EnvironmentSculpting

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Digital Sculpting

Digital sculpting is the process of creating a high-resolution 3D model with a series of painting strokes, using a pressure-sensitive tablet or screen. Usually the details from these models are baked into a NormalMap for a lower-resolution in-game model.

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Sculpting Apps

See for sculpting apps.

Base Meshes

See BaseMesh for downloadable meshes and base mesh modeling advice.

Character Sculpting

These cover hard-to-find subject matter, or they offer in-depth explanations of reasoning and technique. If you're looking for music-only timelapse head sculpt videos, they're widely available elsewhere.

• File:EnvironmentSculpting$sculpt zbrushclothestutorial.png <
  > ZBrush Clothes Tutorial - by Benjamin "Selwy" Leitgeb<
  >In-depth tutorial about how to model folds, with references and videos.<
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• File:EnvironmentSculpting$sculpt mashrumishuclothing.png <
  > Shirt, Pants, Facial Sculpting Timelapse Videos - by Mashru "MM" Mishu<
  >Silent timelapse videos showing the sculpting of clothing and facial features.<
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• File:EnvironmentSculpting$sculpt zbrushfurfabtorres.png <
  > Fur Tutorial timelapse - by fabtorres<
  >Silent timelapse showing the sculpting of a small section of fur on a sphere.<
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• File:EnvironmentSculpting$sculpt zbrushintrobook.png <
  > Introducing ZBrush - by Eric Keller<
  >($) Book with in-depth introduction to ZBrush 3.1 (ZBrushCentral thread here)<
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• File:EnvironmentSculpting$sculpt repeatedpatterns.png <
  >Sculpting methods for repeated patterns - a Polycount thread<
  >How to lay down a repeating pattern like scales, knitted cloth, fur, etc.<
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Hard-Surface Sculpting

Most mechanical modeling is done with Subdivision Surface Modeling but digital sculpting apps can also be used for mechanical work.

• File:EnvironmentSculpting$sculpt cardwellmudboxhardsurfaces.png <
  > Mudbox - Hardsurface Forms - Freestyle - by Dave Cardwell<
  >In-depth video tutorial with voice-over.<
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• File:EnvironmentSculpting$sculpt mechanicalmoondonghwa.png <
  > ZBrush - Mechanical Sculpting timelapse - by moondonghwa<
  >Music-only timelapse showing bio-mechanical sculpting techniques.<
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• File:EnvironmentSculpting$sculpt preservinghardedges.png <
  > ZBrush - Preserving Hard Edges From Maya To ZBrush - by Nick Zuccarello<
  >In-depth video tutorial with voice-over.<
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• File:EnvironmentSculpting$sculpt hardedgehighpoly.png <
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Hard edge - highpoly - a Polycount thread <
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Environment Sculpting

• File:EnvironmentSculpting$sculpt christopher.png <
  > Rock Sculpting Tutorial - by Jacob M. Christopher.<
  >Sculpting unique non-tiled rock forms with Maya, ZBrush, Photoshop, and Unreal.<
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• File:EnvironmentSculpting$sculpt rooz3d.png <
  > Rock sculpting videos - by Behrooz 'rooz3d' Roozbeh, a Naughty Dog artist working on Uncharted 2.<
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• File:EnvironmentSculpting$sculpt henrichsenvironment.png <
  > Sculpting for environment stuff - video tutorials - by Sascha Henrichs<
  >Sculpting a wooden plank, a sandstone rock, and a tiled cliff.<
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• File:EnvironmentSculpting$sculpt henrichsproceduralstone.png <
  > 3dsmax Environment Modeling #1 Procedural Stone - by Sascha Henrichs<
  >Using 3ds max procedural modifiers and maps to sculpt a sandstone rock, and easily create multiple variations.<
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• File:EnvironmentSculpting$sculpt ardolinoproceduralstone.png <
  > Rock Generator script for 3dsmax - by Alessandro Ardolino<
  >A scripted tool for creating rocks in 3ds max, inspired by Sascha Henrichs' tutorial.<
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• File:EnvironmentSculpting$sculpt ardolinoproceduralwall.png <
  > Stone Placement Tools script for 3dsmax - by Alessandro Ardolino<
  >A scripted tool for creating stone walls and floors in 3ds max.<
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• File:EnvironmentSculpting$sculpt amorimstone.png <
  > Stone Tutorial - by Pedro "bitmap" Amorim<
  >Sculpting a rock using Modo, ZBrush, Meshlab, and Photoshop.<
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• File:EnvironmentSculpting$sculpt manjuriantile.png <
  > Tiles for normal map in Zbrush 3.5 - by manjurian<
  >Silent timelapse showing the sculpting of a section of distressed tiles, with grout.<
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• File:EnvironmentSculpting$sculpt plunqironworks.png <
  > ZSketch Ironworks - by plunq<
  >Silent timelapse showing the sculpting of a wrought iron screen, from reference.<
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Tiled Sculpting

Sculpting in order to create a tiling NormalMap or DisplacementMap texture.

