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how to use displacement map when sculpting head for facial animation...

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

Hi, I have so many questions regarding to setup displacement map while working with animated faces and morph targets…

  1. how to use morph targets with displacement map in other application like 3d max, maya, XSI…(I am using XSI)?

  2. If we use base mesh as a morph target, then can the topology of face will change after it get displaced at render time?

  3. Can I use base mesh from other aplication… or it is better to use Zspheres as a start point instead…

4.how to setup facial rig with low poly base mesh while using displacement maps? because our geometry will be modified by dis… map and may change envolpe influence…

If some have done some R&D about this then pls Help me…
I welcome comments and wait for your replys…

#2

Displacement maps are simply a sophisticated texture for your model, and so are based on the model’s UV mapping. As your morph targets move the model’s vertices around, the UV mapping will shift along with them and this can cause stretching in various parts of the map.

The best solution that I can think of is to create multiple maps. Create one for your model’s rest state and create other maps for each of the morph targets. Then keyframe between the displacement maps in tandem with the morph targets. Both the morph and map transitions will be linear, so they should synchronize perfectly.

Any mesh can be used as your base model, whether created in ZBrush or in another application. Everyone has their own preferred workflow. Some people prefer to work entirely in ZBrush. Others start in ZBrush with ZSpheres to block out the base shape, export to another app for modifying the edge flows, and then bring it back to ZBrush for detailing. Still others only use ZBrush for detailing. There is no single answer to your 3rd question.

As for rigging, that is something that you should go to an XSI user group for info on as it has nothing whatsoever to do with ZBrush. :wink:

#3

Thanks aurick,

I will look to xsi user group forum for my rigging realated quistion.

thanks again…