how to create engraved alpha for substance painter

Simon_____

not sure if this is posted in the right place, so i need to create this image as an alpha for substance painter, i'm not really sure how to start something like this or how to create it with an engraved look as an alpha, i've seen many tutorials using very basic shapes which is great but it doesnt show or explain how you would do it with a more detailed piece such as this, any help would be greatly appreciated 

Zack Maxwell

Hm... For something that detailed, the best approach would likely be to sculpt it out on a flat plane in ZBrush, and convert that into an alpha to be imported into Painter. ZBrush can do that conversion very easily.

Alex_J

I'd agree with Zack Maxwell. You could draw it in photoshop, but getting the right height information would be more difficult than sculpting in zbrush and converting to an alpha. To help with the sculpting though, you might do a quick sketch first in photoshop that you can apply in UV space -- a texture, but just temporary to give you guides for sculpting. Or you can do the prep work by vertex painting with different colors. That might be easier. 

Georgian Avasilcutei has some gumroad tutorials where he does a lot of ornate engraving work like this. I'm sure there is others as well. Helps a lot to watch a pro do it.

Simon_____

thank you both for the help, i will have a go in zbrush to see how it goes, i was planning on doing it as a metal engraving where the artwork has been scratched into the grip, not a 3d detail does that make any difference or is zbrush still the best bet? 

Alex_J

Google "Zbrush convert to alpha", and you'll understand. 

In short, you sculpt the thing how it would exist in real life, but by converting it to an alpha you gain a lot of flexibility in how you can reuse it. 

poopipe

I'd draw it out over a few layers in photoshop,  use stroke layer effects to generate the bevels and muck around with values to manage height.

It'd be a lot less arseache than sculpting it and any rework would be significantly easier

If I had access to substance designer I'd do the bevel and compositing work in there instead 

Alex_J

poopipe said:

It'd be a lot less arseache than sculpting it and any rework would be significantly easier

This sounds much better, actually. Another reason to git gud with photoshop, for people like me who don't think to use it because of unfamiliarity. 

Simon_____

ah right, see im kind of the opposite i've not really done much work in zbrush but done a lot with photoshop, i will try it in both programs and see which turns out better i think