Basics of Retopology

Ok so here we are back again after almost a month of no updates. Today we will go over a topic that is generally overlooked by people that don’t specifically have to do it, and that is Retopology. The first question that we would answer would be what is Retopology. Well Retopology is the process in which you have a pre existing high density detailed mesh, and on top of that mesh you build a new mesh with clean geometry. This is widely used in gaming models where you want to have all the details from your sculpt into the game engine, or another place would be in Photogrametry or even when you go ahead and download a free 3D model that you like but it has crappy geometry that really doesn’t work with your scene.

So having said that in this post i will go over the bare basics of retopolgy in a few different software packages. This will be divided into three different videos covering the Retopology workflow in ZBrush, 3ds Max and 3D Coat.

In the first video we will start in ZBrush. Here we will go over the basics of the automated ZRemesher feature, then explain a bit how we can control the ZRemesher with the help of guides and then we will jump over to the manual way of Retopology in ZBrush with the help of ZSpheres. All in all it’s a decent way to do retopo in Zbrush and if this is something that would interest you then check out the video below.

In the second video we will take the same base and start the retopology process inside 3DS Max. Here we will go over the tools in the modeling ribbon, we will see how we can create, modify and move the new mesh around, and also see how we can mix up the retopology workflow with general modeling workflow. So go ahead and check out the video below.

In the third video i decided to make the first video in 3D Coat. In this video i stuck to only the retopology section in 3D Coat as this was the focus on the video, but in all honesty i will probably make more videos about 3D Coat as it truly is an amazing piece of software. In this video we will see how we can create the base mesh, and we will dive in a bit in the options of the different tools and brushes. But enough explanations go ahead and check out the video below.

So with these three videos we basically saw the basics of retopology in different software packages, but if you have access to different softwares then you can do it there as well. Maya, Blender and Topogun are three other softwares that do amazing work when it comes to retopo but i really didn’t want to go ahead and do it for those packages mainly because i’m not too comfortable with using them, which doesn’t mean that they are not awesome.

So that would be it for today, i hope you guys have fun watching these videos and more importantly learn something new. If that is the case don’t forget to comment, like and share it around.

Detailed Intro to Working with Forest Pack Pro

Today’s post is a bit of a hybrid post, and what i mean by this is that when i was actually thinking about making a post about Forest Pack Pro i thought it would cover the basic options in a 20-30 min video and be done with it, instead we ended up with what you see here today. In the videos below you will be able to learn what is Forest Pack Pro and how it works. Now i am one of those people who thinks that when you are learning something it’s always good to have a certain model, or a project that you are trying to achieve and learn that way. Well today we will cover most of the options that Forest Pack Pro has in it’s arsenal, and at the same time we will do a couple of different end results. One of the things that specially makes me happy about these videos is the fact that i will cover a topic that has been asked from me multiple times, and that is the topic of creating grass and grass fields. So lets get down and start breaking down the four videos that you will be able to see here.

The first video in the string is more or less a very easy to follow basics of Forest Pack Pro. You will learn how to add a new Forest Pack node, then you will see how to change the display properties followed by how to add custom geometry. After this you will see how to control the density and spread of geometry on your surface. All in all this is the bare basics you need to understand before you start working with Forest Pack Pro. So go ahead and check out the first video.

In the second video we will see how we can use Forest pack Pro to create a modernistic Nail Art picture. To get this right we will kick it up a notch and go in a bit deeper into controlling the transforms of the geometry with the help of a bitmap. This is also where you will learn how to constrain the effect to certain plains and axies. All in all it should be an interesting video and even though it is a second part to the video series it won’t feel like it as it is a stand alone video. So again go and check it out.

When we get to the third part this is basically where we go in deeper with explaining even more features and at the same time we tackle the grass topic. Now for this video when i started it didn’t go as planned as i started modeling grass manually which was a huge time hog, so i scrapped the initial idea and went with a much faster and procedural way of making grass by using a free script called Debris Maker 2 so feel free to click the link and get it for yourselves. So if you have this plugin then you should have no problems with following along with the video, and creating a grass field of your own with ease. So go check it out and come back for the last video.

