I paint as per your instructions here, and save the UV map.... now, can I open up a presaved lower poly version of that model within C4D CE, and then apply the highpoly UV to this?

Any tip's and tricks would be so cool Mike... This UV stuff is the next step in 3D for me to learn, and man, it's great to have someone with your ZB knowledge to assist us in this...

and thank you very very much for this work you have done on this [thumbs up] This is rock'n

Keep it coming man, keep it coming

[Mike Bailey]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> I open up a presaved lower poly version of that model within C4D CE, and then apply the highpoly UV to this? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

No Gidgit, the UV map is for the model as is, if you change the poly count after making the map it won't fit on the model anymore.

If you want to add tons of geometry in ZBrush to use in C4D, then you create a displacement map, the controls are in the Tool palette under displacement, apply this to the material of a low poly model in C4D by checking the displacement box in the attributes manager for the material. Load the map in the displacement channel and it will alter the geometry at render time.

I prefer to stay in ZBrush with hi res models.
Once you get the hang of moving around in 3D on the canvas you will be suprised at how easy it is to develop images that would crash and burn your computer using any other software.

Tip: use layers to keep things separated, then you can correct mistakes without destroying the other parts of your image.

Tip: Painting strokes, when you make a stroke its editable, you can move, scale and rotate the brush stroke until you make another stroke. This works in projection master as well when painting or altering geometry via deformation, cool to the max.

Tip: I find it very difficult to model with my tablets pressure sensing turned on, in the preferences palette under tablet, turn off use tablet. I have this set as a default. I am much happier.

Tip: In the transform palette, use the brush strokes, std, std dot, inflate, inflate dot and smooth with tablet pressure off you will have precise control over sculpting geometry.
Use pinch to sharpen creases.

[gidgit]

Hey Mike... yea, that's just the info I was after... Displacement mapping

Though I will admit that I really like how ZBrush handles such high poly counts, and believe you me, that with my little machine this is totaly rock'n, however I really want to learn just what to do in each app as I think that C4D is such a dream rending app... not to mention for someday further along, understanding this process for animation purposes...

When you bring up layers, uh, doesn't this freeze the object to the canvas... so does ZB remember just where and how everything is, and then you just keep opening up said model as new tool option?

Hey, I must try out the tips on paint strokes... sounds so cool... man there is sure alot to this app

Thanks Mike... keep the tips a com'n... I hope others are getting as much from this as I am... [thumbs up]

[Mike Bailey]

Layers keep your objects separated, once you change tools the model is converted to pixols and can't be edited as a 3D object any longer, the actual model remains in the tool palette, if you use separate layers you can erase mistakes or edit in 2.5D without effecting the pixols on another layer.
A models Z position is controled by moving your cursor up and down anywhere on the canvas outside the gyro while in move mode.
You can see what happens in real time if you have 2 models overlapping then move the editable models Z position. Layers have no effect on the Z position of a model while in edit mode. They serve to isolate the pixols by layer.

[randyrives]

ZBrush looks and sounds cool. I hope things calm down a little for me, so I can play with it.