Mudbox - Zbrush

Seraphinn

Okay..so ive been using mudbox for about 4 years now...since its what my university had, and recently ive been worrying about getting a job as a 3d artist as most want experience with zbrush. Now heres my problem,

1. Ive been trying to use Zbrush on and off for the last few months...but just cant seem to get the hang of it. I find even basic importing and sculpting of a face more difficult and angering than i think i ever did with mudbox. Is there any tips on how to convert to zbrush? i.e tools, UI help, sculpting tips?
I can't even smooth the friggin model.

2. Would any games company that wants zbrush experience turn me down even though i can use mudbox?

Thanks

EmAr

You'll eventually get used to it but a book may accelerate the process. I read a book about ZBrush 3 by the same author and it helped me a lot:

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Introducing-ZBrush-4-Eric-Keller/dp/0470527641"]Introducing ZBrush 4: Eric Keller: 9780470527641: Amazon.com: Books[/ame]


I don't know the answer to your 2nd question but it may be the kind of question which is best answered with an "it depends" where it may depend on the company, your portfolio etc.

katana

Yep. I read Zbrush Character creation.

Basically though, the secret to Zbrush is to understand how much to manipulate the level 1 or 2 mesh and build slowly up to the detail you'll put in at the higher subdivisions...just like Mudbox.

Also, seriously look at ZRemesher and Dynamesh functions, and you'll be sculpting much quicker.

almighty_gir

honestly i can't think of a reason to turn you down for being mudbox and not zbrush. as long as you can sculpt competently and confidently, that's all that matters.

remember that both zbrush and mudbox are considdered secondary apps at the moment. studios will turn people away for lacking maya experience if that's all their studio uses, as that's a core software. but sculpting is sculpting. if you're a good sculptor who gets good results, they won't care what app.

ExcessiveZero

I am sure you will pick it up eventually, I went from zbrush which I never quite felt comfortable with to mudbox where I feel I made the most progress, to zbrush again where I feel very comfortable now, Mudbox, which had a very straight forward natural UI, I think is better to learn on before you go to zbrush so long as you find the UI natural, because then you gain the terminology and all the sculpting theory, the most important bits to learn, then you just need to adjust to the UI, which will come in time, most of what I picked up was just from youtube tutorials and experimentation.

but all that said I think almighty is right, it really doesn't matter, unless you yourself feel the software is holding you back(artistically not from employment), its the same as anything in this industry, its about the result, if you can produce mind blowing sculpts people will want you.

Steve Schulze

Eat 3D is your friend when it comes to learning ZBrush. Buy yourself a ZBrush introductory video or two and you'll never have to look at Mudbox again.
http://eat3d.com/training_videos

Rilokin

www.digitaltutors.com


For the price of one purchased video, you can subscribe for one month, and have thousands of videos on many many different subjects. No I don't work there, but what they offer for the price is a pretty darn good deal.

I was debating the same thing you are having trouble with a few months ago. I promise if you stick with zbrush, and learn it, you will see zbrush is a great program. It does take time. But it is a fantastic software, I still think that mudbox might have the edge when it comes to paint layers. But I haven't gotten really far in my training on painting and layers in zbrush.

Overall once you learn it, I think you will see the advantages of zbrush, and want to stay with it.

sprunghunt

zbrush may be harder to learn but it's definitely more powerful and can almost be a complete hi-poly modeling tool.

ExcessiveZero

sprunghunt wrote: »

zbrush may be harder to learn but it's definitely more powerful and can almost be a complete hi-poly modeling tool.

while I entirely agree with that I think mudbox is easier to use and the vastly superior tool for texturing.

but who can't love, zspheres, dynamesh and zmesher, only tool of zbrushes im a bit meh on is that shadowbox one.

Justin Meisse

almighty_gir wrote: »

remember that both zbrush and mudbox are considdered secondary apps at the moment. studios will turn people away for lacking maya experience if that's all their studio uses, as that's a core software. but sculpting is sculpting. if you're a good sculptor who gets good results, they won't care what app.

Is this common? From my experience most studios don't care what apps you have experience with, they just expect you to be a professional and adapt to the software they purchased 20+ licenses of.

almighty_gir

it's not particularly common. but it does happen.

like i said though, if you're a good artist you're a good artist, and they won't mind you using different software for some things.

i wonder if Snefer ever gets told he can't use Modo for a job haha.

BradMyers82

yea, as others have said its just...
-find introduction video tutorial

-start using zbrush all the time

When I started at Escalation here, all they had was zbrush (I used mainly mudbox). I knew the basics of it, but it was awkward as hell for me at first. I only use mudbox now for painting low poly(we actually have mudbox now too), and zbrush for sculpting. You just have to get used to zbrush and it will eventually grow on you. Dynamesh, and some of the hard surface tools are really powerful! I still like the simplicity of mudbox though when I'm painting.

Seraphinn

Ive noticed zbrush is used to create characters from scratch..ie dynamesh...but since i work low poly- sculpt - retopo -bake...ive never really felt the need to use zbrush...but now im beginning to consider using it to bulk out characters quickly..

zbrush 4r5 has a mind boggling UI..i find mudbox easier to use tool and control wise cause im so used to max.... which zbrush version is the best to use in terms of being new to it?

BradMyers82

Just use the latest version and jump on board. Yea, there is a lot of stuff in it, but you just learn it one area at a time. If you go thru any intro tutorial from zbrush 3 and on, by the end of it you will have a very good handle on zbrush.

All of the stuff added since zbrush 3 hasn't really changed any of the basics (at least nothing major that I can think of). You don't really need to use dynamesh if you don't want to for instance. But as far as I know, every upgrade of zbrush has been free, so just use the latest so you are up to date.