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3DS MAX to ZBRUSH and ZBRUSH to 3DS MAX

3DS MAX to ZBRUSH and ZBRUSH to 3DS MAX
This tutorial helps you to understand a bit about mapping procedures of these two useful and powerful 3d softwares.

Introduction

You must already know Creation (modeling), Importing/Exporting within both 3D Studio MAX and ZBRUSH. Also the maps creation in ZBRUSH and UWVs in 3D Studio MAX.If you have your base model made in 3d Studio Max the steps are the followings:

STEP 1

Once the base mesh is done, and you want ZBRUSH only for details such as diffuse and bumps, you have to set up Well the UWVs Coordinates (to set a good UWV map.)

The base model made in 3D max, and its UWV sets.

STEP 2

Once you have the mesh and its UWVs done, you can export a new OBJ from 3D Studio Max. It would be better if you’d export it with the Guru Wave: Exporting Plugin, because, it has a preset that made ZBRUSH OBJs (look for gw::OBJExporter at www.guruware.at/main/ivy/index.html).

STEP 3
Now you are ready to import a new tool into ZBRUSH and create the maps you need.

STEP 4

Apply as many “divisions” into ZBRUSH to your imported OBJ and create the maps you need.

STEP 5

Once you have ready all the maps DIFUSE,CAVITY,DISPLACEMENT and NORMAL, you are ready for the next important step. Before you do that, be sure that your maps(.tiff, .psd, or .bmps) are all the same size, so you can obtain a better result for the rendering process in 3d Studio MAX.

ZBRUSH final Result of the Imported OBJ.

STEP 6

Before applying maps to a 3d Max material, you need to flip them vertically, otherwise they won’t fit to the mesh. Also the Alpha Chanel by ZBRUSH is a bit different than the one of 3D Max and also other 3D software such as MAYA. ZBRUSH, in a displacement map for example, uses the grey color to identify there is no displace at all, while 3d MAX (and others) use the black color. So you need to set up the RGB Offset in Output into Material (in 3d max) so instead of value: 1 you can try the value: -5 that in my case worked.

Take a look at the following maps:

*Note that DISPLACEMENT map has grey as base color, which has to be set to black, as said before.

DISPLACEMENT MAP(not flipped)

DIFFUSE MAP (flipped)

CAVITYY MAP(not flipped)

STEP 7

So you have the maps created within ZBRUSH, you flipped them, and you know that the displacement map’s RGB Offset has to be set to value -0.5 instead of value 1, but you could still have some problems on fitting well the textures. That’s probably because in ZBRUSH when you imported the OBJ created in 3d MAX, and you started applying all the “painting” and shape modification, you didn’t select the Store MT into Morph Target.

That would help you to remember the original shape of your primary exported OBJ from 3d MAX. But there is also a solution and this one is: You re-export the OBJ form ZBRUSH, but this time with no division” (smooth) on it. And this will be your OBJ – mesh that you apply maps to.

STEP 8

Now you are ready to test your images. Do that simply putting the right maps to the right places (where they belong).

Diffuse Map to Diffuse,

Normal Map to Bump Map,

Displacement Map to Displacement (by the way be sure you pick a SHADER(“renderer”) you can

handle it best, because VRAY has different result with different procedures than Mental Ray or

SCANLINE).

Cavity Map to Glossiness or RGlossiness(Vray) Map,

Normal Map to Bump Map

If you do want to render a model you started to create straight into ZBRUSH

Before you need to apply any kind of modifications onto the mesh you create into ZBRUSH, you need, first of all, to export this mesh at a base MODE (not too many divisions) into a OBJ. Once you exported it you import it into 3D Max and set up the UWVs coordinates. From now on you go ahead like said up there.

For the result I couldn't render, is not much to say, except that with these UWV coordinates you will have some texture problems, so the most important part is to set up well, the UWV map of your primary mesh obj, that you will import into Zbrush.

You can improve details and quality but it needs time. So it’s up to you whether you want to make a quick model to be animated or to make a High Quality Still Image (HQSI) ☺..This passage from ZBRUSH to 3d Max and vice versa, helps you avoiding exporting the huge models made in ZBRUSH that have millions of polygons into a software that works with pixels and not pixols (like ZBRUSH). Hope it helps you understand a bit about mapping procedures of these two useful and powerful 3d software.

Reference: 3D Graphix

Make a Worm on Illustrator

Use Illustrator to create a funny Worm!

This easy tutorial will show you some quick tips on how to make a simple but effective vector illustration inspired on the classic video game, Worms. If you are from the 80's or 90's you probably heard of it or had the chance to play it, it is "the predecessor of Angry Birds" in the words of a friend Mike Austin.On this quick tip we have a more traditional illustration approach, focusing less on tools and more on drawing and logic.

The Sketch
You can't make a proportional and equilibrated illustration without movement lines, geometric shapes and croquis and an appropriate sketch of it. So first make rough line of the movement/pose what ever character you want.

Start Photoshop to draw the sketch,divide the body in a circle that would be the head, neck, breast, belly and limbs (or sort of). This allow you to make a more proportional and equilibrated character.

On the following make an outline to have a better Idea of the silhoutte.

Try to place the main characteristics and expression of it.Erased the circles, now it's ready to "ink" using vectors.

The Worm
After placing it on illustrator. the first thing is to create its shadows by using the ellipse tool (L).

Using the pen tool (P), I made a rough trace of the silhouette in beige.

Add a loose stroke over it and expand it's appearance to make things easier when re sizing and adjusting it to look more hand drawn. You can do this by accessing Object > Expand Appearance.

Make a trace on the helmet using again the pen tool (P).

Use the brush tool (B) to make the stroke on it.

Draw the eyes using the pencil tool (N) or if you prefer do it using the pen tool (P).

Same thing for the mouth hole.

And the same fo the strip.

Using the pencil tool (N) let's draw the two lines of teeth, leave a space on the borders of each one, as it was gnashing then in panic.

Add a stroke on the strip fill then expand it's apperance as already showed above.

Add some circles using the ellipse tool (L) to indicate the holes used to adjust the helmet.

Add a stroke around each eye and expand their appearance too.

In order to make the eyes, first make a circle using the ellipse tool, make another one and place on the corner of the previous one.

Select both and now go to the pathfinder panel and choose the option called Minus Front.

Place them inside the eyeballs.

Using the pencil tool (N) create these random shapes over the helmet, use different green shades to look like camouflage.

Select all them, make a trace around the helmet shape and then make a clipping mask (command + 7 / ctrl +7).

Also draw some gray shapes on the border of the helmet, select them and choose the blending mode called Multiply, pretty simple.

Using the brush tool (B) draw the wrinckle on the cheek and the chin of the Worm.

Using the pencil tool (N) draw some shadows on the teeth, then made a clipping mask over it to fit in.

Make the eyebrown by using the pen tool (P), add a white fill on it.

Repeat the same technique of shading used on the teeth on teach eye, it's pretty simple, should no take much time of you.

Let's add some shades on the body, Use a darker beige color for this. As you can see,Be specific about the lightning, as it should make sense. So the eyes, chin and helmet generate shadow on it's body.