[Max/Zbrush] Lowpoly, hard surface and Zbrush?

[Christian86]

Hello again.


http://666kb.com/i/bfyok98q92siq5p1q.jpg

I`ve got a problem and no idea what to do. I know about the workflow from Max to Zbrush and back again with all that normal mapping etc.
But now I want to create some lowpoly stuff with normal maps. The thing is, to sculpt and texture in Zbrush, I need to subdivide the lowpoly mesh for further details. But then I lose my hard edges. Normally I would use the chamfer-tool in Max to prevend that, but I want to stay lowpoly as muvh as possible.

I copied the lowpoly mesh and chamfed the edges and projected the lp-mesh to the hp-mesh, but the normal map wasn very accurate at all.


So, how can I detail a lowpoly mesh in Zbrush? I really don´t get it : /
Do I really need to chamfer the dedges?



I know you guys will help me and I want to thank in advance : )

[Perversonality]

Build a low (ish) poly mesh with the necessary loops in and export it as obj. Import into ZB and then sculpt it. Alternatively use some of the brushes to recreate the hard edges after sub-div in ZB. Either way would work well. Once you are done with the high poly, either re-topo the lowest level model in ZB and export the model and normal map or create the final low poly 3d model in your other 3d app using the high poly as a reference and then project the high detail model on to the low poly model

[TekNeek]

Or alternatvely you could check out this plugin (http://www.zbrushcentral.com/showthread.php?t=55992)

[Perversonality]

Or you could use masks to define groups to control what you work on if you are using 3.5... :p

[poopipe]

That's all a bit complicated. I've found the best workflow is to build your base meshes so they work for zbrush and worry about the low poly later.

and seriously - does anyone actually use 3.5??

[Perversonality]

That's what I was saying in my original post, though I used a lot of words to do it ;)

Plenty of people are using ZB 3.5...

[exigaen]

or you could just turn off the SMT button when you subdivide the first few times ;)

[Christian86]

@ exigaen:

It is exactly what i found out yesterday and worked very well. I didnt know about that button ^^
But this and a chamfed highpoly model and then the projection is the solution for me.


Thank you all.