Newbie Challenge #008 WIREZ

[Moochie]

NEWBIE CHALLENGE #8 Wirez

Everyone has seen a Meats Meier wire model .. they look damn cool and the techniques are pretty straight-forward. Recently, Bas Mazur found an even easier (and more controllable) way of doing the same thing.

Meats Method

Mask part of your model by applying a texture containing some black, and then turning it into a mask, or by hand drawing some masking. Hide the masked polygons, and then delete them. Store what's left as a Morph Target, inflate the mesh, then create a Difference object.

Full details, by the man himself, are shown here: http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/sho...ght=wire+style (post #20)

Bas Method
Start by storing a Morph target of your original model. Displace some polygons directly on the model, either in Projection Master using any of the geometry altering tools, or outside of PM using Draw or by Moving polygons. Then create a Difference object. This method is quicker and, I find, gives you more control over the finished effect.

Full details are shown here: http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/sho...9&page=5&pp=15 (post #70)

Original Method
If you've worked through the ZB2 pdf manual, you'll remember the Z Logo exercise. There a 3d Z model was made, starting from a flat plane primitive. Polygons were deleted from it, a Morph target stored, then the remaining mesh was moved along the Z axis, and a Difference object was created.

The Challenge

Use any of the above methods (or one you invent for yourself) to create a cool wire model.

Hints & Tips

Avoid using the very highest resolution at first, because creating a difference object will add additional polygons to your model. And you'll want to be able to sub-divide at least once after you've created it.

With the Meats and Bas methods, you'll get odd polygons sticking out of your structure. You can smooth these with the Smooth tool (Draw with the Shift key held down), using Smooth in the Deformation palette, or by physically moving sticky-out vertices into line. With the Meats method, you can even remove (hide > delete) polygons before you store your Morph target, so giving you smoother edges. With the Original method, you're guaranteed smooth edges, because you're choosing which polys you delete in the first place.

After you've created your Difference object, there's nothing to stop you creating a fresh Morph target for it, making some more changes, and creating a new Difference object from that. Or you can Mark the position of the Difference object and then load a copy of your original mesh. It should fit snuggly inside it .. that's what I've done with my pic below.

You won't be able to do these techniques with a primitive (you have to convert to a proper 3D mesh first) or if your model is not at its lowest resolution level.

Scripts and Movie

Two brief scripts for ya .. one showing a way of creating hair, and another where I was just playing around. Both use the Original method. However, some of my actions in the Tool palette go off the bottom of the screen. So I also made a brief movie (no sound, divx 5.1.1 codec avi, zip 3mb). This uses the Bas method (Projection Master, Single Layer Brush, Line Stroke) and you can see all the moves.

Have fun. Show us what you've got! Back to head modelling in the next challenge.

http://www.pantsofpower.com/hand.zip (movie)

[aminuts]

oh goody!

[argonaut]

Using Meats method.

[Moochie]

Nice one, argonaut! And a touch of fog too.

Something that Meats does is to put several wire models inside each other .. that gives more 'body' to the model, and the appearance of lots more complexity. Think I'll try that myself later. Yay!

[DarthWayne]

I've always loved meat's style so this is one I had to try myself. As I didn't have time to knck something up from scratch heres my take on it using my current WIP the Alice Cooper Head. SO I give you the Broken Alice. Couldn't resist adding some fog and depth of field lol. Its also a brillinat way of getting round doing hair!

Wayne...

[Moochie]

Actually, that really shows off how well you've done the wrinkles and pores on the model. It looks great!

And no need to feel guilty about using an existing model for the exercise .. it's a great technique for getting extra use out of a model. I find semi-naff models from my 'back catalogue' can look major cool when given this sort of treatment.

[DarthWayne]

Glad you liked it. It's an addictive technique isn't it? I'm still finding my feet using it but I have no doubt this wont be teh last image in this thread from me lol. I always belive in getting as much milage as possible from a model, after all they do take a while to do so it seems a shame to only use them once when finished.

I found the morph target and inflate (diff) version to be easiest and one that gives the best results. I really thought there'd be more people posting in this thread by now. If I have time later I may try and do some disp maps and see if I can get something like this to render in Maya without it crashing on me. If my machine could handle it that could give some really intersting renders!


Wayne...

[Moochie]

Heh heh .. it's not a race. There are several elements to the technique, and several variations. When you're new to a prog like ZB, it takes time to find your bearings and experiment. And the vast majority of newbs are very very shy. They'll come out to play when they're ready to participate and progress. If they're quietly playing along at home, then that's just fine by me.

[Frenchy Pilou]

...I have missed something in the Bas method
It seems that he used the Single layer brush, but how to use it over the polymesh ?
Of course I have replay slowly his Zscript, but even I miss something !
What is the trick for input it on the 3D Polymesh ?

outside of PM using Draw

how?
I have forgetten something
I am rusted

[aminuts]

i believe he used that in PM frenchy.....if you read that thread I think he states that in a reply to Ron's question on the matter.

[DarthWayne]

I think it was the BAZ method I used my workflow was as follows:

1- pick a decent subdiv level and delet both above and below subdivs.

2- store morph target.

3 - drop to PM and fart around using single layer brush or whatever (obviously we're not using the 'color' setting here)

4 - pick up again.

5- go to morph targets and create a difference mesh.

6- pat yourself on the back for a job well done and reward yourself with beer / chocolate / your main vice (delete as appropriate).

Hope that helps to clear it up a bit.

Wayne...

[aminuts]

Some boring fartin' around examples.





As usual forgive the compression.

[Bimm the Stone]

I want my fishtank to look like that

[Frenchy Pilou]

Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
Ron had exactly the same problem during 12 launching
PM don't appear in the zcript text and in the Zscript!
So this joker of Bas has used the PM

Pilou

[Moochie]

Frenchy asked about drawing on the mesh outside of Projection Master .. just take an ordinary model (not primitive, but 3D mesh), store a morph target, use the normal Draw tool with Inflate or just Standard selected in the Transform palette, then Create Difference. You only need to go into Projection Master if you want nice straight lines or any of the tools you can only use in a dropped model. Example script below.