ZBrushCentral

3D Max to Zbrush (im sorry)

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

Hi sorry for this question… I know its been covered a million times and ive been reading Threads for the past hr now (i thought i had a good under standing) and ive totally blagged my own head. My idea of the work flow was (Im new to Zbrush used MAX for yrs)…

1.Low poly model in max (quick for me to get form)
2.Sort the UVs out (apparently they dont have to be dont at this point/pros, cons?)
3. Import .OBJ and sculpt away.
(this is where im now confused)
4. create normal map in zmapper
5. Export lowest base mesh back to max
6. Bake map in 3D Max on low poly model.

Ive now read you have to
5. export a low poly and the mid poly from zbrush and put into max (Dont know why)
6. retopologise and then (does this just have to be done if it will be animated/used in games)
7. bake a map (or just put normal map in map slot)

Im lost… can anyone help.

EDIT
Also just had a thought… if my mesh is subd should i just delete the turbo smooth and export to zbush and do a quick smooth… or do i collapse the stack and export that?? God im a noob at Zbush

#2

Hi,

It actually depends.

By collapsing turbosmooth in 3dsmax before bringing in to zbrush, will let you have more poly to start with.
and also the shape wont be lost as much than those with no turbosmooth.

So, again, depends on your purpose.

And regarding workflow…

I’m also new to CG (Currently doing my first full character model)

And these are what I feel so far.

  1. You need not to have a good topology for the start. ( You gonna have to retopo at the later stage )
  2. Get all the form out fast so you can spend more time in retopo-ing. ( I actually spending more time on retopo-ing than sculpt :confused: )

Hopefully this will help you.

#3

My main purpose is purely doing a head down to collar bone level, i have the head base mesh complete and ive just finished the UV’s so ive been doing reserch into the pipe line and reading so many contradicting stuff (most 2 yrs old). I have used 3D max for yrs and ive used Zbrush for 6- 8 months but only used it to do models to learn the sculpting skills. Now i want to merge my skills.

#4

Nomally what I will do after my sculpting is done.
I will decimate it and bring it back to 3dsmax to retopo.
Then after retopo, I will using the sculpt to bake normal map onto my retopo model.

That the workflow I used now.

#5

By Decimate do you mean drop the sculpt to the lowest sub div?

i know the tools for retopo but have never done it do you just follow the old polys and flow or just start again, why would you do this and not just keep the lowest as That would also mean i would have to re-UV the model again aswell. Does retopo result in the Normal map giving better results? and why do you choose bake over just having the map as a material… do you export ur work to a games engine or again does it give better results?? I will only be using Vray.
I have seen some tutorails where they import the model and bake that to the lower poly model… i take it you make ampa with z mapper and just bake that onto the retop low poly model.
thanks again

#6

decimate is actually a plugin in zbrush that bring down polycount without losing detail and form from the high sub_d.
So that you can goZ back to 3dsmax for retopo-ing.

I actually remodel for the retopo-ing using Graphite tools in 3dsmax.
Purpose of doing so that your low poly model is really close to your sculpt in term of silhouettes and forms.

U can say so that by retopo-ing, will result in better normal baking because they are closer to your sculpt.