Three Questions For You

[Kevin]

I was wondering what you generally set the HDiv and VDiv (I think that's what they're called) when you're modeling a head with a sphere?

I was also wondering if it is possible to apply a material without having it apply to everything. Do you have to do that with a mask?

Looking through the tutorials, I see that a lot of people model a character in parts. I was wondering how you model each part so that when you put it together they fit together. If you do them one at a time, it seems like might for example - make the neck on the head larger than the neck on the body where they're going to attach. I hope it's clear what I'm asking. Another example would be modeling a hand and a forearm. If you model them separately, where they join might not match. I just can't picture how you do this.

And thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge. You guys are all so great.

Kevin

[aurick]

1) For the initial modeling, you usually want to start with the default setting and then increase the mesh when and where you need it. Follow the instructions in this tutorial (http://www.pixolator.com/zbc-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=000276) to get you started.

2) Every object MUST have at least one color and material. You can, however, add more than one. To do this, turn on MRGB and ZADD in the Draw Palette, then in the Color Palette click Fill Object. This will fill the object with both the currently selected material and color, allowing you to start adding more. (If you have M or RGB on in the Draw palette, then that is all that will be filled. The other will remain live.) Next, you can use masking to mask the areas that you want to keep the current color/material (or the areas that you want to change, followed by Tool>Modifiers>Selection>Invert). Now when you use draw mode, or even Fill Object again, it will only operate on the unmasked areas.

3) With modeling multiple parts, you first want to model each one, generally bearing in mind how they will fit together. Save each part as a separate tool as you complete it. Next, start joining them together by drawing and placing one, then place a marker. Then draw the next one and edit it as you need to in order to make a pretty good fit. Place another marker, then move on to the next. Try to place each object on a separate layer, initially. The reason that you keep placing markers is that it allows you to clear a layer or erase an object and then use the marker to bring it back in editable form. Only when you have all of them positioned and sized the way you want will you start merging your layers (again, be sure that ZADD and MRGBZ are on in the Draw palette). Finally, when all the layers are merged, I normally start using the smudge brush and the like to hide any remaining seams. If need be, you can also bake the layer before using some of the other brushes. Just bear in mind that when you do, all materials become permanently changed into the Flat Color material and future changes to the material properties will no longer work.

Hope that gives you some good directions to go in!

[robotalk]

Kevin---I know nothing !!! the above wisdom is what you should follow --but I frankensteined this "New Secretary" for you out of stuff for the fun of --make it--plop it in place--er that is for cartoony stuff--oh yeah, her dress is just the 'hair' over again in a different texture--this was fun to do-- http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1005620936adp.jpg

[Kevin]

Robo - I hope that's right. I can't see the other messages while I'm in this screen. Anyway, I was wondering if you might share with me what you started with to make each piece of your model. You know, like were the lips made from a cylinder, a sphere or something else?

I was also wondering about these issues, if anyone has time or the patience to answer:

How do I paint with an air brush type application? In either the textureEditor or the basic area. I've tried adjusting various things, but I haven't figured out the magic combination yet. I want to apply a basic color and then add some detail.

I have also been playing around with the tutorials in the ZBrush academy and I painted some eye textures without any problem. Then I retrieved the head of a turtle that I had modeled in ZBrush and exported as an obj file. I positioned it and snapshotted it, then I added an eyeball and snapshotted it as well. But how do I get rid of the 3d sphere that's still floating? I seem to be able to drop a model plenty of times when I don't want to, but just let me want to, and it's impossible. And maybe that's what caused the problem I was seeing next. Anyway, I tried to add the iris and pupil etc the same way I had in the tutorial, but I couldn't seem to paint on the eyeball. I would see the red ring of dots, but I couldn't bring them together into a point and then move outward to paint the iris. I could see in the previews on the right side of my screen that color was going around the back of the sphere, but not on the front where I wanted it. Is it because I don't have the axis lined up properly or is it because the original eyeball is floating in edit mode over the eyeball I pasted? Or is it something else?

Thanks,
Kevin