A few general questions from a beginner
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Hi!
I just started with 3d modelling and would love to confirm a few things.
My workflow right now is the following
Make a low poly base mesh with maya, uv map it in maya or roadkill, bring it to Zbrush to sculpt in details.
Make a cage in maya and bring everything to xnormal and bake normal maps.
Import low poly to 3d coat, apply normal map, then calc AO and curvature.
Start painting, and lastly export my mesh with textures and add it in marmoset to render it or perhaps to UE4.
Anything weird or wrong Im doing with this workflow? I mainly do hard surface modelling, things like weapons, buildings and such.
Are there any good tutorial for uv mapping? Not sure if Im doing it correct right now.
How to make most of normal maps?
I sometimes sculpt stuff in zbrush and if I compare the high poly to low poly with normal maps applied, it seems to have very subtle details or even not showing some. Might be some baking or uv issues?
Lastly, how much detail do people usually add in zbrush? Is it bad to make a super basic mesh in maya to capture the shape and then do all details, even some basic details in zbrush?
Sorry for the long post, I don't have anyone else to ask so thought I might as well see if anyone can answer even 1 question of mine!
Thanks
I just started with 3d modelling and would love to confirm a few things.
My workflow right now is the following
Make a low poly base mesh with maya, uv map it in maya or roadkill, bring it to Zbrush to sculpt in details.
Make a cage in maya and bring everything to xnormal and bake normal maps.
Import low poly to 3d coat, apply normal map, then calc AO and curvature.
Start painting, and lastly export my mesh with textures and add it in marmoset to render it or perhaps to UE4.
Anything weird or wrong Im doing with this workflow? I mainly do hard surface modelling, things like weapons, buildings and such.
Are there any good tutorial for uv mapping? Not sure if Im doing it correct right now.
How to make most of normal maps?
I sometimes sculpt stuff in zbrush and if I compare the high poly to low poly with normal maps applied, it seems to have very subtle details or even not showing some. Might be some baking or uv issues?
Lastly, how much detail do people usually add in zbrush? Is it bad to make a super basic mesh in maya to capture the shape and then do all details, even some basic details in zbrush?
Sorry for the long post, I don't have anyone else to ask so thought I might as well see if anyone can answer even 1 question of mine!
Thanks
Replies
One thing to improve is to get your blockout into Unreal as soon as possible, solve any scale or snapping issues. Especially if integrating the asset with others, like into a game level.
Normal map baking is a complex subject, many pitfalls to learn. Check the stickies at the top of this section. Much wiseness!
There is nothing wrong with your zbrush workflow. It all depends on what works best for you. Keep experimenting and improving!
Spend more time in maya, getting nice beveled edges on the surface (look up subd modeling). Model tiny assets like screws and rivets and add them to your model. After that, you can take it into zbrush for more natural details, like scratches and wear and tear along the edges.
When you are happy with your finished high res model, then is a good time to make a low poly version, you can look up retopology (I think quad draw is a good tool for this in maya). Then lastly you can unwrap your low poly and bake
What is the difference of creating a low poly mesh in maya, add details in zbrush, create a cage and then bake the textures vs creating a high poly in zbrush, retopology it, create a cage and bake it?
All I can see is that you skip creating the base mesh.
HOWEVER, if you are not doing things like this and say want to go back and make certain changes you pretty much break the entire workflow if you have to change anything about the silhouette of the design. Why is this because you have to go back make those changes then make those changes to the unwrap re-sort out space for the new changes re-bake everything back down redo the textures.
If this were for a client let's say or a change comes down from someone at a company and you can't do anything about it but do what your being paid for.
^This is the case they bring up, usually for yourself and a concept art piece you really like and if it is for your personal portfolio then your fine doing what you've been doing.
In a real world scenario with money involved and possible changes to anything at anytime you run into issues.
Btw, for personal works i do what you do, but i make sure it is all 100% before moving onto the next steps (i have moments of damn i did this like (A) when it should have been more like (B) .
If I really want their business, or they're a long-standing client, I may just waive the fee. But I let them know I'm doing it and why. I make an exception in their benefit, rather than let them exploit the relationship later with more major changes for free.
So basically, I can't do a base mesh in maya, uv map it, bring it to Zbrush and change it drastically, I have to follow the silhouette as close as I can right?
For example, if I model a hammer in maya, bring it to Z and add some more details on top of it, for example some spikes or whatever, I would need to go back to the base mesh and add that spike and uv map it. So before I bring it to Zbrush, I need to be 100% sure that I do not have to add anything more to the model.
I feel it might be more work than it is worth but yea you can change it but then you have to "re-edit" the original to match the new final and sort out the uv's on it, which is just like make a base send it to zbrush do whatever, it's final then make a base mesh for that final model and unwrap that one.
You are adding an extra step for no reason, know what i mean now?
If it is a fan art you already know the final base mesh result so then it is fine cause like you said the silhouette won't change.
Good luck glad we helped.