Delivered AAA Salon: Game Hair Creation [XMD Academy, Ashley Sparling]

[VUnicorn]

AAA Salon: Game Hair Creation [XMD Academy, Ashley Sparling]

Publisher

XMD Academy

Product Type

Video Course

Product URL

https://www.xmdacademy.com/courses/aaa-salon-game-hair-creation

Author

Ashley Sparling

Language

English

Duration

17:16

Release date

Oct 1, 2020

Skill level

2.00 star(s)

Project Files

Yes

Product Price

$497

Learn a practical, production-ready workflow for creating high-quality real-time hair for AAA game characters.

Throughout this course, I will guide you through an accessible method for building game-ready hair for personal projects, professional productions, and portfolio pieces. We will study traditional wig-making principles and adapt them into a reliable digital workflow for designing believable hairstyles.

Using ZBrush FiberMesh and XGen, you will create detailed hair textures, construct and place hair cards, build layered hairstyles, and prepare your work for lighting and rendering. You will also learn techniques for creating beards, eyebrows, eyelashes, and animal fur.

By the end of the course, you will have both the technical knowledge and the digital “hair salon” toolkit needed to create polished, production-quality hair for real-time characters.

Learning Outcomes​

By completing this course, you will be able to:

• Use a next-generation pipeline to create real-time hair for games.
• Work confidently with FiberMesh to produce detailed hair textures.
• Use XGen in Maya to generate and place hair effectively.
• Design hairstyles using traditional wig-making principles.
• Create and layer hair cards for believable volume, flow, and silhouette.
• Prepare hair for lighting and rendering in Marmoset Toolbag.
• Create facial hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes.
• Apply the same techniques to animal fur for game characters.
• Adapt the workflow to create a wide range of hairstyles.

Is This Course for You?​

This course gives you the knowledge, tools, and production techniques required to create convincing game-ready hair.

Ask yourself:

• Do you struggle to create high-quality AAA hair for your characters?
• Do your hairstyles lack the detail, volume, or natural flow seen in professional games?
• Are you unsure how to build and layer hair cards effectively?
• Do you want a clear workflow that can be used in a professional environment?
• Would you like to create stronger portfolio pieces and more polished characters?

If so, this course will help you overcome those challenges and develop a dependable workflow for producing professional-quality real-time hair.

Course Curriculum​

1. Introduction​

• Introduction to AAA Salon: Game Hair Creation
• Course Overview
• Outline and Objectives
• How the Course Works
• Course Calendar

2. Hair Theory​

• The Wig Theory
• Creating the Wig Template and Hair Blockout in ZBrush
• Homework

3. Hair Textures​

• Fiber Texture Creation
• Texture Setup and Render Test
• Homework

4. Hair-Card Placement with XGen​

• Hair-Card Theory
• Using XGen to Place Hair Cards — Part 1
• Using XGen to Place Hair Cards — Part 2
• Using XGen to Place Hair Cards — Part 3
• Using XGen to Place Hair Cards — Part 4
• Using XGen to Place Hair Cards — Part 5
• Homework

5. Second and Third Hair-Card Layers​

• Adding the Texture and Testing
• Adding the Second Hair Layer — Part 1
• Adding the Second Hair Layer — Part 2
• Adding the Second Hair Layer — Part 3: Timelapse
• Flyaways and Hair Flow — Part 1
• Flyaways and Hair Flow — Part 2
• Blend Cards
• Homework

6. Creating the Hair Cap​

• Hair-Cap Theory
• Hair-Cap Retopology and UVs
• XGen Interactive Grooming
• Setup and Rendering
• Homework

7. Working in Marmoset Toolbag​

• Flow Maps
• Marmoset Setup
• Homework

8. Beard Creation​

• Beard Theory and Beard Template
• Beard Placement
• Beard Setup and Rendering
• Homework

9. Eyebrow Creation​

• Eyebrow Theory and Placement
• Homework

10. Eyelashes​

• Eyelash Theory
• Eyelash Texture Creation
• Eyelash Placement
• Homework

11. Bonus: Creating Animal Fur for Games​

Follow the complete process of creating fur for a werewolf character:

• Introduction to Animal Fur
• ZBrush Blockout — Part 1
• ZBrush Blockout — Part 2
• Retopology
• UV Mapping
• Fur Placement — Part 1
• Fur Placement — Part 2
• Creating Plane Cards
• Converting Fur to Planes
• Plane Placement — Part 1
• Plane Placement — Part 2
• Adding Flyaways

Software Requirements​

The course uses the following software:

• ZBrush
• Maya 2018 or later
• XGen
• Adobe Photoshop
• Substance Painter
• Marmoset Toolbag
• A graphics tablet

Maya 2018 is used throughout the demonstrations, but you can follow the course using Maya 2017 or any later version. Although the lessons are taught in Maya, many of the techniques can also be adapted to other 3D applications, including 3ds Max.
Trial and educational versions may be available for Maya, Photoshop, and Substance Painter. You are also welcome to use equivalent software if it supports the techniques demonstrated in the course.

Prerequisites​

A beginner-level understanding of ZBrush, Maya, and Photoshop is recommended.

However, do not let Maya intimidate you. Previous students with no prior Maya experience have successfully completed the course and produced impressive results.

Bonus: Animal Fur Creation​

1.5 Hours of Additional Content​

Have you ever wanted to create convincing animal fur for a real-time character?

In this bonus section, I will take you through my complete pipeline for creating a werewolf—from the initial ZBrush blockout to the final placement of fur cards and flyaway strands. Through detailed explanations and timelapse demonstrations, you will see the entire process from beginning to end and learn how to bring a fully fur-covered game character to life