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.