And in the last video for this post we will cover a topic very similar to the grass creating tutorial but with a twist, we will be using built in presets. Forest Pack Pro comes with a number of different presets that should be helpful to pretty much anyone working in the Visualization business. Other then that you will also learn how to constrain the effects of the scattering through the use of splines, and then at the same time use those same lines as base for scattering new geometry which will leave you with a very flexible end result. But enough with the explanation go ahead and check it out for yourself.

So with that done we come to a conclusion of our post for today. These were one of the more intense videos to record for me as i did get a number of crashes and the rendering times were a drag, but in the end i am actually happy with what it ended up looking like. So the only thing that i can hope for now is that you guys enjoy watching these videos you have some fun while watching them and most importantly of all you learn something new that can help you in your projects. So like always if you enjoyed the videos then hit the like button and subscribe if you haven’t already and i will see you all in the next post.

First Glance at 3ds Max 2017 and Auto Peel UVW unwrap

When i make a new post i kinda tend to make it so that the videos are educational and are pretty much in the form of a tutorial. Well today’s video is more of a informational character then educational. Namely a few days ago Autodesk decided to release their newest version of the 3ds Max software the 2017 version of it, so i decided to make a quick video about the very first thing you can see when you try it out. I made it so that it is divided into two short videos in which you will see what you can expect with the new version of Max, as well as few issues and bugs. (This is an understatement)

So in the first video i go and show you how the UI has been changed, and i kinda compare it to Maya and as you will see for yourself it appears as Autodesk are trying to make Max look like Maya for some reason. Also you will see that in the rendering department we have some novelty in the form of a new render engine ART. But check it out for yourself in the video below.

In the second video that i decided to make it separate i go over something that i am personally stoked for, and that is the UVW Unwrap Auto peel mode. It’s been ages since Autodesk have done diddly squat when it comes to unwrapping in Max, and it has been a total drag having it do it in it. Well in this last version they finally decided to give the unwrapping portion some love and get it so it starts being useful. In the 2017 with the addition of the Auto Peel mode, and the addition of the tension map it is really starting to get back on track, so now the only thing that needs to be fixed is for Max to stop crashing every 5 min. In any case check it out for yourself in this short intro to Auto Peel Unwrapping in Max 2017.

After having some time to play around with Max 2017 i can only say that it’s probably going to be a good version of Max, but as of now i would stay away from using it, especially if you want to use it for your work projects as it is really buggy and unstable and it appears that crashing is it’s favorite past time.
And that would be it for this post, i hope it was informative and if you liked what you saw then click the like button, share and comment below.

Creating Clothing for Game Characters with Marvelous Designer

So today we are starting with a something a bit different then the usual modeling topics, namely in this post i will try to address a request i have received about making a video on clothing creation. This is where i had the option to start in Marvelous Designer and use the default avatars in there for the tutorial, or i could opt in for a more interesting stylized character and have some fun, needless to say i went with the second choice. Now before i go any deeper into explaining i want to note one VERY IMPORTANT thing, that is that the model that i used is not mine but was taken from Arrimus3D subscriber giveaway. In case you have never heard of him then i am really happy to introduce you to another amazing content creator from which you can learn a lot. So once you check Arrimus and get the model then you can come back and have the means to follow along with this post videos in which we will try and make clothes for the model. When i started i actually had in mind to make everything packed into one video, but as soon as i laid down the ideas and what i had to cover i decided to split it into a few parts.

In the first part of the videos i will show you how to import the model you downloaded from Arrimus3D and set it up as an avatar. After that i will explain the basics on creating pants for your characters. We will go over the importance of symmetry and why it’s a great idea to use them where we can, which will be followed by the basics on pants creation. You will see the importance of the belt, the size of the leggings and as an added bonus we will even see how we can add some extra bit of stylized finish on the end of the pants so it covers the pig feet, we do want to make him look classy 🙂 But enough of the explanation, check out the first video about the pants creation below.

