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How to texture a low-poly model with regards to its normal map?

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

Hello dear Community!

I have a questir regarding the texturing process in zbrush.

My task is to create a low poligon version from a high-poly character that I’ve made in Zbrush. Latter - 2million polys, Retopologized - 2 000 polygons. The retopologized version is unwrapped in 3ds max, the normals texture is created in 3ds max from the high polygon model.

Keep in mind that I only created a high-p model just for normals map, I never unwrapped it, since I am going to work with retopologized version.

So, having my normals map texture ready for a retopologized version, I take my retopo model and put it into zbrush. Applying a couple of subdivisions with “smooth” turned off, and starting to polypaint.

Question: Can I apply the prepared normal map onto the model, inside Zbrush and then polypaint on the model, with regards to the normal texture? For example, n-texture has the little details like veins, and I want my retopo-model to have a diffuse texture that outlines those tiny veins in a blue color.

How can I do it?

Many thanks!

#2

Question: Can I apply the prepared normal map onto the model, inside Zbrush and then polypaint on the model, with regards to the normal texture?

No: zbrush does not have a realtime shader that supports normalmaps.

However, you do still have the highpoly sculpt that was used to create the normal maps. If you were to polypaint on that instead (it wont need UVs), you can bake those colors to a diffuse texture for the lowpoly using the same process that was used to create the normal map (and the result should be a perfect match).

#3

Thank you very much, it totally worked via 3ds max projection :slight_smile:

#4

Paint your high poly model and then transfer the texture onto the low poly. Not sure why you want to paint the low poly.