"If you know that you want to have a light sub-d cage + displacement map result out of ZBrush, then you would not want to use a MoI model to go into ZBrush since you won't get that kind of a result out the other end.

But if you know that you want to have a dense geometry final result, then it can work fine. You'll kind of want to watch how much subdivision you do so it doesn't get too huge with this method though. But it is feasible to add embossing detail to a basic object while keeping things more like 100,000 to 300,000 polygons rather than in the millions."


Hi Michael, I guess this is rhetorical (until I try it for myself), but couldn't I use the hi-poly export from MoI into ZBrush generate the normal/displacement maps and then using a seperate, clean MoI ngon export use that as the low poly base object and just load up the paint & displace maps?

Or would I need the low-poly model in there as well as a part of the displacement process? (I believe that's (unfortunately) the case since I think it needs the level 0 base to refer to for the map generation...)

I also don't now if you can use normal/displace maps from a all tris model onto an ngon topology either.


Just asking, being that I've never attempted to generate normal/displacement maps from my models yet...



Using hi / lo MoI exports would be fine - my probs have always been just getting the models into ZBrush in the first place!

-Will

PS - Thinking a bit further - the normals/displacements would come from the initial tris input vs the displacements and additions I add to the model within ZBrush.

The question then is can I project those maps back onto an ngon version of the model??