Maya > Zbrush Workflow?

NURBS

Hello, I have this wooden gun stock that I'm wanting to take from Maya into Zbrush for sculpting practice. There are plenty of tutorials online for sculpting but I can't seem to find anything on how to properly prepare a model in Maya before exporting and setting it up in Zbrush. What do I do to a model before export and what do I do with it after I bring it into Zbrush?

This is what I'm trying to bring into Zbrush.

Alex_J

Depends on how you will sculpt it in zbrush. Destructive methods include dynamesh, sculptris, and zremesh. Use any of these tools and you change the topology. If you will use any of these tools, you can send it to zbrush in pretty much any state because you're going to change it anyway.

If you only need to add extra resolution to this existing geometry, you would just follow the best practices for subD modeling, which you can find by checking out the wiki here. Also be aware in zbrush you can subdivide without automatic smoothing, which may negate the need (in some cases) for using extra edge loops to control smoothing.

Personally, I find that using the more destructive workflow methods only makes sense for concepting or developing difficult forms. Since you already have the basis for your gun stock ready, I'd just follow subD workflow and only use the sculpting tools for very small granular stuff like cracks in the wood.

NURBS

Thank you!

tythomas063

This might help you to prepare your model in Zbrush for sculpting. Hope this helps

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/L3l5G0