How to polypaint in ZBrush?
Hi guys.
Im just working on a couple of models that will soon need to be textured and I'd like to create the diffuse by polypainting it in ZBrush then finish by touching it up in Photoshop (normally I would just do the whole diffuse in Photoshop).
My problem is that I have no clue on the workflow used when doing this, for example:
- Do you paint on the finished ZBrush sculpture on the highest sub division?
- Should you polypaint before or after the retop/unwrap?
- How do you get the finished polypaint out of ZBrush as a diffuse map?
I've watched a few tutorials but not many (that I've seen) really explain how you get the polypaint out of ZBrush as a working diffuse map. I've been reading through the Pixologic stuff and it seems there are a number of different approaches.
Could anyone shine some light into their workflow and perhaps create or share some tutorials that they found helpful?
If it's any help I normally retop in ZBrush and unwrap in 3D Studio Max.
Cheers.
Im just working on a couple of models that will soon need to be textured and I'd like to create the diffuse by polypainting it in ZBrush then finish by touching it up in Photoshop (normally I would just do the whole diffuse in Photoshop).
My problem is that I have no clue on the workflow used when doing this, for example:
- Do you paint on the finished ZBrush sculpture on the highest sub division?
- Should you polypaint before or after the retop/unwrap?
- How do you get the finished polypaint out of ZBrush as a diffuse map?
I've watched a few tutorials but not many (that I've seen) really explain how you get the polypaint out of ZBrush as a working diffuse map. I've been reading through the Pixologic stuff and it seems there are a number of different approaches.
Could anyone shine some light into their workflow and perhaps create or share some tutorials that they found helpful?
If it's any help I normally retop in ZBrush and unwrap in 3D Studio Max.
Cheers.
Replies
Yes, the resolution of your model should be higher or at the least match the resolution of the texture you want to export. For each vertex you get a single vertex color, so a 1024x1024 size texture has about a mllion pixels so you want a similar amount of vertices.
"- Should you polypaint before or after the retop/unwrap?"
Because polypainting is not dependant on UV's you can unwrap a Zbrush model at any time (and mutliple times if you don't like the first unwrap), I would recommend doing it whenever you decide you can't bring it any further without editing in Photoshop. (just don't delete your subdivision history, unwrapping a lower resolution mesh is much easier)
"- How do you get the finished polypaint out of ZBrush as a diffuse map?"
It is simple as clicking a button Tools>Texture Map>New from Polypaint
it will render a texture based on your UV's from the polypaint, I would recommend changing UV map Border setting in Tools>UV Map to 16 to give it a border to cover up any seams that may occur and to make painting in PS later easier.
Someone else will have to go into details on workflow, for me its quite random because of how much freedom Zbrush gives you with workflow.
You can work on your UVs and topology whenever you want and use your polypaint on "any" model.
Yes, you paint your diffuse on the highest subdiv because polypaint works on the verices, not on the UVs. You can get the polypaint data to your UVs by simply clicking on `texture from polypint´ under the texture tab (somewhere on the right panel or on top). This will throw all your polypainting to the model´s UVs. If the UVs are not done yet or you want to change them, do it. Then, go back to the polypainted model and either paste the UVs to it or project the polypaint to the updated model with your UVs.
But you can also get the polypaint from the highpoly model by baking it into another model´s UVs. Check Xnormal for that. It takes Model A´s texture and brings it to Model B´s UVs, what is really cool.