• File:EnvironmentSculpting$sculpt khalamea.png <
  > Temple Interior tiling texture process - by Nicole 'Khalamea' Tan
• File:EnvironmentSculpting$sculpt glynnsmithwall.png <
  > Modular brick wall tiling - by Glynn Smith<
  >Tips and screenshots for sculpting modular brick walls.<
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• File:EnvironmentSculpting$sculpt johnstonegears2modular.png <
  > Gears of War 2 modular modeling - by Kevin Johnstone + more info + even more info<
  >Tips and screenshots of using the grid for modular work.<
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• File:EnvironmentSculpting$sculpt eulaerswall.png]] <
  > Generic wall tutorial - by Bram "Peris" Eulaers<
  >Using 3ds Max and Mudbox to sculpt tilable for a stone wall.<
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• File:EnvironmentSculpting$sculpt rockmodelingapproaches.png <
  > Rock modeling approaches - a Polycount thread <
  >A variety of approaches for sculpting individual rocks and tilable cliffs.<
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• File:EnvironmentSculpting$sculpt shepherdtilingmeshes.png]] <
  > Creating Perfectly Tiling Meshes in Zbrush for use in Videogame Environments - by Owen "SHEPEIRO" Shepherd<
  >Using ZBrush's 2.5D canvas to tile stamped meshes, then using Maya to model tilable geometry.<
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• File:EnvironmentSculpting$sculpt robsonmudboxtiling.png <
  > Creating Tiled Textures and Displacement in Mudbox 2009 - by Wayne Robson<
  >Painting in Mudbox on the middle of a 3x3 grid where each quad has the same overlapped UVs. (video is about halfway down the page)<
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• File:EnvironmentSculpting$sculpt henrichsmudboxtilingstone.png <
  > Tileable Stone in Mudbox - by Sascha Henrichs<
  >Sculpting in Mudbox, loading the displacement map in Photoshop for the offset filter, then fixing the seams with more sculpting in Mudbox.<
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• File:EnvironmentSculpting$sculpt jamesonzbrushtilingstone.png <
  > Tiling Rock Tutorial in Zbrush - by Stephen Jameson<
  >Sculpting in Zbrush, loading the normal map in Photoshop for the offset filter, then fixing the seams in Photoshop.<
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Optimization And Re-Topology

• File:EnvironmentSculpting$sculpt eulaersoptimization.png <
  > Optimisation workflow tutorial - by Bram "Peris" Eulaers<
  >Using Meshlab to optimize a Mudbox environment sculpt for import into 3ds Max.<
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• File:EnvironmentSculpting$sculpt retopoworkflow.png <
  > Retopo workflow - a Polycount thread<
  >Short discussion of re-topo methods for a ZBrush character model. <
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• File:EnvironmentSculpting$sculpt retopologyinmaya.png <
  > Retopology in Maya - a Polycount thread<
  >Longer discussion of re-topo in Maya and other apps, like Topogun.<
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• File:EnvironmentSculpting$sculpt zuccarellodecimation.png <
  > ZBrush Decimation Master With HD Sculpting - by Nick Zuccarello<
  >In-depth video tutorial with voice-over.<
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• File:EnvironmentSculpting$sculpt zuccarelloresurfacing.png <
  > Resurfacing A Mesh In Maya - by Nick Zuccarello<
  >In-depth video tutorial with voice-over.<
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• File:EnvironmentSculpting$sculpt pikoptopogun.png <
  > Creating Topology in Topogun - by Joe "stoofoo" Pikop<
  >In-depth video tutorial with voice-over.<
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• File:EnvironmentSculpting$sculpt retopoblender.png <
  > Re-Topologize a Game-Ready Alien Head in Blender - by Jonathan Williamson<
  >In-depth video tutorial with voice-over.<
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