Day 3 part 2

Introduction to Zbrush Digital Tutors

Transforming 3D objects

– The Tool > Deformation palette contains sliders for modifying many aspects of a mesh:

– Offset  in combination with the X Y Z buttons allow for repositioning a mesh on the canvas.

– Rotate in combination with the X Y Z buttons allow for rotating a mesh aorund different axes on the canvas.

– Scale in combination with the X Y Z buttons allow for uniform or non-uniform resizing of a mesh.

Resym modifiers contain options for moving, rotating and resizing meshes

– Note that the sliders only refer to the degree of change in that action ie if a mesh is rotated the slider will reset to 0 and will have no memory of that mesh’s original position.

– the Move, Scale and Rotate buttons on the top shelf can also be used by using the transpose tool.

– The transpose tool is a gumball with many points to affect the mesh. Tool tips will appear in the status line when they’re hovered over. Options include duplicating, clipping, skewing / stretching and duplicating meshes when combined with RMB and Ctrl.

The Transpose tool combined with Move allows for several affects including clipping, stretching, inflating and duplicating meshes.

– Tool > Geometry > Position / Size also contains sliders for manipulating the mesh. Unlike the other options these do remember where the mesh was before modifying it, allowing for returning it to its original position.

The geometry size and position sliders are relative to the mesh’s original position so it can be easily restored to its starting point.

Day 2

Introduction to Zbrush Digital Tutors

Basics of creating Geometry

– To view a wireframe on the mesh, tranform > PolyF or Shift + F or PolyF button on the right shelf.

Different ways to enable a polyframe

–Primitives can’t be sculpted but can be transformed while in edit mode. To see options go to tool > Initialize which will display options relating to that primitive eg initial size and resolution.

Initialize settings can be used to modify primitives before converting to polymesh for editing.

– Coverage is what angle the primitive is filled to in degrees.

– TaperTop and InnerRadius can turn a Cylinder into a hollowed flat cone.

– Twist can turn a Ring into a ribbed pipe.

– SweepProfile can create some interesting curves which are further modified in the Initialize palette.

–Helix3D can be used to create eg suspension springs that vary along the length.

– Gear3D has a lot of options and can create very intricate shapes and features for other models.

– Lightbox (,) is where you can find imported tools, projects, materials, alphas and brushes.

– if a tutorial uses a non-standard sculpting brush it will likely be found in lightbox eg TrimHole.

Lightbox provides quick access to lots of important items.

Day 1 Part 3

Introduction to Zbrush Digital Tutors

Pixols and the 2.5D canvas

– a pixol is a pixel that contains colour, depth, and material information.

– open the tool quick menu to select 2.5D brushes. 2.5D brushes can have strokes and alphas applied to them like sculpting brushes.

open the tool quick menu to see the 2.5D brushes.

– pixols can be tranformed using the Move, Scale and Rotate buttons. Select Draw to continue drawing in 2.5D.

Pixols drawn on the canvas can be transformed using the move, scale and rotate tools

– use EraserBrush to remove pixols from the canvas.

Use the EraserBrush to remove pixols from the canvas.

– materials and colours can be changed during the drawing to overwrite pixols already on the canvas.

the material and colour applied to the pixols can be changed during the drawing.

– disable Zadd / Zsub during the drawing to avoid adding depth to pixols already on the canvas, only painting with colour and / or material.

– Mrgb allows for changing colour and material of pixols on the canvas without affecting depth.

–RGB allows for changing colour of pixols on the canvas without affecting depth or material.

– Mrgb / RGB buttons can be disabled entirely to allow drawing depth without affecting the colour or material of the pixols.

Use combinations of ZAdd/Zsub, Mrgb and RGB options to draw with different depth, colour and material affects.

– Document > Save As saves the canvas out as an image, not a 3D model.

– SnakeHookBrush allows for dragging out tendrils with depth.

– FibreBrush allows for covering pixols in fibres / hair

Other brushes can be combined to get interesting 2.5D effects

– SphereBrush always paints with a perfectly round edge, which can be made larger with more pen pressure or larger strokes.

The SphereBrush with different strokes.

– AlphaBrush draws in the shape of the current Alpha at a single depth until a new stroke is started.

– Smudge brush can be used to smear pixols around on the canvas. Combining different strokes and alphas will give different effects.

Different effects using the Smudge Brush with different strokes and alphas.

– Hook Brush can be used to pull pixols out. LMB + Anti-clockwise spirals shrinks the pixols, while LMB + Clockwise spirals enlarges them. Hook Brush can be combined with alphas for different effects.

The effects of the Hook Brush using spiral gestures and alphas.

Day 1 Part 2

Introduction to Zbrush Digital Tutors

Getting Started

– click the large tool icon in the tool palette to open the menu of current tools available. Any meshes that have been imported or created during the project will appear here.

a list of primitives as well as any meshes that have been imported from elsewhere or created during the project.

– once a tool is selected, drag and release to drop an instance onto the canvas. Although these instances appear 3D and have depth, they are effectively 2D drawings and cannot be edited.

– Ctrl + N clears the canvas of any information.

– press T  or select the edit button to manipulate the mesh as a 3D object.

– LMB+drag off the mesh to rotate the view

– Alt + LMB off the mesh to pan around the canvas

– Alt + LMB, followed by releasing Alt without releasing LMB allows for zooming the view by dragging forward and backwards.

– turn the floor on and off using the floor button on the right shelf.

– switch between perspective and orthographic views using the perspective button on the right shelf.

use the floor and perspective buttons to disable the floor and switch between perspective and orthographic views.

– primitive meshes can’t be sculpted; trying to select a brush and sculpting will result in a pop-up. Use the Make PolyMesh3D button to convert the primitive to an editable polymesh.

use the Make PolyMesh3D button to convert primitive objects into polymeshes that can be sculpted.

– Ctrl + D adds a subdivision layer, allowing for finer sculpting with more polygons. You can also click the divide button under the tool > geometry sub-palette.

– use the SDiv slider to switch between subdivision layers. Found under the tool > geometry sub-palette.

Use the divide button and SDiv slider to add and move between subdivision layers.

– use the History slider to undo / redo changes to the model.

– if you deselect edit mode, press Ctrl + N to clear the canvas then re-draw the mesh and press T to continue editing the mesh.

– to save out the model use the Save as button to save the model as a Ztool (.ztl).