ZBrushCentral

Interview: Ubisoft (and SIGGRAPH info)

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#1

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Ubisoft and ZBrush

What gamer today hasn’t heard of Ubisoft? Few – if any – companies have produced as many popular games for as many platforms as Ubisoft has. One of the secrets to their success is the fact that they contnuously strive to incorporate new technologies into each release.

We recently had the opportunity to visit with the talented artists in the Montreal division, and learn how they are using ZBrush as an integral part of the production pipeline to produce visuals that would be impractical or even impossible without it!

Click Here for the Interview

Are you going to be at SIGGRAPH this year? If so, then we have an extra treat for you! Damine Canderle (who currently works at Ubisoft and as a freelancer) is going to be joining Ian Joyner and Scott Spencer in giving presentations at the Pixologic booth. Meet them at booth 915!

Adding to the excitement, we will be giving away 100 limited edition figurines, signed by internationally acclaimed artist Hiroshi Yoshii.

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Click here for full SIGGRAPH details.

We have a limited number of SIGGRAPH guest passes available. These exhibit-only passes are on a first-come, first-served basis.

To receive your free pass:


  1. Click Here
  2. Click the “Attendee” link
  3. Choose “Exhibits Only” and click “Next”
  4. Enter “Pix1098” (without the quotes) in the Exhibits Only box. Click “Next”
  5. Follow the remaining steps, filling in your information and choosing any extras that you’d like to purchase.
Only the pass itself is free. You can optionally purchase admission to the theatre presentation, or have the pass sent to you. If you choose not to have the pass sent to you, it can be picked up at the show.

See you at booth 915 :slight_smile:

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#2

i dont know why anyone hasnt posted. :eek:

Great interview, glad you got in there with the non-organic questions and other workflows.

Sadly i wont be able to join you guys at siggraph. But be sure to film something like you did in 2005 for the rest of us who couldnt go. Rest of us (myself included) would really appreciate it. :slight_smile:

Have a good time and keep knocking those interviews when you get the chance, we love them.

-andy

#3

Those figurines look sweet. I’ve been wondering for a while how I could buy some of Hiroshi Yoshi’s work. Getting it for free would be even better.

As for Siggraph, I’ve been signed up forever. Got my free pass through… someone. No idea. I just searched Google and used the first code which came up, to be honest.

Problem is, I’m not sure I can go anymore. I’ll be finishing out a month-long web assignment. Which is great – I was desperate for the hours. But, Siggraph falls squarely in the week after everything’s due, which I like to call the “we made our deadline but the client changed their mind about everything” crunch. It’s not scheduled, but it is inevitable. I’d be foolish not to plan for that.

Hopefully, I’ll be able to at least swing by and say hi to everyone.

#4

Small but really nice interview. I always enjoy that kind of materials so its another great thing - thank you.

Got a small question to Pixolator though… What about Zbrush 3.1? We have mid Jul already and I don’t see any other news about it :wink:

Now don’t get me wrong - I am up to waiting if you bring like always some great update but just … keep us informed whats going on PLEASE! :cool:

#5

Why does ZB have to be so dang corporate? Why not some interviews with the “Artist”? It’s not Ubisoft, it’s individuals that use the product that make the cool stuff. This is all just marketing fluff… I want to see some interviews with people that are not just trying to impress their boss.

He’s talking about features that are non-existant in ZB 3 at this point (normal maps) … Yeah the lighting is ‘okay’ ( tad plastic for my taste ) on the promo videos, the models look good, but I’ve seen a lot of individuals that do this type of work too with better lighting and not all this marketing shmutz.

What’s with the techno dance raver music in the background too? No one listens to that crap. Yay, a big ubisoft advertisement. I think that native english speaking people interview a bit better as well.

The cyborg and robocop are very cool looking though. The eyes are sweet.

Just as a side note. don’t get all mad about my comments, I am keeping it real and trying to avoid the koolaid.

#6

If you do a search of ZBC for threads with “Interview” in the title and started by me, you’ll find that we’ve done quite a number of interviews with individual artists. (Rick Baker, Matt Cioffi, Chris Kosta, Taron, Aaron Sims and more.) In fact, more have been done with individual artists than with companies. Those interviews are no longer available due to the revamping of the main ZBrush website, but they HAVE been done and I’m sure that more will take place in the future.

#7

I think you’re a bit hard Kosher…

We have spoken about our work in Ubisoft, I think it’s a good way for people on the forum to see how Zbrush is used in video games, and we’ve also talked about our personal work done on our private time…
We didn’t tryed to impress anybody, almost considering interviews are something very common at Ubi and for every other comapgny…

And I don’t see any problem about doing promotion by the way :wink:

#8

Disclosure : I’m one of the ‘non-artists’ spouting on the video. :smiley:

Kosher : Keep in mind that for many companies who are considering integrating ZBrush into their pipelines, that it’s not JUST about making the artists happy. Suits need to know that the toolsets that they’re paying for will play nice with existing infrastructure (which ZB does), everyone involved need to know that the tools that they’re committing to also show potential for the future. Pixologic is a business who have excelled at putting the artist first with their tools, but they are still a business.

