ZBrushCentral

NEXT GEN CHARACTER: RETOPOLOGIZE WITH UVs / NORMAL MAP

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

Hi,

I’m looking into a new workflow for making games characters by making a high poly sculpt first off - and then sorting UVs / topology all afterwards but only using Maya 8.5 and Zbrush 3.1 … IS THIS POSSIBLE ?

It would be great as i need to make characters for a game where i need in-game low poly version (7,000) and then higher poly for the cinematics. Would be great if i could resample the same sculpt for very low poly and maybe add some more polys for detail after for cinematic version.

I’ve seen work flows like this such as Mashru Mishru’s techniques using topogun and xnormal but am wondering if i can use the brilliant Zbrush rotopo / Zmapper capabilities instead.

I have a sculpted highpoly character with no UVs - now i need to retopologize and create UVs - i’ve been scouring the net but can’t find any tuts yet …

So far I have the high poly head rigged to a ZSphere and i’m building a lowpoly topology over it - hitting a to preview - IT’s great very quick to build topology around wrinkles of face etc - but then what !?

How can i get UVs done so i can normal map and texture using my high poly model ?

ANY help / ideas / links to good tuts would be great !!!

Cheers

#2

Since this is a game model, to do the UV’s you would probably want to use a UV editing program. That’s the best way to go for game purposes. Export your new topology from ZBrush and UV it.

After that, import the model back into ZBrush. It’ll be its own tool with no subtools. Now load your high resolution model that you did all your creating with. ZMapper can project the details from the high-res model to the new mesh, as a normal map. (See the ZMapper section of www.pixologic.com/docs)

#3

OK - so i have the obj imported that is the new low poly topology (wihich has now been UV ed in Maya) and i’ve also imported the high poly mesh that i need to extract a normal map from …

they’re both sitting as different tools - what do i need to do in zmapper to take the high poly info to put onto the lowpoly (which now has a UV map) ??? I couldn’t find this info in the documentation …

Thanks for your help so far Aurick !!!

#4

Ah ok - figured it out very simple - just go to zmapper and under projection capture the high poly then exit come back in with low poly and hit project normal map - works very quickly !!

#5

Go here
[http://www.houseoftutorials.net/course/view.php?id=21

Login as guest

You should be in the Zbrush 3.1 section

Go to the Coloring Techniques link

And the videos are all labeled. You are looking for the Uv in blender videos.

There is also a mapping set of videos that walk you through high res to low res mapping.

You could use the unreal engine for importing into that way you could walk around and shoot the mesh.

www.houseoftutorials.net](") has an unreal school also. (again just login as guest)

#6

or ya that works 2 :wink:

#7

thanks for the links to the tuts cannedmushrooms !! already saw one of yours on you tube for topology helped very quickly …

as for uv ing i’m ok with that stuff - i have some experience with this using maya is just this new method of retopologising after sculpting - then uving / creating a normal as oposed to my old method of basemesh / sculpt / UV / texture

working using this new workflow today and is going well !

unreal tuts look very interesting …

Thanks again !!

#8

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