ZBrushCentral

Anyone working Zbrush-> UDK ?

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

Hi, I’m learning Zbrush in hopes of using it to create high quality models for working in an Unreal Engine game, but I don’t have a whole lot of experience.

I’ve been searching the forums, and there doesn’t seem to be any tutorials on a workflow from Zbrush to UDK, and I was hoping someone could give me a step by step, or a link to an applicable tutorial.
I’m just not sure how to take my model, get a normal map, export for use in Unreal. I think UDK has tools for rigging and animation, so it’s just a matter of having the model set up correctly.

I’m thinking I’ll be using 3.1, so I can use the Decimation Master plugin, but I do have 3.5 installed separately. I don’t have Maya or 3D Studio Max, I don’t get paid that much.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

#2

Right now you would need a secondary 3D application to output a compatible file for import into UDK. 3DS Max, Maya and Softimage have a plugin called ActorX for importing and exporting both static and rigged/animated meshes. For other applications you would use a .ase exporter for static meshes and most likely the Collada format for animated meshes.

I am using Modo and a script to export to the .ase format. I am learning to many other things to have tried importing collada data into the UDK, but I believe the mesh must be rigged in an external application. Animation could be done in UDK but I would imagine it far easier to do in an external app. Unfortunately, from what I have read, the collada support is far from 100%.

Here are two tutorials I referenced to get static meshes from Modo to UDK. The second one (video tutorial) also shows how to setup the textures/material in UDK.

Modo to Unreal - part 1
Modo objects into Unreal as static meshes

I believe Blender, which is a free download, also has an .ase plugin but you will have to look that up, sorry.

I have only played around with the UDK for a few hours so there may be other options I am not aware of.