In this chapter, we will look into why we create a highpoly model and its uses in game in current and next-gen game development. Here, we will be working through some of the principles of highpoly modeling and going over a basic workflow for creating the highpoly in Zbrush. Here, we will also cover preparing the model for lowpoly work such as mesh decimation and exporting to an external application. We will also highlight the importance of checking the model at this stage for proportions for rigging.
Before we get stuck into the modeling the highpoly, it is important to make sure that your model has the correct proportions and has all the larger elements and forms that appear in any concept art. It is important to make sure the correct proportions are set out to allow for the character to be tested in the game. By making sure we have the correct size, we will avoid the character from being imported into the game at a scale that is out of proportion with the rest of the game.
Depending on your preference, you can do this in either a traditional modeling package or within your sculpting application. What is ultimately important here is that the correct proportions of the character are adhered to, as the last thing we want here is to model the character to the wrong height and dimensions.
If you are using a modeling package such as Maya, this is easily achieved by using the measuring tool. If you were to dive straight in and use Zbrush with DynaMesh, then there is a real possibility that your model will not be the correct size and height. I have a guide that is created for a primitive within Maya. I can take it into Zbrush to get around this problem.
The steps are as follows:
- First, we need to make sure your measuring units are set to centimeters and not inches. To do this, go to Window | SettingsPreferences | Settings.
- Open Maya, create a scene, and draw out a cube. Make sure that you align the cube to (0, 0, 0).
- Switch to the front view, select the measuring tool, and draw out 183 cm. This is the average height of a male human. The measuring tool is located at Create | MeasureTools | DistanceTool.
- From the 0 of x, draw out 25 cm from the center line; as the average width is 50 cm, this will give us a good idea of ideal width.
- Scale the cube to fit these measurements. Be careful about the z depth of the cube; it should not be too excessive.
- Then, export the file as
.obj.
This gives us a basic idea of the size to work with. If you are creating a fantasy character or creature, then you will push these forms; however, it's a good starting point and avoids hassles when creating the lowpoly model and baking the required textures.
The next step is to bring the reference mesh into Zbrush; when bringing the mesh into Zbrush, it is important to remember a couple of steps to make sure the same scale is kept:
- Open Zbrush and select the star primitive that can be found in the tool rollout.
- Draw the star onto the canvas and hit T.
- Click on Import and bring the reference mesh into Zbrush.
By following this procedure, you will make sure that the reference mesh maintains the same scale as that set out in Maya. It is also worth noting the export rollout at the bottom of the Tool menu, as this should be noted and kept at these settings to make sure that when we export the highpoly for creating the lowpoly, the correct size is maintained to avoid any potential scaling issues.