Hello,
Thank you,
Jewel
Wow, you’re looking at some REALLY old tutorials from the days before SubTools.
These days you simply append the additional models as new SubTools (using Tool>SubTool>Append). You can then use TransPose to move/scale/rotate the models relative to each other. If the models are already correct relative to each other, you can use SubTool Master to load them as multiple SubTools in one easy step.
You also have features for merging the SubTools into a single SubTool if you want, although there aren’t too many situations where that’s necessary.
I strongly recommend taking a look at the learning resources listed in my signature. They’re a lot more current than what you’re looking at.
Oh wow, thank you so much for that information.
Skipping ahead to the next step: On some of the forums I read, I saw that two meshes can’t be welded together–they can only intersect. I modeled a head separately from the body of a creature. The two would have to be connected cleanly for me to animate and not have gaps in the mesh. Do you know if you can now connect two meshes in Zbrush (I’m very new to the program)?
Thanks,
Jewel
Dynamesh or Remesh would easily connect the two, but you’d be left with a completely different topology which may not be what you want (especially with the goal of animation).
Some manual retopology may be in order, especially if you have an existing edgeflow that you wish to preserve. I currently prefer the tools offered in external programs (GoZ can help with that), but you can also do it in zbrush as long as the two tools don’t have too many polygons on their lowest subdivision levels. Depending on how new you are to zbrush, you may need to watch a video or two first to brush up on zspheres, adaptive skins, and zsphere topology.
The gist of it would be to first merge the head and body together (perhaps duplicate them first so that you’re working on a clone… just in case). Draw out a zsphere, and go to Tools: Topology: Select Topo to select the creature. Then activate Tools: Topology: Edit Topology. You’ll have to delete (alt+click) the verts that are occluded inside the meshes and around where the two islands would connect, and then redraw new edges to bridge the two islands into one (ctrl+click to select a vert, then click on another to draw an edge over to it).
Turn off Edit Topo once you’re done. You can then preview the adaptive skin and turn it into a new polymesh if you’re happy.
Hi Cryrid,
If the initial zsphere density you used was lower, you should be able to. When you duplicate the head and body for the merger, set them to their lowest subdivision level first (possibly click the Tools: Geometry: Del Higher button to clear out the higher levels). After you retopologize it, you can append it as a subtool to the old model, subdivide it back up to around 5 million polygons and use the Project All button to transfer the detail from the original sculpt to this new model.
Hmmm… my creature’s body alone has 19,280 polys on the lowest level. I think I’m going to have to go back to my zpheres project file and just put a head on the body at that level; and then redo all my details while he’s in one piece. Unless there’s a way I can up the minimum level of polys required to “select topo”?
You might be able to cleave him in half if he’s perfectly symmetrical. That should clear up some of the budget. If not then you might just have to skip the selection part and just edit topo to redo the entire edgeflow from scratch.
Otherwise, I think this is where using another app comes in handy (zbrush should still play nicely with them).
Yay then there’s still hope! Ok, I like to work with maya as well. I used GoZ to take both the body and head to Maya on the lowest subdivision level and attached them there. It did something really weird to the maps which is understandable since I modified the geometry. Can I retain the detail of my Zbrush model after combining and merging the pieces in Maya somehow?