What is even the benefit of 3D modeling Vs 3D sculpting?

So I have been using 3D programs for a little while and was sold this idea that modeling = good for hard surface and sculpting = good for organic modeling/characters. However after a while I started questioning the logic of this. As far as I can tell sculpting is actually really good for hard surface modeling also and in fact is actually better because of how easily you can add complex details. The overall workflow for sculpting is also a million times better because for the most part you can simply focus on making stuff instead of worrying about topology and other complex technical details. Making large scale changes to a mesh via sculpting is also much easier while making even simple boolean operations in a modeling program takes a large number of complex steps.

Honestly, I just struggle to see what exactly 3D modeling has to offer over sculpting. I understand that sculpting programs don't have animation tools and that they aren't used to render scenes, but that doesn't require me to use the 3D modeling tools in whatever package I am using. Is there any actual downside to using sculpting only for the modeling and then merely use the 3D package for the rigging and animation?

 

3D Modeling is best for low-polycount in-game models. If you try to squeeze a sculpted model into a game engine, your computer is going to choke, and your GPU is going to melt. Most fully sculpted models clock in at millions of polygons, often multiple millions. A properly optimized in-game 3D model with normal mapping applied can clock in at 10-50 thousand. And the best optimization always happens through modeling, not automated reduction. It's possible to use a sculpted model as a base for retopology, but relying on automated polygon reduction is usually a mistake.

Of course, if you wanted to use sculpting as your primary base, no one is going to stop you. It's a viable workflow these days. Do get used to the idea of your source models taking up way more room on your hard drive. But aside from that there is no particular downside to focusing on 3D sculpting as your primary model creation. The tools for it have improved significantly over the past decade, and the hardware is better able to support it. Just remember to scale those models down before sticking them in game.

 

The final model used in engine has to be properly optimized for the target platform. The tools you use to get it there don't matter. You sculpt it in zbrush to make a high poly to bake the normal map from -- whatever that's just a tool you use. Maybe you can do the same work with textures alone, maybe not.

Clean, low-poly modeling has certain advantages over high-poly sculpting. A lot of beginners are attracted to sculpting as it is more artistically intuitive, but when it comes to full pipeline integration the artist who only knows zbrush is gonna have a lot of trouble. There's plenty said about this on polycount forum.

If I was a small time indie dev looking to improve my modeling skillset a bit, I'd leave sculpting alone, learn to make clean, optimized, simple meshes using block modeling techniques, and how to make textures with substance painter.

 

There are still things that are faster to model than sculpt and it's way easier to make certain changes to a model with controlled topology and subdivision surface (things like tweaking the smoothness and angle of just a single edge). Sure you can make a very nice looking hard surface sculpt of e.g. a scifi rifle in zBrush too, but if you have a boss or client who will ask you to make specific changes, you'll soon see why for such things the oldschool modeling aproach still has a bunch of advantages (not to mention creating the low-poly models for baking). If you don't want to be part of a traditional pipeline or similar and are looking for ways to minimize modelling and maximize sculpting, then look at this talk. It provides some interesting thoughts on a "good enough" aproach that could imho be viable for some (not all) indie projects.

 

First of all there's no way to use sculpting for retopology. But for making the highpoly..there's a reason why traditional modelling is often used for hard surface. As Martin_H said, you can drag a few vertices around to make a change to the shape of something quickly without ending up with something that looks made out of playdough. Once you add geometry to a sculpted mesh, going back and changing silhouette is a lot of bother or downright impossible.

For small details, since you'll be baking them anyway, you're probably better off using substance painter to paint them onto the normals.

For a stylized, organic look though, I think sculpting can give hard surface objects a good look.

 

It really just depends on what you're doing, mid poly workflow is far faster than sculpting will ever be using an array of bevels / smoothing groups with decal meshes. In Modo there's even mesh fusion which takes a lot of headaches out of the situation, in AAA workflows there's a lot of poly based procedural creation to be able to meet the en mass requirements of todays art workflows.

For example, if I want to make a sci-fi crate it can be done essentially in minutes without the need for re-topology (if done right). Then a lot of decals can be added in the texturing phase by painting normals / displacement which is also far quicker and more accurate than sculpting, plus it can be changed out without any need to touch the mesh. You just need the brushes..!

If you've only got 30 meshes in a scene targeting PC with today's hardware it ain't going to matter that much, when you start stacking a scene you've got to be fast, productive and careful.

Whilst there's no replacement for poly count personally I only use sculpted models for feature pieces / stand out enviro work or texture creation.