How to Design 3d Model In Zbrush Starting New Characters From Scratch

June 11, 2015

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How to Design 3d Model In Zbrush Starting New Characters From Scratch ZBrush gives you many different methods to create 3D models by which to create a base mesh that can then be used as the starting point of your 3D illustration. You will find that some methods will be better than others, depending on your needs.

Here are brief descriptions of the different ways to create your 3D base meshes in ZBrush. Explore your works following tutorials to learn more.

Design 3d Model Starting new characters from scratch In Zbrush

Create 3D Assets From Photos

How to Design 3d Model In Zbrush This tutorial shows step by step how to quickly create clean game/film ready 3D models and textures based on photographs.

We will be taking a series of photos around a real object, then creating a 3D mesh and texture using 123D Catch (photogrammetry), before cleaning up the mesh in ZBrush using Dynamesh and reprojecting the original detail/paint onto the new clean and well UV’d model.

Step 1 – Photography
Take photos around the object every few degrees, then repeat from a higher/lower angle if possible (show nuke cameras) Feed images through catch 123d, save as obj
http://www.123dapp.com/catch

Step 2 – Clean up geometry
Delete unneeded geo and use dynamesh to close holes, repair problems, smooth errors

Step 3 – Retopo mesh

Step 4 – Bake/Project High Res Surfacing/Texture Onto Low Poly (ZBrush, Maya, xNormal, etc.)

Zbrush: Import the original catch mesh to ZBrush, Apply (1 of 2) textures as provided from catch (invert in photoshop first), then store in poly paint.

Project onto the clean sub tool also in the scene

Save this texture out with a multi-map exporter

Repeat step 4 with other texture as catch splits the mesh into 2 texture maps.

Whilst we have this projection, you can also export the normals now that we have the fine detail baked into our clean mesh.

Maya:
Use transfer maps to bake the high poly texture/surface detail to the low poly – diffuse map and normal map

xNormal:

Export the lowest level, this is your final mesh. If desired, export your highest level and bake normal maps in xnormal to create higher quality. Import low and high poly meshes, load one texture on to high poly and use ‘Bake Base Texture’, repeat for other texture

Step 5
Blend between the two textures; Mari, Zbrush, 3dcoat, etc will all do, bring in both textures as a layer and erase unneeded areas before repairing any needed areas with a clone brush. Export your final diffuse, and you’re done.

If you’re wondering which is the best method for projecting between high and low poly, xNormal typically gives the best results. Maya is quite slow and gives average results and ZBrush is quick but if your resolution isn’t high enough to hold the poly paint you’ll lose quality.

Check This Zbrush Time-Lapse of Shane Glines Design to 3D Model by Shane Olson. In this tutorial, you can learn about the modeling of Female characters with the use of Zbrush software.