Uhhh ? Are you using Zbrush 2 ? You might start here http://206.145.80.239/zbc/showthread.php?t=3471 why would you get a program you seemingly know veru littl about ...unless yer a pirate ?? ..hmmm ..arr matey ..
Its a 2.5D paint package, and until you realise that you might become frustrated with it.
you can import a 3d model, rotate it, move it, use push/pull/extrude/intrude brushes on it, subdivide it several times. This lets you add millions of polygons of detail.
Now, you can only paint in 2d, but with some 3d effects if you so desire - you can paint with colour with defined brushes with bump and with specularity. Want animal skin? get a brush that puts on the colour AND the bump.
But all the painting is done in 2D, so what happens is that the 3d object is effectively snapshotted into a 2d image - just like a render. Then you paint away. when you have painted to the edges, you 'unproject' back into 3d mode, turn it to a bit you havent painted, and put it into 2D again. Its a bit like painting a real toy model - you dont paint the back, only the bit you can see.
The interface hs a lot of stuff in it, but 90% of the time you will use about 5 tools - pan/zoom/rotate, paint in/out and relax the bumps.
Pogonip: First off: there are demos for programs, so you can try them, and second: i would think that a very large part of the polycounters use pirated software, we just never discuss it. There is often no other way to learn a package, than to pirate it. If you're just getting into 3D, buying max or maya or xsi is really a very silly thing to do.
Read & follow the tutorials on this pdf. They helped me a great deal in grasping Zbrush's weird interface.
Once you get into it though, you'll learn to love/hate it just like any other good app. Good Luck!
quick note, i dont 'think' that the demo version is of zbrush2, which is a HUGE difference, because zbrush 2 is where they added all the new highpoly features i believe, like really being able to work with high res models and export them back out as .obj
The practical guide is what I used to learn it, but the above tutorial is all in real time with audio to guide you. I go over all the tools I use anyway.
http://pixologic.com/download/demo_pc.html Download the ZBrush 1.55b Demo
Note: a demo version of ZBrush 2 will be released at a later time. Z2 can be purchased and downloaded by visiting our e-store.
Sounds like piracy is the only option. Although you certainly could get the feel of the interface from 1.55b and see whether you like it. No export/saving, but you don't need that for evaluation. There's Poop's video, and ample evidence around of artists using it to good effect.
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Its a 2.5D paint package, and until you realise that you might become frustrated with it.
you can import a 3d model, rotate it, move it, use push/pull/extrude/intrude brushes on it, subdivide it several times. This lets you add millions of polygons of detail.
Now, you can only paint in 2d, but with some 3d effects if you so desire - you can paint with colour with defined brushes with bump and with specularity. Want animal skin? get a brush that puts on the colour AND the bump.
But all the painting is done in 2D, so what happens is that the 3d object is effectively snapshotted into a 2d image - just like a render. Then you paint away. when you have painted to the edges, you 'unproject' back into 3d mode, turn it to a bit you havent painted, and put it into 2D again. Its a bit like painting a real toy model - you dont paint the back, only the bit you can see.
The interface hs a lot of stuff in it, but 90% of the time you will use about 5 tools - pan/zoom/rotate, paint in/out and relax the bumps.
Pogonip: 1. they don't explain what rick just did on that site and 2. there's a trial version, so you can walk the plank me laddo
Read & follow the tutorials on this pdf. They helped me a great deal in grasping Zbrush's weird interface.
Once you get into it though, you'll learn to love/hate it just like any other good app. Good Luck!
http://www.fileplanet.com/dl.aspx?/planetquake/polycount/tutorials/video/zbrush2_max7.zip
The practical guide is what I used to learn it, but the above tutorial is all in real time with audio to guide you. I go over all the tools I use anyway.
Download the ZBrush 1.55b Demo
Note: a demo version of ZBrush 2 will be released at a later time. Z2 can be purchased and downloaded by visiting our e-store.
Sounds like piracy is the only option. Although you certainly could get the feel of the interface from 1.55b and see whether you like it. No export/saving, but you don't need that for evaluation. There's Poop's video, and ample evidence around of artists using it to good effect.