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Has anyone replaced their modeling software with ZBrush completely?

ahendowski
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ahendowski
I'm trying to work on a car right now, and am finding myself more and more drawn just to do the entire thing in ZBrush now. I'm currently a maya user.

I've always loved to do a basic kind of entire model in Maya and then pimp it up in ZBrush, but as I'm learning more and more hard surface in ZBrush, I can't help but feel I should do the entire damn thing in ZBrush from the get go.

Anyone completely drop their previous modeling package and just roll with zbrush or is everyone jumping between the two? At what point do you throw sculpts, whether organic or hard surface, into zbrush?
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  • BARDLER
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    BARDLER polycounter lvl 12
    You can probably model most things in zbrush and get decent results. The problem however will be in a pipeline when you have to hand off models to different people, or your art director tells you to change something. Making a tweak or two on a tradition sub-d model is much easier and much faster than in zbrush. Stick with proper sub-d modeling because they are important skills to have in a pipeline.
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  • Xoliul
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    Xoliul polycounter lvl 14
    I am extremely doubtful if you can ever do cars at a professional level in Zbrush only...

    Look at this for example:
    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srJjd5t4Wtk"]Modeling a concept car in Zbrush 4R6 - YouTube[/ame]
    before he retopos it in modo it's pretty wonky in terms of surface quality, absolutely not up to scratch for rendering or baking, a quick shape study at best. You still need to retopo with good knowledge of surface flow to turn it into something acceptable.

    Also, I'm only seeing crazy fictional concept cars in Zbrush, never any existing, real, accurate cars...
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  • chrisradsby
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    chrisradsby polycounter lvl 14
    The only thing I would do to a care in Zbrush is to bang it up. And that's when I'd finish modeling the whole thing in Maya.

    But yeah...it's quicker in Maya for sure. I don't think anybody would say that it'd ever be quicker in Zbrush.
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  • kurt_hectic
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    kurt_hectic polycounter lvl 10
    Zbrush model= every change is a pain in the ass. You can do "something" but that won't be adjustable. IMO it's not worth. We don't talk about 'sketching' models but designing and modelling and that means tons of changing and adjusting.

    IMO there's only one option: splines\nurbs ect.

    When you reproduce an existing model it's even harder. Without a 'rig' made of splines you will lose days to catch the shape and curvature.

    I know something about it...

    https://zkeshq.dm2304.livefilestore.com/y2pghffUGgJCDjY72NRZXmn7Z77t_qQfPN6woVca9Dooq3D8-2WSvFCsjOAucE8fjSPc0n8mRui0ZMbXUYdlmJcdKIFviD7jyHhYtK62MLcBF0/1_heli_mi_17.jpg?psid=1
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  • cryrid
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    cryrid interpolator
    Anyone completely drop their previous modeling package and just roll with zbrush or is everyone jumping between the two? I think it works best jumping between programs.
    I think it works best when paired with another program. There are certainly models that I could do entirely in zbrush, and even some that I have, but for the most part it still has it's limits and as such couldn't act as a standalone modeler on the job.

    The last car I modeled was started in zbrush for the blockout, but after that it was externally retopologized and heavily edited.
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  • Avvi
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    Avvi polycounter lvl 3
    ZRemesher outputs are really OK for ~5000 poly (or higher) organics. I used it for all low-polys in my current personal project (alien tripod). But still, I wanted to make some optimizations in mesh in 3DS Max.

    For specific hard surface models, you'd be better with splines, arrays. Also - things like pivots, child-parent hierarchy, animation weights is why you still need a 3D package (not Max necessarily - cheaper Modo or free Blender will do greatly for final touches).
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  • Der Hollander
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    Der Hollander
    Zbrush's complete lack of a standard grid, numerical entry, or even proper snapping make this question a complete non-starter for me. The program is nice for doing organic ideas but it completely lacks any kind of real precision tools that really speed up the hard-surface process.

    To be perfectly honest, I only ever start pure organic shapes like creatures, people, etc in ZBrush, and get about a medium-res sculpt before I retop it and take it into a "traditional" program like Max and model in clothing with proper loops. It's probably because I don't understand some of the nuances of the program, but I find working with ZBrush to be a finicky prick at best and therefore, anything that needs any kind of precision whatsoever is handled elsewhere where I have faster and more accurate control.
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  • JamesTKirk
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    JamesTKirk polycounter lvl 8
    The question is why should one replace his modeling software with Zbrush?
    Sure, the videos made by Pixologic look fun, but actual models shown are rather sloppy. And it would take much more time to make accurate shapes in Zbrush than in conventional software.
    For now sculpting is only good for organics and shape study.
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