Modeling Galleries MODELING NEWS Reviews Primer resources contact SUBD SUBD FORUMS
CGTalk
Spiraloid
 
ZBrush
Lightwave
Hexagon
SILO
Maya
Wings
 
 
 
 
 
 

Reviewer Jason Clark
Review date September 2006
Training

ZBrush/Maya Integration

ZBrush/XSI Integration
Developer

http://www.digitaltutors.com
Price $55.99 each

 

 

As one can see from their website, and even if you ask around, Digital Tutors is a well known producer of training videos. Digital Tutors describes themselves as an internationally known innovator of interactive training whose client list includes thousands of students, professionals, Fortune 500 Companies, U.S. government agencies, schools and nonprofit associations from across the globe.

Digital Tutors has released a CD set for each of the Maya and XSI camps to cover ZBrush integration with each mentioned application. This review will cover both CD sets since the content is very much the same in content and delivery. Both DVD's will take your through the same journey to create the title image of the horned beast.  As is typical with all of Digital Tutors' content, the material is delivered on CD and utilizes the Quicktime Movie format. Therefore, if you want to make your training portable, simple copy the contents to laptop or portable drive. Using the 'start_here.exe' launches the visual index where you can view each section of material. Unfortunately from my perspective as a CG artist I do find the interface rather small. However, due to the wide audience that Digital Tutors services this format was chosen. I have discussed this with DT and apparently video resolution delivery is being addressed. The other option not available is a 'play-all' feature and that is a personal taste issue but an option found in many other training kits.

 I will note that the size does in no way impede the material presented. When menus or options do not fit the intstructor makes every effort to clarify the options being used.

The first CD covers two chapters and leads you through the instruction of modeling a low poly beast. The first two video aquaints you with what is coming up on the CD and then a video instruction creating image planes or image references for either Maya or XSI. From here, you spend the rest of the CD modeling. This is no fly-by-night modeling operation either as you will see every move is planned and you are not dealing with any 'hums and haws' as the instructor decides what to do. However, don't just assume you won't see any problems because this is an instructional set of videos; what good is it teaching you not only the good but some bad pitfalls you would have to deal with? Where applicable you will learn how to deal with common scenearios like dealing with triangles or ngons to try and keep a quad based meshed.

If a beginner was to watch both videos it would illustrate a point that I try to get across to many just starting, "It isn't the application that creates great models, it is the user". For example, take my example below where I've screen shot at approximately the same point in the lesson between XSI and Maya. You will notice the polygon flow is identical, and this should resonate with many users. What you are being taught here is technique and not just the software.

By the end of the second chapter of the first disc, we're about to dive into ZBrush but first we need to learn the method of dealing with the export process. We end the CD with learning in Maya/XSI to deal with polygonal geometry preparation for positive ZBrush import results. The last video will deal with an introduction to ZBrush and setting up for sculpting.

On the second CD we have 4 chapters of ZBrush goodness. From importing to detailing and exporting for rendering is where we'll be traveling. Not only are we going to learn adding details to a base mesh but quite early into the DVD we actually start seeing geometry being added to the model. Prior to any work we learn the importance of morph targets in ZBrush.

For most of the second disc the ZBrush is identical between the XSI and Maya series. The tutorials show methods of adding geometry and moreover the most important function of ZBrush, the really fine details like pores, veins and other skin displacements. Part of doing detail work in ZBrush requires the use of custom brushes and real world references. Therefore, there is a chapter to show us how to create custom brushes using Photoshop.

The attention to workflow details and the program fucntionaility to get the job done is exceptional. The chapters are laid out in a fairly logical progression of detailing work so you can start forming some good workflow habits from watching this series.

After all the detailling and fine work we need to gain the value of actually doing something with all of our work. On both the XSI and Maya series there is a chapter on rendering displacement maps in the host application. In addition to creating displacement maps there is a tutorial creating normal maps. For XSI users, displacement rendering covers both version 5 and 4.2.

Click for large images

We've reached the end and throught these tutorial series I have to say that the instruction is clear. As typical with Digital Tutors video tutorials, the instructor speaks clearly and to the point. You won't hear humming and hawing because the videos come across as rehearsed and with clear results. Whether you get the Maya or the ZBrush series you will come away knowing clearly how to integrate ZBrush into either of these aforementioned application's workflow.

My one issue, which Digital Tutors is addressing, is the video size. I would prefer to see the videos offered in high resolutions. Lastly, I'd also like to suggest to Digital Tutors that offering more of their content for immediate download would be nice (this may be something they are already working on).

Sidenote: Because what Digital Tutors shows is tightly tied to method, I would even argue that these discs could be used by other application users that would like a modeling and ZBrush overview, you'll simply have to interpolated the export/import process of models and displacement maps.
Jason Clark / September 2006