How to project alpha along normals? Zbrush question

NAIMA

Hi , Ihave a problem , I have a very curvy surface on wich I need to project a mask for a secondary extraction of bassrelief after , I have tried to use uvmap and paint directly into the uv the texture mask but the result aren't satisfactory and they woudl come better with direct work drag drop tool in zbrush of the masking , but whenever I do since is a round surface , the texture map gets stretched on sides of the curvature ... is there a way to be able to project the map in a way so that it projects along the normals of the item and not along a direction of sight?

Sage

does the object have uvs? if it does maybe using the function that flattens the object in uv master I think that's what it's called, might do the trick. I have never tried it though.

cryrid

For more complicated shapes, UV-masking + inflate deforms should do the trick. The quality can depend on the quality of the alpha though, so if it's something you think would be easier to sculpt than paint in photoshop, you could sculpt it onto a plane / flattened UV mesh, convert that to a displacement map, and use it instead.

NAIMA

It has uv , i have tried to put the alpha in photoshop on the uvmap but didnt work well because its long long trial and error from ps to zbrush all times and is not working , are uou sugesting to me to use the ivmaster flattening and sculpt on it ? The uv are pretty small on the iverall map couse are arranged with the other pieces...

cryrid

idnt work well because its long long trial and error from ps to zbrush all times and is not working

Sculpt them instead of painting them. It should be easier than painting them and guessing.

are uou sugesting to me to use the ivmaster flattening and sculpt on it ?

Just a note on that:
You can't sculpt on the flattened mesh (UVMaster's flatten and UV Morph) and have it transfer when unflattened. You could create a new mesh from the flattened one, sculpt on it, and then create a displacement map though

NAIMA

I am not sure how to make this second sugestion , goes beyond of what I am able to yet in zbrush ... how would I accomplish that?

Let's say I pick the mesh I make work on clone? then apply uvmaster and flatten it then ?

cryrid

Flatten it, then use Make Polymesh 3D button to create a clone.

Or you could just bake something to a texture, apply to a plane, and sculpt on that (might waste a few polygons if you dont want to bother cleaning it up, but it shouldn't matter)).