Some exciting news from Pixologic. Coming with ZBrush 4 (sooner for Mac Users) scritped interaction with key applications is coming. This initiative is called GoZbrush and will address probably the most difficult of aspect of ZB: integration with other applications. GoZB promises to offer one-button shipping of models between enabled applications, seemingly effortlessly. It’s worth takling a look at the preview video here: http://www.pixologic.com/zbrush/features/GoZBrush/.
The applications are immediately interesting. GoZB promises to make jumping out to a polygon modeler such as Modo to tweak topology and then back to ZB virtually effortless. I’ll reserve judgment until I can try it for myself, but if it simplifies re-topology of ZB models (perhaps through more conserving reprojection algoilrithms) this will be a major advance for ZB4. As those who have experienced it know, re-adjusting geometry in ZB3 currently has risks as reprojection from one topology to another shows different degrees of artifacts. The simple examples in the video (add edge loop for example) don’t make it clear what will happen when more wholesale changes to the underlying geometry. If it is really as seamless as marketed, GoZB promises a new era in topology management and bridging the world of polygonal-built & rigged models with the freedom of ZB sculpting.
The other advantage promised of GoZB will be the easy export of maps and models back to ZB-enabled applications. While this path has been endlessly discussed among ZB users and though complicated, doable (given repairs to the displacement map generators), the simplicity actually will enhance the ability to go between test renders and model tweaking. This will become indespensible in game and animation pipelines where tweaks are often needed to handle unpredicted artifacting in the deformation of models when animated.
First up for GoZB enabled applications: Maya, C4D, and Modo. Brad Peebler acknowledged Modo’s involvement in the GoZB project in one of his webcasts. Given the apparent lack of development in Modo painting and sculpting (at least as so far “revealed” over the past few months) this will be a good thing for the Modo community as it will allow easy access to more sophisticated sculpting solution without the pain of matching back and forth between Modo and ZB.
