Zbrush Q&A?

Hi there. I recently found a deal for the zbrush 2 and 3 programs on the net, i had played with zbrush 2 quite often on a friends computer for some time now. But i have a dual core computer and zbrush 2 just does NOT like it for some reason. I found this out after purchasing the program.

(All these steps, i took through Jason Welsh's tutorial on zbrush 2 for SL) I tried to load up a model (.obj) of an SL avatar, i subdivided, designed, undivided, create displacement map, - then it crashed. Did this several times, didnt work. I then switched it to only my second affinity tried again... Crash. Now, only zbrush 2 crashes.. i can do whatever i want in any other programs i have, but zbrush crashes on me.

So i then decided to give zbrush 3 a go, under the impression that it was made for dual core. So i go through the same steps, i dont freeze, but i have just a flat alpha texture afterwords. I do some searching and find that pixelogic is making a patch because the alpha isnt working for zbrush 3 as it auto would in zbrush 2. They give me another work around to try
(involving -
1 Import or load your base mesh.
2) Press Tool>Morph Target>StoreMT
3) Subdivide and detail.
4) Return to level 1
5) Press Tool>Morph Target>Switch
6) Modify the settings in Tool>Displacement if desired.
7) Press Tool>Displacement>Create DispMap
Select the newly-created Alpha and note the Alpha>Alpha Depth Factor value
9) Flip the alpha vertically and export it. )

So i tried that but when i got to step 5, switch wasnt lit up for me. I skipped that step and went on, and again i had a blank alpha. I was wondering if anyone had found a work around for any problems?

And sorry for the LOOOOONG post. Just figured i would give as many details as possible.

Jason's tutorial doesn't work as published in the latest version for me either.

too bad too. seemed like a good investment at the time.

i have a suspicion it is a matter of customizing the UI.

i can't find any on site training facilities for zbrush either.

must just be a matter of not looking in the right places.

i know lots of others are making effective use of the product.

I dont use Zbrush but there are links to multiple Zbrush sites on Twiddler's website. http://www.taunt.com/ You can find the links on the right panel about 1/4 way down. Hope that helps )

I couldn't get it to work either. I have not had any success with the displacement map for texture baking or normal map for sculpties. I am using ZBrush 2 as I am on a Mac and 3 has not been released for the Mac.

I do like ZBrush for modelling and painting directly on the poly mesh. I just finished making a very realisitic photsourced skin by projecting the photos directly on the poly mesh with projection master. I know there are other less expensive apps that allow painting direct on the model but at least I am getting some practical use out of ZBrush.

ZBrush is fun but it does seem to have its little quirks and flaws. I would like to explore more with painting with materials as well as color, but when I do the texture goes very dark and muddy and makes ugly edges that ruin the paint job. I have not had the time to figure out a work-around.

Any of you making sculpties from scratch in ZBrush? Just curious because I see it as more of a 'plugin' than a standalone app. That is, I see it as a tool for finishing models I've already created in Maya. Great for making them look more organic (adding skin pores, surface details, etc.) but no good for precise modelling.

I am making and texturing sculpties in zbrush starting with Hypatia's sphere. Sculpties were my motivation for buying ZBrush. I model in zbrush and paint the texture. I export the model as an .obj which I import into wings and use the wings sculptie exporter plug-in to make the sculptie map.

See
http://www.throughlinedesign.com/secondlife/bushFemaleHandsUp.jpg
http://www.throughlinedesign.com/secondlife/saguaroPicV2.jpg

Oh your cacti in particular are just lovely.

I do think it's great for organic stuff like that, but you'd have to be a prodigious so-and-so to create something like Chip Midnight's famous sculptie head with Zbrush's tool set.