(free) Alternatives to Zbrush
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(free) Alternatives to Zbrush
licknathaniel
Posts: 0
in New Users
I downloaded DAZ3D to start 3D animating and I love it. The issue is I am poor and cannot afford to buy Zbrush nor tons of add-ons to the program. Are there any compatible free software out there that would work in place of Zbrush? Any help is appreciated.
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The are really only 2 choices - Blender in sculpt mode and Sculptris. Since Sculptris was bought for some of it's tech to be integrated into zBrush and left further undeveloped that leaves really only Blender in sculpt mode. On YouTube there are many good tutorials on sculpting in Blender.
If you are a student currently enrolled in school, there's also Mudbox from Autodesk. They have a free student license that lasts up to three years.
There is also free Meshmixer from Autodesk. Which has many more features than Sculptris, including 3D Printing.
http://www.123dapp.com/meshmixer
Sculptris is pretty good for a free program. Blender's sculpting mode is okay, but there's a steep learning curve to it, and ultimately you probably could do more with it than Sculptris, but it also depends on what you wish to accomplish. Also despite what some people say, you can use the UV maps that are created in Sculptris, even though Sculptris does not create a an MTL file on export. I forgot the method at the moment, but I've done it a few times... I took the model into Blender and easily applied the map there and was able to re-export it with the .mtl... If 2048 x 2048 is enough resolution for your needs, it's useful.
Also there is this program I read about on the weekend... http://abau.org/dilay/index.html.
Dilay seems to be less powerful than Sculptris, but it has a sketch mode that seems to be similar to that mode in Zbrush where you flesh out your model with those globby spheres... That's a terrible description, but if you use Zbrush (I can't afford it) you'll probably figure out what I mean.
There is also Meshmixer by Autodesk... http://www.123dapp.com/meshmixer
Actually they didn't create it, they bought it and so far it's still free... It's got some interesting features too... I've made a few things going back and forth between Sculptris, Blender and Meshmixer... Where one leaves off or is not any good at a feature I just take it over to whichever other program can do it easier... I own 3D Coat now (not free) and I'm trying to learn that, but sometimes it's just quicker to do it using the other three.
Good luck.
EDITED TO ADD- I don't think this is the original tutorial I read about getting Sculptris maps into Blender, but it's basically the same...
http://www.zbrushcentral.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=215296 Follow that method and when you export the model from Blender in OBJ format, it will have a .mtl and a usable UV map.
Good news for the beginner sculptor modeler who find it hard to commit to $799 from the get go...
Pixologic has just announced ZBrushCore, a "streamlined" ZBrush Lt or Junior. In their words...
ZBrushCore is designed for users who are new to 3D as well as illustrators, students and 3D printing enthusiasts.
http://www.zbrushcentral.com/showthread.php?202273-Announcing-ZBrushCore
From the rumor mill, sounds like the infamous ZBrush hyper-contextual interface is simplified to ease entry for new users.
No price has been announced yet...
This is a piece sculpted from scratch in Blender.
That's amazing. I had my doubts about blender because honestly, the interface is more than a little bit intimidating and confusing. But I've come across some really good tutorials that look like they might actually be dumbed down enough for even me to follow lol.