Day 8 part 2

Introduction to Zbrush Digital Tutors

Projecting Detail onto Meshes

– Zbrush can project the sculpted detail from one mesh to another. This can be useful for transferring the detail from a multi-subtool model to a single-skin model for eg 3D printing. It is also useful for transferring detail that has been previously sculpted on another model to a new model.

– Tool > Subtool > Project > ProjectAll transfers the details from any visible subtools onto the active subtool. Before projecting make sure the target mesh has enough resolution for the projected detail.

Sculpting and polypainting can be transferred from one model to another using the project tools.

– Project > Dist Slider determines how deep below the surface of the target mesh Zbrush can look for sculpted detail to project. If there are artefacts on the target model increase the distance.

– The projected detail is applied throughout the subdivision levels of the target mesh.

If the detail isn’t properly transferred try increasing the distance Zbrush looks for detail.

Day 8

Introduction to Zbrush Digital Tutors

Remeshing Geometry

– Zbrush contains tools for creating a new unified mesh from individual parts. Tool > Subtool > Remesh > Remesh all creates a new mesh from everything in the current subtool. Symmetry options can be used to make symmetrical models from asymmetrical subtools.

Subtool > Remesh all can be used to create a single mesh form a group of objects.

– Objects within the subtool can be set as additive or subtractive objects for boolean operations.

– The Res slider under Remesh determines the resolution of the new geometry.

Subtools can be used to add or subtract from the new mesh.

– Tool > Geometry > ZRemesher contains tools for changing the resolution of a mesh or improving the flow of polygons in the geometry, for example making sure the polygon flow on a face follows muscle groups.

– ZRemesher > Target Polygons Count determines how many thousand polygons are in the new mesh. Press ZRemesher to complete the action.

– Use the ZRemesherGuides Brush from the brush palette to lay guidelines for the new mesh. Use the Zremesher > Curve Strength slider to determine how closely the guidelines are followed.

Zremesher can be used to change the resolution and polygon flow of a mesh.

Day 7

Introduction to Zbrush Digital Tutors

Mesh Creation Dynamesh

– Dynamesh is a way of modelling that protects the geometry from the stretching effect making large scale changes to a model can have.

– To enable dynamesh have an active tool and go to Tool > Geometry > Dynamesh.

– When dynamesh is enabled, at any time during sculpting Ctrl + Drag off the model and the geometry will be recalculated to give an optimal mesh.

Dynamesh allows for re-skinning a model with a new, optimised mesh at any time using Ctrl + drag.

– depending on the severity of the distorted polygons, the model may need smoothing after dynameshing.

– dynamesh can be used in conjunction with InsertMesh brushes by creating a single unified skin after the new mesh is inserted.

Dynamesh can be used with the InsertMesh brushes to unify a model.

– Tool > Geometry >Dynamesh > Groups makes the dynamesh tool work by polygroups. If a mesh is split into separate polygroups then dynameshed each group can be moved and manipulated separately, before dynameshing the whole model once more.

Dynamesh used with groups active splits the model by polygroup when dynameshed, allowing for chunks of model to be manipulated before skinning the whole model once more.

– Tool > Geometry > Dynamesh > Create Shell can be used with a subtractive mesh to create a shell with an opening based on the inserted mesh. To activate it, hold Alt while drawing (or enable ZAdd) the InsertMesh, then click Create Shell. The model will be hollowed out with a thickness determined by the Thickness slider, with the opening cut by the inserted mesh.

Dynamesh can be used in conjunction with subtractive meshes to create hollow shells.

Day 6 part 3

Introduction to Zbrush Digital Tutors

Mesh Creation SHadowbox

– The SHadowbox is a method for creating geometry that uses masking tools on the inner face of a cube. By applying masks on any face Zbrush creates geometry anywhere the masks intersect.

– To use Shadowbox start with any piece of geometry then go to Tool > Geometry > Shadowbox. A mask will be drawn that matches the piece of geometry.

– Clear the mask by Ctrl + Dragging off the model then begin drawing new masks using the mask tools learned earlier.

Shadowbox can be started form any piece of geometry and creates new geometry using masking tools.

Modifying existing geometry and creating new geometry form scratch in shadowbox.

– The Tool > Geometry > Shadowbox > Res slider controls the resolution and therefore quality of the masks and geometry.

– Clipping brushes (Ctrl + Shift) can be used to smooth and refine geometry created with shadowbox.

Day 5 part 3

Introduction to Zbrush Digital Tutors

Using Textures

– the Texture menu contains ways to bring new textures into the project; Import allows you to load textures from the computer while Lightbox > Texture lets you pick textures that are already in Lightbox: Double-click to make a texture the active one.

Use the texture menu to import texture files from your pc or lightbox.

– To apply a texture to a model a texture map must be created, and there are several ways to do that using the Tool and Texture menus:

– Texture has settings to define the resolution of a new texture map.

– Tool > Texture Map allows you to create a new texture map for each subtool. Texture maps can be created from polypainting, masking or UV groups.

The tool and texture menus contain several ways to create new texture maps.

– Tool > Polypaint > Polypaint from Texture applies polypainting to the model based on the texture map. The higher the subdivision level the more accurately the polypainting will be applied.

a model can be polypainted from an applied texture map.

– once polypainted the texture can be cleaned up on the model, hiding any seams or modifying to create a new texture map that is better suited to the 3D model.

– If you now try to recreate a texture map from the new polypainting it won’t work if the model doesn’t have a UV map applied. To create a UV map go to the lowest subdivision level then go to Tool > UV Map where you can set the size of the new UV map and choose how it’s created. PUVTiles is the most accurate method.

To create a texture map form polypainting the model needs a UV map.

– Tool > Texture Map > Clone Txtr copies the texture map to the texture palette where it can be painted with or exported using Texture > Export.

Texture maps can be exported as PSDs for editing in photoshop.

– Dragrect brush with a texture can be used for eg adding stickers and decals to a model.

Day 4 part 2

Introduction to Zbrush Digital Tutors

Basic Polypainting

– Polypainting is colouring a mesh using the polygons rather than a UV-based texture map. Polypainted models can be used to create texture maps, but for high-resolution maps a high-polygon model is required.

– Polypainting uses the same brushes as sculpting, but ZAdd and ZSub should be switched off and the RGB channel switched on.

Polypainting is usually started by switching the Zadd/Zsub buttons off and enabling the Rgb channel, once a base colour has been chosen.

– If you try to choose a colour now the whole mesh will change. To start polypainting properly, select Colour > FillObject. The mesh now has a colour applied and new colours can be selected for polypainting.

USe the FillObject button to set the base colour on the model, allowing for polypainting to proceed.

– Colour can be combined with strokes and alphas to get different paint effects.

Colour and brushes can be combined with strokes and alphas for many different effects.

– to pick a colour from the model, LMB + Drag from the colour palette onto the model. The cursor will change to the Pick symbol.

– Use DragRect stroke with alphas to draw coloured instances of that alpha.

Use the Dragrect stroke to precisely place coloured alphas.

– Rgb Intensity slider determines the strength of the polypainting colour. A higher intensity builds up colour more quickly.

– Sculpting and polypainting can be done at the same time, eg for sculpting boils and pimples.

Use Zadd/Zsub in conjunction with polypainting to sculpt and colour detail in one go.