Tips and Tricks
From ZBrush Info
Brushes in version 3.5R3
- The ratio of signal to noise is much (much) better than 3.1
- Capable of handling smaller as well as larger meshes. You can also zoom in as much as you need, or out.
- More advance calculations - for placement of the brush and its interaction with the surface of the mesh.
- Masking is 16 bits accuracy (not 8 as in 3.1)
- Painting is 16 bits (not 8 bits as in 3.1).
- Have many more modifiers which allow you to design brushes not previously possible. Look at the depth controls, depth masking, directional masking, Polygroups Masking, profile for tablet response. Stabilization code. Tilt controls, Trails controls,Smart Smoothing and more.
- Just test the mPolish or hPolish brush and you'll understand how brushes dynamically adjust their behaviour.
The above is just a partial list of the enhancements to the brush system. All these advancements means that 3.5 brushes are superior to 3.1, but they also require more calculations. ZBrush is highly optimized and able to execute these calculations extremely fast but it can not be as fast as no calculations at all. However, even this should not stop you from achieving smooth strokes. Smooth strokes can be achieved with LazyMouse or with the new Trails feature (or even both).
ZBrush 3.5R3 includes a huge number of new brushes -- more than will fit in the Brush popup window. To find the other brushes that ship with R3, use LightBox and click the Brush link. Some of the brushes that you will see in the list were in the default Brush palette in version 3.1, but have been moved to LightBox to make room for newer brushes.
GoZBrush
GoZ is composed of two parts, one is within ZBrush, the other is within the target application. ZBrush 3.5R3 already contains the ZBrush side of GoZ which allows you to...
- Export/Import the GoZ file format. This is faster, smaller file size, more reliable and contains much more ZBrush data than OBJ format. So whenever you need to export a file with the intention of importing it back to ZBrush, use GoZ.
- GoZ introduced a more reliable way of transfering high res details to an imported mesh, even if the imported mesh has new topology. You can already make use of this in R3. Export a low res of your sculpted mesh , import it in another application, modify the topology and import it back into the same ZBrush tool. You'll be asked if you want to transfer the details to the new mesh, click yes and you'll have your high res details (including PolyPaint) transferred to a new mesh.
- Import/export templates. Almost any text-file format can be created with the GoZ import/export templates. See the ZStartup ExportImport templates for examples.
To conclude, GoZ in ZBrush 3.5R3 for Windows and 3.2 for MacOSX are fully functional. What will be added in the future is the part that is associated with each target application. In fact, there is already a Maya part that is included in R3. You can export/import .ma files directly. This allows you to export from ZBrush one .ma file which will include any displacement, texture and normal map that you have assigned to the mesh and when you load this into Maya, the shading network will already be set, including displacement scale and offset, so all you need to do is render it.
You export the low res, modify the low res, import back the low res and ZBrush will auto-subdivide and project your sculpted details. Issues with this may be due to a too-small scan distance value. You need to increase the scan distance (try max dist for a test).
Here is how...
- If you mesh has only one sub tool, temporarily append another.
- Now you have the "Project Allist" enabled, set it to Max
- Hide or delete the temporary tool.
- Test it.
To control highlights in a MatCap material
You may use one of the double-shaders materials and have the first shader be the matcap and the 2nd a standard shader which will allow you to control the specularity. It is a simple copy and paste process...
- Locate the MatCap material.
- Press copy shader.
- select a material that already has two shaders assigned.
- select the first shader in that material and paste the MatCap shader.
- Locate your 2nd material and copy its shader.
- Reselect the modified material, activate 2nd shader and paste.
Do not forget to save your new material for later use.
Controlling transparency when HD sculpting
On the right shelf, turn on Transparency to partially hide the non-editable portions of the mesh. You can also toggle Ghost mode as well as Tool>Display Properties>Double to get different effects. Use what you prefer. You may also find it preferable to turn off visibility of other SubTools.
Shadows and cavity details appear different in 3.5R3 compared to version 3.1
This is to be expected due to the fact that R3 uses more accurate rendering technology and stronger shadows that are intended to do a better job of bringing out the model's details. While you can't make 3.1's shadows look like version 3.5, you can make 3.5's shadows look more like 3.1. This is done by adjusting Shadow Strength from .3 to .75 (the value used in 3.1). If needed you may also modify the shadow's Length/Slope/Depth values.
The enhanced accuracy of the rendering engine also means that some materials appear different in 3.5 than they did in 3.1. In the case of a MatCap material, adjusting the cavity detection and cavity transition values to -.5 will allow a material in 3.5 to look more like it did in 3.1.
How do you use Decimation Master with HD Geometry?
HD geometry is meant to be used when standard polygon counts are not sufficient for sculpting fine details. This level of detail is so fine that 3D printers would be incapable of printing it, which means that Decimation Master is impractical for HD geometry. The only time HD geometry is of benefit is with a render rather than a 3D print. In that case you should use displacement and/or normal maps to get the detail out of ZBrush. Version 3.5 support using HD geometry to create these maps. See the What's New PDF that is included in the 3.5 R3 folder for more info on this.
