I own sculptris, and this is just amazing~!! <3

This is so beautiful!~

So Sculptris is made by the same guys who made ZBrush...

Well, assuming the export function is intact, you could in theory export that into actual projects. You COULD use it in SL pretty easily, just that the poly would have to be dropped by a bit (but using the color data to create the textures).

I'm not sure if Sculptris informs you of it, but what's the poly count on it?

-Flame

PS - Before mesh, we used ZBrush for our avatars in KZK.

Yeah, it is, it is just a very buggy lightweight thing for just sculpting and painting. The sculpting tools compared to zbrush are minimal at best, but functional. Backing up constantly, it crashes and sometimes doesn't save a back up.

But yeah, as I said in the comment, the poly count would likely be far too high for something like SL. Though I myself have done very little in it ever. If I do get a program like Silo perhaps, I would bring it in and edit the mesh to be more compatible and optimized for use like that.

I don't see anything that lists the poly (but then again I am still unfamiliar with the program outside of just sculpting in it), but I would estimate in the thousands even after I reduced it to what the minimum was needed to keep a decent amount of detail and took the reduce brush.

Overall I need to look up information on SL, as well as go into the game myself and familiarize myself with their own meshes and interface for working in it. I only have experience in Maya, Zbrush, sculptris & photoshop for 3d work. Which is only what I learned in school... and with that I am rather rusty.

Well, SL can handle any kind of polycount. Just what is advisable is a whole different story.

At this time, Second Life uses DAE (COLLADA), which can easily be exported via Blender or Maya (an artist on FA,  kennifox, uses Maya (if it isn't him, then it's another that I'm not properly relating that fact to)). Zbrush can export DAE, but doing so will not give you access to mesh deformations (the ability for a mesh to bend and move with the avatar), though this feature is optional.

To help, I'd say 10k poly for a complete avatar would be your limit, but I'm also not an artist so that's just me.

-Flame

Can you set up the deformations in game or with an in game rig or script? Or is it just something that has to be weighted and preset before bringing it in?

It's somethign that has to be weighted in before upload (hence why I mentioned blender and Maya). Deformations aren't required, but if you are trying to add details to the actual body of the avatar that static objects can't really pull off, then deformations are your winner.

Here's an example of using BOTH a static object (the head, gloves, and chest fuzz) and a deformed mesh (the entire body and legs): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBzsSVLTgaI (also note, this was 2 years ago, but a still very impressive example).

Our avatars we release with KZK are all static based (with exception to the murk beast (http://farm9.static.flickr.com/8451/7946695922_917ab84909.jpg), so it ultimately depends on what kind of detail you are trying to get. I have a rubber crux, for example, that is also a hybrid. I made the body a mesh so I could make it shiny and for smoother animations at the joints.

TL;DR version: Deformations aren't required, but some say that it does make the avatar look better as the whole avatar appears as one complete object (no joints). The same can be achieved without deformations still, so it isn't required.

-Flame

What about clothes then? Wouldn't you have issues putting clothes on avatars if there weren't joints in the same way? Or at least that is what I have heard from using a solid mesh compared to an avatar in pieces.

That depends. Using default clothing wouldn't work, but most clothing is made also using physical parts. There are also meshed clothing that is also rigged and often times work with other rigged avatars, but this isn't always the case. In some cases, finding clothing is a pain with rigged mesh avatars, but such is the case on having a customized avatar like that.

With rigged mesh, it uses the already existing joints, meaning you cannot add your own.

-Flame

x3 this one is my favorite so far!

D: Thats fantastic. Sculpting is something I always wanted to get into, but just never had the ability to. You did amazing work on Iggi! ;^;!

Huh this is pretty good I didn't have a whole lot of luck when I messed with Sculptris... (it's neat but I couldn't get to where I wanted with it)

Been dinking about in Silo 2 in steam... have you messed around with it at all by chance?

No, it looked similar to Maya which I have used. I've been thinking about getting it when I can since it is affordable and pretty much all I need.

Ah, well I'm liking Silo 2 so far it's pretty good in my opinion for the price =3

Dang it now I feel like trying to do a bust and then go back to my other works I've been tinkering on :P

:D

Oh hey and if you get Silo 2... maybe you can tell me how to get my tablet to work better interfacing with the program.. it works alright but I think I have a setting wrong somewhere.

I always just used a mouse for the modeling, and a pen for sculpting. Don't know if I will be able to help ya there.

Yeah that seems the best way... I had to pull out my older mouse things are going much smoother now =3

Aw man, yes. If it is still a question of whether anyone is interested in headsculpt commissions... YES. It's so hard to get angles right, sometimes, and I think a lot of people (myself included x.x) have trouble keeping a char 'on model.' Something like this would make an excellent addition to any refsheet! :D

Wow these are all incredibly good looking! I would certainly be up for getting one as a commission, and I'm sure plenty others would as well. How would you feel if people used these as a base to get a 3D printed head bust from another artist/website?

I downloaded the free Sculptris...no idea how to use it. I made a crappy smiley face and decided that I sucked.
Is there some sort of guide somewhere? XD

Um I don't know, it worked liked zbrush so I had learned how to use it in school. Most of it should be if you hit f1 and familiarizing yourself with the tools and how to move in the program. Making sure to occasionally turn on wireframe and reduce selected is important too so you keep your meshes clean and the same density, as when you work it makes area of detail have far more polygons.
I can try to do a tutorial at some point. :<

Oh, you learned it in school. I've never played with a 3D modeling program or taken a class. Maybe someday XD

It isn't too complex, you just need to learn how to move around. Which is mostly mouse (or pen) plus shift, ctrl, or alt. The mouse wheel scrolls in or out. Then just play with the brushes to see what they do, pressing shift smooths with whatever brush, and pressing alt while sculpting does the inverse of whatever you brush is. I wouldn't start with actually making something, I would just butcher a sphere for a bit.

I'm going to go butcher a sphere now :D

these are pretty good :o I want one now lol

A real nice head sculpt there~ very smoothe and shapely. improved a lot since your other sculpts likeing the eyes and muzzle shape!

Lovely and interesting! :D

These would make for some REALLY neat icons, IMO. =3

Ugh... so jealous :B

How long did you have to work on this?

About 2 hours probably.

*falls over and dies* x_x;

so much for my 3D skills ^^;

The other heads took longer. Really it is only because I am so familiar with my own head shape.

Well makes sense, but ive been working on and off of my own character model for YEARS and never gotten it finished, mostly due to my lack of knowledge in texturing and rigging.. but thats besides the point...

I dont think I could ever model a head from scratch within a few hours like that, especially not with a sculpting program... im only good at regular ol' polygons :B

Heck, what am I saying, I haven't even touched 3D stuff in so long.. after I finished my first 3D commission no one else was interested and I totally lost motivation, even though I love it and its one of the few things I feel like im good at...

Case and point I need to get off my complain-ey whinny arse and start working again but lack the motivation due to frustration caused by my knowing of how much I DONT know, and online tutorials just frustrate the hell out of me due to not being able to ask questions.

...yeah Im just... gonna shutup now :P