Hi brand new on here and I would like to start posting work up upon here soon. However I am still at university and I am currently starting a dissertation on Sculpting in particular digital sculpting.
If any of you would be kind enough to leave your views on the Zbrush as a program and also try and answer these questions.
What was Zbrush like when you first encoutered it, your initial thoughts? Your thoughts now?
Have you struggled with the program at all? Is it easier or harder than say 3dsMax and Maya to use interface wise?
If you have sculpted before with say clay or plasticine etc. is there similarities between traditional sculpting and Zbrush? Did this make it easier to use?
If you don’t have time to answer these questions please leave any views on sculpting and sculpting with Zbrush!
Any comments will Im sure help me thanks for your time!
Don't know if this is what you need but I'll answer the questions:
My initial thoughts on Zbrush (way back in 2001) was that it was an extremely strange interface that was problematic for someone with a long background in “traditional” 3d programs. Version 2 of Zbrush continued to be extremely oddball in its interface, which I felt was still a severe impediment to ease of use, again, especially for those of us with extensive backgrounds in CG. It became obvious that it would be adapted by most studios (and was) and so I forced myself to start learning it, but with all the unconventional ways the tool worked, it was more frustrating than I would like. With Version 3, I had the good fortune to take classes over at Gnomon School of VFX (disclosure: I am a Gnomon alumni) with both Ryan Kingslien and Scott Spencer and with their excellent instruction, I became extremely excited by ZB3 and have found myself enjoying 3d again (more than I have for at least 10 years). It feels like a more “mature” product and while it’s interface remains unconventional, having to very skilled experts show its correct usage, I am stunned by its power as an art tool.
I struggled tremendously with the interface until Mr. Kingslien and Mr. Spencer showed the logic of how it works, but I believe that a chunk of the difficulty came from having worked with conventional 3d programs since 1991, and the fact that what I had always thought of as “rules” for successful 3d work were completely stood on their head by the program.
I have worked in “traditional” sculpting and while ZB 2 had sort of a feel of clay, only with the advent of ZB 3 did the similarities really begin to happen. Clay has its own advantages (resolution is never an issue;) ) but ZB3 has a tremendous advantage in production of speed and the undo function, allowing much more easy experimentation and I look forward to seeing what comes next for the tool.
When I first tried ZB (December 2006 trial version, Jan 2007 bought ZB2), I was blown away by it. It had the same sort of effect on me as when I tried Photoshop the first time way back in 1993. I can honestly say that only these two programs have been this sort of “revelation” for me. I had used Poser for quite a few years (completely transforming the models into strange organic shapes, not regurgitating their standard models, which really doesn’t interest me) and I was kicking myself for not having discovered ZBrush earlier. It was only because I started looking at forums on the internet (something I’d never really done before) that I discovered ZB. Nine months (and plenty of practice) later I consider myself proficient although not an expert like others around here. I am still working on ZB2 and an old computer, but will shortly have a new MacPro and will upgrade to ZB3 which, from what I’ve seen here on the forum will blow my mind all over again, but I’m not really qualified to write about that yet. My main change in view several months further down the line is that I now realize that base modelling can benefit from a separate program and I have bought and learnt Silo for this. Then again, with ZB3, a more powerful computer, higher polycounts and ZB3’s retrotopology, I may find that an external base modeller is less useful. Time will tell.
The program is not easy to learn, but on the other hand it is an immensely powerful program and I don’t think the learning curve is out of line with what it can do for you. It is not a program where you can suddenly say “I know it now”, there are always new things to learn, but at the same time you don’t need to know absolutely everything about it in order to make very good use of it. Some people have found the interface difficult, but I didn’t have a particular problem with it. It is not a program that can really be compared to Maya, 3dsMax, Cinema 4D, since these are animation programs that have a lot more to them than just modelling/sculpting. My only experience with such programs is with Carrara, which I’m learning, and although it has a reputation of being relatively easy compared to Maya, 3dsMax etc. I’m still finding it a lot more difficult than ZB.
I have worked a lot with photography, graphics, painting, installation and sculpting (although more “building” things using resins, fibreglass etc. than modelling with clay). I think that anyone with more “traditional” art backgrounds finds ZB tremendously intuitive once they get over the first small hump of learning the program.
I hope this helps with your dissertation and look forward to seeing your first ZB posts.
Jason
Thanks alot for your comments guys it really is appreciated!
I also had a look at your works and both of you have done some nice pieces of work!
Also thanks for your detail in the answers it really is great.
P.S Anyone one else is free to still answer these or just leave an opinion thanks!
Hopefully I will get round to uploading an images soon. I have of course previously done work with Zbrush but I would like to create something Im a little more proud of.
1. What was Zbrush like when you first encoutered it, your initial thoughts? Your thoughts now?
Zbrush 1.5 I beleve was the first time I used zbrush and to me looked like a over complicated art program that tryed to simulate clay for out and out artest. I came back to it when v2 came out and started to see what zbrush was realy about, Iv never stoped using it since. Version 3 has filled in all the moans I had about what I thought where essencial, making a quality topology mesh all within zbrush was one of them. I could not be without it now and find it essencial in my sellection of tools.
2. Have you struggled with the program at all? Is it easier or harder than say 3dsMax and Maya to use interface wise?
After a short period of time zbrush brush has no problems as regarding its interface. Since the interface has had a major shake up with version 3.1 id say this is a prety easy app to get the hang of. Only thing I ever had problems with was zsphears, id still rather make my base meshes in another appliaction.
3. If you have sculpted before with say clay or plasticine etc. is there similarities between traditional sculpting and Zbrush? Did this make it easier to use?
Cant comment on this one as I havent used clay or plasticine in years.
Then (zb1.5) : Hey…neat little novelty program…I guess I could make use of it for painting realistic 2d textures. What’s up with that interface though?
Now: I cannot conceive of a world without it. This is the way artists are supposed to be able to work.
Struggled because of the interface or learning curve?..No. ZB is not hard to learn, despite some popular propaganda. Any significantly complex 3D realm software is going to take a month or two of immersion to get the most out of it…ZB is no different.
What can be difficult is unlearning what you think you know of 3d from other applications like the one’s you mentioned. Because a lot of ZB’s functionality overlaps with programs like this, people pigeonhole it and think it “should be like X”, when the reality is, “X should be more like ZB”. ZBs philosophy and way of doing things is completely unique, and completely different than those programs, and is so largely out of necessity, in order to do the things it does that nothing else can do.
2D painters and people with no prior 3D application indoctrination often have a much easier time with ZB at first, because they have nothing to unlearn.
The frustrations I have had, are usually the result of one of the random quirks or bits of weirdness that are endemic to ZB, because of it’s complexity and versatility, and the fact it does stuff you’re not supposed to be able to do. With such a tool, unexpected behavior is inevitable, though occasionally frustrating.
Conceptually , yes. If you have the spatial/cognitive skills to shape form in real life, you will also be ale to do so in ZB. Execution though is different. Certainly digital artistry is a much more forgiving medium than real world materials, with it’s many tools, undos, and infinite malleability, and the way you get from A to B is going to be a different process. There are conceptual parallels, but its by no means an accurate simulation of real life sculpting.
