High- to Low-Poly Modeling
Objective
This piece was an exercise in recreating the look and feel of a very high-poly model on a much lower-poly one. The liver was first modeled in ZBrush using both the standard sculpting features and some box-modeling to map out the ligaments. It was then painted with ZBrush’s polypaint feature while referencing live tissue.
To create a model with the desired number of polygons, the original was duplicated and retopologized using ZBrush’s ZRemesher tool. The new model was then subdivided to equal the total poly-count of the original model. With both subtools visible and the retopologized model selected, the polypaint and texture detail from the high-poly model was projected back onto the new one, creating an identical model with lower subdivision levels intact.
After building UV maps for the new model, the lowest subdivision level was exported as an .obj file and imported into 3ds Max. Texture and normal maps from the highest subdivision level were created in ZBrush and then imported into Max as bitmaps to recreate the intended look and feel of the model. Rendering was then completed using the Arnold renderer.
Medium | Pixologic ZBrush, Autodesk 3ds Max, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator
Format | 11” x 8.5” digital image