II. Precautions: Non-Medical
- Not for Medical Care
- The author uses several software packages and programming languages to develop FPnotebook content
- For convenience, a dozen pages in FPNotebook are dedicated to quick notes on content creation
III. Technique: Workflows
- ZSphere Modeling
- Indicated for hierarchical (animal or human) or branching (e.g. Neuron) modeling
- Turn on X Symmetry (as needed)
- Process (repeat in cycles)
- Drag out new zspheres from another zsphere's surface
- Move and scale the zsphere
- Preview the geometry (A)
- Convert to geometry once zsphere hierarchy
- Zsphere can be saved as a ztool (and used to create other geometry)
- Press 'A' to preview geometry, then click Edit Polymesh3D button (in Tools menu)
- Adjust basic geometry with Dynamesh
- Create a low poly model
- Use ZRemesher and target polycount 5(k) with "adapt"
- Continue adjusting basic low poly geometry
- Maya to ZBrush
- Create a low polygon mesh in Maya
- Keep geometry simple (basic form) and straight without distortion and without ngons
- Complex objects (e.g. hands) may require more geometry, but keep to low polygon
- Keep model size within the size of the default grid
- Assign basic materials (e.g. Blinn) to each sub-object within the model
- Each object with a different material will become a different subTool in ZBrush
- Click Go-Z exporter or export to Obj
- Import into ZBrush
- Receive the GoZ import as a ZTool or import as obj
- Draw out the tool and edit (T)
- Model scale is important for brush sizer to work properly
- Break the object into SubTools
- Tool > Polygroups > Autogroup
- Tool > Subtools > Split
- Edit each subtool
- Start by Tool>Divisions (Ctrl-D) - subdividing 2-3 times
- Consider turning off smooth for the first 2 subdivisions to harden overall shape
- Export Low Poly Geometry
- Create a low poly subdivision levels if lacking on any objects (e.g. Dynamesh objects)
- Subdivide subtool twice (may bring object to 50M or more)
- Select subdivision level 1 (lowest level)
- Freeze subdivision levels
- Use ZRemesher set to 5-10k (or with Dynamesh set to 300-800)
- Un-Freeze Subdivision levels
- Set Subtool > "All Low" (turns subdivisions to lowest level)
- ZPlugin > UV Master > Unfold All (or can auto UV map unwrap in Substance)
- Set Export (with merge and group off)
- ZPlugin > Subtool Master > Export (or export as FBX)
- Create a low poly subdivision levels if lacking on any objects (e.g. Dynamesh objects)
- Export High Poly Geometry
- Check that mesh sizes are not too large to freeze the export process (e.g. >1 million points)
- Use ZRemesher or Decimate plugin tol reduce size
- Set Subtool > "All High" (turns subdivisions to highest level)
- No need to create High Poly UV (we will only be using the high poly for normal maps)
- Set Export (with merge and group off)
- ZPlugin > Subtool Master > Export (or export as FBX)
- Check that mesh sizes are not too large to freeze the export process (e.g. >1 million points)
- Create a low polygon mesh in Maya
- Substance Painter
- New Project > PBR Metallic Roughness
- File Select > Low Poly FBX
- Document Resolution 1024
- Auto Unwrap (options: recompute all, margin size large)
- Can try margin size small (but this resulted in normal mesh distortion for me)
- Bake Meshes
- Use high poly mesh FBX in substance painter
- Using the above work flow in Maya/ZBrush, each subtool will be its own textureSet in Substance Painter
IV. Technique: Main Interface
- Help
- Tooltips (hover over buttons; hold down ctrl and hover for detailed tooltip)
- Windows
- Document/Canvas Window
- Tab: Toggles maximal canvas size (inside dividers and top menu)
- Window Scrolling
- Click in background space between buttons and drag
- Hold Shift while opening sub-menus to open up multiple sub-menus simultaneously
- Document/Canvas Window
- LightBox
- Bottom of lightbox shows folder path
- Hide Lightbox (Toggle LightBox button or press ",")
- To hide at start-up, Preferences > LightBox > Toggle "Open At Launch" (and Store Config)
- Perspective
- Turn on perspective for normal camera proportions (distant objects are smaller)
- Scene Navigation
- Pan
- Alt-RMB-Drag
- Alt-LMB-Drag Background (classic LMB navigation)
- Zoom
- Ctrl-RMB-Drag
- Alt-LMB-Drag Background and release Alt (classic LMB navigation)
- Rotate
- RMB-Drag
- LMB-Drag Background (classic LMB navigation)
- Constrained Rotation
- Shift-RMB-Drag
- Rotate to fixed camera angles (or click on the CAM View Icon and Arrows in the upper right)
- Shift-RMB-Drag
- Frame (F)
- Frames current object in document window (fit mesh to view)
- Pan
- Orienting Scene
- Toggle Floor Grid Plane (Shift-P)
- CAM Head
- Tool Appearance
- Shift-F
- Toggle Polyframe on/off (shows/hides polygon grid on object)
- Shift-F
V. Technique: Preferences
- Default Document
- New Document with Auto-Fit Window Size (WSIze) enabled
- Document > Save as startup document
- To reset to initial settings - delete the ZStartup/StartupDocument.zpr file
- Default Material
- Click Material Button in Brush Palette
- Select MatCap Gray
- Material Menu > Save as startup material
- To reset to initial settings - delete the ZStartup/StartupMaterial.zmt file
VI. Technique: File Management
- Saving
- Avoid "Save as Document" - does not save tools
- Project > Save As
- Saves a project (ZProject or ZPR) with all tools in the scene as well as document settings
- Tool > Save As
- Saves current tool and associated subtools (ZTool)
