Photoshop or Zbrush for Normal maps?

[PopeAK49]

I'm going to use photoshop for texture creation, but do you think I should use photoshop to create normal maps for my textures or learn how to do it with Zbrush?

[legionaire45]

Depends on what you are doing really. I'm not exactly on expert on texturing but this is what I've noticed:

Zbrush is useful when you are working with a high poly model. Basically, paint your details on top of your high poly mesh.

Photoshop is good for fixing up issues with baked normals, whether you get them straight from Max or out of Zbrush. You can add details in with Photoshop alone but you'll have to do a lot more work to get things looking good.

Wait for someone like Disaster or Dane to come in and give you some more specific advice.

[PopeAK49]

Ya, I noticed a few tutorials made a long time ago by madworkz showing how to make normal maps in mudbox, but those were deleted.

[Con]

Z brush is great for high detail and accurate normal maps, but it depends what you're making. You can make the surface look exactly the way you want in Z brush, while it's not so clear in Photoshop. However, if you don't need anything special then just use Photoshop to save time, especially if you have a lot of non-organic detail like panels. In this case it's easiest to make a height map in PS then convert it to a normal map instead of modeling in those details and then using Z brush.

[Disaster]

It depends on what your creating specifically. I would recommend making a high poly model. Zbrush isn't always necessary for normal maps. You can do them entirely in max.

The correct way to do it would be to create the large shapes in the modeling program, then do minute surface detail in Photoshop. Such as chipping paint.

[kid908]

If you have a high poly with alot of details you want to transfer to your low poly model, sure use zbrush/mudbox/whatever.

But if you're painting on details with texture to go on a model without a high poly, high detailed counterpart, you could go and do it in photoshop or go through the trouble of making a high poly one and bake it.