ZBrush for sale on DAZ site for 72 hours

[3webjam]

Hi, I just read my email and saw that Zbrush is (again) on sale by Daz. For PC members the price is just below 300 US dollars.
This is a bargain? Right?

What I try to do is finding the hardware requirements for the software on the Pixologic site. I am running Vista (yeah, and can't downgrade to XP) and have already major problems with running Vue 6 Esprit. Sometimes Poser 7 is also acting silly.

Are there members here who know a bit about the hardware requirements and the software running under Vista?

I am very unsure about buying this. I only have seen it here on Polyloop so often, used in combination with Hex and Car. (And there is the budget thing as well, of course! Still need to replace the Wacom tablet, buy a film scanner, colour callibration Spyder.......)

Jacqueline

[Wася]

I can tell you it works under Vista 64.
In a funny way - it runs as a 32-bit application, but during the installation process it installs 64-bit Visual C++ run-time. Who knows.

[3webjam]

I found the requirements on the Daz forum and was directed to the ZBrush site as well where I could read them.

BTW, I run the 32 bit version of Vista (as far as I know about these things, I am an ancient computer user, started with DOS!).

I am going to sleep a night over this, whether to buy or not to buy....!

Jacqueline

[joe t]

Jacqueline,

I have Z Brush and have been learning it over the last few months. I think it is a great buy at this price. There are many plug ins for it that are free and have increased the functionality of the program.

There are a bundle of tutorials available for free- find the canned mushroom tuts that are listed on ZBrushCentral and located on Veoh I believe. He has about 15 or so videos containing may be 20 or more hours of training from basics on up.

There are tuts for sale from several venders. I can find the name of ones I bought before finding the canned mushroom soup ones. There is a blog or two that have ongoing discussion and projects. Really helpful.

I might be further along if I had not decided to expand pass the limitations I ran into with Daz's Carrara Pro to Light Wave 931 and Vue 6.5. I am doing alot of learning now ad have not regretted the decision to increase my skill set and programs.

[joe t]

My version is installed on a workstation dual 2.0 ghz xeon dual core with 4 gigs ram, Geo 8800gts running on Windows XP Pro 32 bit. No Problems with it on a Dual core AMD HP lap top either with Windows XP Pro 32 bits and 2 gig of Ram.

JT

[mayito7777]

To buy or not to buy?

[Wася]

Not a question.
I used to work with trial only, but I already have ALL ZBrush tutors from Digital Tutors and at least four of them - from Gnomonology.
I haven't buy ZBrush at the last DAZ sale. Despite it was only $100 discount, since then I lost my weight, I hate people (mostly jbshorty), I'm burning in pain, I'm getting more ugly than usual, and women do not love me. So I know - if I will not take ZBrush at $300, this time I will commit suicide. Definitely.
So I paid them, and due to the fact it takes about one month for USPS to carry to Russia, I will have troubled sleep for a month. Starting from today.

[jbshorty]

Originally Posted by Wася

...I hate people (mostly jbshorty)...

Thanks!!! It's always nice to be remembered...

[Wася]

Because of you, shorty, I'd upgrade to modo 301, and it took $300. But now I will hate 3webjam $10 more than you. As a platinum member I got those e-mail from DAZ too. But do you know all this e-mails? They are full of Victoria and Aiko, so I missed the message about ZBrush sale. And if 3webjam would not started this thread...
But don't worry, shorty. Because of you now I know how cool Unfold3d is. Someday I will buy it, and again I will hate you more than anyone in this world.

[-ash-]

Don't know have Vista - but on the system spec on Pixologic it says:

ZBRUSH 3.1 - WINDOWS
Recommended:

OS: Windows XP/Vista
CPU: Fast P4 or newer (or equivalent such as AMD) with optional multithreading or hyperthreading capabilities
RAM: 1024MB (2048MB for working with multi-million-poly meshes)
Monitor: 1280x1024 monitor resolution or higher (32 bits)

Minimum System Requirements
OS: Windows 2000
CPU: PIII
RAM: 512MB (1024 MB recommended)**
Monitor: 1024x768 monitor resolution (32 bits)


Also there is a trial version that you can try on your PC before buying.

http://www.pixologic.com/zbrush/trial/

[3webjam]

Originally Posted by Wася

So I paid them, and due to the fact it takes about one month for USPS to carry to Russia, I will have troubled sleep for a month. Starting from today.

