A Shark and many questions

[jonnybravo]

This is my latest project. It’s fully done in Zbrush and it’s gonna be part of a 3d still along with a “victim” seal. Now the model is almoust done but i came to standstil cause i need to find out some things.

1.The full proces of normal mapping from creating it in zbrush and importing it in max( i’ve gone through the tutorial in zbrush about creating normal maps but i understand that there are many other ways of doing that and i dont know which is better).
2. Does the normal map bring a lot of improvement to the moving/rendering in max and is there any loss of quality in the process.
3.How do i create a bump map.
I know these are a lot of questions but what can i do… i’m not understanding the process…
Can anyone help me…pleaaaaaaaaaaaase?

[MadNaja]

Hi! Great work.

1.- Use Zmapper to generate the normal maps…there is a video somewhere here in the forums, that teaches how to use it… or you have the PDF.
2.- Normal maps are fantastic, sometimes I only use normal maps and no displacement map… saves alot of time without having to smoth the model many times…
3.- First choose the bump material…its on the materials directory in your zbrush directory, then, go to the projection master and choose the bump tool.

Hope it helps…

[jonnybravo]

thanks for your help it certanly helps:D . Unfortunately after posting this question i found out that normal maps don’t actualy modify the geometry. So i think i need to go towards displacement mapping . The thing is i don’t want to lose from the quality of the model and i want to use 3dsmax to render. But at the moment if i import the mesh which is at 350.000 polis my comp crashes and i intend to make it somewere aroung 1.5 mil polis. How do you guys render? I’m sure that many of you faced the same problem at one time or another. Does the displace map prevent my comp from crashing, or do you you another method of importing into max?

[jonnybravo]

a texture update

[attach=29569]colorbasic6ox.jpg[/attach]

Are the colors right? I also made some modifications to the geometry to make it closer to a real shark. I probably watched a couple of hundred pictures with white sharks since i started this project.

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[aurick]

You don’t send the high resolution mesh to Max. You send a low resolution mesh, along with a displacement map. While animating in Max, you’ll only see the low resolution model. When you render, you’ll see the full detail.

There are tutorials built into ZBrush and in the ZBrush 2 Practical Guide for how to create your displacement maps.

[jonnybravo]

Yup i’m gonna do that aurick since i dont have much of a choice, thanks. Um… another small question: do you know what can i do about that white line near the fin. I’ve painted countles times over it and when i project it it still apears. Is that only fixable in PS?
And no C&C people? I don’t think it’s that good:D

[eblondin]

A suggestion for your white line on your fin.

Sometimes when not in best render mode and with Quick edit mode turned on zbrush doesn’t display your textures to their fullest. Try viewing it in best render mode and see if its still there

[jonnybravo]

Its still there E. I’m not sure what happens. Sometimes when i project some details ither lines star to apear on the body(all the time in the same places) but at least those are fixable

Minor update: i finished the color map of the body and started the inside of the mouth. Not much of an update but i mostly posted this to wish a happy new year to everybody and may the 2006 bring your wishes to reality… oh and may lots of cool madels rain from your imagination to zbrush’s canvas . hmm… i better get going the party is about to start

[Ron_Harris]

C and C…
first…kewl model

needs a wetter material

too dry looking

you have put alot of work into it…it shows…

teeth and inner mouth cavity work look good

its either a young shark or a male shark…

if it were mine I would make him a bit on the fatter side…never seen a shark in the real world only on tv, but they always seem to have those bellies full of goodies etc…makes them even more ominous, onerous and ferocious (sp?) looking…you are well on your way to a awesome model though. Alot better than any I have attempted for sure.

and the 3dmax questions I don’t know to answer…Aurick is the brain of brains around here I guess…so his words will be a safe bet for sure.

ron
[email protected]

[jonnybravo]

Thanks Ron

i’m not that good at materials as a matter of fact the rendering isn’t a strongpoint of mine too. The next image i’m posting is just a plain screen capture

yup i had worked a bit on it. The hardest thing to do was the fact that i copied a real animal not a fictional creature and everybody knows how a white shark looks like so it’s kinda hard to make him photoreal

