Double Question Thread

[Mrpearlzildjian]

Figured I'd do this instead of cluttering the forums.

Question 1: How do you deal with stress related to problem solving and inevitable errors in your work(and with DW coming up)?

Question 2: Provided you use ZBrush and the ZMapper, what settings do you use to optimize your normal maps to their highest potential?(This may be a really long answer, but give me your best)

I'll answer my first one for myself.

I smoke and vent. Not the healthiest I know. I find venting makes me angrier unfortunately, which is why I asked this question in the first place. However, sometimes just stepping outside and taking deep breaths of fresh air(provided you don't live next to the industrial district, lol) and lighting one up helps calm me down a little. I'm sure the smokers would understand this more, but like I said, I am trying to explore alternative methods to dealing with my stress, because I know this is a stressful field, so I want to find ways to deal with it before I get into it full time.

Thanks in advance for the answers.

[spetch]

It's interesting to see how everyone deals with stress in this industry. I used to smoke alot which temporarily helped relieve stress. I eventually quit because I was feeling pretty crappy in the mornings. Plus I was in a relationship with someone that hated it. That made it easier.

Right now it's very hard for me to be in front of the computer for a long period of time. I have to take periodic breaks throughout the day to get off my ass. There are a dozen people I know that will leave from work after sitting down all day, and go home...sit on the couch, and play games/watch tv. There are days when I do this too sometimes, but it's not good for your body. We also might go out for some drinks after work once a week. That tends to help.

I've found that If I do some kind of physic activity it tends to help relieve stress. just find something that you like and do that. I'll try to hit the gym 2-3 days a week and I tend to feel refreshed afterwords. We've put together a small group of 12+ guys at work that will go play soccer on Tuesdays and Thursdays during lunch. There are some nice fields down ths street and soccer is the most inexpensive sport. This tends to break up the day and when you get back to work you're ready to get your tasks done. A couple of the guys keep dum-bells below their desks. If you get stressed, throw in a couple curls.

Venting isn't completely unhealthy. Just be careful who you vent to. There will be times when the person listening will fuel your fire instead of deterring you into another direction. Then when you get back to work you're still angry at the situation and most the time your problem has not been solved. Venting by yourself is ok but you want to make sure you're calming oneself and expelling the negative energy instead of storing it.

A dozen times I've seen employees slam punch their keyboard. Everyone has their breaking point and sometimes you just gotta hit something. Random thought, It might be a good idea to introduce a punching back into the studio. hmm...think that may just work.

I gotta go, but there are alot of other methods such as meditation and Yoga is the shit. Sry, can't help much with your second question. Most my normal map generation is done in max. I hope I'm exempt though... Cheers

[Mrpearlzildjian]

That's very helpful Shawn. Coincidentally, I just happened to notice your tag(your last name), and I just came back from that diverge workshop you spoke at. Fantastic job by the way. I will take some of your suggestions into mind. Thanks a lot.