Day 6

Introduction to Zbrush Digital Tutors

Mesh Creation Zspheres

– To start creating geometry with Zspheres, select the Zsphere tool from the Tool palette, draw it on the canvas then enter edit mode (T).

– To create new Zspheres enter draw mode, move the cursor to the deisred position on the model and LMB + Drag to draw a Zsphere at the desired size.

– Use the move mode to drag the new Zsphere to the desired position.

– Link spheres connect Zspheres; they cannot be edited directly but can be converted to Zspheres.

Use the tool palette + draw mode to create Zspheres

– Once created Zspheres can be scaled with the Scale mode.

– Zspheres can be rotated with the rotate mode. By clciking on the Link sphere chain with the rotate mode active you can rotate and entire chain of Zspheres.

– Hold Shift while drawing Zspheres to create a Zsphere the same size as the previous Zsphere.

– Click on a link sphere while in draw mode to create a new Zsphere from a link sphere.

– Hit A while in Zsphere mode to view an adaptive skin, which is a low-poly mesh applied over the Zsphere model.

Press A while Zsphere modelling to view an adaptive skin preview of the geometry being created.

– The Tool > Adaptive Skin subpalette contains setting for the adaptive skin. The Density slider determines how many subdivision levels ie how many polygons are in the adaptive skin.

– Tool > Adaptive Skin > G Radial modifies the number of spanes or polygon rings created in the adaptive skin, and has a similar effect to the Density slider.

The subdivision level of the adaptive skin can be modified using the density slider.

– Once you’re happy with the Zsphere model press Tool > Adaptive Skin > Make Adaptive Skin to create a polygon mesh from the Zsphere model. The new tool will appear in the tool palette called eg Skin_Zsphere_1. The model can now be sculpted normally.

Pressing Make Adaptive SKin creates a polygon mesh form the Zsphere model and adds it to the tool palette.

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 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).