Hi there guys!
Need some basic input here on zbrush workflow for illustration. Please, consider I am pretty new to this so please forgive me if these questions sound silly!!!
I am working with zbrush 3.5.r3, Windows Vista and 8 gb of ram.
I have this 40 million polygons character mesh, about 50 subtools I want to polypaint it and then give him different poses as I said before for illustration purposes to set him in different situations and landscapes. I will use it only in zbrush and won’t export it to other 3d app, then I want to use photoshop for final touches and image set up.
So, what is the best way to go ahead to optimize my system and zbrush capabilities?
Option one:
Polypaint each subtool separately, then decimate them individually and finally get the entire mesh together by appending all the subtools for transpose the poses.
(The main problem I found here is: let say I posed it and want to re sculpt some details, as it is decimated it will be pretty difficult to re sculpt some parts, right?)
Option two:
Merge all subtools, decimate the mesh, polypaint it and then pose it.
(Again, will I be able to re sculpt details once decimated? Also, it is a good choice to polypaint it once decimated?)
Option three:
Polypaint each subtool separately. As most of the subtools are armory, maybe I could decimate them as they are not gonna be resculpted after posed but I will leave the basic body (the one I used as reference to add the armory and extract the parts) as it is (without decimating). Append all the subtools , and transpose the basic body
(this way I will be able to re sculpt the elbows, knees and neck parts affected by the transpose process. Am I right?)
Option four:
What ever you may point or suggest, because I am sure you have seen I am really lost here!!!
Another thing:
Once polypainted and decimated, Can I modify the lights set up, and also use the fog and shadows options for rendering?
Suggestions, links, your own experience will work!!!
Thanks
Arkon74