Go full screen 1024x768 where possible with Millions of colours....JAVAand FRAMES enabled Browser . FLASH plug-in required. 

">

(85K JPG Full image665x731)
STAGE 1. USING THE TEXTURE AS AN ALPHA
STAGE 2. INFLATION TO SIMULATE BUMP
 

A downloadable demo of ZBrush is available from Pixologic
































































































OTHER ZBRUSH RESOURCES

Pixologic`s Website
ZBrush Online manuals

Many thanks to the team at Pixologic for help and advice.

All images © glen southern2001 or Pixologic (screenshots)

TEXTUREMASTER BUMP MASKING THE ORC

I thought that the head study I created for the `Smokin’ Orc` image was lacking in features so I decided to work on some bump effects. The original image had a material with a lot of colour-bump which allowed light areas of the texture map appear raised when rendered. For the next stage I wanted to actually add features to the geometry.

1. USING THE TEXTURE AS AN ALPHA

To create the effects below I first of all exported the texture map (PSD or BMP) and re-imported it into an alpha slot

ALPHA IMPORT

To add this alpha to my model I put the head into EDIT mode (Keyboard T) then used:

TOOL MODIFIERS SELECTION ALP

This takes the currently selected ALPHA brush (My texture now in grayscale see (IMAGE 1.) and wraps it around my model as an ALPHA MASK. As the alpha is an exact copy of the texture map created for this head it fits the model perfectly (Zbrush gave the head its very own UV coordinates). IMAGE 1. Click for large version


IMAGE 1 Alpha texture map
2.INFLATION TO SIMULATE BUMP

This head model was created from a sphere with a mesh resolution of 512x256 (maximum for a 3D Sphere). With this amount of geometry it is possible to model very fine features. At the stage, with the alpha mask applied , any modifiers applied to the head will only affect the non masked areas (the lighter bits) To give the bump effect I required I used:

TOOL MODIFIERS DEFORMATION INFLATE

The slider can be set between 1 and 100. The higher the number the more the non masked areas are inflated. It can also be repeated a number of times if required ( e.g. 100 then 100 then 50 etc.)


IMAGE 2. The inflation process

The head model should now have raised areas where ever the alpha mask was lighter in color.

To see the head in its full glory you need to add the original texture map.

NOTE: To create different `inflate` effects take a head that you have textured. Save it out as a Ztool with its texture. Carry on using Texturemaster to add different effects e.g. More raised veins, skin folds, bumpy areas of skin, then export the texture and use it as an alpha mask on the original head with the earlier `saved` texture. This will give raised areas that do not match the texture exactly which will catch light and cast shadow.


IMAGE 3. Heads after inflation and with texture

 

IMAGE 4. BUMPY HEADS - Click image for larger version

 

|| back to tutorials || back to the top||