View Full Version : Noob Tip: ZBrush or Mudbox?
DarkHalo003
September 30th, 2011, 06:59 PM
Which should I download/obtain? ZBrush or Mudbox? I can download Mudbox for free via Student Version, but I could also buy ZBrush 80% off (or something like that) because I'm a student. Which one is better?
Nero
September 30th, 2011, 07:56 PM
From what I know, Zbrush has a lot more features and it is much more refined. The negatives to it though is, it has a much more steep learning curve, compared to MudBox.
As far as Mudbox is concerned, it's very user friendly and has a lot of features that will help you sculpt but it doesn't have everything Zbrush does.
I recommend getting the trials and comparning them to see what suits you more. Zbrush is more unversal in the scuplting community from what I know though. Hope this helps. :)
Maybe a sculptors can be more specific in what they offer. I use 3DS Max mostly, so I don't know all the hard fact, Check out www.Polycount.com. Lots of great sculptors that will be willing to help you decide or just search past threads with this question. Good luck!
Limited
September 30th, 2011, 08:03 PM
:O Thats like comparing Max vs Maya!
I'd go with the free one, simply so you can get a try at it and see how you think of it. Surely theres a ZBrush trial?
Nero
September 30th, 2011, 08:14 PM
:O Thats like comparing Max vs Maya!
I'd go with the free one, simply so you can get a try at it and see how you think of it. Surely theres a ZBrush trial?
There is.
ejburke
September 30th, 2011, 08:31 PM
Mudbox makes a lot more sense if you're used to Maya, but you probably aren't. You can't really go wrong with either.
You're going to need a pen tablet, though. Using a mouse, your work is never going to be good enough for it to matter which program you use.
t3h m00kz
September 30th, 2011, 08:54 PM
Sculptris is Zbrush stripped down to it's basics, capable of exporting to OBJs. And it's free.
Not for students.
Free.
http://www.pixologic.com/sculptris/
(http://www.pixologic.com/sculptris/)
You're going to need a pen tablet, though. Using a mouse, your work is never going to be good enough for it to matter which program you use.
Debatable. Though the are nice.
DarkHalo003
September 30th, 2011, 09:13 PM
Sculptris is Zbrush stripped down to it's basics, capable of exporting to OBJs. And it's free.
Not for students.
Free.
http://www.pixologic.com/sculptris/
(http://www.pixologic.com/sculptris/)
Debatable. Though the are nice.
@Mookz: Thanks for the link! I'll probably end up comparing MudBox and Skulptris, then (when I have some money in my wallet) buy Zbrush.
@Everyone: Thanks for the advice so far! Yeah, I'm going to have a tablet heading my way come this Christmas. But here's a new question: How do video games handle sculpted models versus the pieced-together/edited models made 3ds Max/Maya?
ejburke
September 30th, 2011, 09:35 PM
Well, traditionally, you would start in a poly modeling program to produce a base mesh (all quads), then export that to the subdivision sculpting program, and when you're done sculpting, you would lay out a new polygon topology on top of the high resolution subdivision model, finally baking out the detail as a normal map applied to the new topology.
So, the game is just dealing with polygons and normal maps, no matter how you choose to create them. Sculpting/baking just gives superior end results for organic forms.
neuro
October 2nd, 2011, 04:23 AM
you will want and NEED basic polygonal modelling knwledge before you jump into a digital sculpting application like that, or you're going to end up like the fuckwits im forced to work with.
people who only know one program, and haven't got a shred of technical knowledge.
i'd recommend Zbrush personally, but it can be very overwhelming to a beginner.
you should REALLY take a look at a bunch of getting-started-tutorials, so you know which parts you want to use, and which parts you can ignore.
also, a pen tablet is a massive bonus for this stuff, but not required.
i started out with a mouse too, but having a pen to work with (if you're used to using one at leat) can speed up your workflow to almost double speed of a mouse.
Disaster
October 2nd, 2011, 09:01 PM
zbrush > mudbox
PenGuin1362
October 3rd, 2011, 12:08 AM
It all depends on what you get comfortable with. I've only used mudbox a few times and I prefer Zbrush. But I've seen equal quality work come out of both. And like Neuro said, basic modeling skills are essential. Zbrush and Mudbox are part of a work flow that also focuses highly around how effective your low poly is combined with the normal map. Beautiful high poly with a shit low is only going to make everyones lives harder.
t3h m00kz
October 3rd, 2011, 02:15 PM
Indeed. Maintaining appropriate topology is important for animations, as they keep the muscle flows and stretches looking natural.
Though, I've hears that these days it's possible to start with a sculpt, and build a mesh around it, as the technology to build meshes directly over-top the high poly sculpt. Why exactly would you need to build a base mesh before starting a sculpt? It seems you'd be able to get by using Zspheres.
zbrush > mudbox
A very informative post seething with information to back up the argument.
ejburke
October 3rd, 2011, 05:27 PM
It's just easier to build a base mesh first for most people. If you don't have a background in real-life sculpting, starting with a sphere is daunting. Luckily, these programs usually come with a wide selection of base models.
By the way, 3D Coat is worth checking out. It's kind of a dark horse, because it was made by one guy and is voxel-based. Being voxel-based, it allows for truly arbitrary and free sculpting that is not bound by a base mesh topology. You can import as many models as you want and add or subtract them together to make a larger, contiguous model. It even has an autoretopology tool that procedurally generates a poly mesh for exporting back out (or you can do it manually). It's also cheaper.
Dusadvantages: It's not capable of as much fine detail and there aren't as many people using it, so you may not get the help or tutorials you need.
Disaster
October 3rd, 2011, 07:25 PM
http://www.zbrushcentral.com/showthread.php?160240-Making-Time-For-Art-4-quot-Clay-Time-quot
(http://www.zbrushcentral.com/showthread.php?160240-Making-Time-For-Art-4-quot-Clay-Time-quot)http://www.zbrushcentral.com/showthread.php?161185-ZBrush-4R2-Beta-Testing-By-Nicolas-Garilhe
(http://www.zbrushcentral.com/showthread.php?161185-ZBrush-4R2-Beta-Testing-By-Nicolas-Garilhe)Zbrush is just an amazing program. A bit difficult for beginners but well worth learning. rush is just an amazing program. A bit difficult for beginners but well worth learning. Mudbox can be seen simply as a sculpting app. Zbrush is a content creation app.
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