ZBrush4r2b on it's way soon...

Hiya.

For those who may not have given money to Pixologic for ZBrush, here's the most recent info:

http://www.zbrushcentral.com/showthread.php?164835-FiberMesh-Preview

Oh, yeah, it will be a FREE download, as usual.

*sniff* I love Pixologic!... *sniff*

Wow...

Wow indeed... Makes me want to buy ZBrush (not for the first time though)

me too, but currently i haven´t the needs for a modeling tool (and 600/700 euro are much money for a student)

I'm not impressed , it's useless for real time games.
Only for cinematics or to export some other modelers or renderers !

I don't see myself retopology each billion off polygons of the hair

When will they make real powerfull retopology tools like in 3D coat and some others ?

agree, it's not for low poly game models... but nice gadget anyway.

I think it'd be useful even for us game developers: I'm not sculpting hair on characters that are going to use alpha-transparent hair, but I'd like to have something to base it on. Just as the low-poly model is based on the high-poly sculpt, the alpha/poly hair would be based on the hair style I put together in ZBrush.

Come on, man. ZBrush is NOT a JUST a game creation tool (and I know you know that). But judging ZBrush ONLY on what it can contribute to game content creation? That's a step too far (imo).

First of all, ZBrush not only has tools for game content creation (sub-division levels, normal map creation, UV creation, 3D painting, retopology tools and more), but it also has tools for high-poly 3D models for rendering and print, 2D painting tools and much more. And, fantastically enough, Pixologic has NOT charged an upgrade fee for their software since the FIRST release! I originally bought a license of ZBrush somewhere around v1.something. I haven't paid for a release since. And that means that ALL of these cool, new features (whether I needed them or not) are made available to me ... AT NO ADDITIONAL COST! What other company is doing this?

In any case, if you have ever worked with hair in other 3D apps (and I don't mean making hair for real-time 3D games) then you would know that what ZBrush is releasing is very nice indeed. Not perfect. But quite nice and it looks surprisingly simple (especially when compared to what you have to go through with other tools). And, as mentioned before, those of us that already own a license of ZBrush get it for free.

You may not be impressed (as a result of your very, very narrow view), but I sure am.

Pixologic ... YOU ROCK!

how much money did they cost at that time?

I don't recall. It seemed pretty expensive at the time. I think it may have been around $400 or so.

Hiya.

I bought my ZBrush at v3, so not too long ago. I think I paid about $550 Canadian for it (about $500 US at the time, iirc).

To put it in contrast...it's like Conitec giving me A5, A6, A7 and A8 Commercial *for free*. I only *wish* other companies were as cool and as confident as Pixologic!

As for usefulness...you can export everything...including hair. You could always use the hair you create in ZB4 to make your texture, alpha, spec, etc. maps and then put those on your model. There are so many different ways to use ZB4 for game content it's not even funny. Seriously. Not funny. In fact, just thinking about it is annoying me...all these cool-ass things I could do, but absolutely NO time to use even a 10th of what I can imagine. *sigh*

Now, if someone could somehow magically convert the ZB fur/hair into some kind of DX Shader dohicky that would render with DX10 (or is it DX11 that has a 'hair' shader?)...

Not only that they put their logo on Sculptris after they bought it (which is totaly ok) but they also claim to be the "Makers of Sculptris".
I don´t see what´s cool about that especially since this awesome tool has not been further developed since Pixologic got the copyrights.

Tomas Pettersson did join Pixologic, I believe, so "Makers of Sculptris" seems accurate enough for me.

Not for me since he developed it before Pixologic made him to join them (as we all know).

Now, if someone could somehow magically convert the ZB fur/hair into some kind of DX Shader dohicky that would render with DX10 (or is it DX11 that has a 'hair' shader?)...
No because this Zbrush hair is simply polygons.
Shaders are only polygon surface ligtnening and process effects like full screen effects.
You should search on how hair is done on big quality models.
And for today games you can't make hair driven by million of polygons also

For sculptris, i htink Zbrush knwe very fast , that tiny but very easy, powerfull tool , could quickly become some big competitor.
Specialy that Sculptris with it's continuous subdivision and control on surface like "polygon decreaser " tool !

It has become very fast popular, that sad the author gave the tool to them for money (for him it was just an hobby unfortunatelly)

But well we have it with Zbrush , so we will not complain !