How to transfer high resolution details to a resurfaced mesh
While at your model's highest resolution level, import the low resolution version of your resurfaced model. ZBrush will ask if you'd like to transfer details. Click "Yes". The imported mesh will automatically subdivide and the high-res details will be transferred. At this stage you have the capability to refine the projection -- an important capability that wasn't possible with ZMapper -- or even continue sculpting the mesh. When satisfied, proceed with the usual process of creating displacement, normal and color maps.
How to test Ambient Occlusion masking without a lot of time
Calculate the ambient occlusion for a low subdivision level. When done, step up the subdivision levels and the ambient occlusion will be adjusted appropriately. This allows you to quickly test out your settings before doing a final calculation at the higher level.
How to keep the floor grid from changing position as the model is sculpted
Set the Draw>Elv slider to 0. This makes the grid stationary in the world space. Setting the slider to -1 will set the grid to the lowest vertex point of your active ZTool.
How to use TransPose with ZSketch
TransPose does not work with ZSketch mode. Instead, you get the same results by using a creature armature fashioned from ZSpheres. Moving the ZSpheres of the armature then affects the associated ZSketch. You can move, rotate and scale armature ZSpheres, thus transposing the ZSketch.
Whenever you want to transpose your armature, bind the ZSketch and then exit sketch mode. Move some of the armature ZSpheres and when satisfied return to ZSketch mode to continue sketching.
ZBrush launches with the window off center on the screen or not using the whole screen. How to fix it?
There are three possible solutions to this:
- Close ZBrush and delete the contents of the ZStartup\ConfigFiles folder. Launch ZBrush again.
- If that doesn't work, close ZBrush and resize your display resolution in Windows. Launch ZBrush, then close it again. Set your display resolution back to normal and restart ZBrush.
- If neither of the above work, resize the window manually. You can drag it using the title bar, and resize it using the window edges. When satisfied with the window, press Ctrl+Shift+i to store the setting.
My model keeps being resized to fit the canvas when I'm only clicking on the canvas to rotate it
Your system is unusually sensitive. Compensate by reducing the click timer in the Preferences>Interface menu. You can also set this slider to 0 to disable the feature entirely. Once satisfied with your settings, save your configuration.
Important info about Polygroups from PolyPaint or Polygroups from Masking
Polygroups from PolyPaint or masking are additive. It does not destroy your existing polygroups, but rather adds to them. This is an important feature which allows you to add partial polygroups without losing the existing polyroup assignments.
If you want to "start fresh" and overwrite the existing polygroups you can use GroupVisible, followed by From PolyPaint or From Masking. Alternatively, you can Alt+Click (or Option+Click for Mac) on the From PolyPaint or From Masking button.
How to change R3's transparent option back to what 3.1 used, so that you can use an image plane for sculpting
Turn off Ghost on the right shelf.
About the ZProject brush:
Version 3.5R3 contains the core functionality of ZBrush 4. However, not all features that make use of that core have been completed yet. This means that some features of R3 are different from previous versions but are waiting for ZBrush 4 to unlock their full potential. The ZProject brush is one of the areas that will see a significant boost in functionality with the next version. See the movie about the upcoming SpotLight.
QuickSketch
To erase in QuickSketch, use the PenSoft brush (all QuickSketch brush names start with "Pen") and paint over what's already on the canvas.
QuickSketch uses the front/back colors feature of ZBrush, with the front color being set to dark. Use the "v" key to switch between the light and dark colors.
Startup Preferences
Macros are a powerful way to easily enable specific startup preferences that aren't saved with a custom UI. This includes things like the preferred rotational axis, or even the LightBox settings. Simply record a macro in which you set ZBrush to how you would like it to be for beginning work. This macro will appear as a button in the Macro palette. You can then Ctrl+Click on that button to assign a keyboard shortcut to it. This way when you launch ZBrush you can press your shortcut key to automatically set ZBrush the way you want it.
Masking by Polygroups
Some videos show the new ZBrush feature where polygroups can be used to mask your models. This is a dynamic feature, which means that it's found in the Brush>Auto Masking menu rather than the Tool>Masking menu. (The latter menu is for persistant masking -- in other words, masks that actually appear on the model.)
Unified Skinning
To create a unified skin in ZBrush 3.5R3 you now use Tool>SubTool>ReMesh All. This creates a unified skin from all visible SubTools, which can be any combination of ZSpheres, Polymesh objects and parametric SubTools.
If your model is a ZSphere structure you should turn on the adaptive skin preview by pressing the "A" key prior to using ReMesh All. Also, after generating a unified skin from ZSpheres you can select the new SubTool and click Project All to project the ZSpheres volume to the new unified skin.
