Additional Functions and Changes
From ZBrush Info
In ZBrush 4R2, various other functions have been added and changes made to existing features.
Changes
LightBox
- Lightbox is now located at the top of the ZBrush user interface and its content has been reorganized in new folders.
- Several new items such as new Brushes and Projects have been added.
Alpha Palette
The Alpha palette has now been reorganized into various function-specific sub-palettes.
Brush Palette
The Mesh Insert Preview is now larger so that you can more easily see the selected mesh.
Tool Palette
ShadowBox is now located in the Tool > Geometry sub-palette and has its own dedicated sliders that are no longer linked to the Remesh All sliders. Shadow Box was previously located in the Tool > SubTool menu.
Preferences Palette
The Enable Customize feature has been moved to the Preferences > Config sub-palette.
Zoom Palette
The Zoom palette has been removed. Its contents have been moved to the Document palette.
Ghost Transparency
The Ghost Transparency settings have been moved to the Transform palette. They were previously located in the Preferences > Draw sub-palette.
Brush palette additions
Brush > Brush Icon
ZBrush now allows you to quickly create an icon for any of your brushes. It can use a custom image that you have created; simply click Select Icon to load your custom image. You can also let ZBrush create the custom icon for you. To do this, Alt+click the Select Icon button. ZBrush will take a snapshot of the currently loaded Tool and will use it as the brush icon. We recommend first creating a sphere on which you have prominently drawn a stroke with your custom brush. This will allow your new brush icon to match those that come with ZBrush.
Brush > Snake Hook Brush
The Snake Hook brush has been modified to provide new functionality. Holding the Alt key now allows the brush to follow the surface of any underlying SubTools.
Color palette additions
Color > Color Alternate Mode.
Color Alternate mode allows you to toggle between the Main Color and Secondary color when PolyPainting. Simply hold the Alt key to switch to the Secondary Color. This mode is enabled by default.
Draw palette additions
Draw > Floor Grid Captures Shadows from BPR Renders.
Whenever the floor grid is displayed and a BPR render is done the plane will become invisible plane for purposes of catching shadows. This allows you to integrate your models with a background image by orienting the grid so that it matches the image’s “floor”. It will then appear as if the shadows are being cast on the image. This is similar to a Shadow catcher material available in various 3D packages. If you don't want to use the grid as a shadow catcher, simple hide it before doing your BPR render. You can use the floor to simulate your model being cut in half by adjusting the Grid Elevation in the Draw Palette. By default this Elv slider is set to -1. Try moving this to 0 and doing a BPR render to see your model cut in half. Other values work as well; anything beneath the floor plane will be removed by the BPR render. Another option would be to rotate the model using the Tool > Preview window or a deformation. Changing the model’s internal coordinates causes it to be positioned differently relative to the floor grid. You can then rotate the model so that the grid is parallel with a wall or other surface so that your BPR render will cast its shadows there instead. By also adjusting the Elv slider your model could even appear to be coming out of a wall.
Tool palette additions
Tool > SubTool > Arrows
Select SubTool Arrows
These arrows allow you to select the SubTool immediately above or below the current SubTool. Shift+clicking on these arrows will now select the top or bottom SubTool in the list.
Move SubTool Arrows
These arrows allow you to move the selected SubTool higher or lower in the list. Shift+clicking on one of these arrows will now move the selected SubTool to the top or bottom of the list.
Tool > SubTool > AutoReorder
The AutoReorder function changes the order of all SubTools in the SubTool list by ordering them according to their polygon counts. Models with more polygons will be placed above those with fewer. Note: This operation can be undone.
Tool > SubTool > Merge Similar
The Merge Similar function will merge all SubTools which have similar polygon counts. It is very useful when wanting to combine SubTools that where originally duplicated. Note: This operation can be undone.
Tool > SubTool > Merge UVs Mode
When enabled, merging SubTools will also merge their UVs.
Tool > SubTool > Project All
The projection range is now computed based on the object’s bounding box rather than the scene size. This provides better results in the projection. Be aware that this will affect the results of the Dist (distance) slider’s value.
Tool > Geometry > Freeze Subdivision Levels
If you wish to change the topology of your model’s lowest subdivision level (the base mesh), enable the Freeze Subdivision Levels mode. When enabled, ZBrush will automatically store all subdivision levels and drop the model to the lowest subdivision level. You will now be able to safely make changes to the topology of the lowest level. For example, you can use DynaMesh or the Mesh Insert brushes. When you are done editing the base mesh, click Freeze Subdivision Level to turn it off. ZBrush will now return to the highest level and reproject the details from the previous topology. This mode is very similar to the import function of GoZ when it replaces existing topology with a new structure. However, there is no need to exit ZBrush or export and re-import your mesh.
Tool > Geometry > Optimize Point Order
Optimize Point Order is a utility which updates the point order of your model’s topology. Visually, nothing will change, but the internal structure of your model will be updated. This operation can be used to avoid broken models when passing them between ZBrush and other packages.
Tool > Geometry > Close Holes
The algorithm to close the holes in a model has been updated to produce better topology when doing so.
Tool > Geometry > Fix Mesh
The Fix Mesh utility is able to repair topology errors such as non-manifold edges in your mesh. It can be useful to run this utility if you find that your model produces topology errors in other 3D packages.
