ZBrushCentral

If I wanna use Poser with ZBrush, am I just S-O-L? [Using a Human as a Primitive]

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

So I’ve been lurking here for a while, mostly gawking at the images… but I’ve also been doing a lot of reading of the various threads regarding the use of Poser figures with ZBrush. I’ve gone to other forums too and done searches looking at most anything on the topic for a few days now. There really isn’t a lot of good documentation about these two apps working together. There is a lot of discussion, but it’s not really cohesive.

I am primarily a 2D artist and work with Photoshop mostly. I really enjoy photo composting. I wanted to create some work in surreal landscapes similar to Dali, but use photographs and incorporate humans. However I don’t have access to a bunch of nude models. Plus I have no intention of the humans retaining much of their actual anatomy. So after looking around, I thought that Poser would be a good solution, mainly because the Poser models take direction a lot better than real ones. Its only fault was that the models had a finished look that was pretty hollow, generic and blatantly manufactured. With the tools in ZBrush though, it would seem that you could really break a few laws of anatomy and create a finished look that wasn’t so plastic.

So my general workflow would be Poser>ZBrush>Photoshop. There aren’t a lot of people doing this though. There are a lot of people talking about making morph targets and bringing those into Poser, but not much about bringing a posed/deformed model into ZBrush and heavily manipulating and rendering it from there. There are tons of problems when trying to use Poser models in ZBrush, they make ZBrush angry. Is there any way, perhaps with yet another application that I can somehow convert or have the posed/deformed models rebuilt into the type of object that ZBrush wouldn’t mind working with?

Any advice would be much appreciated. I was really excited there for a while, but now I’m a bit worn out and pessimistic after attempting to make this workflow a reality. So it would be great if anybody could help me out. Thanks in advance.

P.S. I’m working with the latest versions of both applications, if that helps.

#2

Hey U_S,

Is there a problem? No, not at all. There is a path you must stick to though. Visit my website tutorials page there is a free tut and one going on sale tomorrow. It can be done and rather effectively. Look in my Portfolio page for examples.

Regards,
DarkEdge

#3

Hey, Dark, thanks for the reply. Your video was one of the first I came across when I first started searching these forums for solutions. I was curious if this method would help me if I wanted to work with a figure that has already been morphed and posed. Also I’ve found that bringing the children into ZBrush is insane. They just blow up for some reason. There’s the matter of utilizing textures from Poser in ZBrush too, and being able to remove certain polygroups like eyelashes and the tongue etc. I would really like to see someone take a posed figure from Poser then import it and really go to town on it in ZBrush; and ultimately finish it up in Zbrush. For instance, say I would like to have a leg that melts away-you sure can’t do that in Poser. That’s what I would like to do in ZBrush, but the Poser models just seem to react differently to so much in ZBrush.

#4

BTW: Is there some reason I am recieving a delay of several hours from when i post something at these forums and it showing up?

#5

U_S,

You can import maps into Zbrush and they should work. Can you apply morphs and then bring into Zbrush…sometimes yes, sometimes no. It depends on the figure. The children are no different, they work.

I know how you might take this next comment as an ad but really my Zbrush To Poser tutorial will cover an emmense amount of ground work between the 2 apps, you’ll be able to do anything you want to. :wink:

DarkEdge

#6

If I’m not mistaking the new threads have to be approved before they are published.

#7

DarkEdge,

I too am having similar issues. Though mine or more practical of me simply wanting to make morphs in zbrush and apply them in Poser for personal use. I have tried the poser scaler and it didnt appear to do anything I wasnt doing manually anyway. By that, when I bring my morphs into poser and apply them, the figures head (for some reason) always raises up or lowers (depending on the use of poser scaler or not) 1 inch (figurativlely to the model) and I cant seem to get it to sit right. Before I will be willing to fork over MORE money on MORE tutorials that dont work…I would have to see “some proof” that your method does. I know this may be difficult to do as you dont want to divulge your whole tutorial for free…but again, I have already blown too much money on ineffective products to want to do it again.

#8

http://www.darkedgedesign.comSampleVideo.zip

Here is a sample video that shows the resolution and pacing of the tutorials. That character you see on stage is G2 Simon, all morphs transfer over to Poser with no shifting.

Attachments

proof.jpg

#9

Well I finally forked over the money for your product and am looking forward to trying it out. However I have no product lol. Would you mind emailing me a link where I can get it?

#10

Josh,

I sent you an email with your download links earlier this evening.
If you failed to recieve these download links please email me again and I will reply again with the links.

I look forward to seeing your creations! :smiley:

Regards,
DarkEdge