I believe its necessary to modify the model to provide a workable bas-relief. Some models may work with little or no modification but in general I think it is not a push button task to go from model to relief.
@Stefan
My friend is overwhelmed with work so just some speed advices! ;)
Be careful when you make bas relief, in general you prepare the model that will serve as a support for the projection accordingly, i.e. be careful that it is as much as possible in a single plane.
It is not impossible that the artist applied some transformations, see dynameshed his model just before making his projection.
Moreover I admit that I will tend to make a projection of SubTool and eventually use the brush ZProject to eventually make touch-ups.
It should not be forgotten that ZProject also works with ALT depending on the position of the model and the projection...
Intensive use of the "ZModeler" (another world of mechanical sculpting )
: use the actual rectangular menu is some cerebral painfull - seems will be more fun if it's will be "radial" :) ...