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3d PRINT: How to UV a shelled dynamesh?

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

Hi!

I’m going through the process of exporting dynameshes mesh with polypaint to VRML + JPG but I’m stuck at one point of the workflow.

I have my model with Dynamesh activated, polypainted and no UV’s, after that, I create the shell (to make it empty inside) and de-activate Dynamesh.

Once that is done, I need the model to have UV’s so I can create a texture from the polypaint, but I can’t because the model has too many polys and when I try to create GUVtiles or use UV master, Zbrush crashes. Same if I decimate it keeping the polypaint and try creating UV’s.

So my question is how do you create UV’s after using dynamesh and shell if the model is for example 800K polys?

I don’t get how people with high detailed meshes do it if they create the shell and UV in Zbrush.

Any help on this would be much appreciated.

Thanks

#2

I am not a Zbrush expert so I can’t help you with your issue directly with Zbrush but here are some links about 3d printing: http://www.shapeways.com/tutorials/exporting_to_vrml_and_x3d_for_color_printing

http://sidnaique.blogspot.com/2012/07/3d-printing-and-zbrush-02orientation.html

http://sidnaique.blogspot.com/2012/06/3d-printing-and-zbrush-01dynamesh.html

I hope this helps even a little.

#3

You could try creating a smaller mesh (either with dynamesh and a smaller resolution, or using qremesher). Give that some UVs, then subdivide it a few times and project the detail from the original sculpt back onto it. Basically http://www.pixologic.com/docs/index.php/Environmental_Sculpting_Project , but with the added step of UVing it first.

#4

Thanks for the answers.

ButtercupSaiyan:
I had a look at those links and although they are great tutorials, they don’t give a solution to my problem. The example he uses with dynamesh has very few polys so it’s easy to unwrap.

Cryrid:
If I work on lower res, I will loose most of the detail of my model, so it’s not ideal.
I thought about using retopology (qremesher or others), but the problem is that once I create the shell in dynamesh, I cannot easily create a topology and reproject (having a character empty inside would not project well?).

#5

If I work on lower res, I will loose most of the detail of my model, so it’s not ideal.

That’s where subdividing and projecting comes into play. You’d get the resolution back, along with the detail. Even with the shell /inside of the mesh, there should be enough projection options to help get the result to work right and project only the parts that you want.

#6

Not sure I understand what you mean. Do you mean creating a new topology that doesn’t take into account the inside of the mesh and project everything anyway? Because I cannot create the topology for the inside.

I have a human figure that is empty inside with the hole entrance at his feet. You suggest creating a flat plane in the topology for that entrace?

Thanks

#7

The retopology should still account for the inner geometry, it (the entire mesh) should just be made simpler and void of most of the surface detail. This way it will have less verts (which gives some breathing room for creating the UVs), and with subdivision the detail can be projected back onto the outer surface.