I see all the wonderful rendering, all the lovely models. The tuts are great, the scripts are informative now here is my thoughts and wish.
Everyone refers to outside rendering programs, why can’t these tasks be accomplished in ZBrush, when we look at someones work that is awesome, reference is always made to finished in (very expensive) out side programs. Also I asked a question about UV mapping, and was sent to d/l uvmapper, but of course the freebee won’t do what the tut wants to be done, maybe its just me but I find that to be flustrating. Now I would like to see a function available in Zbrush to accomplish the simple tasks of mapping, with a step by step explicit instruction in writing how to do it. Sorry about the ranting but I love this program but am so flustrated trying to use it. I think there might me other newbies who aren’t professional modelers like most of the people who post, so maybe an additional forum for those of us in that situation where we could post or work and not be in fear of being embarrased cause we can’t keep up with the experts. I know thats the reason I don’t post and when I do no one looks I think because its not earth shaking, I wonder if other newbies feel the same way. Now that I have said my piece I hope no one has taken offense, since it is not written to start a flame war. 
you would be surprised how many renders are acually within zbrush.
but that said, most those renders you see in outside packages is because they want to use their models for animtion. and zbrush is an illustration app ( like photoshop but on crack ). you paint your textures within photoshop, not inside maya am i correct? 
personally i feel that zbrush should just focus on its strengths, and strengthen them even further. than having to add really primitive animation tools that will take 5-10 years to develop in order to rival the other packages.
spriteD
I think I glimpsed you post somewhere else but don’t remember what the uv question was.
you can create a model in Z and map it in one of…i think now 5 ways …maybe 6…spherical, cyclindrical, planar, uv, auv, and group uv tiles if I got them all right.
all the uv tile ones seem to do the models the most justice however the problem lies in the inability to “post work them” in another app should you want to…but really as you get used to Zbrush and find your work flow…it becomes unnecessary. (having said that I could still save myself some huge time if I could create a map and pretexture and layers which is impossible in uvtiles)
I am hoping Svengali does his Zconvert program for Z2 with a uv to spherical or whatever script.
For now tho…til you understand more about it…let z do the work for you. as you do more and get comfortable then you will be ready to undertand and learn about different facets of 3d stuff…no rush…no pressure.
Thank you both for your kind words and encourgement. I will keep trying for sure, but still would really love to see the directions for mapping within Zbrush written down in an easy to understand step by step process for those of us who do not understand advance language on this topic. The scripts are wonderful and I do watch them but still miss just the little thing that would make it all make sense. Maybe I am in over my head with this program but I really do love it and would like to be able to contribute.
I can’t speak for other guys, but I export to other renderers, mainly because I may need a look that’s only available in that renderer. For example, I render in Virtualight because of it’s excellent global ilumination, and other times in Truespace because it’s easy to set up a quick scene, apply a few base textures and render without a whole lot of hassle. Other times, I render in Poser because of the unique rendered look I can achieve. While Zbrush can produce a wide variety of finished results, it’s not always the perfect program to use in every situation. This isn’t a fault with the program itself- it’s just that a good program isn’t always the right one to use for every task.
I should also mention that while there are some very nice, pricey rendering solutions avalable, you don’t need one to produce a high quality, professional looking image. I’ve seen renders done in $100 packages, which feature on high level 3D art websites (tutorial and all) simply because the guy who did it knew a few basic techniques to produce an excellent work. To add to this, some of the best images I’ve ever seen were done completely in Zbrush, which is a testimony to what a brilliant program it is.
Getting back on track- you should never feel embarassed that you don’t know a great deal. Even if you did have a seperate forum for newbies, you’d still be rubbing shoulders with the pros, because at the end of the day, they’re the ones you want to learn off. In act, the more they pick on your art and give tips- the better! Some people pay big money to have professionals give tips. You can get them for free on these forums, just by asking for a critique. And, because you’re not afraid to learn by stepping out, you’ll learn a great deal faster.
Coming to a good understanding of UV mapping took me an amazingly long time. I’m still learning, and I still don’t exactly understand what the advantage of relaxed UVs actually is (I’ve never had to use it). But, I’m fairly relaxed about it (no pun there) because I’ll just ask someone, or play around with it when the time comes. This is the best way to look at it, because in a program like Zbrush, it isn’t the be-all and end-all to get it down pat.
One thing to note though, is that a good UV mapper is usually a stand-alone application. The best I’ve seen (that’s amazingly cheap) is at www.unwrap3D.com. Even if you don’t buy it, download it and do the included tutorials. You’ll learn a great deal just by doing that. But anyway… before I harp on for too long… wishing Zbrush to be a full UV mapping application is nice, but mostly pointless. Why? Because the solution it provides right now is more than good enough, and if for some reason you should require a better solution, it makes sence that for someone able to afford Zbrush, you could also afford to buy a $50 Uvmapper as well. So in other words, it’s not really a nessesary requirement for the average Zbrusher, in my opinion.
In order to understand the most of Zbrush, you really need to learn all you can about 3D in general. Read information on doing 3D art, modelling, and texture work. It’ll take some time, sure, but when you use Zbrush some things that appeared unusual will suddenly make a great deal more sence. This was true for me, anyway. I originally got started with a free version of Truespace (http://www.caligari.com/products/truespace/ts3/default.asp) and haven’t looked back since. I’ve made many, MANY mistakes, but in a short period of time I now understand a great deal, and find myself able to help people. Stick with it, in time I’m sure you’ll be able to do the same!
Btw, I very much enjoyed your Autum painting and geartool flowers. Nice work.
You gold speaking Reactor 
Pilou