Does this export to 3DS MAX - ...... why NOT?

[aurick]

I’m with Winged One. Definitely run the ZBrush_Picnic script, which is in your ZScripts folder. The file that you will want to start with is the one called index – it opens all the others for you. This script shows ZBrush being used to make a complete scene, and teaches you what’s being done as you go.

Some of us use Poser imports because we’re awful at modeling human bodies. Each person here has a particular set of experiences and skills, just like any other artistic medium. On the other hand, there are some phenomenal body modelers. The bottom line is that ZBrush can create practically anything that you can imagine. To really see the power of the program, I recommend going to Pixologic’s Website and visiting the new ZBrush at Work and Feature Tour sections. The first one is particularly applicable to your question about what the program will do. All of the artwork shown there has been posted here, and most of it is by users with no affiliation at all with Pixologic other than to grant the use of their images.

I dare say that you will find yourself hard put to find a program that is more diverse in its functionality than ZBrush. It is NOT a 3D animation package. There are plenty of those. Instead, it’s a painting/modeling/texturing/rendering program that mixes both 2D and 3D elements together depending on your needs. Of course, this also means that it won’t behave the same way that a 3D animation package will – so don’t try to force it to. Just give yourself some time and have fun learning it. I think you’ll be surprised!

[system]

I was going to post a much longer thing. But reading Aurick post, now I don’t hit the button and post a 1/100 th of it. As those few lines from Aurick are much cleverer.

Intead of doing that I am going just to add some details:

-Even if at the end, you prefer a more geared to low polygon solution, you still will have:

1. Possibly the greatest 2d/3d all in one Game Interface creation. Have a look at games like age of empires, or whatever game menu, icons, bars, borders. For that , Zbrush is really useful. And quick.

2. A good renderer, with control over shadwos, several lights, antialiasing, enourmouse sizes in pixels renders, fog, etc.

3. Combined with its detailing-illustration abbility it can make those splash-intro screens for saved-game loading.

4. The cheapest solution for 3d painting over models. I have noticed better results in high polygon models, but it could be just me. It works also for the others, but as always in 3d painters, 2d retouch needed over the texture.

5. a 2d painting software with a good wacom stroke response…even in my celeron…It has tools like saturation brushes, smear, light/dark brushes, infinite material capabilities…

6. Some day you art director using Max will ask you for making morph targets. Perhaps the game intro needs it for a first plane cut, were face expressions are involved.
   Well, I think in some post there’s even a tut for making those morph targets (several objs in the different moment of a expression. Later on, in a very similar way, Poser or max, calculate inbetweening frames.)

…pant…and a lot more. Stop here. I will bore the whole comunity.

So , those to say the first I can think of in the jungle of needs you’ll have for games.

And in case you don’t really like it for modelling, you will have all those 6 things for a small price.

Is an extra tool. Your base tool will be Max or Light Wave (depending on your company’s tastes) or even Milkshape ( 20 dollars, and really good for low polygon stuff ) if your company is starving or you are just a hobbyst. If is this last situation, think of:

-Lithunwrap, Anim8or, Wings3d, Milkshape, Pixia, and some others.

Well…this time I hope I make it really clear…always my fingers do the same to me.

However, it is not that Zbrush CAN’T make low polygon models. I think is not geared to that, so use every tool for its best using.
Here’s an example that it can, but at the end, some features are neded for this so specific stuff…
http://www.pixolator.com/zbc-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=003109 http://www.pixolator.com/zbc-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=000060

If you are making an isometric view with rol, or strategy (aoe, starcraft, diablo, etc) prerendered game(that is mid polygon count, as sprites are small, no need for extra high polygon count, but yes more than low.All is prerendered to BMPs), then it can help a lot in modifying the models you export from Max. You’ll reimport after the models modification (for example, adding tentacles, horns, making some magnet deformation, or characterizing someway) the obj with created texture also, again in Max. You will set up the bones (as you would in LW, Milk, or whatever) make the render in the 8 directions and that’s all.

My last advice test all the tools you can your own, be quick, have your mind really awaken, but be patient. You’ll find the one suits you for each tasks…You’ll end managing a LOT of them…At the end, you will be able to use them all, each time will cost less effort to learn.

Good luck.

[system]

Thank you thank you for all the wonderful help .

BUT BUT… I think my main reservation
is:

Games today - are photo realistic!

I have seen some wonderful character work
with Zbrush - but no photorealistic
characters ( yet ), at least leading men
or ladies.

Personally, I am interested in game and movie modeling. ( not toons )

" Eye there’s the rub, matey" !

Can Z brush do this?

( Even some of the poser models at renderosity now are getting photorealistic"

WHAT SOFTWARE / TEXTURING are they using?

thanks so much!

Cindy

[aurick]

Cindy, I’m sure you know that the quality of any character is about 30% geometry and 70% texture.

In the case of the best quality Poser textures, you’re normally looking at two texture maps of 4000x40000 in size, composited from about 60 photographs for the head texture and 80 for the body texture. Final Fantasy the movie, on the other hand, used skin textures that were created entirely in Photoshop with no photographic input.

