ZBrush - a texture magician to turn your low-polygon model into high detailed surface result

ZBrush is the industry's leading digital sculpting and design application. Built for artists by artists, ZBrush is a unique modeling, texture painting and illustration tool that allow artists to concentrate on their ideas rather than the software. See the Application Compatibility table for detailed supported attributes information.

How to convert 3D objects from ZBrush to iClone through 3DXchange?

Step 1: Generate Color Texture from ZBrush Color Paint

To paint color map, turn off Zadd, use RGB only, adjust RGB Intensity for the appropriate color transparency.

Turn color paint to a texture Image, and export color map as an BMP file

Tool- Texture - Color to Texture (select GUV as default)

Texture - Flip Texture V (all UV in ZBrush is V-Flipped)

Export color map as - BMP file

Step 2: Exporting OBJ with Color Map from ZBrush

After you have z-sculpture the model and paint the texture in ZBrush, switch to the lowest subdivision level if you want to have a low polygon model as the base in iClone



In Tool - Export menu - turn off Grp, only leave OBJ, Qud and Txr ON

If check Grp (Group) off , the whole model will in one single mesh node

Set Export Scale to 10 in Zbursh - Tool - Export, the size will be appropriate for iClone

To export OBJ together with Color Map, Export OBJ via Tools menu - Save As , this path will contains color map in OBJ output

Because the ZBrush texture coordinate is not the same as iClone, please Flip-V the Color Texture before export.

In Texture Menu, press button to toggle texture vertical flip

Step 3: Generate Noraml Map in ZBrush via ZMapper Plugin

Download ZMapper From http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/showthread.php?t=031281

Unzip ZMapper - copy all files into ZBrush\ZStartup\ZPlugs

After fine sculpturing in highest subdivision level, you can see the very fine detailed surface



Now switch back to lowers resolution geometry level (Shift-D) to prepare the normal map for low-res model



Access ZMapper in ZPlugin - it opens a separate program



Open Configuration - select Nvidia TangentSpace BestQuality as the normal map profile for iClone



Click on Projection Tab - Create Projected Normal Map , now it starts to calculate the normal map

Shift + mouse drag to move the light and preview the normal effect in ZMapper

Now - Exit from ZMapper (press top left corner Exit button)
V-Flip and then save the Normal Map as a BMP file

Step 4: Convert Color-textured OBJ Models into iClone via 3DXchagne

Load OBJ into 3DXchange, you will see the ZBrush model well displayed with texture map

However, the default OBJ model exported from ZBrush shows polygonal sharp edges, you need to smooth it in 3DXchange

Under the "Auto Smooth" button, Input a larger angle. Here we use value 120 to smooth all neighboring faces below 120 degree



Press hotkey F (Front View) to check the model orientation, you can rotate and align the object to the scene root ground level by pressing Align to GND button

Press Export to send VNS model to iClone content folder

Step 4: Applying Normal Map in iClone

Load the previously 3DXchange generated VNS model from ZBrush OBJ export

Load the Normal Map in iClone - Bump map channel, check "load as a normal map" ON



In iClone, select the light number, and mouse drag to shift the light direction in 3D window, you can see surface details.

Please see the tutorial video for the step-by-step illustration.

Visit forum for more information