Zbrush Polypaint for texturing
polycounter
Hey all, wasn't sure if this was deserving of its own post, but was interested to ask other ZB users about it. I recently checked out Michael Pavlovich's Eat3D dvd on Zbrush and in a lot of his work he does the main body of texturing within ZBrush using polypaint and spotlight and finally touch ups in PS. I know a lot of people prefer to do the bulk of their work in PS or something more like Mudbox/3DC as they work based on per pixel rather than per poly, but wondered if anyone of you guys prefer texturing in ZBrush and why (or why not?)
I've noticed a few artists on here use it and have been trying it out myself, getting some pretty good results with cavity masking, spotlight, etc. I was also thinking it'd be great if ZBrush had a per pixel painting system, maybe something that will be integrated later on.
EDIT: Got the idea from Michael's character DVD here: http://eat3d.com/zbrush4_character
Also Gav's Outsider texturing video is worth a look, pretty cool workflow
I've noticed a few artists on here use it and have been trying it out myself, getting some pretty good results with cavity masking, spotlight, etc. I was also thinking it'd be great if ZBrush had a per pixel painting system, maybe something that will be integrated later on.
EDIT: Got the idea from Michael's character DVD here: http://eat3d.com/zbrush4_character
Also Gav's Outsider texturing video is worth a look, pretty cool workflow
Replies
But some assets I do get away with just Zbrush.
I would sell my left kidney if Zbrush's mesh painting aspect was on par with 3DC, I really don't like jumping between programs so much.
It is no shortcut really and it depends on what you do with the results, i don't use layers at all and have to make that a habit my stuff might actually look decent then but i get good results with 1, i use the "fading" ability in RGB blends colors together well.
Mesh just has to be unwrapped before getting to that point so if you got a good base that is unwrapped already your 50% ahead of yourself (especially if you just adding parts to that base) your in a good position to take it easy, though we all know you shouldn't take it easy ever..well i wouldn't.
Never tried Ddo or 3DC, one day maybe, sounds good though so many programs where is the all in 1 already.
However for studio/professional work I don't think its good to use. The main reason? It's not easy to edit/iterate by yourself or by other people since you're essentially painting on 1 layer.
That said I have tried painting passes on separate layers in ZB and then baking them out separately so I have multiple layers but that is super time consuming and until ZB layers play nicely with PP I don't think its an option (for me).
I would never even think of attempting to do all my texturing in Zbrush, though. The tools are just too clumsy.
If I'm just doing some fun sculpts for the hell of it and don't plan on taking them anywhere else, then of course I use PP but when real time assets are the end goal, it's mainly good for laying out colors and making sure color seams line up.
Even if there's no Zspotlight photo projection, I'll still start a skin/pore base for faces in polypaint, get about 70% then take that to photoshop. tweak colours, AO, add details, facial hair, eyebrows, eyes.
Otherwise its a long way off from competing or comparing with Photoshop. Mudbox is nice for cleaning up seams tho quicker, dig that clone brush.
When I am doing one of my attempts at photoreal portraits, for example, I tend to have several duplicate heads in the same ztool. I will paint something like mascara as total black on total white. Then bring that in as a mask into Photoshop and use it to mask out layers in different maps, because mascara for example effects diffuse, specular, gloss, and SSS, and using a mask is the only way to unsure that these elements line up exactly.
I do similar for game res characters. For example I paint all my diffuse onto one model. Then I will paint all my scratches or grime as a mask (black on white ) on another duplicate. This way I can align the grime in my diffuse with the grime in my specular, etc. it also delegates my grime from my base diffuse in my texture, so I can peel back if I need too.sorry if none of that made sense.
Each head was used for a specific map type. The hdgeo head was for highest level of detail /baking displacement, and for diffuse. Then separate heads for painting SSS weights, for scatter color, for specular, for gloss, and then the last one I painted masking layers on it for things like makeup, blackheads, pimples, etc.
It allows you to make really fast and accurate changes on the fly for each specific map without trying to awkwardly use photoshop and painting into the flattened unwrapped textures. On zb rush you just make your change, bake it to the texture map, save over the old, and you're ready to re-render.
Of course, a proper layer system would make most of this moot, but it works for now.
maybe give it another go?
http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=131335
I do about 90% of my texturing work in zbrush. Not much else I can do in photoshop (other than adjustments) that I can't paint out manually just as fast in zbrush. That and no seams is nice.
I use spotlight for photo heads, but again,not ideal, just a good base to start with
I am surprised at how little they have provided to work with polypaint, ie no proper blur brush/smudge/layers etc.
Its all too much hard work at times.
I don't know if a lot of work is required in PS to clean the textures up, guess its how much time you put into the overall polypainting from the start. Another reason I like using this method is trying to get your sculpt as close to the look of your final real time mesh as possible within ZB like materials and micro details, stitches, fabric, etc. Once everything gets to a good enough level, just a case of baking down final textures and a bit of clean up in PS. Personal preference I guess. Its tricky though as my PC is kinda old and rickety, think I need a new rig XD