I would not worry that much over the time it takes to get to Holland, more over the question how much Dutch customs will add to the bill. With a VAT of 19% plus some extra duties, I will never know how much it really costs untill it is delivered to my door....!

Stll doubting, doubting, doubting......

Jacqueline

[Wася]

That's why I use USPS and not Fedex. USPS is a postal service, and, according to our laws, I can receive goods at 10000 roubles (little bit more than $400) without paying customs. Fedex is not a postal service, and after $100 I may pay up to 100% of customs (nobody can tell how much exactly).

[jbshorty]

Sorry Jacqueline, but i just can't accept to be #2 on Wacr's hate list...

Wacr, here is a link to another thread i just posted. You do use Rhino and MOI don't you? Let me show you something irresistable...

http://forums.polyloop.net/design-mo...tml#post164808

shorty

[3webjam]

Originally Posted by jbshorty

Sorry Jacqueline, but i just can't accept to be #2 on Wacr's hate list...

So, it is an honor then to be on his hatelist........???

Well, I could not resist the offer and decided to order ZBrush! Need to break the piggybank for that, but I think it is worth the money. If I don't like ZBrush, I could always sell it here in Holland (It is possible to transfer the licence according to their website.)

It is only today that I managed to download their trial software. Seemed that their server was completely overasked by all the people trying to download the trial.
Well, another new adventure - have yet to learn and create in Hexagon....

Jacqueline

[jbshorty]

Originally Posted by 3webjam

So, it is an honor then to be on his hatelist........???

it's better than being ignored!

Originally Posted by 3webjam

...It is only today that I managed to download their trial software...

I rarely say this but with ZBrush it's almost irrelevant. The interface is so wonky that people either love it or hate it on first try. I've demo'd it 3 times and couldn't stand using it, mostly because i prefer to be in a real 3D environment. Never understood their drop/pickup approach to modeling or texturing. Too weird for my tiny brain...

[Wася]

Originally Posted by 3webjam

So, it is an honor then to be on his hatelist........???

If I've cross the line talking about you, I'm sorry.

Originally Posted by jbshorty

I rarely say this but with ZBrush it's almost irrelevant. ...

Maybe, that's because you are CAD person? Want to keep everything under control. But in that case how do you can work with modo? THERE IS NO SNAPING!!!!!!!!!!

[jbshorty]

[quote=Wася;165034...how do you can work with modo? THERE IS NO SNAPING!!!!!!!!!![/quote]

301 has snapping. But it's weak in comparison to Rhino or other CAD modelers. Just enough to get by when you need it. The main problem is the lack of integreation into the main workflow. Anyway i do a very little bit of SDS modeling. Most everything i model in Rhino, then I use Modo for texturing, and render in the beta of Brazil for Rhino. Some things i will render in Modo, but it's now become my second choice after Brazil... Last week, i was modeling a freeform component we will produce as a zinc die-casting. And for that, i only had 2 parameters to be concerned about. So i was able to "eyeball" the basic shape as SDS in Modo. Then converted to a TSpline in Rhino, and modeled the final elements...

shorty

[Wася]

Please, don't call it snapping. I can not say nothing about Rhino, but modo's snapping is weak even as compared to Hexagon's.
So you are using modo more like others use Zbrush or C4D - only as a part of workflow. Ok.

[jbshorty]

Originally Posted by Wася

Please, don't call it snapping. I can not say nothing about Rhino, but modo's snapping is weak even as compared to Hexagon's.
So you are using modo more like others use Zbrush or C4D - only as a part of workflow. Ok.

Well, they both have advantages over the other. Hex snap tools are more integrated in the workflow, by pressing Shift and dragging a manipulator... Modo has the advanced of 2-point rotation and scaling, which really is a shame that Hex never had this feature as it's pretty much standard in CAD. Modo can also snap anywhere along an edge and can place items anywhere on a limit surface (not just in the face center as with Hex)... But honestly, the snapping of most SDS programs really lack when compared to Rhino or similar program. Perhaps LWCAD is the only one with decent tools for this...

jonah

[Wася]

Geometry shapping is a cool feature, but using it just to enforce two patches make an unbroken mesh is silly (I mean the method of using a sphere or cylinder as a support, so nearest points of two different patches will snap each other). In Hex holding shift is enough. Tried many times to use support lines in conjunction with pen tool. But never succeed to make patch point snap to the support line.

Also wish you will never see Le Mans C9 tutor, otherwise your heart will be broken.