Hey, fellow ZBrushers.
I just downloaded the 1.55b copy of ZBrush from your site, and after looking at your software. tutorials, and the forum, I became slightly confused (not to mention feeling a little inept ;))
Here’s why:
I have very little modelling experience; I doubt I could create even the simplest character meshes.
Do you think I should take some time off of ZBrush and learn 3dsmax or maya first?
Thanks in advance for any advice you can give me.
Lanche
It entirely depends upon what you plan to accomplish and how fast you need to accomplish it.
Each software package has it’s strength and it’s weaknesses. Each package has a learning curve. Granted some of the packages are harder to learn than others.
If you want to be comfortable with 3d Sculpting, then you may as well use Zbrush, as that is one of it’s strengths.
Much of the learning curve is the same, regardless of the package that you use. And much of the information that you learn is transferable. At least as far a concepts. If you learn what an alpha map is, that knowledge will be helpful regardless of the package that you use. The same goes for most of the ideas. Vertices, Specularity, Masking, etc.
Most mainstream packages can teach you the broadstrokes of these ideas.
So pick a program that matches your needs, Learn it well enough to know it’s strengths and weaknesses (and it’s major concepts), and expand to other packages as necessary. (And don’t forget to make art along the way. 3d is ultimately not about the buttons.)
Example: Alias for inorganic. Maya for Animation. ZBrush for organic modelling.
And most of the packages let you stretch them. Alias can make organic models with a bit of effort. ZBrush can make mechanical models, with a bit of effort.
Also, the fact that you do not think that you can make a decent model is not something to worry about. Everyone starts out bad (um, I mean, “personal”).
It is much more important to simply keep at it.
“Ability is 95% stickability”.
Time is also important. If you need a nice image by tomorrow, then just pay someone else to make it. But if you give yourself a year, then you can definitely make progress if you spend daily effort.
Last bit of advice. Start simply. Deform spheres or play with basic lighting on basic shapes.
Set simple goals that are a mix of time and output. Ex. Plan to spend an hour trying to make a basic head out of a sphere.
Alternate your focus. Ex. Every second day, make it a learning session. Meaning, today you might try to sculpt something with the tools you know.
Tomorrow, you will try to learn a new tool, or learn a tool better. Maybe read a tutorial and try it. Scan the manual for an interesting new tidbit to learn.
The day after tomorrow, try to sculpt something again with your new knowledge. Etc.
Good Luck.
wow Visual, that’s some awesome advice! Even after all this time as a zb’er, I find myself asking what should I do or learn next! I found encouragement in your words and hope that Lanche did too!
Thanks for the enlightening bit of advice. However, I have but two quick questions:
Maya seems to be gaining popularity over 3dsmax in terms of freelance art; 3dsmax (in my eyes) is beginning to get more recognition as a game-developing program. Would you recommend Maya or 3dsmax?
Also - Alias Wavefront is the name of the company that makes Maya, if I’m not mistaken. So what’s the difference between Alias and Maya, in your post above?
hi,
Since you only have 1.55b demo…you are going to find yourself a wee bit confused because it doesn’t have the same features Z2 does. Not that it’s inadequate but it is missing some key features like being able to model up and down in subdivision levels etc.
If your goal is to learn how to model from the first polygon on up then keep zbrush…learn it’s interface and it’s unique way of doing things but also go get Wings3d. It’s free and has alot the basic tools you will need to learn how to model, you’ll become more familiar with the terms and works of 3d programs that you will be able to apply to other programs as you progress. You will also see if that is really the way you want to proceed without destroying your pocket book. After a few months of going thru all kinds of tutorials found on the internet about modelling and you find you like it and are learning and going great then stop and consider which of the big dogs has the features and costs that fit you best for what you want to do.
You will be wanting zbrush in your arsenal anyway so continue learning how it works…it will definitely be a huge benefit to you when you are ready to purchase it and Z2 and it’s up and coming upgrade are gonna be necessities to you down the road if you continue to pursue this avenue!
hope we all helped ya some.
As to Maya or 3dMax. It does not matter which one you use. Both are powerful and I suspect that either one will teach you the concepts that you need to know.
I suppose that if you know which company you plan to work for, then you could find out which package they prefer. But keep in mind my earlier thoughts. If you know one package, most people find it quite easy to switch to another similar package.
As to Alias / Maya. Alias Research (the company) made a package called “Alias”. The package was basically created for the industrial design community. Which means that it was intended to allow designers to build cars, products, houses and such.
Many years later they were bought by SGI and Wavefront was also purchased by SGI at the same time (ish). AliasWavefront wrote a new package which they called Maya. The reason was complex, but basically, Alias was trying to accomodate the entertainment industry. Alias (software) had incorporated a lot of animation tools, but Maya was created “from the ground up” to be an animation package (ish). They pooled the programmers from Alias WaveFront and TDI to make Maya. (Wavefront had purchased TDI previously). So it was meant to grow out of the best that those packages had to offer. They wanted to create “the next thing”. And as you can tell, it has done fine.
Off the subject, TDI used to have a sculpting tool set that worked similarly to ZBrush, albeit on a simpler level.
Back on subject. Alias is still powerful, Maya is still powerful, 3dMax is still powerful. It really doesn’t matter which software you learn on. What matters is that you get good at it and that you are also a good artist/designer.
When it comes down to it, the software that a given company will “choose to use” is highly dependant on the following factor: Which software package does the “project lead” happen to know?
