Then subdivide your model (I can only go to about 5 subdivisions on my comp..which gives me around 700,000 polys in Z-brush). Edit your detail in in Z-Brush and then when you are done move your subdivisions slider back down to 1. Go to the same Tool>Morph Target dir and choose Switch. Then open up the Displacements and choose the create disp map option..

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dpsubpix.. makes a difference.. I usually choose 1 or 2.. i use 2048x2048 disp maps but you could make bigger ones depending. Ok, next open up the displacement exporter.. this is a free z-brush plugin u can get from z-brush central... I have created these settings and I choose alpha depth factor usually and a 32 bit displacement.

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Now back in maya I create a phong shader and drag it to the workspace in hypershade and then drag a displacement node on top of that and connect it to the phongs displacement output. Click on the displacement node and open it up in the attribute editor click on file and choose the file that z-brush created for you.. or convert the 32bit tiff to .map with this .bat file code first, by dragging and dropping my tiff file onto this it creates the .map in the same directory as the tiff:

:convertfile
@IF %1 == "" GOTO end
imf_copy -p %1 "%~d1%~p1%~n1.map"
@SHIFT
@GOTO convertfile
:end
@ECHO.
@ECHO Done!
@pause

ok then you set the alpha offset by right clicking in its window and typing this " = -fileX.alphaGain /2"
where X is the file.. like file1 file2 file3 etc.. whatever maya named your tiff or map. This shifts the 50 percent gray point. Maya thinks black = no displacement.. in Z-brush 50 percent gray is no displacement. Set your alpha Gain to whatever you like.. you can try the alpha depth factor that z-brush outputs... but usually I have to adjust this value to get the displacement to look right.

K, pretty much done just add a subdivision approximation on the object you need..In the mental ray approximation editor in maya.. I use spatial and settings of 2 min samples 7 max usually... and render...oh and if your model has any triangles or 5 sided poly in it.. I'd throw a polysmooth on it with 1 or 2 divisions to turn everything into a quad...

sweet thanks dude, although i cant afford zbrush and im only using maya PLE thats pretty much explained how there linked and i presume i can do the same but just doin the sub ds in maya insteead of z brush and then use the same process (with a bit of trail and error) to create a disp map of that,.
Are normal maps used for the same thing? or r normal maps for low poly models which take the detail from high poly models, so therefore saving number of polys?

I haven't messed with normal maps much.. I know they use them for the gaming industry tho. Yes, you could make a grayscale displacement map from a uv snapshot in photoshop. Just set up maya the same way. As far as sub-d's go.. you can do a displacement with a sub-d model as far as I know I haven't tried it out personally. I hope this has helped.

btw :: with displacement maps you can still have a low poly model in maya.. thats one reason I use them..At rendertime mental rays approximation editor adds in the extra geometry where its needed, up to the number of samples you specify..thereby allowing you to render a much higher detail model than you normally could render out of maya. Mine has like 1.3 million polys after the approximation and in maya its only like 60 thousand or so :: Mental Ray is the Shizzat!

o and also i wondered aswell dont bump maps do exactly the same as normal maps? whats the difference between the 3 normal, bump, and displacment.? sry to be a pest :p

Displacement mapping is a powerful technique that allows a texture input, either procedural or an image, to manipulate the position of rendered faces. ...edited.... Unlike Normal or Bump mapping, where the normals are skewed to give an illusion of a bump, this creates real bumps. They cast shadows, occlude other objects, and do everything real geometry does.


taken from a quote off the web

mf3

nice thx. been a big help the whole CGI scene is quite confusing at first =)

no prob

Hey Mayafreak3! I don't mean to be a party pooper with the fur but I honestly don't think your model needs it. I think that a high rez bump or displacement would match your reference more closely and give you a better level of control. I don't have any experience with fur since I only have Maya Complete, but it seems like its a pain in the ass to get right

Your speedy progress is inspirational!

Dave

Ya fur is a pain..I think it definitely adds realism tho..I should have time to tweak it and get it right. I added back a new displacement map.. this time much better and I reduced/edited the fur. New HDRI image also. The black fur on its right horn needs fixing.

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reduced fur version :: I tried to make the fur less scraggle and form fit the bod.

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Hey Mayafreak3. That looks amazing! I think it is really beginning to look like your reference image now. The only thing missing is the branch that he's eating!

Excellent work!

nice work

The detail on the skin texture makes it look a little smooth compared to the reference shot. Adding the extra detail around the edges of the patches and maybe giving it a minimal bump or something might reduce the smooth effect a little.

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very nice I must say. One thing that bothers me though is that the texture looks stretched or very lowres around the nostrils in particular.