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ZSpheres vs External Base Meshes

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

Hey all -

I’m just getting started in ZBrush and was curious what everyone’s thoughts on this are. I have a bit of 3dsmax experience but not much in poly-modeling. While playing around with ZSpheres, I’m not sure I understand how to create shapes from them like fish fins…or open areas like a mouth on a shark…and almost seems like it would be more beneficial to learn good poly-modeling in max for my base meshes.

Is this why people tend to do their base mesh modeling in another program?

Or have you found ZSphere’s work in pretty miuch all situations?

On an unrelated note, I’d be interested if anyone knew of a good poly-modeling tutorial for 3dsmax that goes over things such as edge loops.

#2

http://www.subdivisionmodeling.com/forums/showthread.php?t=482
http://www.subdivisionmodeling.com/forums/showthread.php?t=907

These aren’t tutorials, they are more theory. I can tell you to cut here, add an edge there and it will look good at the end, but if you don’t understand why, then you’re not really learning anything at all.

Anyway, the modeling techniques in any package are the same, only the names of operations change. You can learn the same thing about poly flow in Zbrush that you can in MAX. So whichever you choose is fine.

In regards to Zspheres. To make a mouth in an object, create a new zsphere and then move it “inside” of its parent sphere. You’ll see the sphere become inverted, check the adaptive skin, and you have a cavity. Fins on a fish are the same principle only in reverse. Remember that Zspheres are a base, not the finished product.