MeshInsert Curve Brushes, normal mapping to efficientize polycount?

[Prevenge]

Hi all…
I’m making some characters that will have many, MANY MeshInsert Curve Brush lengths surrounding their base mesh.
I have the base objects for the multimeshInsert curve brushes… at several different division levels.

Now,
Since I have SO MANY of these, I’m looking to lower my poly count of the character as much as possible.
So, I’d like to use the BASE meshes of my SEGMENTS of each meshinsert curve brush array… AS it’s lowest level subdivision, but in my 3rd party 3D program (Maya) … WITH it’s normal maps from the highest subdiv for the segments.

Is there any way to do this?
What would be the workflow here?
I’m fully schooled in using base meshes and normal/displacement maps from their higher level in major objects…
but for tiny segments like the sections of a meshInsert Curve brush array I’ve painted on… how do i scale the division level back down from a… say… chain… and utilise the whole normal mapping , subdivision levels aspect of these complex and multiple instances of chains?

many thanks!

[Cryrid]

As long as you don’t merge things together with dynamesh, the inserted meshes could probably very easily be turned into new polygroups, which can then be split into a new subtool. From there you can just reconstruction the lower subdivisions to get them back down, and export away.

A chain would be slightly different. I’d only use a few links to save on UV space.

[Prevenge]

As long as you don’t merge things together with dynamesh, the inserted meshes could probably very easily be turned into new polygroups, which can then be split into a new subtool. From there you can just reconstruction the lower subdivisions to get them back down, and export away.

A chain would be slightly different. I’d only use a few links to save on UV space.

heh thanks for confirming what i was thinking of doing today … reverse-engineer it…
yeah they aren’t chains with links like a chain link chain more of ropes…
thanks!

[Prevenge]

As long as you don’t merge things together with dynamesh, the inserted meshes could probably very easily be turned into new polygroups, which can then be split into a new subtool. From there you can just reconstruction the lower subdivisions to get them back down, and export away.

A chain would be slightly different. I’d only use a few links to save on UV space.

ok but now… i’ve decorated my character to the extend I’d like with all the insertmesh curves…
but how to i get back to editing the entire character as a whole?
the main mesh and all of the inserts are darkened but the last insertmesh that i put on it is not darkened…

how do i get back to editing the entire piece? seems the only way is to ctrl+drag in the background to do a dynamesh…
but this is not what i want to do.

EDIT: -
I just had to uncheck curve mode in the stroke’s curve menu option … that got me back into editing the entire subtool/character mesh with all the meshinserts included without dynameshing.

these little roadbumps dont compare to the awesomenes of this program that makes my dreams come true… i love you pixologic!

[Cryrid]

Basically what happens there is once you use an insert brush, zbrush will mask off the rest of the model so that you can quickly make any adjustments to the inserted mesh (using the move brush or transpose, for example). Ctrl+Dragging on the document usually works as this is how you clear a mask. An alternative clear mask button should be found in the masking subpalette (Tool: Masking: Clear).

[Prevenge]

Basically what happens there is once you use an insert brush, zbrush will mask off the rest of the model so that you can quickly make any adjustments to the inserted mesh (using the move brush or transpose, for example). Ctrl+Dragging on the document usually works as this is how you clear a mask. An alternative clear mask button should be found in the masking subpalette (Tool: Masking: Clear).

yea you’re totally right there… was thinking it would do the alternative and dynamesh it.
thnx for the clarification