Tool > Surface (Noise in transparency with the DynaMesh Sub function.)
Noise being applied to your model using the Tool > Surface > Noise function can have black color which can in turn be used to drive partial mesh transparency. This transparency can then be used by DynaMesh to subtract those areas from the mesh. Simply double-click the Sub commend.
- In order to demonstrate this action, do the following:
- Load the DynaMesh064.ZPR project from LightBox.
- Open up the Surface sub-palette and click on Noise. A window will appear.
- Click on the little circle in the bottom left corner to load a texture. (Alternatively, the Noise Plug-In can be used instead of a texture.)
- Load checkered texture (Txtr03.PSD) from the ZBrush4.0r2/ZData/Textures folder.
- Below the curve in the Noise window, move the Focal Shift slider to a negative number.
- The lower-left point in the graph will start to move up the curve. Move this point back down to the bottom corner of the graph.
- Any part of the sphere that is under a black square will now become transparent. This is just a visual representation; the points are still present in the actual mesh.
- To convert this visual effect into actual geometry, double-click the Sub button found in the DynaMesh menu.
Note: BPR can render the transparency without converting it to actual geometry. It is only necessary to perform the final step of double-clicking the Sub button if you wish to have physical holes that you will sculpt with.
Tool > Deformation > Polish by Groups
Polish by Groups applies a polish smoothing on your model that is based on each PolyGroup. Each group will be polished individually, creating crisp edges between them.
Tool > Deformation > Polish Crisp Edges
The Polish Crisp Edge slider will apply a polish to the whole surface but maintain a crisp edge wherever creases have been applied.
Tool > Deformation > Repeat To Active
Repeats the last deformation used, applying it only to the selected SubTool.
Tool > Deformation > Repeat to Other
Repeats the last deformation used, but applies it to all visible SubTools except the selected one.
Tool > Display Properties > BPR Additions
Several modes have been added to apply attributes to the current Tool or SubTool which then control the BPR render:
- BPR Transparent: Creates model transparency when rendered with the BPR system. This effect can be combined with dedicated transparent materials.
- BPR Invisible: Makes the SubTool invisible at render time. The invisible object still generates shadows on other objects and the floor grid but will not receive shadows from other objects. In short, the object becomes a shadow generator rather than a shadow catcher.
- BPR Smooth Normals: Smooths the model’s polygonal edges at render time. This avoids the need to add subdivision levels to the model in order to achieve a smooth surface. A model can thus look smoother while still being low resolution. For this setting to have any effect, the Smooth Normals mode must be enabled in the Render > Render Properties sub-palette.
- BPR Material Blend: This slider allows to individually adjust the selected SubTool relative to the value set by the Render > Render Properties > Material Bend Radius slider. Each SubTool is thus able to have unique material blending effects at render time.
Preferences palette additions
Preferences > Interface > One Open Subpalette
Enabling this option instructs ZBrush to automatically close previous sub-palettes whenever a new one is opened. This helps avoid a cluttered interface or needing to vertically scroll when a palette is in the Tray. Holding Shift when opening a new sub-palette overrides this setting, allowing you to continue opening as many sub-palettes as you want.
Preferences > Interface > SubPalette Popup
This option takes the One Open Subpalette setting a step farther by actually hiding all sub-palettes except the current one. Clicking on the current sub-palette’s title then opens a popup from which you can select any of the other available menus.
Preferences > Interface > Palette Popup
This option works the same as the SubPalette Popup option, but affects palettes themselves. When more than one Palette is docked in either of the side Trays, you can switch between palettes by clicking the open palette’s title. A popup window will open listing all other palettes that have been docked in the same tray. Simply click on the desired palette title to make it the active palette.
Preferences > Draw > BackPanorama Transparency
You can make a model partially transparent so that you can see the background image through it. Among other things, this can help precisely position your model and the floor plane relative to the background.
A background image must first be applied via the Light > Background setting. Enable the Transparency button and then adjust the slider to specify how transparent the model should be.
Preferences > Edit > Cursors Colors
When activating various sculpting modes the brush circle changes color as a visual cue to let you know which mode you’re in. This preference will allow you to customize those colors. You can adjust the colors for the following modes: Sculpting, Smoothing, Masking and Hiding Polygons.
Preferences > Edit > Enable Gestures
Holding the Shift key activates ZBrush’s Mouse Gestures feature – an alternative way of moving, scaling and rotating your model. If you find that Mouse Gestures are interfering with your work or distracting (such as when working with a tablet), this setting allows you to disable the feature.
Preferences > Edit > Auto Center
When this is enabled, Alt+clicking anywhere on the open document will automatically center your selected Tool.
Preferences > Transpose > Align Action Line to Axis
When this setting is enabled, ZBrush will always keep your TransPose Line on the same axis as the drawn point. This will always make sure to keep a straight line. With the setting disabled, the TransPose Line will be drawn between the closest vertices to your stroke’s starting and ending points.
Preferences > Transpose > Align Mask Line to Axis
When applying a mask with the Transpose Line this setting will ensure that the TransPose Line is always aligned to a single axis.
Preferences > Preferences > Max CPU Threads slider
Lets you define how many CPU threads you want to use with ZBrush. Lowering this value can make time-consuming operations take longer to complete. However, it will allow you to use your computer for other things while waiting.