In the second part we will move on to making a shirt for our fashionable piggy. We will start off by explaining how to make a basic skin tight shirt on which we will add some wrinkling which will in turn give us more realistic look. After that we will go and make the shirt appear as it was held in place with buttons as well as add some sleeves to it. In the end we will also explain how to deal with excess cloth we might have on our shirt, and as a bonus we will explain what diamonds are and where to use them and why. So all in all it should be an interesting video to watch, so go ahead and check it out.

And the third video actually ended up as a bonus video as it wasn’t really planned but it kinda happened for one reason alone, and that reason was because the model was kinda lacking a something little extra to cover up the back. So with that issue in hand we ended up with the third video in which i will show you how to create a very simple cloak for your character. And again go ahead and check out the video for the cloak making below.

OK so if you checked out all the videos and are back to reading this then i only want to note one more time for you guys to go and check Arrimus3D on YouTube because as i stated previously you will find a treasure cove of information on his YouTube Channel. As for this post this about wraps it up for today, so if you did enjoy it and you managed to learn something then help spread the love and like, comment and share it around on the social network of your choice. And as always i will see you all in the next post.

Creating a Marvelous Designer Chesterfield Ottoman and Floor Rug

Today’s post is an answer to a question that i was asked a few times, namely how do you use Marvelous Designer to create a puffy Chesterfield type of Ottoman furniture. Now If you have ever had the need to model a Chesterfield furniture you are well aware that it can be a drag, and quite the bore making one, as it really does take a bit of time to make it. In today’s post i will show you a way in which you can create a type of “fake” chesterfield Ottoman (A small puffy chair) with the help of Marvelous Designer.

In the first video you will see how to create the Chesterfield base out of six pieces of fabric. Then we will proceed to add the inner lines that will define the division between the buttons which give the distinct look, and we will see how to control the strength of those lines. As an added bonus we will also see how to make the Ottoman models have extra bit of wrinkles which are more common for cloth fabrics opposed to leather ones. So if this might interest you check out the video below.

The second video is a bit of a bonus video as it covers a topic that i probably should have covered when i made the Complex Rugs and Simple Rugs posts as it does explain how to make the what i call “Marvelous Designer Rug”. What i mean by that is one of those rugs that have an inner pattern that is giving it that area shrink and weft look, which in turn is giving your scene a more daily usage look. As the method of creating this kind of a rug is very much similar to creating the Ottoman and it’s a great exercise i decided to squeeze it in here. So go ahead and check out this video as well.

So with those two videos watched you should now have a better understanding of what inner shapes do in Marvelous Designer and how to use them to get great looking results. One thing that i have to note is that MD is an amazing piece of software, and with the videos i’ve made so far about it we are just scratching the surface of what it can do. So if you are working in a field where you have to do a lot of cloth simulation then it might be a good idea to pick up MD if you still haven’t done so.

Ok so if you’ve watched the videos and are still reading this then i would like to ask you guys to leave your comments either here, or on YouTube and tell me your thoughts on MD tutorials. And for now that would be it, like always if you did enjoy them like and share them around, and keep coming back for more.

Modeling Complex Carvings And Shapes on Uneven Surfaces in 3ds Max

In today’s post we will cover a bit of a complex topic and that is how to model complex shapes like carvings and such on uneven surfaces, or rounded ones. Generally from what i’ve seen many 3D artists do when they have to model some complex shape on an uneven surface, they go ahead and manually start building the model and move the vertecies one by one to get the carving to conform to the surface. Well that approach is not wrong, hell in some cases it’s the only option there is to take, BUT and this is a big but there is a way to work around issues like this and kinda cheat to save on time and nerves. This cheat that i am talking about is what this post is all about, but in order to be able to follow along you will need to download a script which you can get from the link below.

