I’m using zbrush 3.1 and XSI foundation 6.01
Do people generally create and unwrap all the UV info before going into Zbrush to paint textures?
Or should I just create my basic model in XSI export obj to zbrush and create the UV’s in zbrush?
Also does anyone know any tutorials or info regarding generating normal and texture maps in zbrush to export to XSI 6?
Thanks alot!
work flow depends on the artist.
I personally sculpt everything first, do a lowpoly version, unwrap that, and bake all of my textures down at the end of the process.
But each artist prefers a different method and one isn’t any better than the other, it’s really just up to you.
Normals in XSI are funny…I could never get them to display correctly.
So I can do a basic model in XSI, export obj into zbrush to sculpt and paint texture on a hi-poly model then create UV’s, normal and texture maps to export and apply back in XSI?
When you say do a low-poly version you mean bring the sculpted model down to lowest subdivision to unwrap etc?
It’s just that i have been checking the videos for UV Master and I can’t imagine doing UV’s any other way. It seems way to easy?
Why would I ever need to make UV’s in XSI?
Is is the video mostly hype?
Why are normals in XSI funny? Would I be better off Using max or maya instead?
yes.
No, I use a sculpting base, of Zspheres, or a Zsketch to do most of my work in Zbrush. Game res models use more tris, etc, and generally don’t have proper topology for a SDS (sub-division surface). Zbrush likes even spaced quads, game models don’t typically have a layout like that. So I sculpt, paint, decimate the mesh. I take that into modo for a retopo of the mesh to make it work better within a game environment, do my UV’s. I then take the new mesh with UV’s and the original HP mesh from Zbrush into xNormal and bake all of the details down into the new LP.
UV’s in UV Master aren’t the best for games and the seams can’t be specified specifically where you want them. So sometimes it works great, others, not so much.
You’ll need a traditional unwrapper because not everything needs a pelt mapping/or whatever your application calls it.
Nope UV master is a great tool, it’s not hype, it just doesn’t work the way I need it to, the same is true for most game artists. We need more control of the UV’s because we have very limited space.
XSI normals I never figured out…it would always display crazy seams, even when baked in XSI. I don’t like Maya or MAX either actually. So it’s up to you.
Thanks for all your help.
When you bring your model into Modo for retopo are you just converting all the quads to tri’s? What would you change to make a mesh work better for the game environment?
Are we talking characters or static prop meshes?
If i’m building static meshes will I need to retopo my models as well?
Do seams matter as much for static props for games? Basic things like rock shapes, columns, and other static set pieces?
As far as seams go…isn’t that why zbrush is so great? You can paint across the whole model in 3D thereby elimiating the painted overlap for seams not matching when you unwrap? Or are we talking about the same type of seams?
So you use xNormal to project the detail from HP to LP by generating normal maps? Does xNormal do it better than Modo, Max, or XSI? I’m a little confused about that.
If you normal maps come from xNormal do you export the rest of you maps from zbrush?
Are the uv unrwrapping tools very good in Modo?
Sorry about so many questions!
Any input appreciated.
Thanks a lot!
When you bring a mesh into modo to build new topology you’re doing more than just changing the mesh into Tris. You’re removing edge loops that aren’t really needed anymore (ones that don’t really do anything for the silhouette). You’re also re-routing edge flow and collapsing edges, etc.
Characters or static meshes usually benefit from a retopo.
Static props can vary on seam requirements. If the mesh is truly static, it can use an object spaced normal map, but it should never be moved…or effected by any type of physics, etc. If it is going to move then it should use a tangent spaced normal, but that really all depends on the target engine.
We’re talking different types of seams…well, kind of. The fewer UV seams you can have in a game engine, the better it will run. The fewer seams you have in your UV’s also effect how well your normal maps will work. The diffuse textures won’t have seams (or very few) but that doesn’t directly effect your normals. So we’re talking the same and different seams.
xNormal doesn’t project any better, or worse, I just find it easier. The maker of the software has also released the SDK for it, so our programmers in house can create a custom tangent base (from our engine) to make sure that xNormal is reading the tangents of the vertex normals the same way the engine does…that way the bake in xNormal will match exactly in the engine. It also bakes crazy fast.
Normals, cavity and diffuse are baked from the HP to the LP in xNormal. AO in modo.
The unwrapping tools in modo are great (but a free plug-in from seneca is very helpful). Some people like headus UV ($100), roadkill ($0), it’s really up to what you like, and what makes you the most productive. They really all do the same thing, so it doesn’t really matter.
Don’t worry about the questions, you’re asking the right questions so I don’t mind answering them.
Thanks
one last question.
When you bake (generate) all the maps in xNormal . Where do
YOU go from there to get into your game?
If I tried to use your workflow can I just import everything back into
xsi for a render?
ThAt plug infrom Seneca… Are you referring to Seneca college?
http://www.indigosm.com/modoscripts.htm
super uvs and mini uvs are the unwrapping tools I use. There are also a ton of other sweet scripts as well.
To get my maps and meshes into an engine will vary from engine to engine. I.e. UR3 takes in acii files…or whatever that extension is.
Other engines require an obj or fbx file.
I can just drag and drop into our engine.
Drag and drop is supported in unity3d. I think marmoset as well. CE is fbx if I recall.
From the import shaders are appield and textures applied to the shaders.
We have an in house turn around tool for the artists to check their work. It’s very similar to how you view things in xnormal or marmoset.
The work flow should work fine for xsi. It dies for modo and 3dsMax. I personally haven’t tried it in xsi but others around here used to use xsi and have a very similar work flow to mine.