Anyone else use Zbrush2??

[Anonymous]

I don’t know if anyone’s ever heard of this program, but it’s making waves in the computer modeling world. It was used to quickly create high definition characters for the third LOTR movie. In essence, it allows you to import/create models and subdivide them to an insane degree(millions of polys on even a slow computer). Then there are tools to actully sculpt the polys into an organic looking shape.

Check for a demo here:

http://pixologic.com/home/home.shtml

Oh and it’s also being used for Doom 3.

[Anonymous]

I’m keeping a close eye on this one, wouldn’t mind an evaluation copy. I’ll bet those folks working on Unreal 3 are using it on their characters, there appears to be insane detail in the normal maps.

[Anonymous]

That sounds too good to be true really, MILLIONS of ploy’s, even if you can do it, you could never get a current generation engine to run them in real time, maybe this software will be used in conjunction with next generation hardware from Sony and the boy’s……………..

[Anonymous]

You’re right. I forgot to say with it you can generate displacement maps from your modeling changes. You can even paint shapes on with it and make it into a displacement map. Also, it can handle normal maps which are like bump maps on steroids! :D

[Anonymous]

you could never get a current generation engine to run them in real time[/quote:33d44175d1]

The idea is to capture the detail of the high-poly models in normal and displacment maps and then render low-poly versions in realtime with the detail baked into the maps.

edit: Wasn’t there a painting application for the Amstrad CPC 464 called ZBrush?

[Anonymous]

There are many apps that can take a height map or displacement map and turn ’em into normal maps. Bottom line?… The more polys and detail in your high res mesh-> the more detail in your displacement/normal map-> the better looking the lighting/textures on your low res real-time model.

[Anonymous]

Oh I see, But if you overlayed the model as a map/texture, wouldn’t it look odd???

[Anonymous]

The displacement map is overlaid onto the low poly version of the model. The map is generated by interpolating the difference between the high and low poly models.

Here’s Unreal Tournament 3 that uses normal maps which do a similar thing. (I’m not sure they are using Zbrush)

Here

[Anonymous]

Thats fair enough, I understand what your saying, but I’ll eat my hat If i see something as good as those models jumping around my screen in UT 2005!, even if you have an AND 64 bit pro with a Radeon 9800 and 1 Gig of ram……

or maaybe not. he he.

[Anonymous]

All of the good character stuff they’ve showed off so far has been a 3 light rig with an all black background. The level movies, although amazing, have little or no characters about them. Fingers crossed, but I’ll believe ’em when I see it in game.

[Anonymous]

Here’s Unreal Tournament 3 that uses normal maps which do a similar thing. (I’m not sure they are using Zbrush)[/quote:2effd53f1e]

I’d say they’re definitely using Zbrush 2 to generate their displacement maps, that kind of detail (veins etc.) is very hard to model and to get it looking right.

[Author]

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