Download SlideKnit Script

OK so if you have already downloaded the script then you are all set. Now in case you don’t know how to install the script don’t worry as in the video below you will see me explain it step by step on how to install and how to make a custom menu inside 3ds Max and dock the plugin there. So after we go over how to install the script i’ll show you the model that i have in the scene that will help me showcase different types of scenarios for the SlideKnit script. You will see how you can wrap different types of geometry on different types of surfaces. Another important thing to note is that i will go and explain how you can unwrap rounded surfaces so they end up with planar UVW layout, which is actually quite important in our case. But enough with the intro, if what you saw here is something that might sound interesting to you go ahead and watch the video below.

So after watching the video i have to note one thing about myself personally, and that is that i was sick and coughing when i was making the video so if i didn’t edit out some place and maybe a cough slipped by i apologize. That aside i’m really hoping you guys had fun watching the video, and more importantly managed to learn something new. As you were able to see, SlideKnit is a small but yet very powerful script that can give you amazing results. Also i want to note it here one more time that I AM NOT THE MAKER of this script, so if you know who is leave a comment and i will leave a backlink to the creator as he really does deserve the kudos for making it.

And that would be it for this post, you know the drill by now, if you liked the video then like, comment and share it around so it can reach more people. So until next time …

Adding Dust and Aging Effect with V-Ray

Today we have a new post, and the videos that will be part of the post will be a part of a new “category” of posts that i want to do. Namely i want to have videos that will be a sort of a quick tip type posts. The idea behind these kinds of posts will be to take a certain theme, or a question that i’ve been asked and dive straight to it without any additional explanation. The idea for this came from a few readers that asked for more direct approach to the issue which would result with shorter videos and more directed videos. Now i am well aware that these types of videos can’t be made for all the topics that i choose to cover, but for certain things it might actually work quite well.

For the very first crack at the quick tip video i chose to make a video and answer a simple question, How to add aging or fading effect to your V-Ray materials? This is a very basic thing that you might want to know as it’s always a plus knowing how to add some variance to your model, and in the approach that i will show you in the video you will see how you can get that result by using a procedural mask and VrayDirt material. So if you want to see how you can do this type of thing procedural opposed to unwrapping it and manually making a distressed texture then check out the video below.

The second video covers a topic that’s a bit similar to the first video, but instead of adding procedural damage or fading we will see how we can add some dust to our model. After that we will see how we can setup a second texture ID channel and use it to help us with giving the dust a more natural “disturbed” look. So again if this is something that you would like to know and you aren’t really sure how to go about doing it, then check out the second video.

Ok so if you’ve watched the videos and are still reading this then i would like to ask you guys to leave your comments either here, or on YouTube and tell me if you liked these shorter quick tip type tutorials. And for now that would be it, like always if you did enjoy them like and share them around and keep coming back for more.

Studio Lighting in 3ds Max and V-Ray

In today’s post we are going to deal with one of the fundamental things that anyone that wants to work with CG should know, and that is how to light up your models. Now i have to go and say it right from the start, lighting on it’s own is one colossal theme to tackle and if you really want to know how it works, then you will probably need to invest some time into some proper professional photography knowledge. So having clarified that i want to say that this post is going to be more about the technical part of Max and V-Ray and how to get the lights inside 3ds Max to behave like real life lights would do. So enough with the intro and lets jump down on explaining and watching the videos. Initially it was supposed to be one video, but instead of making it one long video i made it into two parts so it’s easier for you guys to follow it. (Yeah i know i’m good that way)

In the first video we will explain very briefly what a studio scene is, and then we will see a few examples. You will see me reference an image of a model lit up in different scenarios, and you can get the link to the reference image here. After the brief intro we will create a simple backdrop. Then we will go about creating light sources, control how the reflection is going to look like, how we can modify it so it ends up looking like a commercial body spray can, and we will even explain a bit about the three point lighting solution. At the end of the first video we will even explain a bit about the importance of the warm and cool lights. So if this sounds like something that you would like to see check out the video.

In the second video we will continue on the same scene as previously but that is where all similarities end. We will start by explaining what a reflector is and how and when would we use one in our scenes. After that we will explain what a diffuser is and how to construct one that we can use in 3ds Max, and right after that we will explain what a light box is and how to construct one as well. With the introduction of the diffuser and Lightbox we will end with with issues in the lighting of our scene that will derive from the GI pass so we will also go over how to deal with those issues and get them to provide us with a clean render. So all in all it should be an interesting video to watch, so if what you read up here sounds like something that might interest you go ahead and watch the second video.

