#3d process

...what could I possibly be working on? >:3c

WIP: this is seriously SO FAR from done lmao. I need to free Julian’s neepnops from their confinement, add everyone’s piercings and jewelry, drape a slutty shawl on Jinana, do some shader work on the stool, and like.... actually put a SET together lmao (bedroom or bathroom?). And THEN do the lighting

So I’ve been working on the Red Death costume from phantom of the opera for the entire Semester as my full blown first character. It’s hell, absolute hell, but I’m doing it! He’s coming along! This is him in Zbrush for final sculpts and shoes. Below the cut are TONS of process images you might appreciate. So far I’ve used Substance Painter, Autodesk Maya, Marvelous Designer, and Algorithmic Zbrush.

3D monster technical breakdown

Process video for the Dune storybook 3D model 🪱

Technical breakdown of how I made the Nutcrusher:

I began with the high poly sculpt, which was initialized as a blockout in Maya, then brought to ZBrush for sculpting. Then I went back and forth between the two software with each new asset to add to the sculpt. You can also initialize assets in ZBrush, but by combining the two you have more efficient topology control which allows you to sculpt cleanly in a cartoon style.

After the sculpt was finished, I brought it back to Maya to create the low poly version, conformed onto the high poly, and its UV maps. Both parts simultaneously complicated and boring but actually quite fun once you get the hang of them. This is the final geometry, onto which the high poly light, ambient occlusion, and curvature information will be baked in the form of 2D texture maps in Substance Painter.

Also in Substance Painter I used hand painting techniques for the first time on a character! Really fun but I have a lot to learn about it. I also still used the Roughness, Metallic, and Normals channels, which aren't always used in a hand-painted style, but in this case worked well.

Then it's back to ZBrush with the low poly this time to pose it. I'm not a rigger so I use the Transpose Master Zplugin to pose by hand, just for the render. In an actual game dev pipeline she would be rigged, and the A-pose in which she's modeled makes this possible.

~Ghoulfriendfangs

This is where the MAGIC happens, baybee!

(DAZ Studio's strand-based hair creator, ft. (1) Dorito-Shaped Man with Ken-Doll Bulge, covered in strand guides)

(The Viewport result after combing and applying various settings - it renders a bit thicker than that, but I think he needs some more fuzz in the upper center of his chest... back to the drawing board 😩)