What program do Modders use for actual Visual Modding?

[TeamBacon]

You're right I haven't kept up with ZBrush (don't use it) but I'm glad to hear that it got a retopo tool. Still brings some things to mind like how good is it, does it make great low poly meshes for animations or do you still have to do some manual tweaking? For hard surfaces it shouldn't matter all the much but for organics it might be a big pain. Also can it do accurate hard surfaces now (alignment, spacing, ect)?

 

 

Well, there is no perfect retopo tool that you don't have to manually tinker with a little bit, but Zbrush is as close to spotless as I have ever seen.

 

It doesn't just track the outside shape, but it will actually keep your edgeloop flow and everything, it is one of the coolest tools I have ever seen. It used to take me days to do this stuff back when I started in 2008, now Zbrush does it all for me.

 

 

 

Zbrush can do very precise hard surface modeling with the new tools it has, and if you need to use traditional modeling methods like extruding a face, there is now a tool that can do that.

 

That being said, it is still not as good as 3ds Max/Maya in certain ways, and it by no means makes 3ds Max obsolete, I actually use both for most of my projects. But Zbrush can do a very good job at this stuff.

 

 

 

The thing Zbrush is weak in is unwrapping. I almost always go back to 3ds Max for that. The auto unwrap tool in Zbrush gives you a good start on organic shapes but is poorly suited for advanced mechanical type unwrapping. Fine for beginners, but not good if you really want to concentrate on saving UV space by mirroring elements in the UV or using a trim sheet or repeating elements.

 

So I still use 3ds Max for the kind of stuff that needs a more accurate unwrap.

 

 

 

But anyways, I am not saying Zbrush is any better than 3ds Max, they both have strong points and weak points. But in the modern world Zbrush is fully capable of making game assets without needing to move them to another program... unless of course you need to export it to the Creation Kit, because Zbrush doesn't support .ba2

[Hallgarth]

First of all, nobody is grabbing Blender or 3dsMax or any 3d program and pumping out weapons right off the bat. Heck, you might not be up to that level in six months or even a year. Firstly, you have to learn the program you decide you're going to use and just getting the basics down will take time, not only to learn but to get used to. There's seams, sharps UV's, faces etc that you have to learn about.

 

I think that most people can't make a complicated mesh straight up and simply give up. This is a mistake as modeling is a skill that like most if not all skills, develop with time and practice. Your first meshes aren't going to be guns. Heck, my first meshes were just modifications to existing ones. This is how I learned how the program worked. But there is a certain joy from starting off from say a cube and ending up with a hat or a gun. However, even that can take a few weeks, even if you know what you're doing.

[Aquery]

Thanks TeamBacon I'll have another look at Zbrush sounds like they have come a long way. BTW is your name in anyway related to Planetside 2 "Squad Beacon" aka "Squad Bacon!".

[dazzerfong]

 

 

 

 

I haven't found an easy to use modeler program yet. Blender is complicated.

Modelling is not supposed to be a press button to make stuff.

 

I know but Zbrush when I tested it years ago wasn't as complicated.

 

Zbrush really isn't made for accurate modeling especially hard surface. It's mainly used for conceptual work on organics which is then retopoed in another modeling program (like max or blender) if it is going into a game to reduce the poly count. If you are serious about making weapons you should learn one of them even if its complicated.

 

 

You don't seem to understand Zbrush then...

 

Back in Zbrush 2, that would be true, but not in the modern world.

 

http://pixologic.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/130510-turntable.jpg

 

All done in Zbrush (not my work, just an example)

 

And Zbrush does the retopology work for you in about 20 seconds. 3 clicks and you already have the low poly with the normal maps baked for you.

 

You can do hard surface in Zbrush. Doesn't mean it's ideal. That being said, Zbrush's remesher is some top stuff: well worth the price of admission IMO. That, and its ability to disregard poly count on a whole.