Day 7 part 2

Introduction to Zbrush Digital Tutors

Insert Mesh Techniques

– The Insert Mesh brushes can be used to draw previously created geometry onto an active tool without automatically merging or creating new subtools.

– Brush > MeshInsert Dot allows you to add mesh instances. To define which mesh go to Brush > Modifiers > MeshInsert Preview which brings up the tool palette to select a mesh from. Once a mesh has been selected it can be drawn on the surface of the model.

The InsertMesh Dot brush can be used to add new meshes to the tool once the mesh has been defined.

– When a new mesh is drawn, the rest of the model is automatically masked. This allows you to modify the inserted mesh like dynamesh, but the geometry will still be separate pieces.

– The Tool > Subtool > Split commands can be used to separate out inserted meshes into their own subtools.

– Tool > Subtool > Split > Split to Similar Parts will split all the instances of the same mesh into a single subtool containing all the instances, even if they have been moved and rescaled.

– Tool > Subtool > Split > Split to Parts will split all the visible inserted meshes into individual subtools. Hide any subtools made of inserted meshes before performing this action to control how inserted meshes are grouped.

Inserted meshes can be split off into separate subtools using the split commands.

– Some InsertMesh brushes create open geometry which will leave a gap between it and the model. To make joins first create a new polygroup in that area, draw the new InsertMesh then unmask. New geometry will be created to bridge the gap. This is similar to dynamesh but without replacing the existing geometry.

Open geometry can be added and bridged to the existing tool by first creating a new polygroup in that area then unmasking after adding the open geometry.

– Curve brushes can be used to create inserted meshes. CurveTube creates geometry along a defined curve that can then be manipulated.

– Stroke > Curve Modifiers contains options for changing how the curve creates geometry including tapering. Click on the manipulator ends to apply the effects.

Curve tools can also be used to create inserted geometry.

Different curve tools can create different geometry.

– InsertMultiMesh brushes combine several different meshes into a single brush. When using a MultiMesh brush press M to bring up the MultiMesh palette.

Multi Mesh brushes combine several different meshes into a single brush. The palette can be opened by pressing M.

– You can create new insertmesh brushes using Brush > Create InsertMesh. The active tool can then be a new insert mesh brush or appended to an existing multimesh brush.

Any tool can be turned into an InsertMesh brush in the brush palette.

– How deep in the tool the inserted mesh is drawn can be modified using Brush > Depth and moving the circle up and down.

How deep in the tool the mesh is inserted can be modified using the depth setting

– X / Y / Z / Radial Symmetry can be used when using InsertMesh brushes to quickly add lots of detail across a model.

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.