That is both arbitrary and common sense. If the “lead” is on “common ground”, then she/he can lead with a bit more confidence.
No software is a “perfect match” for the task at hand. If it was, then our software packages would have just one button. And it would have a paragraph above the button that says something like this:
“When you hit this button, the software will read your mind, your bosses mind, and the minds of your coworkers, it will evaluate the world stage, pick your target market and magically produce the perfect final “creative work” to suit the situation. Thanks for buying our perfect software package, now why don’t you go take a nap.”
To wrap up: No package is perfect. All the mainstream ones are powerful and worth knowing. Pick one, learn it. Keep your eyes open along the way. If the company that produces your “favorite” package decides to go bankrupt along the way, you can always switch programs. But as we have seen with other packages, even if the company goes under, people will still keep using the packages for a while.
Why? many reasons. Just to name one though - When a project gets started, the company tries to lock down a “pipeline”. This is a type of workflow. It might work something like this: The designers “might” draw their designs on “paper” (of all things). Then someone will build the designs using their favorite package (perhaps Alias or ZBrush), then they port the files over to Maya for animation, and then out to a compositing package and so on.
Once the pipeline is established, the team will be very reluctant to change it. Many projects go on for years. If the maker of one of their favorite software packages goes out of business, they will still probably use the software because it is working fine within their pipeline. That means that people still get paid to use that package. Note: teams are even reluctant to change versions in the middle of a project.
And besides, in many cases, the company that you go to work for will have “proprietary software”. This is software that they may have written to suit their special needs, and this software is not available on the market. The big houses often do this. Places like Disney, ILM, and so on. So there is no way that you can learn that software, and they will not expect you to know it. What they will want to see is aptitude. If you are good at 3d regardless of the package, then they can start figuring out if they have the time and budget to train you on their in-house packages.
You can take all of the above as “just my opinion”. This may sound like a copOut but I don’t really know how these forums work. So here is my disclaimer. Non of my comments should be considered “legal advise”. Treat them simply as information that you can evaluate like any other information that you run across. Get other peoples opinions. Know yourself. And make your own decision as best you can. Keep your eyes open along the way. Be willing to change your path “if you have good reasons to do so”. Adapt. Self-Efficacy.
And best of luck.
Oh, one last thought. If you have a friend who knows a particuluar package, you might want to learn that package, as they can help you through the tough spots.
Visual, are you psychic :eek:!?
You answered all my unasked questions on top of all the stuff I posted. Wow.
Yes, I’ve been considering graphics as a career plan. I can do basic 3dsmax stuff (primitives, booleans, deformers, simple animation, etc). None of my friends are comp-savvy, really (they turn to me when their computer starts to act funny), but one of my friend’s DADS had a C4D license that they weren’t using, so he uninstalled it and gave it to me (He has a permanent license of 3dsmax instead). :D:D:D How’s that for a deal?
Anyway, I found c4d to be an awesome learning tool (yes, a LOT of fun in a day :D) and it’s extremely accessible, and not overwhelming.
After the weekend is over, I’ll be switching back to 3dsmax for the remainder of my trial, going on/off between the ZBrush manual and 3dsmax tutorials.
After THAT, I’m gonna hit up Maya, and with my upcoming paycheck I hope to be able to buy Student licenses for whatever I can get my hands on (most likely Maya, definitely ZBrush, and MAYBE 3dsmax; it looked pricey).
Thanks for all your help, and thanks to whichever mod moved this to the right category 
ZBrush is not to compare to a 3d package. It’s a great companion! To get into modeling buy Silo for 108$. You can model in ZBrush but kinda painful. Zbrush’s quality is sculpting rather than modeling. Most of the work yo see here is roughed out in a modeler other than ZBrush and then refinded nicely in ZBrush. When you like what you do go buy XSI Foundation for less than 500$ which has the biggest bang for the buck right now. With Zbrush you will have the 3D paint program and something to keep UV trouble away which you would miss in pretty much any other package.
So, if you can afford it: Silo + Zbrush should get you going nicely. SIlo and ZBrush have a lot of tutorials (However, nothing beats ZBrushCentral).
my2cents
LemonNado
I JUST saw that program when after I made my above post. I also found a bunch of other programs from a 3D art magazine at Indigo - wrote a list down, will try all of them out (one of them involves putting 3D polies/tris onto a 2D picture - really neat for creating a model out of reference images.
Yeah silo does come cheap, and it navigates the same like maya, I even like their polygon tools better then the ones from maya 
“one of them involves putting 3D polies/tris onto a 2D picture”
That’s called ‘Rotoscoping’ (at least in XSI) and is pretty much common to modelers. Most allow you to place more than one 2d picture (different views like front and side) into the modeling ‘room’. So you can follow the lines of a model quite nicely.
And as I wrote earlier, with Zbrush and a modeler you will go a long way. And later, you will not have the feeling you bought something you will not use after you became more educated, as you simply need to add your choice of animation/3d package which will certainly overlap but not replace the modeler and Zbrush.
IN any case, go read the forum of the product first. Try the trial and don;t look at the Gallery. Meats Maier can sell MSPaint as the perfect 3d app with his drawing skills, all what counts is your ability to work with it and not what some 3D God’s create with it. Check out products on large forums like CGTalk etc… If a product doesn’t have a happy following or less than a handfull of returns regarding a Google search, stay away! There are many packages which are substandard and a lot of money can be wasted playing around with half baked CG garbage.
LemonNado