Ken Brilliant Lesson 5 -- MultipleMarker Skinning

[aurick]

KenB.jpg

This fifth tutorial by Ken Brilliant illustrates how to begin a modeling session using 3D primitives that are combined using the MultipleMarker tool. This polymesh is then reskinned to create a new, custom primitive that you can easily refine into a completed model.

This technique goes hand in hand with the ZSphere method described in Lesson 4. Use either one depending on your needs to create your own "not-so-primitives" and avoid those deadly stretched polygons!

:b2: :b3: :b4: Click Here to Download the PDF (634 KB) (http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/ZBC/MultipleMarkerSkinning.zip) :b4: :b3: :b2:
Note: You must have Acrobat Reader installed to be able to view the tutorial after unzipping it.

Thank you, Ken!

In addition, we're issuing a challenge to all ZBrush members:

Use the techniques shown in this tutorial to create your own model using the MultipleMarker tool and Unified skinning. Post your images as a "before and after" by showing three images:

<UL TYPE=SQUARE><LI>The pieces that will be combined
<LI>The polymesh object
<LI>The final image
[/list]We look forward to seeing your results!

<hr width=75% align=center>

Other tutorials in this series:

:b2: The Octopus (http://www.pixolator.com/zbc-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=008869)
:b2: The Cactus (http://www.pixolator.com/zbc-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=008975)
:b2: Membrane Curvature (http://www.pixolator.com/zbc-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=009010)
:b2: Unified Skinning (http://www.pixolator.com/zbc-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=009063)
:b2: Hard-Edged ZSpheres (http://www.pixolator.com/zbc-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=009191)
:b2: Stylized Illustration (http://www.pixolator.com/zbc-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=009287)
:b2: UV Mapping (http://www.pixolator.com/zbc-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=009571)
:b2: Transferring Textures (http://www.pixolator.com/zbc-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=009708)
:b2: Compositing (http://www.pixolator.com/zbc-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=010310)

[Mr Z]

Thanks Ken and Aurick for this, to be honest, I didn't have much use for the multimarker tool...until now! :)

Thanks again guys for all the hard work and effort, we here at Zbrush Central really do appreciate it!

- Shaun

[Mahlikus The Black]

Just something simple.

Femalien (WIP)

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1038273881sst.jpg

[Northstarr]

Oh nuts! I just finished doing one of these but I neglected to save all the parts! I have most of them, except the robe. Guess I could do it again. :rolleyes:

[visionary]

Meet Pete the Pelican.

The feathers were made by masking u-like shapes, inverting mask, increasing x,y,z size and applying gravity.

Thanks Ken for yet more inspirational material.

Visionary :D http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1038287516nue.jpg

[Nemo]

Just wanted to say thanks.

These lessons finally assemble many pieces (literally) and loose ends. Now all comes together to serve the purpose of creating complex meshes, with the benefit of evenly distributed polygons.
I cant tell you how many lights began flashing in my head reading your tutorials :)

Please never stop assembling these most valuable lessons :tu:

kudos kudos kudos

[DeeVee]

Great work as always. I hope these lessons will be included in a book of some kind in the not too distant future!

[The Namek]

thanks for the tutorial , I'm sure I'll have use for this. I never tried it before , but i'm going to experiment with it.

[boozy floozie]

Never realised that a polymesh object could be unified. Thanks Ken & thanks Aurick for the tutorial.
My quick kitty doodle containing 1 sphere head, 1 sphere nose, 2 spheres kitty ckeeks, 1 sphere kitty chin, 2 ear shapes. http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1038333863zqh.jpg

[Denture Cream]

With Userdelta supplying his SpinShift vidoes last week for Lightwave users, and this ZBrush tutorial by Ken B., working in 3D has become much more fun. Thank you for your generosity.

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1038342016xlu.jpg

How did you figure this out? I'd heard meshes could be unified to form a smooth skin, but never tried turning on TOOL, DRAW, POSITION, SHOW, and NORMAL in the marker panel. Your extensive knowledge of ZBrush is enviable (and suspicious), Mr. B :) .

This is by far the best ZBrush modeling tip I've seen. Makes modeling much more enjoyable, and closer to my favorite form of image assembly: 2d vectors.

My hope for the next Ken B. tutorial: Texturing a complex mesh with Texture Master.

Thanks also to Aurick, Pixolator, and everyone else on the Pixologic team for bringing Ken's tutorials to punks like me :D . They are a valuable part of the ZBrush experience! More more more!

<font color="#949494" size="1"> November 26, 2002 Message edited by: Denture Cream </font>

<font color="#949494" size="1"> November 26, 2002 Message edited by: Denture Cream </font>

[filament9]

I did try out the ZSphere tutorial, with dismal results. Then I tried this one. Works very well. My thanks to Ken and aurick for taking the time.

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1038353820sib.jpg

[Northstarr]

Here is my contribution, I redid a project that I had already completed before this challenge. I actually like this one better.

AZASPHORE KING

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1038363314nnr.jpg

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1038363381bgl.jpg

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1038363427yso.jpg

:b2: :b1: :b2:

[PusGhetty]

Thanks for hosting these Matthew!
Another very cool challenge and thanks again for sharing your techniques Ken... I really like the creative flow of this technique! You could feasably create all sorts of great characters in no time... I can foresee many ways in which this technique could be used to create even more elaborate characters!
Valuable stuff!
Here's my entry:
http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1038442801adc.jpg

[Puffin]

Ok once I figured it out this made a lot of sense. Very good technique to flesh out the structure of the character. IMO a bit easier to then zspheres. Thanks for the tip.

This is a test model I made using the technique. Didn't take long at all to get the basic structure down and really got into the fun stuff of adding detail very quickly without having to worry about the mesh resolution. I didn't save any of the pieces that comprised the head but basically it is comprised of head snout/mouth area, and eye (area).

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1038507688kxy.jpg

[milk]

I have all my pieces, but you need to be more descriptive for the newbies like me :) When you say "Make sure you have Tool, Draw, Position, Show, and Normal turned on in the Marker Menu" Could you please tell me what the Marker Menu IS? Also, I cannot find the Make Poly Mesh button you speak of. And how to I MAKE a Multi-Marker object? I have all my pieces where I want them, but now what do I do. I pressed the Make Unified Mesh, after skipping a few of the steps I could not figure out, and it did nothing? Please help! I believe this method will make ZB much easier for me. :)

[milk]

Ok, found the Marker panel and the buttons. Time to put all the pieces back together.. again!..and try to find the Make Poly Mesh button. :(

[Mossotti]

Man alive....I just want to express my gratitude here....ZBrush Central moderators and the rest of you are awesome at giving feedback which enables me to continue working....Sappy yes but true...everytime i come across a problem there is sooo much info on this forum that i rarely lose too much time trying to figure things out....In this case have used the multimarkers before but this is incredible...Thanks Ken and Aurick.....:tu:

[ThesisBoy]

Hello Aurick, tried to Download the PDF file but the link is dead? Can you please repost it? Thanks:tu:

[Frenchy Pilou]

Just wait 5 second :)
618 kb
Pilou

[Bas Mazur]

There are a lot of dusty holes in ZB. Sometimes someone cleanes it up :tu:

[ugroove]

Thank you aurick and Ken, ive been wanting to learn this stuff for some time now. Thanks for this tutorial, it will really help a lot, especially for us newbies. Im already downloading the PDF now.

[beyond6699]

hey i want to learn it but i cannot download the pdf could you send all Ken Brilliant Lesson to my email ?
my email is 42522672@qq.com thank you very much .....
sorry for my poor english and my poor modem