~~creature~~modelling test for animation....

[baker17]

this is a creature i built for a modelling process test, using Zbrush and Silo...i first sculpted the concept out of a sphere, then imported the mesh into silo, and quickly generated topology using the topology brush, and then back in to ZB to continue on displacement... im going to finish this character later, and render in maya, using displacement maps, as this model will be animated, and is a little already, but this so far, was for my methodology paper, and if anyone would like to hear more on the process im talking about let me know... hope you like so far...

displacement.jpg

[kaibosh]

Wow, that looks great. You could take that some really good places. Keep going and show us the results.

[baker17]

thanks kaibosh.

i should have a rendered animation test soon....
but gonna texture this character, and create colour maps and a full body too... just bogged down with work at the moment too....
but he will be in my final for the year end at UNI.
here's with a skin shader in ZB.

shaded.jpg

[Nemoid]

Really nice alien ! could we see the wires you built in Silo for it? this would clear a bit the process.

[Daemon3d]

a new version of alien gladiator. :lol:
btw, good start

[mathieu77]

Awsome modeling!!!:tu:

[Jason Belec]

Very nice alien head. Great emotion. ;)

[watteville]

when you move a model from ZB to silo with let's say 2 mio polys, i understand that you can reduce the amount of polys in silo with the topology brush.
my question is: with how many polys do you keep the details in order to move to max or maya?

thanks for showing the model, really nice!!

[gega74]

VEry good alien! :tu:

[rookie-z]

howdy baker17,


I'd like to hear more on the process you've got from Z-brush to Silo and back.
For instance, at what point are you re-topologizing?...once you've got form
and landmarks (like eyelids, nostrils, lips, etc.)? Guess I'm not sure why you
start in Z and then go to Topo brush then back for detail. Why not just Silo
then Z?

Kind regards,

rookie-z

[matasorapit]

Nice result. Thats a great looking alien.

Off topic, what is Silo like to use. I have heard so much about it but dont know anyone who has it.

[baker17]

Hi everyone...
thanks for all the compliments!

to answer a few questions, i will be putting the process into a step by step format, so you can see what i have done. its basically taking the model from a concept Z sculpture to a functional high-detailed mesh, in a short period of time, but still retaining high quality... and as little point editing as possible! keeping ZB in the front runner for the entire process.

the concept was from scott spencer which i read on HighEnd3D web site... and this is a process that works for me, and is proving to work well....
more progress soon...and i will post the step by step ASAP.

matasorapit- where in NZ you from? im in palmy at the moment,... studying at wanganui. Silo is an outstatnding piece of modelling software, and literally has the best of all the modelling tools available on one prpgramme for a rediculously cheap price. i think its somethin every ZB user should be with...

watteville- i generally export the mesh to maya at SubD level 1, and use a displacement map to get the ZB detail at render time... scott spencer has an awsome tutorial on this in the tutorial section here.

[baker17]

been a while since i worked on this guy... i will be using him for my honours thesis... im building accesories for him... he will have a dress like robe, a staff, and a nice throw... building them all in SILO, and posing in maya.. will have more of the garments on him soon.

if anyone is still interested in the process for the head..from ZB-SILO-ZB again... let me know.

creature.jpg

[keron]

Really like it!! :tu:
And YES!...I let you know that I'm interest!
:D
Keron

[dragon-g]

Nice! In deed! I like the bone which is seen on da top of da head!

[baker17]

ok... so here is a rough process guide that i used.

firstly... i created a really fast concept model... starting with a sphere, although you could use Z-spheres to start depending how detailed you would like the concept. this tool all but 20 mins. really rough.

Sculpting_stage1.jpg

once im happy with the general shape, i take that into Silo, in OBJ format, and beging to use the topology brush, to create a more functional topology. some other tools might be needed to fix certain areas as well.

rework_topology.jpg

once im happy with the mesh i took it back into ZB and started tuning in on the detail...

resculpt.jpg

once happy with enough detail...(even though im still working on skin detail, this was for a test) i generated a displacement map for the mesh below, and rand a little animation test... also seen below.

low_poly.jpg

stills from animated model (MAYA)

Animation_test.jpg

all in all, the model took hardly any time at all to create, and keeping ZB at the front of the modelling process allows for more artistic freedom, and less point editing... there is definitly a million ways to go about this... this is just what works for me. but i think silo is definitly a programme every modeller should have... works really great with ZB.

will post more updates on this guy ASAP.

happy modelling :)

[keron]

Many thanx to you Baker17!
Keron.

[ashaiad]

Baker17 >>> I dont really use SILO so this might be very basic Q

after you correct the toplogy >> you made a ne model...dosn't that conflict with the CV order if you try to bring it back to Zbrush
can you illustrate more on that plz
thanks

[baker17]

Thanks guys...

ashaiad - i dont do any UV setup on the concept model at all... once i have the new mesh, i normally then would take the model into maya and do a UV unwrap there, or use ZB's AUV or GUV to generate the maps with. in this case i have use ZB's UV capabilities.

[ashaiad]

becker >> I was talking about CV not UV :)
I sould of said vertix rather than CV (sorry I was thinking nurbs..)

for example if you try to import an OBJ file to Zbrush Tool , it has to have the same number of vertices otherwise it will conflict with the model

unless you bring that model again in Zbrush as if it's new tool and start again detailing

[baker17]

forgive me man.. been working too much lately! ha ha.. need a serious vacation. lol

for this model.. yea i imported it as a new tool... the amount of time it takes to get the new mesh detailed even better than the concept is not much at all... as you know where you are going. generally for my human characters, i have base meshes male and female that i use for all human forms... so yea... the new mesh is imported as a completely new tool.

[ashaiad]

good stuff m8

cant wait for the animation

[rookie-z]

thanks for taking the time to document your process, baker17.

Your way makes sense...I wasn't sure at what point you were leaving
Z then going to Silo. If I understand your process, you're using Z to
block in your major forms (instead of what can sometimes be considered
"fussy" Zspheres), then following those forms with the topology brush in Silo,
THEN getting serious about your details back in Z with "nicer" topology.

Personally, I can't wait to get my cookie-hooks on Silo 2 beta to see if it's
possible to kinda cut thru this program shuffle. ;)

Thanks again for the write-up and screenies.

cheers.

rookie-z

[morph106]

hey baker

really like the workflow your using. ive adopted the same kind of workflow between maya and zbrush. are you planning to animate between displacement maps in maya or just stick to the one generated map?

good luck dude