ZBrush is also capable of turning out excellent work. Here is one, that combines Poser and ZBrush both: Queen of the Flowers.

Now, in terms of high quality graphics within a game, let’s take a look at what’s actually happening. Final Fantasy X is an excellent example, since it has just recently been released and is also acclaimed as the most graphically impressive game put out yet on the PS2. If you actually examine the game, FFX has three levels of graphics quality. The highest level is completely pre-rendered full motion video scenes. These are on a par with what you see in movies, as opposed to being a computer game. Below that are two different levels of quality in animation that is rendered “on the fly”. Some of it looks pretty darned good. But the lowest level of quality is scarcely more than a face painted onto a flat VERY low poly shape. The lips don’t even move, and in some cases the eyes are only painted on as opposed to having any geometry at all beneath them. Yet around 95% of the game is composed of these two lower quality levels.

Another good example is Baldur’s Gate II. Everything that you see in the game environments was pre-rendered using several machines working in tandem over the course of about 12-18 hours per render. The game models, on the other hand, are rendered on the fly and when you actually look closely they are nowhere near photorealistic. Yet BGII is hailed as one of the most impressive PC games ever.

Can ZBrush do that super high quality texturing that you see in the fmv’s? Probably. Can it do the medium and low quality levels? Most definitely! Same for any of the texturing in BGII. Which level of quality are you the most likely to be working on, at least in the near future? Probably not that super high stuff! Most game design companies don’t even do those movies in house – they contract out for it and instead do the work that they specialize in: non-photorealistic graphics for the regular game play.

Let’s face it: games fall into a few categories. Console games are designed for a specific system and make the best possible use of that system. PC games, on the other hand, must play to the lowest common denominator because the designers don’t know how good the gamer’s system is going to be. In fact, most games have pretty low minimum system requirements. It simply isn’t practical for a PC or a console to be expected to render animation with two 4000x4000 texture maps on the fly for a single character, much less the 10, 20 or more characters that can be on the screen at any given time. Maybe 5 years from now that will be different, but it’s certainly not the case today.

Don’t confuse in-game movies that are pre-rendered by a house that specializes in the work with standard game play animation and texturing. It’s arguable that ZBrush could do either kind of work. It’s a definite that the program can be invaluable for regular game play. You may eventually grow in your level of skill and experience to where you will be sought after by the movie-type companies. Until then, though, ZBrush can certainly do the kind of work that you can reasonably expect to be doing. And by the time you ARE sought after by the pre-rendered movie companies, ZBrush will undoubtedly have grown right along with you to be capably of assisting in that kind of work with ease.

For that matter, our own KenB has effectively shown that ZBrush is useful in the motion picture industry. So if ZBrush’s work can look good on a huge screen, there is absolutely no reason that it can’t be stunning on a monitor. Like anything else, it just takes practice.

[juandel]

in fact i lost track of this thread and dont understand all of it, but i thought i’d place this link to Levius’s Phototexturing tutorial in here anyway

• juandel

[system]

Great post aurick - thanks!

You seem to know a lot more about it than
me. And youve convinced me Zbrush is up to
the task.

Most the games I have been checking out have been at public arcades. Of course you get all levels of rendering. ( I’m not sure of the technical levels like you )

But I notice most of the new arcade games
are getting very photorealistic.
( of course, you can see some low polygon
errors at times - and other less than perfect
aspects)
I want to be able to do that level work
at a minimum.

Thanks juandel for the link!

that is a very good tutorial of what I seek. Of course you need photoshop as well. I dont use photoshop - I use Ulead photoimpact. Could probably
do the same I guess ( anybody know? )
But I’ve never done "layers " in photoimpact

thanks so much all

L,

Cindy

[system]

" FFX has three levels of graphics quality. The highest level is completely pre-rendered full motion video scenes "

Oh aurick, as you might gather, I’m just
watching the game “intros” at the arcades -
not actually playing them. So am I seeing
this pre rendered level only?

Also, films are not far off for me. I
have had several requests for help from
Indie filmakers. They don’t pay much if anything, but I think they will be good
experience for me.

Love,

Cindy

[system]

Nope, Photoimpact can’t compare with adobe PS. A standard in games production is Max+ adobe Photoshop. (+ what I call, extra tools, between them, Zbrush.)

Even though,don’t take it wrong, PhotoImpact is cheap and cappable of a few nice things.

you have layers in Zbrush

I do like prerendered games much more than low poligon count ones. But that is coming to an end, sadly. Or that seems to me looking every title released now. Even strategy. However, if is the indy world, you can do what you like, you arent forced to anything.

If you asked me, I would have preferred a lot to have worked for those games like Graphic Adventures (Monkey, etc) from the 80’s, early 90’s. All hand drawn.

However, a game in a PS2, Gamecube or Xbox, is another world. They’re aproaching to that point I would like to see.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>…I’m just
watching the game “intros” at the arcades…not actually playing them. So am I seeing this pre rendered level only? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Perhaps.Aliens Vs PredatorII they told me uses engine for game intro (low polys calculated at real time like in game.)

And that’s one of the strongest games of the moment.