I must confes that you’re right on the fact that he is a bit slim. I’m gonna finish up the texturing and try to fatten him since its an easy modification

a bit of an texture update(i’m updating so rarely cause i have a big exam at the end of this year and in most of my time i’m studying)
[attach=29570]mouthcolor1xf.jpg[/attach]

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[jonnybravo]

it’s been a long time since i updated. The shark is almoust copleted

here’s an update wich i should have posted a week ago

[attach=29571]badmakeup16mv.jpg[/attach]

and here’s the final update with some bump mapping going on

[attach=29572]scars5ix.jpg[/attach]

the model is almoust ready. I need to make some specular maps for him and import it to max for the rendering. I’m not sure if i can render in zbrush. I want to simulate a photorealistic underwater enviroment. If it is posible please tell me cause it will be much better than going through normal maps displacemant maps and all that kind of noncence to import it in max

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[abone114]

awesome!! chief brodey needs to watch his back! great texturing!

[Ron_Harris]

looking good…this might help a little…

http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/showthread.php?t=21976&highlight=underwater+challenge

looking forward to more

ron
[email protected]

[jonnybravo]

thanks abone114 . I’m triyng my best. This is actualy my first complete texturing in zbrush

Ron Harris Thanks again for all your great help . I saw that link. The final image is not quite what i want but its getting there and it’s showing me that zbrush may be an alternative for the final render. I just hope i learn how that is done cause at the moment i cant even creat half of that underwater enviroment. An important feature wich i want to reacreate is that reflection in the water above the shark like here

[attach=29573]gws100ss.th.jpg[/attach]

aniways i get it that a photorealistic underwater enviroment is possible in zbrush and thats all that matters. I’m getting to work on studiyng tutorials. Thanks again for all your help.

edit :hmmm i browsed the net and this forum but i didnt find much on this topic

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[system]

That’s great!
I like the shark and this modell very impressiv and detailed.

B

[jonnybravo]

thanks graffb. I worked a lot on it

[jonnybravo]

alright this must be one of the slowest projects here on zbrushcentral. I’m updating at this rate because my scoolwork keeps me 99% occupied. Actualy this picture was done a week or so ago but i didnt got the chance to post it.

[attach=29574]finalprobably2vx.jpg[/attach]

As you may know or not the shark is part of a bigger “project” and now i started work on it’s victim…the Northern Elephant Seal.

[attach=29575]basicshape16kh.jpg[/attach]

and here’s what i must achieve

[attach=29576]ele010d6wm.jpg[/attach]

I only did the base mesh as you can see in 3dsmax and it took me a while cause i kept all the polis 4 sided just like zbrush likes it. Now it’s time for my favourite part…ZBRUSH. I’m leaving all the underwater enviroment issues i had for later, after i finish the seal

---

thank heaven for Zbrush

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[THRAWN]

The inner mouth does need a bit more work… all those rows of drop out dentition… gotta have 'em.

Don’t forget the black eyes: a characteristic of the great whit making it look downright dreadfull.

I like this model. Its difficult to make something that exists look credible… we’ve seen 'em all, I’m sure. But not this one; you’ve done exceptionally well.

[jonnybravo]

Thanks THRAWN.
The inner mouth?..well check out the first page on this post and you’ll see a close up (the last picture on the page) of the mouth where you’ll notice that on the bottom jaw i have 3 rows of teeth, just like in a real shark. If you’ll check out some pics on the internet you’ll see that the extra rows of teeth on the upper jaw are not visible so i didnt create them

As for the eyes…check out this pic

[attach=29577]ksj002318ag.jpg[/attach]

the great white shark pulls his eyes back into the sockets before he attacks to protect them…that’s why they’re missing in mine. Anyway i do need to work a bit in the eye area but i’ll leave that for later…after i finsh the seal…thanks for the suggestion

You’re right it’s difficult to create something that already exists oposed to a concept of youre own where there are less one restrictions. It’s my first realistic model actulay and also my first model in zbrush…al that i’ve created up until now were concepts and much more easy to achieve.

Thanks for your reply and all the suggestions.
Update on the seal is on the way.

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[jonnybravo]

lol i should change my name into snail speed updater. Not my fault… until the summer i got to study hard…after that…ZBRUSH FRENZY

[attach=29578]30minsofzmagic2fd.jpg[/attach]

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