ZBrushCentral

Why are models split on maya/zbrush or 1/2 and 1/2

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

I am new to all of this and I have only dug around for a few min. But I have some General questions.

  1. Why do some Artist split the work between 3ds max/maya then finish it off in Z-brush? I mean Can you do 100% of the Model work in Z-brush and get extreme Detail? I just want to create stills images not really into animation which I am sure is why people like to have models in maya/max. This is a very broad question I know. I guess it can be sum up Z-brush+Photo shop can create those Extreme detail CG girls that you see every were?

http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/showthread.php?t=062056
http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/showthread.php?t=55545&highlight=Naruto

I guess what I am asking is If you want to create extreme detail Girls can it all be done in Z-brush and what makes modeling in a 3d pkg better then z-brush if any at all.

Point.
1.maya $8k
2.Adobe 1k
3.Custom model with no textures $800

Just trying to see if I can by pass #1. I took a look at the gallery and wondered if all those are 100% Z brush only.

Thank you.

#2

You can do everything in ZBrush, with a few caveats.

  • ZBrush doesn’t provide a full-blown renderer with all the bells and whistles, like subsurface scattering, global illumination, etc.

  • ZBrush doesn’t have tools for craeating human-readable UV layouts. You can make UVs in ZBrush, just nothing you could edit in Photoshop.

  • That brings up Photoshop. It’s always a good companion. Never leave home without it.

  • Some things are faster and easier to do in a 3D app vs ZBrush. Sometimes box modeling certain shapes is faster than making them with ZSpheres. Stuff like that.

#3

Thanks…Can you tell me more about what UV layouts are and if its really a big deal?