What happened to the preview box that used to be in the various Load windows in version 3.1? (And more LightBox info)
ZBrush 3.5 is a big step toward the vision for ZBrush 4. This includes the extremely powerful LightBox feature, which is introduced in a preview form in 3.5. LightBox makes it easy to browse your assets without needing to resort to the various Load buttons found in many ZBrush palettes. You can use LightBox to view thumbnails of all assets, and the view can be filtered using the various links across the top of the LightBox interface. Double-clicking any LightBox thumbnail automatically loads your choice into the correct palette, ready for use.
This is far superior to the functionality in 3.1. For one thing, you don't have to click on individual file names and view the previews one item at a time.
You can also create Windows shortcuts in your ZFolders which point to other areas on your system or network. For example, you might create a MyProjectName folder on a network drive, then put a shortcut to that folder in your ZDocs folder. Clicking on the Document link in LightBox will then show your shortcut as an icon that you can double-click to browse your project folder. You might also prefer to keep your textures organized on a data drive. In this case you would create a shortcut to the main textures folder, placing that shortcut in the ZTextures folder in your ZBrush directory. LightBox will then see this shortcut, allowing you to immediately jump to viewing the texture contents of your data drive.
One special note regarding LightBox: RGB images will always load into the Texture palette. Grayscale images will load into the Alpha palette. If you have a color image that you want to always load as an Alpha, use Photoshop to convert it to grayscale. Alternatively, you can let it load into the Texture palette and then use Texture>Make Alpha to copy it into the Alpha palette.
Smooth Brushes in version 3.5
The behavior of the Smooth brushes has been changed considerably in order to make these brushes easier to use. You no longer need to select the Smooth brush in the Brush palette in order to change its settings. Instead, you simply hold down the Shift key to activate the currently-selected Smooth brush. While Shift is held down you can change any Brush or Draw settings that you would like. These new settings will then be immediately activated any time you hold down Shift. It's much faster and more intuitive to be able to change your settings on the fly!
One effect of this workflow enhancement is that selecting a Smooth brush in the Brush palette no longer appears to do anything. Your previously selected editing brush will remain selected. But holding down the Shift key will now activate the Smooth brush that you just selected, which will continue to be activated by Shift until you change to a new Smooth brush. Some artists find it particularly helpful to assign hotkeys to the Smooth brushes, allowing you to switch between them with a single keypress.
Remember that the Smooth brush also makes use of the Draw palette settings. If you have a model with PolyPaint on it, Smooth will affect the PolyPaint as well unless you hold Shift (to activate the Smooth brush) and then turn off Draw>Rgb. Alternatively, you can turn off Zadd so that Smooth only affects PolyPaint and ignores geometry.
What if I want to launch ZBrush with a blank canvas instead of the startup polysphere?
You can modify the default startup script found in the ZScripts folder.
Projection Master in version 3.5
To be able to rotate a brush stroke in Projection Master, make sure that Dots or FreeHand is selected in the Stroke palette. This will allow you to activate Transform>Rotate so that you can rotate your last stroke.
Auto Recovery Incompatible with Windows 7
If using Windows 7 please disable the Auto Recovery feature. This feature is currently only compatible with Vista.
How to get Lightbox to pick up .jpgs as Alphas instead of Textures
RGB images will be loaded in the Texture palette.
Grayscale images will be loaded in the Alpha palette.
To have a RGB file load in the Alpha palette, convert the image to Grayscale.
- To do this within ZBrush, load the image into the Texture palette and then press Texture>MakeAlpha.
How to stop the cursor angle responding to unselected subtools
Switch on Transparency (the button towards the bottom on the right of the UI). You may find switching on Ghost also makes sculpting easier.
How to reset a SubTool's Scale if it is thrown off somehow
- Select a different tool, such as the Simple Brush.
- Import your original model again.
- In the Tool>Export menu, note the values for the Scale and Offset sliders.
- Select your problem SubTool and set the Export sliders to match the original.
- Export your model and then import it again.
This will reset the scale and offset to the correct values for the model.
Using Project All causes artifacts
Some projection-normalization code is only activated when PA Blur value is a factor of 8. This will change in the next ZBrush update but for now, simply set the PA Blur to a factor of 8 (i.e. 8,16,24,32,40....80,88,96 ) in order to get proper projection.
Importing a Maya .ma file into ZBrush gives an error
Importing a Maya .ma file gives an error message "Missing vertex XYZ data. Operation cancelled".
You need to delete the history in Maya first. Press Edit>Delete by Type>History then save the file. It should then import into ZBrush without problems.
The hotkeys for changing Draw Size don't work
If the '[' & ']' hotkeys for changing the Draw Size don't work then simply re-assign the hotkeys. Open the Misc Utilities submenu in the Zplugin palette. You will find two buttons named <<Brush and Brush>>. Ctrl+click on the <<Brush button and assign the '[' hotkey. Repeat for the Brush>> button with the ']' hotkey. Having re-assigned the hotkeys, be sure to store them before closing ZBrush by pressing Preferences>Hotkeys>Store.
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