CharacterSculpting

Character sculpting is the process of creating a high-resolution 3D model with a series of painting strokes, using 3D sculpting software. Usually the details from these models are baked into a Normal map for a lower-resolution in-game model.

Sculpting Tutorials

These tutorials 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.

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

Hard-Surface Sculpting

Most mechanical modeling is done with Subdivision Surface Modeling but digital sculpting apps can also be used for mechanical work. A great post the explains why sub-d is better.

• Mudbox - Hardsurface Forms - Freestyle - by Dave Cardwell In-depth video tutorial with voice-over.
• ZBrush - Mechanical Sculpting timelapse - by moondonghwa Music-only timelapse showing bio-mechanical sculpting techniques.
• ZBrush - Preserving Hard Edges From Maya To ZBrush - by Nick ZuccarelloIn-depth video tutorial with voice-over.
• Hard edge - highpoly - a Polycount Forum thread.

More Information

• Tools#3D_Sculpting_Software
• BaseMesh
• Category:Topology
• EnvironmentSculpting
• ReTopologyModeling
• SubdivisionSurfaceModeling

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