A quest to Texturize

 Today I spent the looking around the studio for a way to create textures for my model.

First I fixed my Maya to make sure that the model I was working on is suitable for exporting to the various software such as ZBrush, Unreal Engine 5, Substance painter

The Axe Model

This is the low poly version of the Axe created in Maya:


I modify the grid, colour and camera in Maya


I created an Axe following a tutorial. The model is very solid itself and I'm happy of the way it looks.

I also created a high poly version of this model in Maya by bevelling the edges and making sure that the model was consistent


Texturing with Substance Painter

I followed this particular tutorial for baking.

I imported the Model in Substance Painter and baked the high poly version into it.

Once the model is imported it should appear in the screen with the UV

The next part is to bake the High poly into the Low Poly model


Once the baking is over this will appear


Once the baking is over, we got a model with more details.


Then I applied my Stylized Smart Material that I created at the start of this semester to test the Mesh.


I divided the parts that I want to work with in individual layers.


Stylized Axe base colour, i changed the colours for a better visual effect


Inserting some details in substance Painter, to have a simple textured model ready to be imported into Unreal Engine.


Axe imported in Unreal Engine


I imported the model parts in UE5 .

I also created a Pawn blueprint for the Axe, so that I can assemble each part and move and interact with the Axe in the world.


Then I assembled the Pawn Blueprint with the Axe parts.


Now I should add the textures that I imported and created to the Axe model.


Now the Axe is available in my project, if I only knew how to blueprint correctly I could make it playable.




The battle with ZBrush

ZBrush download and updated kept on crashing and stopping, I had to restart the download 12 times for it to finally appear to my desktop and access it.

I also was greaten by this warm and welcoming list of messages:

Downloading ZBrush on my personal computer was a nightmare, the app keep crashing and spamming me with list of error messages. To fix this I had to deactivate and reactivate my antivirus and do all the following steps.

Then I had to manually allow the folder to be accessed by ZBrush.


All of this was pointless, ZBrush keep on spamming me with messages every time I open the application.

I followed this tread to make sure ZBrush was running perfectly.

By Running as Administrator the error lists seems to have gone, but that was just an optical illusion. somehow I manage to still get into the application and set up my model.


ZBrush is more complicated than Maya and Substance, the user interface is more unique and strict.

I Exported the low poly version of the axe and now I'm ready to get into ZBrush to work on the details of the high poly model.

This is One way to import FBX FILES


The model in Maya has to be sorted out, every face must have 4 vertex points, and I used mesh Edit clean up in Maya to check the model.


As soon as I imported the model, i saw a few "holes" on the mesh

I went into Geometry, then Modify Topology.


Then inside Modify Topology choose the option close holes.


Once the model is completed and with no issues I can then proceed on working on it.

[F] to focus to the active model. then I added divide


The issue was in Maya as the Model was having more than 4 sided face and this was creating the holes.

here


and here


I went back in Maya and Fixed the Issue with the mesh clean up tool, and vertex connect.

Now the model is ready to be sculped.


Then i add some tolerance to the main body.


Then I activated he Symmetry


Then activate Local symmetry

I kept practising around with Zbrush and learning new tips and tricks.


Working on the Model

I started working on the Model on ZBrush.

I combined the entire Axe Model in Maya because it was easy to move around and export-import in the various software's.


The Axe is fully combined and ready to be worked on. 


I press [T] to get to be able to work with the Axe model in ZBrush

I then activate the Symmetry to be able to work on all face at the same time.


Were to import new brushes in ZBrush:

C:\Program Files\Pixologic\ZBrush 2022 FL\ZStartup\BrushPresets

Copy and Past the new brushes into this folder path, then open ZBrush

 

QUICK COMMANDS

A few useful commands for ZBrush:

[(comma key) (,)] – Close Lightbox

[Ctrl + N] - clear page (delete all)

[T] – Edit Mode

Hold [shift] + mouse button = SMOOTH EDGES

BRUSHSES

[B + D + S] - dam standard

[B + C + B] - clay build up

[B + S + T] - standard (generic soft brush

[B + F + A] - Flatten (simple flattening)

[B + T + D] - Trim dynamic (more natural flattening, good for after adding noise such as clay build up and wanting to have the below effect.)




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