ZBrushCentral

Displacement Map with Normal Map Together

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

Hi All,

I’ve just watched a video tutorial from Digital Tutors of how to export normal, bump and displacement map from zbrush out to XSI and Maya.
Once in XSI you import the normal map and press render, it shows the details sculpted back in Zbrush. Nice! Excellent work!

However, adding the displacement map working in conjunction with the normal map, the fine details are even much better than just the applied normal map alone, without adding extra poly count. Excellent Great!
The result is that the Displacement map is able to pull out all the details that it needs, relying on the normal map to get all the high details without adding any extra polys into the Mesh.

Now, the question is how can I achieve that in Max?

Any guidance or tutorial in this, is very much appreciated. Thank you.

Sincerely,

  • CGicore -

#2

Are you sure no extras polys are involved. Displacement maps need extra polys but not that much as the zbrush tool in question!

Stamatis

#3

Well then someone please correct me if I have seen it and heard it wrong. I watched the Digital Tutors - Texturing with ZBrush 3 , in Lesson Outline & Samples n.23 (Setting up displacement maps in XSI), that’s exactly what the Author did and said. See it for yourself.

I’ve been wondering if I could apply the same technique but in 3dsmax 2008. And if anyone has watched this DVD and find what I said is wrong, then please feel free to correct me and put me back in the right track.
Very much appreciated with any and all help I can get.

Thank you,
CGicore

#4

The basic steps are as follows:


  1. Start with your level 1 mesh in ZBrush.
  2. Press Tool>Morph Target>StoreMT
  3. Divide and detail your model.
  4. Save your work.
  5. Drop down a couple subdivision levels.
  6. Use ZMapper to create the normal map. (This will be just the details from the couple higher subdivision levels.)
  7. Delete the higher levels. (This is why you saved your work in step 4.)
  8. Go to level 1.
  9. Switch to the stored morph target.
  10. Create your displacement map. (This will be just for the details that weren’t included in the normal map.)
You now have a displacement map for medium frequency details that visibly effect the silhouette of the model, and a normal map for high frequency details that will not usually affect the silhouette of the model. Displacements require lots of polygons only if they’re creating high frequency detail. You’re bypassing that, which allows you to get equal visual quality with far fewer polygons.

#5

Oohhh I see now…
Thank you so much for taking the time to explain aurick. Appreciated.
Now I understand.

Besides, does anyone know how to achieve this in Max08? I just heard today
“If using MR you can still add turbosmooth and add a Displacement
modifier on your object which works, but using a disp’ in the
Mental Ray connection, (displacement slot in the material editor),
Tthis causes the object to ‘split’ when rendered in 2008,
autodesk confirmed it was a bug, and are working on it.”

Maybe I should use Vray?? Still learning hard :slight_smile: