Which program to use for hard surfaces?

Tobbo

Hello everyone,

Should I use Blender or Zbrush to go about hard surface modeling?

I've heard the new Zbrush 4R2 has gotten a few more tools for hard surfaces. Can anybody speak from experience working on hard surfaces starting in Zbrush? I will eventually be switching from Blender to 3d Studio Max once I have enough money.


Also if I were to make a low poly version of a high poly mesh, which edge loops should I keep in order to preserve the hard surface effect and still keep it a low polygon count?

Thanks.

cryrid

For the time being it would definitely be better to stick to a traditional modeling program rather than a sculpting application for the bulk of your work, but I'd still recommend at least messing around some of the tools so that you know what is available to you, and you'll get a better feeling of what you can get away with using them to make.

There are hard-surface shapes I know I can simply create faster by brute-forcing them with more polygons. If at the end of the day all I need is a surface to retopologize / generate a normal map from and I know zbrush can quickly give me the shape that I'm happy with, then I'll go down that road. But you have to be aware that it can be like opening a jar with a hammer; it may be quick and easy but you probably wont be able to use the jar again. If it turns out that you need to make revisions to the model, it will suddenly be much harder to try and adjust the size of aspecific element or the tightness of a bevel or whatever other operation a traditional modeling app will give you easier control over. If you're working in an environment where things change all the time and you know the shape isn't something that you could easily recreate and change if needed, then it would be best to stick with safer roads.

Knowing how to model hard surfaces the traditional way still has perks even when sculpting, so bonus points to it. For instance it may let you create the sculpting base you need faster (or vice versa, where you roughly sculpt out the shape then go back and retopologize it in a way to subdivide well, like Nicolas Garilhe did with his mech).

Tobbo

Alright cool. Thanks for the response Cryrid. Much Appreciated!

Ace-Angel

All of my friends use Max and Blender for HS, I on the other hand use ZB.

Problem is, unless you spend time in understanding all the small things on how ZB works and all the functions, chances are, you wont enjoy any modeling in it.

For example, everything Cryrid described can be done in ZB, alongside the Deformation panel, layers, and clever use of Colors/Masks locked in layers, not to mention Morph targets. Issue is, unless you put in some working hours, it's easier to manage stuff in a traditional program.