Stargo
03-19-02, 10:50 AM
With this small Tutorial, I want to explain to you my technique to create water with
ZBrush.
To follow this tutorial, you will need a Terrain/Landscape Ztool and a nice looking
background.
If you want, you can download the scene file I used for making this Tutorial from here :
water scene (http://juergenkilp.com/downloads/downloads/water.rar)
You can read here about how you can produce your own Terrain:
AlphaCentury ( [url="http://www.pixolator.com/zbc-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=001312")]
I don't know whether Demo users can use this tutorial or not :(
If this tutorial doesn't work with the Demo version, please send me a message and I will
try to find a way to come up with something comparable with the Demo :)
Well, let us start now :
First, do you know how the big rendering programs like 3D Studio Max or Maya can fake reflections if you don't want to use Raytracing ?
They uses parts of the pictures they are supposed to render to make a so called
'Reflection map'.
With ZBrush you can do the same by hand ;)
If you start the downloaded scene file, you can see the Terrain and the Background in the
picture below
http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1016562780gpw.jpg
We need a plane for the water, now.
As you can see in the layer panel, there is a second layer with a plane for the water.
We now need a part of the Terrain and the Background to fake the water reflection,
therefore we have to render the Terrain and Background without the water plane first.
Then we have to use the MRGBZGrabber tool, as in the picture below, to take a part of
the picture out.
http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1016562941rpu.jpg
NOTE: Shaded-RGB and AutoCrop must be activated in the tool modifiers.
Then we have to go to the Texture panel to flip vertically the part of the picture we have taken out.
http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1016563149mkc.jpg
After that, we have to go to the Render Environment settings.
Change the settings to the following values:
TXTR : On
REPEAT: 5
FIELD OF VIEW: 180
Click on the Environment Texture Icon to choose the picture, as in the picture below
http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1016563313jqa.jpg
http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1016563362dpn.jpg
Then we go to the Render modifiers and turn off "Flatten layers" and to the Material panel to choose the water material.
Change the Env. Reflection to 80 and the Transparency to 55.
Now we can render the picture.
NOTE: Since you have deactivated 'Flatten layers' in the Render modifiers, you have to
render each of the layers by hand.
The finished rendering should look like the picture below ;)
http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1016563586lhi.jpg
Different cut outs of the picture produces different results:
http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1016564379qjx.jpg
That's all :))
If you have any problems with the tutorial, please send my a message.
Have a nice day
stargo
ZBrush.
To follow this tutorial, you will need a Terrain/Landscape Ztool and a nice looking
background.
If you want, you can download the scene file I used for making this Tutorial from here :
water scene (http://juergenkilp.com/downloads/downloads/water.rar)
You can read here about how you can produce your own Terrain:
AlphaCentury ( [url="http://www.pixolator.com/zbc-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=001312")]
I don't know whether Demo users can use this tutorial or not :(
If this tutorial doesn't work with the Demo version, please send me a message and I will
try to find a way to come up with something comparable with the Demo :)
Well, let us start now :
First, do you know how the big rendering programs like 3D Studio Max or Maya can fake reflections if you don't want to use Raytracing ?
They uses parts of the pictures they are supposed to render to make a so called
'Reflection map'.
With ZBrush you can do the same by hand ;)
If you start the downloaded scene file, you can see the Terrain and the Background in the
picture below
http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1016562780gpw.jpg
We need a plane for the water, now.
As you can see in the layer panel, there is a second layer with a plane for the water.
We now need a part of the Terrain and the Background to fake the water reflection,
therefore we have to render the Terrain and Background without the water plane first.
Then we have to use the MRGBZGrabber tool, as in the picture below, to take a part of
the picture out.
http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1016562941rpu.jpg
NOTE: Shaded-RGB and AutoCrop must be activated in the tool modifiers.
Then we have to go to the Texture panel to flip vertically the part of the picture we have taken out.
http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1016563149mkc.jpg
After that, we have to go to the Render Environment settings.
Change the settings to the following values:
TXTR : On
REPEAT: 5
FIELD OF VIEW: 180
Click on the Environment Texture Icon to choose the picture, as in the picture below
http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1016563313jqa.jpg
http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1016563362dpn.jpg
Then we go to the Render modifiers and turn off "Flatten layers" and to the Material panel to choose the water material.
Change the Env. Reflection to 80 and the Transparency to 55.
Now we can render the picture.
NOTE: Since you have deactivated 'Flatten layers' in the Render modifiers, you have to
render each of the layers by hand.
The finished rendering should look like the picture below ;)
http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1016563586lhi.jpg
Different cut outs of the picture produces different results:
http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1016564379qjx.jpg
That's all :))
If you have any problems with the tutorial, please send my a message.
Have a nice day
stargo