The Moon.

So here's one of those thought experiments that looks more complex than it is: Can I make the moon based on NASA imagery data? A ZBrush sphere comes with a UV map like a Miller Cylindrical projection. To that add a topographical greyscale map of the moon, apply polypaint from texture, then mask by intensity. Now you have the surface very masked for low points, not so much for high. Inflate that, and badabing! Instant craters. This one's had that pushed way more than it is in reality otherwise you really wouldn't see the difference. To make it pop a little more I added a truecolour map of the Moon over the top of the inflated sphere, also from NASA, which pleasingly shared the same co-ordinate space:

Nice huh? Yeah it's precisely what displacement maps are for but this was a nice ZBrush-y way to approach it. Here's the video too but Vimeo has rather softened the image with its compression. Also as ZBrush spins the objects in the scene rather than the camera, the lights stay put while the moon moves. Slightly unusual for Earth based viewers of this blog!

Moon from Tom Lewis on Vimeo.

Ulala Turntable.

Associated turntable for Ulala.

UlalaTurntable from Tom Lewis on Vimeo.

Introducing: Ulala!

Another sculpt from the "list of things to sculpt".  One that had been on it a long time too!  Those who know me will know my favourite game of all time is probably Space Channel 5.  Part 2 technically as I can actually play that without digging out my Dreamcast from storage.  The star of this is Space Reporter Ulala.  She was due a good quality high resolution update.  Yeah this is an odd subject matter as I'm basing it on a 3D model already, but it's all from my own scratch (Space Gal's musculature and head) tweaked greatly rather than me finding the original SEGA meshes and subdividing those.  Here she is:

In the spirit of me getting projects to a "print and hang on the wall" level I've gone for a retro magazine cover which was a lot of fun to do and really matches her dorky nature.  Her outfit's colour scheme is her original Part 1 one, not the white one from Part 2, although as I have the model made, I'd like to think I can make time to do a whole series of Amazing Tales Space Reporter Ulala Adventures.  She may well get 3D printed too if I can work out hip joints I'm happy with and find a flexible material for her skirt.

I like:

• That she's Ulala, blatantly.  So this project is an outstanding success.
• Her index finger mittens.  Turns out these exist in real life so I felt okay with keeping them and not doing proper gloves.  I assume her original model had to keep the polygons down so four fingers and a thumb was too much of an overhead.  They add to her charm.
• The magazine cover.  I might do that as a finishing technique a lot.
• Her anatomy, especially the hints of knees, although having said that...

I dislike:

• Her stomach.  There's no hint of abdominal muscles.  That's a mistake.
• The angle of her on the cover.  She's got lots of curves going on and the view I picked is too flat.

Right, better get a turntable sorted, although the latest ZBrush has changed their export options for movies and I'm not a fan of that at the moment as I can't make them loop perfectly, which is a key point to a turntable!