Hi all
I’m sculpting a character at around 456 Dynamesh resolution to sculpt my basic forms.
I want to go to the next level of detail without ramping my res through the roof.
Is the best way to simply subdivide my mesh until I have geometry that allows me to work at the level of detail I need to?
Cheers
Hi Matt!
It depends on your output needs.
Someone working for 3d print, for instance, may be content to work completely in Dynamesh at a single level of resolution. 3d print processes, while not all the same, tend to be limited to some degree in the amount of detail they can reproduce, so there’s less need for extra fine detail. In addition, geometry for that output is likely to be decimated, without concern for surface topology or texture.
If working for digital render in another application, however, you’re more likely to be concerned with things like surface topology, UVs, textures, and fine detail. To reach the upper end of ZBrush’s sculpting potential, eventually you’ll want to transition to a tool with multiple levels of subdivision, with a low poly base level (or at least a base level suitable for your intended output). Not only will this be necessary to sculpt extra fine detail (wrinkles, skin pores, fabric textures, etc.), but functions in zbrush like texture creation, posing, and UV creation all require a mesh in this form for best results.
The general idea with Dynamesh or any of the other mesh creation tools in ZBrush, is to create a mesh that establishes your form, at medium levels of detail, and then transition to a traditional multiple-subd level mesh for the purpose of fine detail sculpting, posing, and texture/displacement export, once the need for frequent re-meshing of the base mesh has diminished.
This is where ZRemesher and Detail Projection come in. When your basic form is established and there’s a reduced need to be constantly re-distributing the geometry, you could ZRemesh (or otherwise retoplogize) a duplicate of your mesh, subdivide it sufficiently to hold the incoming detail, and then project the detail from the original onto it. This will create a mesh with a low poly base and multiple levels of subdivision suitable for advanced sculpting and export. It will disable certain other features, but if at any time you decide you need to make another major change to the mesh, you can simply repeat the above process.
Once you have a mesh in this form, then you would subdivide up to the required level for the detail you want to sculpt, subject to the limitations of your hardware and the program.
Hi Spyndel!
Lovely detailed response. Thanks so much for taking the time to lay that out for me.