Geert Melis
From ZBrush Info
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Workspace Customization
Increased viewport/workspace customizing with the return of PaintStop, Zapplink and the addition of xyz-grids.
For some hardsurface work, I like the feel of a real-world environment with visible orientation. I switch on the grids, use PaintStop or Zapplink to put my concept sketches onto a ground and wall plane and my virtual workshop is ready to go.
(I have to admit I’m adding colored xyz letters because it helps me select the right axises faster when using the deformation palette)
Remesh possibilities
The possibility to easily combine, add or subtract subtools into a new mesh using the standard primitives and the new Remesh
functionality helps me to build structures without having to resort to polymodeling.
New Smoothing
The use of the new smoothing helps me a lot when doing hardsurface work: activate the new smoothing by pressing shift to activate smoothing, start to smooth and release shift to activate the new smoothing algorythm.
2 materials that help me to better judge the surfaces I’m smoothing/polishing are:
a. the WedClay MatCap material: somehow, this material succeeds in bringing out all the areas that need smoothing/polishing. It has the right balance of color, light, shadow and shininess.
b. Chrome Blue Tint material: with a custom made light probe* texture (replacing the default RGBGrab01 texture) It’s a great way to get visual feedback on the smoothing: you can see how the mesh is pulled into place while smoothing by looking at the flow of the reflection. Alternating between the old and the new smoothing clearly shows the benefits of both the old and the new.
Sometimes, the changes are subtle -compare the two chrome skulls -but very noticeable with the WedClay material.
- Doing a Google image search on “light probe” instantly provides you with a wide variety of probes to choose from; most of them copyright protected or for non -commercial use only, but great for testing purposes.
Think positive? Try negative!
I think the images below speak for themselves… any mouldmakers out there?
See also : General Tips and Tricks
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