And with this we are coming to an end of our post for today. It was fun making these videos, and depending on the feedback i get on this video i might make a few more about lighting as that is a theme that seems like an endless pit of information that always has something new to offer.

So like always subscribe, like and share and i’ll see you all in the next post.

Creating a custom UI in ZBrush

After a bit of a delay in the posting schedule due to an injury, here we are back with another post. I decided to make today’s post about Zbrush, more notably about the UI in ZBrush and how to understand and customize it to your needs. As you can see right away this post is aimed at the beginners so if you are working with ZBrush and are proficient with it then you might find this post not engaging, but if you are just starting out or considering picking up ZBrush then carry on.

In the video below we will start from a totally “vanilla” clean UI and we will go over and explain how we can move buttons and menus around, how to change their size and color scheme. All in all there really isn’t too much to explain about this video as it is very straight forward, but at the same time it is a great place to start if you are getting into ZBrush. The idea here is that this will be the first in a series of posts for ZBrush that will have the task of slowly helping you get into the essence of ZBrush and show you that it’s an amazingly powerful software that can be of immense use to anyone in the CG industry regardless or the field that you are working in. But more about that later on, for now enjoy the video about the custom UI.

I hope you guys had fun watching the video and more importantly you managed to learned something new today. If that is the case then subscribe, like and share it around and don’t forget to come back for more next time. Take care everyone.

Creating Custom Floor Textures in 3ds Max and Photoshop

Today’s post comes as a direct result to a request i got about making a real world scale floor texture. It sounds pretty straight forward when you say it like that, i mean you get the project with the texture for the floor but then comes the realization that the image that the client sent you is something more in tune to a thumbnail, then an actual size for a high quality texture. On top of that he or she might want to have a different color in the pattern of the texture. This is where things can get a bit complicated as you are basically left with a task in which you need to deliver an end result but you don’t have the resources delivered to you, but rather you have to make them yourselves. Once you get to this point in the project, you might start thinking that you are in trouble if you don’t know how to make those high quality textures. Well this is where today’s post comes into play and will explain exactly how to go about dealing with this issue, and hopefully resolve it. Now when i had the initial idea about this video in my head it was a fast 20 min video, but as soon i started recording i actually came to a bit of a revelation as the theme was a tad bit bigger then i initially thought, so in the end i decided to split this into three logical parts opposed to having one huge hour and a half video. Since we do have a bit to cover lets get started with it.

In the first part of the video we will setup the image that we will create (you can choose any design that you might need for this part) and then we will start with the outlining process of the whole thing. After that we will see how we can get the outlined object scaled so we have a realistic scale model, and in the end we will render out a template which we will be able to use in the process. So this is where you would be advised to go and see the video for yourself.

In the second part ( and i do know this is a bit of a longer video ) we take the template that we made in 3ds Max and we bring it into Photoshop. Now i did my best to keep the video as newbie friendly (n00b fR13ndly) so that everyone can follow along even if you are not too proficient with Photoshop. We will cover a bit of layering management, some masking as well as some hand on paining and effects adding. All in all this ended up being a long but in depth video which will leave us with a fully customizable template that we can later use for any type of floor. Also you will hear me mention a few times that you can use this exact process to get Marble and stone floors which is totally true and applicable. But enough with the explanation, go ahead and check out the video.

In the last video we take what we made in Photoshop and we dive back into 3ds Max and see how we can use all those textures. Now the emphasis in the third video is put on using Real World Scale and to explain to you how you can get your textures to use real world scale referencing rather then the default tiling option. So go ahead and check out the video for yourself.

And with this we are coming to an end of our post for today. We covered quite a bit of different things and even though i didn’t expect the videos to be that long in the end i kinda enjoyed making them and i really hope you guys will enjoy watching them and even learn a few new things from them.

So like always subscribe, like and share and i’ll see you all in the next post.

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