Masking - new features
From ZBrush Info
Contents |
Masking by Surface Smoothness
The Tool >> Masking >> Mask by Surface Smoothness feature creates a Mask based on the object curvature. This is similar to the way the new TransPose Smart Masking operation works. Before pressing the Mask by Smoothness button, define the Range and Falloff sliders settings. The Falloff setting defines the intensity of the Mask based on the surface curvature while the Range will define how this Mask will spread across the surface.
At the top, the original mesh. At the bottom, the result of the Mask by Surface Smoothness operation, showing how easy it becomes to select chamfer-like areas.
With the Range set higher the Mask will cover more of the surface from any point where ZBrush determines that the surface calls for a Mask. A lower setting will keep the Mask closer to edges where the surface changes.
If Falloff is set lower then there will be more of a blur to the Mask along the surface change. If the slider is higher the Mask will be sharper along the surface change.
Fiber Mask
When a FiberMesh is created ZBrush will automatically assign Masking to the root of each fiber. This automatic Masking is controlled by the Brush >> Auto Masking >> Auto Mask FiberMesh button discussed earlier in the documentation.
This new Tool >> Masking >> FiberMask will allow you to use the curve seen in the image below to Mask off any part of the fibers. With the curve representing the root to tip from left to right, you can create any combination of Masking on the fibers.
On the left, some fibers have been masked. On the right, they have then been locally UnMasked based on the Curve setting.
Use the FiberUnmask to specify central soft masking of the fibers.
Note: Remember that when you make a mask on fibers the entire fiber is masked out.
Once the curve is set, click the FiberMask button for ZBrush to apply the Mask. The FiberMask button will invert any Mask that you may have. Below are examples of Masks you can generate based on the graph.
Masking Curve allows you to control how the Fibers are masked. From left to right: Mask everything but the Fiber root, Mask only the middle of the Fiber, Mask only the tip of the Fiber.
Shrink and Extend Mask
The Tool >> Masking >> Shrink and Extend Mask functions are similar to the previous Blur and Sharpen Mask functions, except that :
- The Extend function will add a blurred Mask around the existing outline of the Mask, thus extending it. The part of the model that is already fully Masked will remain fully Masked.
- The Shrink function will soften the Mask around the existing outline of the Masked area without affecting the non-Masked portions of the model.
- The Blur function on the other affects Masked and non-Masked areas equally. It softens the edges of the Mask by averaging. As a result, portions of the Mask become more softly Masked while the area immediately next to it also becomes lightly Masked.
Simply put both of these new commands do not affect the existing Mask (Extend) OR un-Masked (Shrink) areas of the model. They only extend the corresponding Masked or non-Masked area. The CTRL+Click and CTRL+ALT+Click shortcuts are now assigned to the Extend and Shrink Mask functions rather than to the Blur and Sharpen Mask functions.
Transpose Smart Masking
Please see Transpose - new features page.
