ZBrushCentral

Using bump/normal map to kickstart a sculpt?

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

Greetings all!:smiley:

New to Zbrush & this is the first post (question) of many :o & really looking forward to getting to grips with this amazing program. Already drooling at the fantastic artworks in the gallery & hoping one day to post my own wow factor sculpt.
I’m slowly making my way through the incredibly helpful PDF provided by pixologic but I wanted to jump ahead & try something.

So here goes, I’m using Ver 4.0 & I have a lo res model of a tyre which I want to add detail to & eventually export a detailed normal map for a game engine type scenario.

I was wondering whether it would be possible using an existing bump/normal map from the texture i have created to kickstart the sculpt ie apply the texture to the entire high res mesh so it sculpts the surface according to the greyscale or normal information in the map, then modify the sculpt with my brush & then export it back out when I’m happy with the results.

I hope that makes sense to you more guru types & thanks in advance for any help offered.

Cheers Polyglot!!!

#2

The bump could work if it acted more like a displacement map (in which case you could apply it as one using the displacement map subpalette), or if it were more of a simpler black-and-white image which you could apply as a texture and then convert to a mask using it’s intensity (in which case you could then use an inflate deformation to push the unmasked treads out). Surce Noise based on UVs could potentially work as well, if v4 had that feature.

#3

Hi Cryrid,

Thank you for the swift response, I’ll try what you mentioned & see if the displacement works & let you know if it does. Thanks again.

Cheers Polyglot

#4

You can readily deform with radial symmetry on whichever axis you need to.

#5

Thanks for the input!

I couldn’t get the displacement to work as I couldn’t switch it on for some reason, but using the texture as a mask worked like a treat & is a really good guide to where the detail will go. So thanks again for your help.

Cheers Polyglot

#6

In order to apply a displacement map in ZBrush you need to have a texture map displayed on the model. It need only be a white map but it must be selected and turned on in the Tool>Texture Map sub-palette. You will then be able to:

  1. Select a suitable alpha for applying by clicking the Tool>Displacement Map> map thumbnail.
  2. Turn on Tool>Displacement Map>Mode to preview the displacement.
  3. Adjust the Tool>Displacement Map>Intensity slider to actually get some displacement.

Once happy with the above you can apply the displacement to create actual geometry by pressing Tool>Displacement Map>Apply DispMap.

#7

HI Marcus,

OK thank you very much for that I was assuming the button came first & didn’t twig to the box for the image:p Got it working no problems with your instructions. Thanks for the help it’s greatly appreciated.

Cheers Polyglot