Pixologic Release: ZBrush Learning Series - Texturing with Photoreference

[system]

Hello,

I asked a question while ago, but I didn’t get answer so I like to try again.

I followed this tutorial and everything works fine except when I “pickup” on projection master, texture created always goes 1024x1024.
Is there anyway to keep it to original size? In the tutorial, the texture stays original size which seems to be 2848 x 3122. Then change it to 4096 and clone it and exported it to psd.

My photo is 3072x4096, and I’m just wasting that resolution if it becomes 1024x1024, I am quite flustrated T_T

I haven’t updated zbrush yet. I have been using zbrush 2 and original image plane plug-in.

I guess possible solution is just update zbrush and plug-in.
But if anybody can help me, I’d appreciate it very much.

Thanks in advance

[ryankingslien]

Hello Octypants,

Its been some time since I used ZBrush 2 but my feeling is that you are not creating a for your 3D model before you go into Projection Master.

In this case, ZBrush creates a texture map at the default size of 1024. It does not use the texture size of the image you are using.

So, the solution, before going into projection master, go to the Texture palette, set the width and height and pres New. Then go into Projection Master.

Ryan

[system]

Ryan!!

First, I thought importing a texture(photo) replace the one I create(as you told me to).
But I finally understand what you mean.

And yes! It worked!!!

Thank you very much!

I feel much much better now

[Nolan_R]

The only problem I have now. is when im in Projection Master and trying to move the texture around, the plane gridlines come up instead. I understand this is because Im not selecting any verticies…

But, anywhere I click, the gridline pops up. I`ve tried subdividing the texture plane, but it only makes the gridlines smaller.

Any suggestions?

I also have this problem, I can’t see the texture moving interactively on the surface of the model (as in the video) - I only see the edges of the plane moving in wireframe mode. Only when I release the mouse can I see the effect the move has had on the texture.

Ryan suggested to Doomeduser to turn off Dots Display in the Transform menu, but I’ve checked that and it’s definitely off. Any ideas?

[system]

>Nolan_R
i can think of three things
-turn off the "Transform>Frame(or Dots Display, usually ppl use frame)
-Divide the plane few more times
-increase Draw Size

[Nolan_R]

Tried those Octypants - no joy
Anyone have any more suggestions?

[Nolan_R]

The problem I’ve mentioned above seems to be a performance issue related to the size of the image I’m using.
The original image was 2048x2916. If I halve the size to 1024x1458 then the technique works fine, and I can see my adjustments ‘live’ on the surface of the model.
I do find this limitation a bit odd though seeing I’m running ZBrush3.1 on a pretty powerful machine (Intel Core 2 Quad, 4Gb RAM, GeForce 8800 GTX).

Anyone else experiencing this limitation?

[marcus_civis]

Nolan_R,

Set the Preferences>Draw>Adots slider to its highest setting. That should do it.

[Nolan_R]

That worked a treat - thanks Marcus.

One lingering niggle though - when deforming the plane I can’t see the red circles that represent the brush size, I can only see the red dot that represnts the centre of the brush. Any thoughts on this?

[marcus_civis]

Nolan_R,
I’m afraid that the cursor change is to do with using Move mode rather than Draw mode. There’s no way round that.

[Nolan_R]

Fair enough, thanks anyway

[system]

Is there any way to do this stuff in Draw mode? If I try and switch to Draw mode it tells me I have to convert it to a polymesh (somehting like that) and, if I do, it messes it all up.

I just thought it would be nice to use mroe than just move, like the nudge brush, or… !!! THE Smooth Brush!!! <-- It would be nice to be able to smooth things after manipulating to bring it back a little, like if I have to pull in a part to match a lumpy area, I’d like to smooth it out to less distortion, but I have to do this manually.

Two other things I’m wondering about, one of which is probably totally impossible, so the other one first:

I’ve noted that, especially after a lot of manipulation, the red dot indicating where you’re working ends up being nowhere near the cursor and while I cvan deal with this and compensate for it, it’s annoying and in some cases it’s impossible to get to certain parts, because if you move the cursor to where the red dot would be, I’m off the mesh and, as a result, no longer getting the red dot at alll (and if I do anything I just end up rotating the image plane, which aappears to be not undoable on top of it all)

The other that is probably impossible due to the shamefully limited image format output options and the way Projection Master works and stuff, but hey, if I’m wrong and it IS possible, I may as well ask (besides, maybe this way Pixologic will hear about somehting interpreted as a lack that should be addressed anyway) So here it is: Alpha channel on textures.

Gonna elabourate on that last part, in the sense that Pixologic should make this possible, because if they don’t someone like one of the open source coders for mudbox is going to eventually jump on this and make a standalone app, and I’ll buy it out of potential ZBrush 4 funds:

Right now we can do some amazing stuff to wrap textures onto a mesh using Projection Master. Problem is, then once we pick them back up the “fade” fades not to transparent, but to white (or whatever was there before). This means we have things overlapping each other or fading into white and if we want to stitch them together we have to erase edges manually (and possibly need to erase near a seam, which introducsed texture seam visibility, which is bad)

If textures were able to maintain an alpha channel, we could start PM with a transparent channel and fade to transparent. Then when we take our sections and load 'em into Photoshop and layer the exports together, they marge up right, so we just erase the random little gray bars and anything that got onto the wrong area on a later layer, and viola.

Right now it’s great that we can do that, but cleaning up the results takes nearly as many hours as making a texure the old-fashioned way.

(While I’m making a wishlist item in this post, I may as well add: Support for OBJ materials with separate textures built for each would make all this even better – in case it gets heard OR said proverbial other programmer is trawling forums for ideas)

[system]

Dude I could kiss you right now!!! thank you soooooooooooooooo much man, damn good workflow, wont forget this 4 real, cheers :lol:

[ryankingslien]

dodger - I’m responding to this very late but here it goes. problem 1 can be solved by a change to your workflow.
First, layout the UVs of your model with production level UV’s.
Second, establish a basic rough texture for the face by projecting front, side, top, etc views and take it into Photoshop
Third, use ZAppLink to create specific spot texture maps for the chin, side of nose, under part of nose and other hard to reach areas.
Fourth, overlay the texture map for the specific area on top of the roughed in texture map. Create a Layer Mask that hides everything and then paint back in the area that you need (for example, the chin, nose…).
Fifth, check texture in Maya or ZBrush
sixth, repeat step 4 for all your problem areas.

3rdman2009 - glad it was useful.

[system]

Thanks for this tutorial

[YouZC]

The download movie link is giving me the “This server can only be accessed by the proper referring server.” webpage. Anyway of reuploading?

[system]

good idea to a freshman.

xluox

[system]

hey can anybody tell me how to do this in zbrush 3.5 as i can seem to get it to work no matter what i try

[ryankingslien]

I would recommend using ZAppLink for a more robust approach. If memory serves correctly, this approach pre-dates ZAppLinks’ first incarnation.

[YouZC]

Will Zaaplink reappear or is it completely gone now in the latest and future versions of Zbrush?