The newest version of ZBrush claims to support vector displacement maps, which I'd assumed meant they could be used like alphas are for sculpting, similar to how they're used in Mudbox:
[ame="
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPezIU0c4zc"]mudbox_ear.mp4 - YouTube[/ame]
However, looking in to them, it seems that they're essentially useless in ZBrush for anything but exports for rendering? Is this right?
Replies
I'm not sure how the bakes are in that regard, but ZB in-itself, last I checked, didn't have any VD implementation like Mudbox does.
http://www.pixologic.com/docs/index.php/Vector_Displacement_Maps
Seems like such a hassle to create VD maps, don't really see what the point is, and it seems much more logical to go towards voxel sculpting instead (which Zbrush tries to do with Dynamesh).
But yeah, back on topic, I looked around and didn't find anything to actually use VD maps as you would in Mudbox in the latest Zbrush.
When it comes to using them like that ear video, the insert brushes seem to be the way to go in ZB.
i use them for sculpting in some cases. if you need/want to make 3d brushes then vector displacement solves a lot of problems. you can capture pinching and undercuts. that makes the result much closer to what you want. you don't need to do any cleanup in creases for instance because you can bake the pinching in the brush.
i think the ear example was just to show you how versatile the techniques is not so much a real world scenario in most cases.