Hobby Industry Inside vol.5: Interview with Katsuhito Fukagawa, prototype sculptor of "ZBrush", the "common sense" of figure modeling shaken by digital technology

The production of prototypes for figurines used to be a process of placing materials such as clay or putty by hand, then sharpening and polishing them with a knife or file (......). Now, however, "digital modeling," in which modeling can be done freely and only on a computer, is rapidly gaining popularity. Some people who have never touched clay or putty before are suddenly trying their hand at figure modeling on a computer.

We interviewed 3D artist Katsuhito Fukagawa, who teaches a course on the 3D modeling software "ZBrush" at the culture school "Adult Art Room" in Yoyogi, Tokyo, about the backstage of digitalization that is now taking place in the modeling industry. We asked him about the backstage of the digitalization that is currently taking place in the model industry.

How versatile is ZBrush modeling?

─ ─ What kind of people come to the basic ZBrush course that you teach?

Fukagawa: We have people from all walks of life, from those who have no modeling experience at all and want to start modeling as a hobby to those who draw digitally but are new to 3D (......). Surprisingly, professional figure modelers are also taking the class.

Fukagawa: So veteran prototype artists who used to sculpt with clay and putty are coming to learn digital modeling?

Fukagawa: Yes, there seems to be an increasing number of such people in the figure industry.

─ What is the reason why even professional prototype designers are switching from analog to digital or using both?

Fukagawa: One of the advantages of digital modeling is that it is easy to create accurate symmetry. There is no need to go through the trouble of creating a character with misaligned left and right eyes that just don't fit ....... I hear that when making a mecha in analog, the shape is a mixture of straight and curved lines, which are measured with calipers and templates to ensure accuracy. Compared to this, digital modeling, which automatically aligns the symmetry, is very easy.

There are many other advantages, such as the ability to enlarge the 3D model on the screen as much as you like to create fine details, and the ability to work with coloring that is close to the finished image during the modeling process (......).

─ ─ I see that the figure here can be disassembled. The dowel holes between the parts fit together perfectly.

Fukagawa: This is another strength of digital modeling. Anyone can create a shape in which the parts are precisely aligned with each other with a high degree of accuracy.

However, the output of today's 3D printers has rough surfaces such as "support marks" and "stacking steps," so it is necessary to file and polish these rough surfaces to a fine finish. This work is necessary to clean up the roughness.

─ ─ What is the reason why ZBrush has attracted so much attention over the past few years?

Fukagawa: With conventional polygon modeling, you have to constantly think about the best way to arrange the polygons according to the shape of the model as well as the original purpose of the modeling. This is quite stressful. With ZBrush, however, you can use a pen tablet as if you were working with analog materials, and you can create exactly what you want without worrying about polygon alignment. That's what makes it so revolutionary.

But I think the spread of 3D output is more important than anything else. The number of companies that provide output services has increased in Japan, and many inexpensive 3D printers for individuals are now available.

───With ZBrush, is it possible to create intuitively even if you have no knowledge of 3D modeling?

Fukagawa: There are people who can create almost anything with just one function, like kneading real clay, without much knowledge of 3DCG or ZBrush.

In my case, I had long GC experience in the video and game industry. ZBrush's strongest point is organic shapes with a lot of bumps. It is not necessarily suited to creating sharp and crisp shapes. That is why I use a combination of digital tools for my personal figures, such as ZBrush for the body and clothes, and old-fashioned polygonal modeling (......) for the sword.

─ ─ So there are some ZBrush tools that are suitable and unsuitable for modeling.

Fukagawa: It depends on the skills and preferences of the individual, and that is not to say that it cannot be done. For example, in the case of the characters of the "ship this," the flesh-and-blood parts of the girls are made with ZBrush, while mechanical parts such as cannons are made with polygons or CAD (software for designing mechanical parts, etc.). ......