Need help with normal maps and pipeline
polycounter lvl 14
Hey guys,
I'm in a game production team in school and we just got our schedule worked out from the producers laying out when assets are due.
Our pipeline for the main characters seems to be going in this direction:
Weeks 1-2: Model the low-poly characters (4 total)
Weeks 3-5: Texture and rig the characters
There is a major hinge in our plans, though. Most of us really only understand how to create normal maps once the high-poly model is created in Z-brush and dropped to a low subD level and exported then unwrapped. We have different teams that are going to work on the texturing process and rigging process so we need to have our low-poly meshes completely finalized next week (week 2) so that when the texture artists and riggers grab the mesh, we can combine the teams' work in week 5 without issues.
Our problem is we don't have anyone that understands a process which calls for the low-poly to be mastered first, unwrapped (before brining it into Z-brush), imported into Z-brush and have a high-poly sculpted and how to make the normal map work.
So what I need help with is possibly a chronological list of what to do or some links on how to take a finalized low-poly mesh (that cannot be modified afterward) that has been unwrapped, then taken into Z-brush, sculpted, high-poly exported back to Maya, then a Normal map generated.
Thanks in advance to anyone willing to help us out!
I'm in a game production team in school and we just got our schedule worked out from the producers laying out when assets are due.
Our pipeline for the main characters seems to be going in this direction:
Weeks 1-2: Model the low-poly characters (4 total)
Weeks 3-5: Texture and rig the characters
There is a major hinge in our plans, though. Most of us really only understand how to create normal maps once the high-poly model is created in Z-brush and dropped to a low subD level and exported then unwrapped. We have different teams that are going to work on the texturing process and rigging process so we need to have our low-poly meshes completely finalized next week (week 2) so that when the texture artists and riggers grab the mesh, we can combine the teams' work in week 5 without issues.
Our problem is we don't have anyone that understands a process which calls for the low-poly to be mastered first, unwrapped (before brining it into Z-brush), imported into Z-brush and have a high-poly sculpted and how to make the normal map work.
So what I need help with is possibly a chronological list of what to do or some links on how to take a finalized low-poly mesh (that cannot be modified afterward) that has been unwrapped, then taken into Z-brush, sculpted, high-poly exported back to Maya, then a Normal map generated.
Thanks in advance to anyone willing to help us out!