Zbrush and blender, techniques to work with Extreme polycount in blender?

The topic is simple, to work with extreme polycount inside blender.

We all know now Zbrush supports FBX file format. It’s amazing.
Substance Designer 4 also uses FBX file format mainly.
Blender are just perfect for exporting FBX scene as well.

Here is my ideal workflow:

Step 1: Build base mesh in Blender.
Step 2: Refine base mesh into high detail mesh in Zbrush.
Step 3: Reimport the High detail mesh from zbrush into Blender.
Step 4: Build lowpoly based on and from Highpoly.
Step 5: Organize the entire scene in Blender for ease of baking inside Substance Designer 4.
Step 6: Create texture using substance Designer and so on.

The problem is that Zbrush exports model as if they were real object made of trillions of atoms. Except it’s polygons. And if the resolution goes too low, the model will look jagged. (DYNAMESH) Blender become super unstable and slow.

Is there is anyway Blender can import a highpoly mesh from Zbrush, but maintain its smoothness while operating other things around them. Since those highpoly mesh aren’t to be touched or edited again after Step 2. I’m wondering if importing as Un-editible (Frozen/Solid) mesh will improve the performance?

And is it possible at all?

Use the GoB addon in Blender to export your mesh to Zbrush and use decimation master to decimate your mesh before sending it back to Blender.

as j_the_ninja said displacement + bump/normal mapping is the way to go (unless you need an extreme close up)

heres a (german) tutorial

youtube

if you dont understand german just look at the settings :slight_smile:

very important the flip and switch value in the newest zbrush release (R7) has changed to 27

Ninth is right but I thought I would share my workflow when it comes to creating models:

  1. Duplicate the subtool you are using in Zbrush.
  2. Decimate duplicate until satisfied with polycount
  3. Send to Blender and retopo/uv unwrap
  4. Send back into zbrush
  5. Use projection to add detail back onto the new lowpoly model from the original highpoly. And bake a displacement map in Zbrush. (Sometimes the displacement map baking does not work so well in zbrush so I use Xnormal in that case)
  6. Paint New Highpoly model in Mudbox. (I know nothing of Substance painter sadly, I really wanna get into it though)

I don’t know a lot about substance painter but if you can preview displacement maps in it and paint on top of them like actual geo that would be kinda cool. If not then skip steps 4-6.

As all suggested.
RealityFox seems to have some more experience on the matter. +1

  1. Duplicate the subtool you are using in Zbrush.

The best way to start with.
In any case, GoB works just fine for me.

BTW, maybe moderators should move this thread to “support”/other apps topic.
On the other hand, asking blender to support huge meshes, well, it belongs here. he he

Thank you all for your generous supports!!

Baking extra displacement map and setting them up in blender thou seems way too time consuming and can cause complications. But until Blender Devs decide to support large mesh, I guess there is one only way. Reduce the poly count in zBrush before exporting. GoB can definitely accelerate the process on the other way.

And create duplications in zBrush before decimation is a really good tip.

Thanks again guys!

:smiley:

Or you can directly use the ZRemesher + UV Master from Z brush :slight_smile:

UV Master is pretty universally hated AFAIK as a final UV layout method. Control is almost nonexistent.

UV Master is pretty universally hated AFAIK as a final UV layout method. Control is almost nonexistent.

Nothing to compare with blender UV editor and other advanced UV editors around.
However, there is some control on it.
OK, you have to create polygroups first (to be used by UV master as “islands”), you can also use paint to assign different dense on UV mapping. Of course, easy to use if someone has some experience on decent UV editors. And, having such experience, no need to use UV master at all. LOL