And regarding Normal Maps: Just because ZB 3.0 currently lacks a feature to output Normal Maps, that doesn’t mean that the app’s capability to generate high-detail geometry used to create great normal maps is lacking! And relatively-speaking, outputting normal maps is easy. Creating a natural workflow for artists to express themselves in a digital environment? That’s hard.

-Gary

#9

Kosher - well, first of all, you’re not keeping it real. Reality is that most of us ,if just have a chance to work for Ubisoft will be honestly happy with it. I will be so damn happy that I will just go WALKING from deep Mexico in a tshirt “I LOVE UBI” if they offer me a job ever :laughing: . What you expect those guys to say? They work for GREAT company doing amazing projects, learning from eachother and actually getting paid for it. Just tell me what you will say beeing in their position? “My company sucks, but I still can do in my home some alien head that I can show to my friends…”? Don’t be ridiculous. :-1:
Second thing - they mentioned using normal maps but there is many ways to get them out of Zbrush. You can for that still use Z2 with Zmapper, You can use xnormal, you can use Modo - depends on what you have and whats your budget. No one said there “when we bake normal map straight from Zbrush3…” so I don’t get your point…
You don’t like music in a background? Well guess what - I do. And I am mostly listening to metal, but I still think it fits that little movie. Show me the music that EVERYONE likes if you know one…
Talking at last about “native speakers” of English. That is Montreal in Quebec - surprise, surprise but people there mostly speaks French
:roll_eyes:
Now that’s my part on it. If you don’t want some people to get mad just don’t say any BS like that - trust me, it works :+1: .

#10

TexArmstrong: I am talking about the format in which the interview took place, not the people. Of course you are the artists at “UBISOFT” but you are still representing a big corporation. If you can’t tell, I’m anti-corporate.

I never called you a non-artists or anything like that. I knew my comments would be taken as negative as possible but that’s just the nature of email and forums. You’re looking at the forest from the trees where as I’m looking at the trees from the forest.

Miztli: You’re my case and point. If you’ve never worked at Ubisoft, how do you know what it’s like? How do you know that these guys don’t have managers, that have managers, that all breath down their kneck with unreasonable expectations and ridiculous deadlines, while they work their asses off for barely more than some guy out of college working at a bank? Havn’t you ever heard the saying “smile for the camera”?

Most companies like Ubisoft are sweatshops because of people like you that are banging down their door to get in, regardless of their background or experience in the industry.

I am not going to go back to the video and quote them about normal maps but they said something along the lines, just paraphrasing here, “No program lets you create highly detailed mesh and amazing normal maps, all right inside ZB3”.

Yes, I said native english speaking people do interview better and since there are a great deal of individual artists out there that could interview in their native language, why not have one of them do it?

I know you can’t just leave it at allowing me to express my point, that I don’t like the marketing push by ZB. They have enough issues to focus on with their current release. ZB is a good product that can sell itself. Why are they throwing brands at people? This is the one thing that many Europeans complain about America, that it’s like getting spammed by company advertising once you get here.

I know that Pixologic is in the Bay Area so they hear me loud and clear. Chill out on the big business advertising and keep it small. You’re just fueling the fire and feeding these corporate types.

#11

Kosher - You expressed your point so let me do same. Dont play that “o, poor me, theyre attacking me” role :rolleyes: You said few things - expect reaction.

Let me tell you how do I know how is in Ubisoft without working there. Because it just so happens, that I know person who actually is working in Ubisoft, it just so happens that exactly in Montreal, making cinematics to Assasins Creed. And no, I am not banging their door YET, because I know what I need to represent with my work. And yes - I will work my ass down trying to improve my skills and get job there. Simple as it is.
So again - what do You expect those guys to say? “My company is too corporate - lets go to do some non-profit, underground project!”?
And what do you have against people who do not speak english natively? They are artists - its not an english school for crying out loud! Matters what they can do in 3D!

And about advertisement - your advice is to “keep it small”??? You didnt took any lessons on that subject, did you? :slight_smile:
Youre talking like some teenager with a head full of ideals :lol: That is business - youre need to go as high and as big as you can!
And about spam - I am european myself and hell - if youre thinking that in Europe things are different youre making a big mistake :lol: .

#12

That’s your perspective. Good luck with your goals and I hope you get the job at some point.

I look forward to more interviews in the future.

Cheers!

#13

Thanks a lot :wink: To make it clear - I got a job but I would like to change it. If I did not have one my wife and kid can be a little dissapointed :D.
Well take care - lets see some new interviews when they shows up! Corporate or no :+1: .

#14

Listen up - I am a European and I like corporations and I like individual artists.
They all jave a place and in this medium its very difficult if not impossible to do any large production without a team and they all have to be paid and feed their families and THAT is the reality !!!
Although ZBrush is a great program, the new release ZB3 has serious flaws and needs urgent update and fixes.
If the Pixologic teams do not sell to corporations etc then how the hell can they keep development etc ?

Making a comment that Europeans do not like this aspect of Americans is just the sort of dribble that the loony left make. American values are niether perfect nor evil - infact they are the same values of most people around the world and if you can not see that then you are a rediculous child.

So if this does not appeal to you Mr Kosher then tough luck dude.