New college student looking for a little direction with 3d models. Zbrush, 3DSMax, and Xnormal

Toafaloaf

I am a college student and am kind of missing some information. I am currently using ZBrush to make my models and just got 3dsMax. I am trying to make high poly models look good low. I have watched many tutorials and have been studying 3d modeling for  a year. I managed to get my model looking kind of alright but the model in ZBrush is better. This is the model I am trying to learn the process with. I make it in ZBrush using dynamesh and decimation master. I append a zshpere and rig the models. Take out my high and low obj. and import them to xnormals. I take my normal map and ambient occlusion map and generate them. Then import them to 3d max and apply them to my model. I am just not sure how to make a really high poly mesh low poly. I am currently using a Cintiq companion 2. Once I got it out of 3dmax I tried importing it into unreal engine to see how it would look as shown in the pictures below. I had to switch the eyes and could not figure out how to bring the ZBrush material through the process. I am studying to become a 3d game artist  and I just cant seem to get through the whole process and a teacher suggested posting here. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

kanga

Your lowpoly mesh isn't optimized for animation. You can only rig a character in ZBrush for posing and very minimal animation in ZBrush itself. If you want a functional game character that you can import into a game engine you should retopo your highpoly (or decimated copy) in an app like max., use xnormal to generate maps, rig the lowpoly, animate it then export the character and animations as FBX files to load in the game engine. Make your shaders in the game engine using the maps you generated with xnormal (or anotherr texture extraction app). Its really quite a business The best thing I can suggest is looking up a DVD tutorial in eat3D or Gnomon. These will usualy lead you by the hand all the way through.

Good luck
Cheerio