Background Reference Part 1

Using background reference is very important to getting the most detailed and accurate model possible. In this tutorial we will look at how you can set up an image plane in Photoshop(R) and then how to bring that into ZBrush using the ImagePlaneX.ZTL that ships with ZBrush.

Creating The ImagePlane

The first part of this tutorial is about setting up the image plane in Photoshop. In this tutorial we will merge a front and side view into one rectangular image.

Click Here to download movie or click the image above to stream the movie

Setting Up ImagePlaneX

In the next section of this tutorial we will look at how we can setup and begin to use ImagePlaneX.ZTL. The ImagePlaneX tool consists of two planes intersecting each other at right angles. This way they create a front and side view.

One of the key components to ImagePlaneX is that its UVs are laid out so that it will take a rectangular image plane and split it between the front and side planes.

ZBrush also ships with a default ImagePlaneX.psd image file to help you set up your own image planes.

Please note that in this tutorial, I bake a Flat material into the ImagePlaneX tool. I cover that in the written reference section below the movie.

Click Here to download movie or click the image above to stream the movie

To learn about sculpting these form breaks click here.

Reference:

The default Flat Color Material acts as a neutralizer. To remove a material that you had previously baked into your model you can bake the Flat Color material into it. This will remove the material assigned to it.

So to create a Flat Color material that we can assign to an object we must add one to our startup Materials. Once it has been added to our startup materials we can then bake it into our model.

Add A Flat Color Material To Our Startup Folder

1. Select the Flat Color material in the Material palette
2. Press Save in the Material palette
3. Save it to ZStartup/Materials in the root ZBrush directory
4. Restart ZBrush

Bake A Material Into a 3D Object

1. Select the material you want to bake into your model in the Material palette
2. Press M on the shelf
3. Press Fill Object in the Color Palette

Still To Come: Using Reference To Learn More

In my next post I will take a look at how you can manually “process” front and side view photographs to establish the planes of a person’s face and quickly block in the basic shape of a person’s head.

Image plane reference from www.3d.sk

In the process we will fine tune our understanding of human anatomy and get a big boon from ZBrush versions of Freedom Of Teach’s clay sculpted Flesh Torso Set.