ZBrushCentral

Lightwave 3D and Dynamesh Help

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

I am a Lightwave 3D user still waiting on GoZ. Boo Hoo. I was wondering if anyone knew of a good lightwave to Z and back workflow. I have one I’ve used in the past but I’ve been playing with the Dynamesh and just starting with a ball of clay in Z. Problem is that my old workflow states that you reduce to the lowest subdivision level and generate a deformation map export in lowest sub level, etc… But there is not a lowest sub level when working with Dynamesh. Any suggestion how to get your tasty sculpt back into Lightwave with all the usable detail would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Wayne Heim

#2

You need a retopology. Zbrush has topology tools to help you create a new mesh over the old one. You can then transfer all the high detail to the new mesh. Once done, you’ll be able to follow your old workflow.

Zbrush isn’t the only way to retopo a model though. There are dozens of ways to do it.

If you don’t care how bad the base geometry is, you could always use zspheres to make a fast low poly mesh and transfer the details over. You could also duplicate your high poly mesh, convert it to a low resolution dynamesh, turn off dynamesh, and project the details over. These methods aren’t professional, but they’re quick.

#3

Thanks for the reply. Sorry I’m a bit new at this. So I would go under subtool and remesh all? Then use that as my base geometery? Will the UV map the same? Secondly you said you can transfer all the high detail to the new mesh… did you mean with the deformation map in Lightwave or are you talking about something else.

Thanks again.

Wayne

#4
  1. “Remesh All” is one way to do it, but it’s probably your worst option. I wouldn’t do it.
  2. Zbrush can transfer high level detail between models. It uses it’s own projection features. Say you have one model with high details, and a copy of it where all the details are smoothed out. You can project all the high level details onto the smoothed out copy. They will look identical.
  3. The quick and dirty methods I listed before will not preserve any UV’s you already set up, but there’s another method that can. However, it won’t help if you started with a sphere.

Here’s your basic workflow. (sculpting only)

-Open any mesh in zbrush
-Dynamesh
-Sculpt
-Create a new low rez topology that roughly matches the overall form of your original model.
-Subdivide it a few times so you can project details from your original model
-Project details
-UV map
-Create depth maps, or what ever you need to export
-Drop your model to it’s lowest subdivision level
-Export

Right now you’re stuck on the retopology phase. There are dozens of ways to go about this. All you need is a low poly mesh that resembles your high detail mesh. You usually build this right on top of your high poly mesh, so it lines up. You can then subidivide it, and transfer all the details to it. Now you can slide between subidivision levels at will.

If you don’t care how your low poly geometry looks, just duplicated your high poly sculpt in the subotools menu. Select the new subtool. Set Dynamesh to a very low resolution, and turn it on. You should now have a low rez version of your original model.

Now make sure both models are visible, and that you still have your low rez model selected in the subtools. Subdivide the model a few times until it has enough geometry for small details. Turn up the distance slider, and click “project all.”

All the details on the old mesh should now be on the new mesh. You can slide the subdivision level down to level 1, and follow your normal routine.

Again, this is not professional, but it’s fast, if that’s all you need.