Could someone post me a plan step by step what you need to do to make the form from scratch to final renders.
There are several different ways that all work just as well.
Personally I often require two things for my work; a high poly model responsible for all the detail and the final low poly model that is meant to either move around or be printed. The order they are created in doesn’t matter, and can vary from project to project depending on the style or my mood.
- Sometimes I might have an existing base mesh of a generic humanoid that is modeled in such a way that it works well for animation, is in a polygon range that works well for modern games, and still has topology that allows for easy sculpting in most areas. This is really useful when I have to pump out several characters quickly as the lowest subdivision level can serve as the final mesh, and having a consistent edgeflow from character to character can make things easier when it comes to rigging and uv’ing.
- If I’m doing something more extreme like a cartoony figure, a super low-poly model, or something non-human then I’ll either use a much simpler basemesh (if it is still a realistic humanoid), model my own from another 3d program, mash some basic shapes together with dynamesh in order to get the general volumes I want, or use zspheres to get it ready. The basic idea is to start with whatever I need to in order to get the basic shape that I want for sculpting, do my sculpt, and then retopologize that depending on my final need for the model.
- In rare cases I might not need an elaborate sculpt so I might just take an existing model that is already ready for its intended use, and slap some extra geometry on top for baking purposes.
In either way, UVs for texturing are always saved until after the end topology is finished. Until then I either don’t use them, or treat them as temporary sets (usually for some purpose such as creating polygroups, or using surface noise)
If I’m modeling for a game or animation then posing also comes afterwards for me so I just model and sculpt in a neutral pose. When I’m doing a print or illustration on the other hand I pose it while I’m sculpting, since the pose can determine how muscles bunch and how clothing folds. http://pixologic.com/zclassroom/artistinaction/scotteaton/sculpting/
Is it more profitable to create displacement maps and normal lowpoly whether the model can use the decimation master in Zbrushu to reduce the number of polygons?
This can depend on the use. On one hand a print or illustration should work just fine with decimation master, on the other hand if it has to deform organically then decimation would be my last thought for the final topology. If its a static game mesh then I’d see the benefit in having normal maps and topology that have been planned out, while something that is rendered would have a different set of needs.
Which elements are better to do in Zbrushu instead of 3DSMax?
Like many things, this completely depends on the project, the artist, and a few other things. There’s never a single answer. This is where experimenting is very useful as it’s through experience that you really get the hang of things and start to develop a good sense for deciding how to approach a given task.
Which program is best for render?
This one can depend on the look you’re aiming for, but generally speaking a program like 3dsMax is going to give you a lot more options and control over the lights, materials, and renders. If you can do it in zbrush then you can probably achieve it in another program (sometimes I even use zbrush to create my materials for these programs), but the vice versa isn’t true.
Should I do texture or model positioning first ?
I think that one is your call.