Quote: "Although I'm curious... Acid, it sounds like you've done this before. And you are undoubtedly someone of some caliber here (industry experience sir?), can you go into more detail about why it's better to do it your way?"
Well actually, I have been around this forum since probably 2004, Had changed many accounts. Although I did not gain my experience from here though. Alot of it has been gained from other game art sites you that guys know, and have learned quite a bit of stuff from it. It was great having up front professional help rather than being outspoken who has less or the same experience than you. I have also worked on next gen mods/projects such as renegade X and zombie panic source. Helped me Alot learning the next gen things that were required. Eventually I landed my first paid contract from an open company back in 06' for some beta game, made a few thousand. For the time being, I have been working freelance for the last few years just to have some time to have a break from deadlines, and for me to have time to create a portfolio, which will be soon.
What I consider for these forums is that I understand and respect this is an INDIE forum, and you wont actually land the exact "big time" hire, the people on these forums generally develop small time games. This too and that Alot or the majority of game artists here seem to me inexperienced or Amateur. It can be irritating being outspoken by someone with less experience than me at times. I don't like always going in depth about it then converting it into some argument. I intentionally joined these forums as to get some insight about the way people organize themselves with projects. Most 3D threads seem to be people just beginning 3D modeling, which I find fine, but would recommend them to join an actual site with real professionals, to get some constructive crit.
Anyway back on topic lol.
From what I understand there are a few methods for creating your normal maps. I particularly suggest doing the way I mentioned before which is currently the most dominating solution of today's next-gen needs.
Well first up In-depth explanation.
The first thing to do would be to create a good base mesh fairly mid/high poly in max with a good poly distribution set out correctly. Everything must be in quads for this. Then export it into Zbrush, whatever add details deform the current mesh. Then Import it back into max.
After that rebuild the low poly mesh around it, makes it particularly easy because you just have to follow the silhouette. Then rebake it with the high poly to the low.
Why?
Doing so Creating the low poly around it, can saves you polys and doing so also does not give you limitations to the amount of detail for the low poly.
For eg: Just say I have been scuplting away at a dog from a subdivided mid/high poly mesh, and I decided that I create some organic rocket launcher artillery extruding itself from dog's back. It would be easy when modeling the low poly because I would have that extra detail added in. But if it were just a low poly to high poly you wouldn't be able to add any extra details without actually rebuilding the low poly again and sculpting it all over again. Doing the method I mentioned you could add whatever you wanted, without having the limitation of a low poly mesh.
Creating a low poly then high poly for sculpting, you are limited to the low poly mesh boundaries, thus you cannot expect to add mesh additions or subtractions for that matter.
Low Poly to high poly can be acceptable in some areas or models, this was last gen techniques, but in an organic case my method that I use its much more applicable and easier for anyone. If it does take the extra time, it will be worth it definitely if you have detail 10x better than the original low to high.
I have been told it takes longer getting and setting everything up with a low to high.
I do understand that Zbrush has good retopo tools, but it seems to take longer fixing everything right. I don't use much of these tools. If though I were someone that spent most of the time sculpting instead of low/mid poly work, of course using the retopo tools would be an advantage, you can just adjust the low poly mesh (that this the person for example isn't very good at) to suit the high. Still not getting as much details.
I'll try and get some images up for some better explanation.
@lazerus, It is easier than using zspheres although zspheres are actually very powerful for someone just creating there base mid/high mesh in zbrush, so it saves time without having to transfer back and forth. You'll only have to do it once that way.
It more Preferable if someone likes to sculpt more and create very low poly meshs.
You really should have created most of the details in max, without caring about the poly count, perhaps the face should have been roughed out?
