ZBrushCentral

Render passes & Layer composition

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

In many of the more complex and spectacular projects (like Mytholon’s great “Impetus Wip” http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/showthread.php?t=26315&page=2&pp=15), I see artists making multiple renderings with different settings, which they then use in photoshop for the final composition.

I would like to understand how this works and what the benefits are of such a workflow. Until now I’ve done nothing more then setting up my lights and stuff for a final render, but these artists make different versions and then… blend them together I guess? I’m not new to Photoshop, but I don’t understand what these artists take from what render to achieve their beautifull results.

I would be very gratefull for a tutorial or information about what renders to make, and how the compositionprogress works.

Thanks in advance! :smiley:

#2

The underlying idea is that you take total control over each element that makes up your finished render.

For example, you can create separate specular renders for each of your lights by using a material that turns the entire scene black except for white specular highlights. Do the same thing with shadows from each light, but with a material that is all white except for shadows cast on it. Combine these with a render that is JUST the colors in your scene (no shadow or specular info) and you now have the basics for some powerful compositing in Photoshop.

In Photoshop you can use the various layer blending methods to put the various renders together. This lets you turn a light on or off, make its specular effect brighter or more faint, adjust the shadows, etc.

The nice thing is that you can do all of this with only a few renders, then blend them together and tweak them to get exactly the result that you want. It’s much faster than waiting for 3D render after 3D render each time you tweak the lighting or any material.

#3

in addition to what has been said already you might want to check this tutorial which deals with exactly this topic:

http://www.pixolator.com/zbc/showthread.php?t=32627

#4

Aah, yes, that makes sense… :bulb: That tutorial also explains a lot.
I’m still a learner and novice with Zbrush, so making “a material that turns the entire scene black except for white specular highlights” would still be a very hard task. I look at the 12 layers Mytholon used in his Impetus Wip, and I do not totally fanthom how he made all those passes in Zbrush, or if he made some of them in Photoshop, and from what render… :question:
Are there any materials specially made for layercomposition? Can I download them somewhere? Are there tutorials that explain how to make the basic renders in Zbrush for composition in Photoshop?
Great many thanks for the information allready given :+1: , but I would like to know more! :smiley:

#5

Here is another thread which provides useful insight into this technique:
http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/showthread.php?t=26250

#6

Yes! Really helpfull! Sometimes it seems to me that this forum contains everything there is to know about 3D. It should reamain online for hundred years! :+1:

Thanks for helping