A question about currently used workflows.

Hayden Zammit

I still haven't gotten on to learning Zbrush that well yet, but in terms of game art, are things typically done low poly in a 3d program and then taken into Zbrush for making the high poly and generating the normals? Are Sub divisions still widely used or does Zbrush make them redundant?


cheers.

Ben Apuna

I'd say Subdivision surface modeling is used for hard surface style stuff like machinery. Zbrush is used more for sculpting organic models such as characters or adding an imperfection pass to hard surface subd models. Not to say you couldn't model characters with subd or sculpt hard surface stuff with Zbrush or Mudbox but it would probably be easier the other way around.

Here's a good thread for some answers to your questions.

Gears2 Environment Art, by Kevin Johnstone

http://boards.polycount.net/showthread.php?t=62114

The 3rd page has Kevin Johnstone's workflow breakdown Max -> Zbrush -> Max, and page 9 has some sub division surface vehicle examples. He uses whatever method of modeling will get the desired results quicker/easier.