aurick

Continuing its development toward the release of ZBrush 2.5, Pixologic, makers of the award-winning program ZBrush, have released a new plug-in: ZMapper.

ZMapper is the free Next-Gen Normal Mapping plug-in for ZBrush 2.0. Using ZBrush’s revolutionary multiple levels of resolution and a new lighting-fast ray tracer, ZMapper generates unsurpassed normal maps in seconds that will work with any game engine need.

The built-in open GL viewer allows artists to see their normal maps in action directly on the model without leaving ZBrush. Artists can also view their wire frame, normals, tangents, and UV seams directly in the viewer allowing for fast troubleshooting.

Built into ZMapper is a simple to use interface that gives artists and programmers complete control over their normal maps. Every permutation of normal map generation is possible and easy to do with ZMapper's Expert Options. Artists can create tangent space maps, world space maps, flip their red channels, swap their red and green channels, and derive their tangents from their normal and binormals as well as a host of other options.

ZMapper also contains several options designed to take your normal maps to the next level and to help troubleshoot your game engine needs:

• The Render Region Window allows you to render only small portions of the normal map at a time or to focus in on problem areas and adjust your settings for those areas only. It's even possible to use different calculation methods for different parts of the model!

• The Snapshot options let you take snapshot images of your model within the viewer to compare results against. The snapshot function is a pivotal tool for allowing artists to test out their settings as well as export images directly out of the viewer.










• Morph 3D Mesh will cycle between a stored morph target and the base shape allowing you to test deformations directly on your model within the plug-in.

• Morph 2D Unwrap will unwrap your 3D model into your 2D UV's allowing you to troubleshoot your normal map settings at the UV boundaries and check your normal map as a 2D plane.

• Inflation of High Resolution Mesh Details, giving artists the ability to add that extra little punch to their normal maps.

• Camera Perspective

• Store and Open Configurations, allowing artists to use the normal map presets which have been provided for Maya, XSI, 3D Studio Max, NVIDIA and more or create and save their own for easy use (and sharing) later.

• ZMapper Revision D now contains a new Projection feature. This powerful Projection feature makes it possible to create a normal map by projecting one mesh's details onto another arbitrary mesh (with different topology - see image below which demonstrates projection of detailed objects onto a simple 3D plane).

With ZMapper, Pixologic continues its promise to give artists the most powerful toolset in the most direct and accessible format possible, and assert itself as the Next-Gen tool for the Next-Gen game artist.

Shane Caudle, Technical Art Director Epic Games says, "We here at Epic have found ZBrush to be an irreplaceable tool in our pipeline; we use it extensively for character and environment assets. With this new release of the ZMapper, plug-in even more aspects of our pipeline can be done inside ZBrush. Since we are doing next generation games, our models rely heavily on normal map detail to make our in game models look like their extremely detailed counterparts. ZMapper is an awesome tool for creating high quality normal maps in a fraction of the time that other programs we use would take."






















Installing ZMapper

1. Extract the zip file. Move the contents of the ZMapper folder to the ZStartup/ZPlugs directory. If there is no ZPlugs folder, create one.
2. Launch ZBrush.
3. ZMapper will place a button in the ZPlugin palette.

1. Load a multi-resolution mesh and go to subdivision level 1.
2. Draw the model on the screen and enter Edit mode.
3. Load a bump map into the Alpha palette (if desired) and set its stength using Tool>Displacement>Intensity. (A blank texture will also need to be applied to the model in order for the bump effect to be visible.)
4. Click the ZMapper button.
5. Click on the Normal & Cavity Map tab in the ZMapper interface.
6. Modify any settings, if necessary.
7. Click the Create Normal Map button.
8. ZMapper will calculate the normal map and render it on the low resolution model. If satisfied with the results, exit ZMapper. The newly-created normal map will be selected in the Texture palette, ready to be exported.

For more advanced usage, be sure to read the PDF documentation:



Please share any images where you have used ZMapper in this thread!

Note: A thread for Troubleshooting any problems that you might be having with ZMapper has been added to the Questions & Troubleshooting forum. Please do not post such messages here. Post them in the Questions & Troubleshooting Thread instead.


*The Mac version of ZMapper is currently in full development cycle and will be released as soon as possible.


Thanks!
The Pixologic Team

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ludikastyle

First!!!
O my god!!
Do I win something for having spotted the new world first Aurick?!
Like some kinda Zshaped plush, or a pixolator designed mug?
Ok just kidding, I'm quite happy about the release...

__________________
Federaik
My first WIP on ZBC
The DNA pan-galactic challenge on ZBC
[Time is an illusion, lunchtime doubly so]

DarthWayne

This is going to be one popular plugin I feel! Taking bets on how long till top row? My bet is under 6 hours lol

Wayne...

Max the Artist

Wow! great stuff thanks so much Pixologic.

/ Max

odhinn

abxy

I assumed that you guys were going to hold off and just release it with 2.5 seeing as how we're pretty much in Decemeber now. I'm definately not complaining that you all gave it to us today though.

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vlad74

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http://www.vlad74.co.uk/
http://www.thisimmortalcoil.net/

sparaig

Waiting with agonized breath, etc. Looks like it *will* be worth the wait...

Mac user here...

tiktok

ooohh...THANK GOD!

I thought the roadmap to zbrush had taken the back road to the netherregions of doom...

Glad too see things are back on track!
I've been waiting for this one for quite a while......
you guys never disappoint!
keep up the good work!
-tiktok

DMerchen

I can't seem to see anything if I click on the picture. Any help is appreciated. I wanna see this baby in action!!!

Oops...never mind. My brain doesn't seem to function all the time.

ludikastyle

Try clicking on the CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD text

__________________
Federaik
My first WIP on ZBC
The DNA pan-galactic challenge on ZBC
[Time is an illusion, lunchtime doubly so]

pOiNtPuShEr

Oh boy oh boy!!! I can't wait to try this bad boy out!

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http://www.pointpusher.com
http://www.pointpusher.blogspot.com

billrobertson42

Yeah! progress.

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Long dead links removed...

Moochie

Ahh .. Christmas already. And I haven't bought you anything yet. Thank you!