ZBrushCentral

Do you re-Mesh your model every time?

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

Hi all,

I am working through some of my very first zbrush models and I am finding that I need to re-topo the mesh to get the detail I need where I need it. I have been watching these youtube videos showing some speed sculpting and they don’t appear to have these issues with mesh topology. Is it common to need to re-mesh the model, and if so would you ever need to do it more than once, and finally is there a method of sculpting that minimizes the need to do this?

I am trying to get a hold of the needed information and methods to start expanding my modeling capabilities. Does anyone one of a solid reference (specifically for 3.5r3) that can fill in these work flow questions and help me develop a sound foundation for technique? I want to take my skills to that next level and could use some guidance as to how best to go about doing so. Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks much,
Seth J.

#2

Remesh - is not bad feature at early stages of sketching, and generally, you can use it many times, as you wish. But there are some underwater stones. After remesh some model, you should project all it’s existing details to the new one. But ProjectAll feature of zb 3.5r3 is weird, and sometimes don’t transfer some parts of mesh, so don’t rely on it too much. Also, remesh sometimes is not so good for thin parts of the model, so you can loose details with each remeshing. After roughly sculpting of your mesh it’s better to make it’s retopology before you add too much little details. There are few ways how to do it, you can retopology your model in zb, or in external 3d editor. Anyway-you’ll get clean middle poly base mesh, which you should be able easily change in the future. Transfer sculpted mesh detail to retopologized mesh (with ProjectAll, ZProject Brush, or topology tools of zb-how you wish and can), and now you are free to add as many details to it as you wish. If some part of mesh now hasn’t enough density, you can export it from the lowest divide to the external application (in *.obj, or *.ma), change it’s topology, and import to the zb in the same lowest divide (it’ called GoZ feature). That’s all. My recomendation-use remesh feature once if needed at the early stages of sculpting, and then work with good topology-it has many advantages, like loop hiding, topology masking, etc. All I have written above-only if you start your model in zb, with zspheres, or primitives. If you prepare base mesh in external 3d application, make good topology at once. As I said before, you should be able to change it in any moment.

#3

Ok, so just to confirm then. If you sculpt well enough and keep your topology clean at lower sub-D levels then you should not have to use the z-project or remeshing techniques to clean up the topology, right? Also, how do you go about avoiding those pit falls of areas with dense polys where they are not needed and too few polys where they are needed? Any time I push or pull too hard on a mesh this is what I get. Then I find myself subdividing to try and get more detail in those areas without enough polys and the poly count sky rockets. With that said, is there a max subdiv? I don’t mean max polys but actual max sub-D level? Live 6 subs and your done. I keep getting an error if I try to go beyond that and I know my system can handle more polys. Just wondering. Finally, is there a good way to get familiar with all the tools, brushes, features, etc in 3.5? I have been searching for the right learning resource and I have yet to find that one place with ALL the information. Any suggestions?

Thanks so much,
Jensenvfx

#4

TahnxU Velesius for your professional advise!

Where can I learn detailed about GoZ feature? I want it in Windows, for Zr3.
I know that feature is not included with Zr3. But how I can use it manually with Maya?