ZBrushCentral

Why Maya/Max/Cinema 4D?

Community
#1

Hi Everyone,

Just a small piece of advice please? Being completely fairly new to the whole world of 3D, and whilst being fairly comfortable with the first two, I’m still getting my head around the 3rd! (I’m using that as a segue into a really silly question!), which is: In terms I can understand, what are the advantages of using a 3rd party program like Maya/Max/Cinema 4D for building meshes and importing into ZB, rather than building the meshes in ZB Originally? Are base meshes easier to construct in other programs?

Also I’m toying with the idea of purchasing C4D, and bearing in mind the price of C4D compared to the others, what are the advantages and disadvantages of it/Maya/Max ? And what are peoples opinions on those programs?

As always thank you for any help anyone can offer.

#2

…no advantages in term of modeling except the precison than architecture or industrial precise object :slight_smile: (snapping…)
And of course animation maybe during a small time :rolleyes:
Maybe also for rendering if you want a damned realist result very precise :rolleyes:
Execept that if you are not a professional for industry, Zbrush rocks in some domains :cool:
Pilou

#3

I think some of us are just really fast at modeling in other applications, and can speed our workflow by modeling our base mesh in the apps we are most comfortable with, and adding additional (most of the) detail in ZBrush.
As for which other 3D app to use if your going to use another app. Just pick one. Roll the dice. It won’t matter.
Everybody will give you different answers as to why they like their app the best, but if you look around you’ll see that it’s all possible in any of them. Maya, 3DStudioMax, Lightwave, XSI, Cinema4D, are all capable of creating equally fantastic results, but if your just beginning I suggest using only ZBrush. That way you’ll make it the app your most comfortable in, and it appears that all the animation tools and so on will be part of the program within a few updates. By the time you’ve mastered what ZBrush has to offer it will be able to do it all, and you’ll save your self some money. If you need another app in the future, you’ll know what your looking for by then.

#4

I agree with WeirdPal. If you’re looking to be an animator then you’ll need to learn those other programs…most of which all offer learning editions.

One reason to create em in your modeller of choice is you can create the uv’s you need for animation. zbrush is fantastico but i wish it had a few editing tools that other apps have to perfect the mesh for animating.

zbrush maybe changing all that tho…check out the new preview movies…wooo hooo is all I can say…after viewing all of the previews many many times…it offers a future where zbrush might only be your second tool and perhaps the only one some day…I am hoping more for the first than the second…as i think they fill a much needed niche there but believe they can do both very well.

anyways…no matter what other app yyou are using now…zb is gonna be a part of your pipeline in the future:D so might as well go whole hog and learn it well now
!!:wink:

#5

Before I start being negative let me first say ZBrush is superb and could almost be your only modeller. But!..It doesn’t quite have the control over the low poly base that other modellers do (until the next update anyway! and that may be months away) and there is one thing you can’t do in ZB and that is create holes in the mesh. Say you were modelling a skull, you know how the cheek bones arch out from the rest of the skull with a hole behind them? Well you’d need another modeller for that.

But if you’re only thinking about modelling/modifying base meshes (not rendering or animating) why waste hundreds/thousands on Max/Maya/XSI/Lightwave or even Cinema? Go for Wings (Free! www.wings3d.com) or Silo ($109 I think www.nevercenter.com) They’re just as good (maybe better!) modellers, you’re just not paying for all the other features. :smiley:

#6

Thank you so much for all the welcome advice guys. I particularly welcomed the bits of advice that saved me large amounts of cash! I shall take the general consensus, and for the time being concentrate mainly on ZB, but I will have a look at ‘Wings’.

Oh, one last thing, I assume my post was moved because I posted on the wrong group?

#7

“Oh, one last thing, I assume my post was moved because I posted on the wrong group?”

Yup! The main forum is really for showing work, discussing techniques etc.

#8

You can create holes in a mesh by “deleting hidden” geometry.
As for the other apps, look for the one with the plugins that you will prolly go for…it may be important at some point in time, be it a renderer or a hair creation plugin. :wink:

#9

“You can create holes in a mesh by “deleting hidden” geometry.”

Yes but you can’t close the mesh afterwards as you would need to in my cheekbone example. Actually you “may” be able to do this in the next update but who knows when we’ll get that! - Baz

#10

You cant model cheekbones without creating holes, that sorta falls short of an universal trueism…well maybe the way you do it, but dont worry next version got you covered.:smiley:

#11

Zbrush is great and all for hobbyist…but for professional work that requires a complex pipeline with rendering, animation and such… the other Apps are necessary. Zbrush is a specialty app that is great at what it does…which are texturing/modeling hi poly organics and creating displacement maps…but its not flexbile in real-life production environment that involve a team of artists.

Its not a question of features or which app can do what better…its more about flexibility, integration, compatibility…and pipeline. Also Zbrush is not designed for a project that involves a large volume of objects/materials etc which is quite common in a real world production environment.

also…edge loops and vertice count are essential things that the artist need to have complete control over which Zbrush doenst allow for.

#12

as mentioned:

  • WINGS (free)
  • Silo ($109) (at the moment does not support UVs!, but there’s wings always :wink: )

both my favorites. better than any major package i have tried!!!
of the 2 i prefer silo. wings is great tho

#13

I am also a big fan of wings. I used to hate the manipulative interface until I realized that you can change the way it works in the preferences.
Then it was all second nature. Wings is awesome! If I were to do it all again I would Download Maya PLE, and Wings 3D and learn it all for free.