ZBrushCentral

Real beginners questions

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

Hey everybody,

Just some real beginners questions. I’ve read the main site and seen what things are to do with ZBrush, but just some general questions to help me.

  1. ZMapper comes with ZBrush?

  2. Can I use ZMapper to import a low detailed model, sculpt in some details and export out the normal map to apply to the low poly model?

  3. Does the sculpting part work like upping the detail on the model so i move the verts around when I sculpt. Not really sure on how this works.

    Or is it just a clay model with no set detail so I can do what I want with it and export maps accordingly.

Just sort of taking a stab in the dark here. I’m pretty sure these are yes/no answers.

Thanks!

#2
  1. Yes, ZMapper comes with ZBrush.
  2. Yes, though ZMapper is only for exporting normal maps; the detail sculpting is done in ZBrush itself.
  3. In order to sculpt detail you increase the polycount of your model, then when you want to export your normal map you return to the original low poly level and the normal map is calculated based on the high level detail.

The best way to get an idea of how ZBrush works is to download the trial, available from the Pixologic site.