Maya and ZBrush integration

# 1 30-05-2007 , 08:11 AM

Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2006

Posts: 25

Hello, I've been wanting to jump into ZBrush for a while now. I feel that the more "hands on" approach would work better for me, modeling-wise. I'm used to sculpturing with clay.

Now, I'm just wondering. Once I've modeled a person in ZBrush, and import it into Maya and I want to animate it. Now I assume rigging is still the same, but what about hair? Say I've modeled an exquisite pack of hair, but it is one piece of geometry. Can that be animated, do I need to model it strand by strand or should I just use Maya Hair?

Quote

# 2 30-05-2007 , 09:59 AM

Senior Software Developer
Join Date: Jan 2005

Location: Livingston, Scotland

Posts: 1,701

TBH, you dont want to model anything out in ZBrush alone and then bring it into Maya. Really the stadard workflow is to create your base mesh in maya and export it into ZBrush (using OBJ format) and then do your detailing in Z and then once your happy you can do one of 2 things create a normal map of the hi res geometry and apply then too your low res mesh in Maya, making it 100% easier to manage animation back in Maya. Export the Hi res Mesh out of Z and work with it in Maya, but tbh you are gonna open a bit of a can of worms working with a hi res mesh and animating it. too many verts to paint weights onto for each joint.

There is also the ability to do a replace on the low res geo with the hi res one once the animation is complete, but i cant remeber off hand where the option in the menus are. I would stick to using the normal map way tbh.

Others may have a different opinion/option to go for...

Chris (formerly R@nSiD)
Twitter
When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will truely know peace - Jimmy Hendrix

Winner SM VFX Challenge 1

3rd Place SM SteamPunk Challenge (May 2007)

Quote

# 3 30-05-2007 , 11:47 AM

Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2006

Posts: 25

So what you're saying is, I create a relatively simple character, export it to ZBrush, detail it and somehow "texture" it onto the base mesh? Will that still give me the detail I made?

I don't know what you mean by a normal map, but we don't have to get into details. Once I'm finished with my examens I'll have all the time to figure things out.

Quote

# 4 30-05-2007 , 11:59 AM

Senior Software Developer
Join Date: Jan 2005

Location: Livingston, Scotland

Posts: 1,701

Yes, once you get your base mesh detailed in Z you can also texture it there as Z doesnt use UV's as far as I am aware its straight into it. ZCentral should be able to help on the texturing front, as there are tutes out there for ZB2 to get you started.

Normal maps are basically a texture map of RGB light from the Hi Res Model and mapped onto the Low Res Model.

Mike McKinley has a free tute on Normal Maps in the vids section.

Chris (formerly R@nSiD)
Twitter
When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will truely know peace - Jimmy Hendrix

Winner SM VFX Challenge 1

3rd Place SM SteamPunk Challenge (May 2007)

Quote