Bad Workflow?

GhostDetector

I want to post my workflow to see if my workflow is a good way to create some assests to dota 2.

Currently my workflow is:
Create a loose base mesh.
Import into zBrush
Sculpt(I also retopologize the mesh) and polypaint
Import into blender
Create a low poly from the sculpt.
Bake in xNormal
Photoshop for textures
Rig in blender
Test.

So I with this workflow, my high poly sculpt has no UV's so it makes polypainting kind of difficult when I want to change colors. With this, I can't bake displacement maps or bake matcaps.

Should I be creating the lowpoly and just sculpt the high poly while staying away from clip/retopology things?
Or is there a way to take most, if not all the information, into the low poly model after I sculpt?

Reza

Don't worry about having UV maps for your high poly when you polypaint.
you can bake your polypaint over your low poly exactly the same way as u bake the normals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvNOCojBRoE

TrevorJ

Also, what i usually do is try to import the first blockout ingame at least once before i go into zbrush. Not so much for weapons, but bracers and back/belt pieces. Some of the idle poses ingame, and a lot different from the bind poses of the meshes. For instance Lich's left hand is completely twisted around from his bind pose. Also Ursa's shoulders raise up a lot in his idle compared to his bind pose. Doesn't take long and can save some large headaches later.

GhostDetector

But should I start off with the low poly and just start sculpting with subdivisions?

Reza

depends on what you are making
If you are making a swrod/shied or anything that has hard edges I suggest you follow this workflow:
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=123397498&searchtext=lennyagony
But if you are making cloth and soft edges stuff, making everything in Zbrush is fine.
However if you learn Zbrush very well, u can make anything out of a box or a sphere, then you can retopologize the lowpoly later.

EDITED: a mistake

heboltz3

Yeah dont worry about UVs til you do Low poly stuff.

As far as blender and programs/apps. Its all about what works best for you my man.

GhostDetector

Thanks, but if I want to bake matcaps in zbrush, would i have to start off with the lowpoly and sculpt with subdivisions?

Reza

GhostDetector wrote: »

Thanks, but if I want to bake matcaps in zbrush, would i have to start off with the lowpoly and sculpt with subdivisions?

no no you don't need to have the base mesh from the beginning.
You can sculpt whatever you want (you can turn a sphere to a warlock summon in Zbrush like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8lIvWN8ZmQ) but then later you have to retopologize your highpoly into lowpoly. Then make UV's for the low poly and then bake different maps (normals, cavity, color and etc) from highpoly to lowpoly using Xnormal.

P.S. I think you are following Vlad's tutorial, right? If yes, you should know that, that's only one way of doing it which I don't suggest because I started with that but then I found many weaknesses in that workflow. Specially since there is nothing about retopology in that workflow which limits you while sculpting. But if you can handle it(meaning that you are good in Zbrush), then it's fine.
I say, learn retopologyzing, then sculpt with absolute freedom.