Satyr WIP (PIC HEAVY)

[wchamlet]

OK folks, bare with me. I'm starting my first complete model in Zbrush, and I'm hoping it will be a good one.



I am hoping to find a happy medium between Maya and Zbrush, because I really, really like the potential that both of these programs are offering. I'm trying to create a detailed mesh in Zbrush, from a more controlled model that I did in Maya. I've played with Zsphere but for some reason they just won't cooperate with me yet. Anyway, here is the rundown of how I'm going about detailing my creature.

Start off with a lowpoly object in Maya.



Then I imported that object into Zbrush and started adding muscle forms and adding more detail.



Needless to say, I'm going to have to start over again. I've found that I needed to add more detail in the hands on the low poly object because I just can't get the hands to look right as it is right now. Oh well, it's experience right?

Hopefully sometime this weekend I'll have this model complete. If anyone has any pointers or insights to add, please do. I can always use help.

Now back to Zbrush!

[curo]

Very nice satyr. I like the way you present it in the 1st picture.I m newbie but i can tell you that's professional stuff.
If you feel the need to improve it and add details it will be even better .
Go on

[wchamlet]

It didn't take me as long as I thought to redo the Satyr. I fixed the hands on the lowpoly model, and then I reimported the updated mesh into Zbrush. I started sculpting again, and this is what I came up with. I'm really getting to like Zbrush's ease of use. It's almost like sculpting in clay.

Zbrush screenshot



Maya GI_Joe render.



I'm pretty happy with how this guy turned out. Although his anatomy could still use some work, I feel it's pretty much finished. Now, I'm moving on to textures. I laid out the UV's in Maya, so hopefully the textures will paint accurately in Zbrush. If not, I guess I'll use AUV tiles to finish the textures.

Hopefully I'll have all the textures done by tomorrow. Then it will be on to Hair, rigging etc...

[Fouad B.]

really nice modeling horacio !

erf Hamlet.. sorry

[wchamlet]

OK, now time for some texture updates.

Here is a small version of the texture that I'm using for this character.



Basically, what I did was I took the high-res mesh that I created in Zbrush, and in Maya I baked the geometry to a flat file. This uses the UV layout's, so it gives a pretty good example of how your geometry looks when flattened.

The main reason I went this route, was because I was interested in seeing if I could "Bake" the high-res geometry to a texture and apply that texture to a low-res game model, hopefully giving good results.

Here's a screenshot of the low-res model I used to create the high-res model in Zbrush. Note that I created the UV layouts on the low-res model in hopes that Zbrush would not alter them when I created the high-res mesh. Needless to say I think it turned out great!

(1,800 quads, or 3,600 triangles)



Now, all I need to do is finish the high-res texture's and move on to hair, and fur. I did a test render of just the color texture on the high-res model, and I think it will look fine. Zbrush is awesome!



Note that there is no Specular, Bump, or other textures applied to the model at this time. I am about to work on those right now. Hopefully, by tonight or tomorrow I'll be able to start rigging this little fellow. Can't wait!

[Frenchy Pilou]

Cool model Chad
Pilou

[wchamlet]

Ok, it took me most of the day to figure out how to get some decent hair for this character. My original design from this sketch here , was to have the hair sticking straight up. Well, hours later after trying all the old tricks of making 3D hair, I gave up that idea and just used Paint FX.



I haven't added any shadows to the texture map yet, so the Paint FX looks kind of odd. Next up for me is finishing the texture, then doing the bump, and specular maps for it. Hopefully by tomorrow I will have some decent looking skin for this fellow. I don't know how I'm going to do the legs yet though. I'll have to play around with it and see.

[Frenchy Pilou]

Hi Chad
Fine hairs for your model by Zmaster Ken Brilliant
And this recent one by Sarabel
(it's not 3D hairs ! )
Hope this help!
Pilou

[wchamlet]

Thanks for the links. I'm more interested in 3d hair though, which is what Paint FX is in Maya. I'm still refining it though, and I might even change it up a little. I figure why not go all out and make this guy unique, so expect his hair to contain a few surprises... like, well, twigs and leaves. After all, he does live in the forest right.

Here is an update pic for his skin. I don't know why the skin detail (different surface colors and veins) isn't showing up like it's suppose to, but I think it's a start.



Hopefully tonight I'll have him rigged, and then I'll create a scene for him. By next week I'm wanting to start another character. Hopefully.