- QuickSave (9)
- Saves currently active tool to QuickSave Window in LightBox
- Loading Content
- Project
- When loading a saved project back into ZBrush, the project will replace the current scene
- Alternatively, "load tools from project" will add tools from the selected project file into the current scene
- Tool
- When loading a saved tool back into ZBrush, the tool will be added to the current scene/project
- Project
VII. Technique: Tools
- Hot_keys
- Ctrl-N: Clear Window (Clear Layer)
- Creating a new tool
- Choose a Tool from the Lightbox or from the Tool Palette
- Select the DragRect Brush
- Drag out an object with the tool (shift-drag to orient object)
- Enter EDIT mode by clicking the Edit Button (or "T")
- Primitives
- In Tool Menu, select a Primitive (may also select from LightBox) and drag out on canvas as described above
- Enter Edit Mode ("T")
- Tool Window > Initialize to adjust primitive settings
- Click "Make Polymesh 3D" to convert primitive to an object that allows sculpting
- Object Editing
- Recently used tools with sculpting changes are shown in the Tool Palette Icons
- Deformations
- Includes object based deformations (e.g. inflate) typically performed on a masked region
- ZPlugin > Scale Master Tool
- Set XYZ = 2 for best results
- Mirror
- Mirror (in X, Y or Z)
- Under Tool > Deformation
- Creates a mirror image of the current object
- Example - left side appears as prior right side, and right side appears as prior left side
- May be used in combination with mirror and weld
- If the left side has the geometry to transfer, first mirror and the left side will be moved right
- Then mirror and weld, which will weld together the right side and a mirrored version of right
- Mirror and Weld (in X, Y or Z)
- Under Tool > Geometry > Modify Topology
- Mirroring is from negative side (left) to positive side (right), e.g. -X to +X
- If in X, replaces the topology right of center, with mirrored left of center AND welds the 2 together
- Mirror (in X, Y or Z)
- Gizmo (transpose, "W" to activate)
- Move and rotate the gizmo (hold Alt while modifying)
- Unlocks Gizmo to move orientation point
- Select and Orient Gizmo to Face (Alt-LMB Face)
- Click on selected face to center gizmo on face and assume face's normal
- Mask areas to fix position, then Alt-LMB the faces to move
- Resets
- Alt-Refresh button
- Reset mesh orientation
- Alt-Home
- Reset object axis position
- Alt-Unmasked mesh orient to center
- Center gizmo and reorient to unmasked region
- Alt-Refresh button
- Copy
- Ctrl-LMB Drag Object
- Release Ctrl and continue dragging to place copies of additional objects
- Ctrl-Dragging a masked region or polygroup, and then releasing Ctrl, will set down edge loops
- Flatten surface
- Mask the surface to flatten and invert mask
- Alt-LMB a face on the surface to serve as guide for other faces to match
- Use Gizmo scale in axis perpendicular to surface (may need to repeat several scale drags)
- Move and rotate the gizmo (hold Alt while modifying)
VIII. Technique: Geometry
- Geometry Subdivisions
- Geometry Divide (Ctrl-D)
- SDiv
- Maintains subdiv history (up and down to modify geometry at different division levels)
- Basic modeling at 3-4 subdivision levels, completed high ploy mesh at 6-7 subdivision levels
- Smooth
- Modifier for smoothing geometry (similar to smooth mesh in Maya)
- Dynamic Subdivision (D, Shift-D)
- Subdivision preview
- Consider for hard surfacing modeling
- Dynamesh
- Automatically adjusts geometry to evenly distributed geometry
- Set Resolution (start low resolution while blocking in)
- Re-Dynamesh: Ctrl-Drag in open area (not on model, which instead draws mask)
- Consider "Project" modifier for hard surface modeling
- Sculptris-Pro
- Subdivides mesh while drawing, dynamically tessalates in the region of increased topology
- Cursor with be purple
- Subtools
- Alt-LMB
- Select subtool
- N
- Select subtool dialog (then click subtool icon or type additional letters to filter)
- Expose
- Divides out subtools in space so they may be individually visualized
- Append
- Append another subtool object
- Multi-Append
- ZPlugin > SubTool Master Menu
- Mirror
- ZPlugin > SubTool Master Menu
- Alt-LMB
IX. Technique: Brushes and Sculpting
-
General
- Brush window is at far left (double click the far left divider to open)
- Undo slider at top of document window
- Spacebar - quick panel (heads up display) of commonly used buttons
- Symmetry (transform panel)
- Leave Mirror Symmetry on
- X-Symmetry (X)
- Typical for body modeling
- Y-Symmetry (Y)
- XY Typical for ornamentals (front only)
- Z-Symmetry (Z)
- XYZ typical for ornamentals (front and back)
- Radial Symmetry
- Used in combination with X, Y and/or Z Symmetry to surround an object (adjust radial count)
- Example: Lathing an object (e.g. bowl or vase)
- Geometry > mirror and weld
- Duplicate object across specified axis
- Copies negative (left side) to positive (right side)
- Brushes
- Hot Keys
- Alt with brush to perform reverse of default brush behavior
- Default is typically to build up a surface (ZAdd)
- Inverse (alt) typically digs into the surface (ZSub)
- Smooth surface
- Hold Shift-LMB and brush areas (smooth algorithm 1)
- Hold Shift-LMB and start to brush, releasing the shift key
- Modify Brush Characteristics (type hotkey and drag)
- Brush Draw Size (S)
- Brush Z-Intensity (U)
- Focal Shift or Brush Hardness Falloff (O)
- Alt with brush to perform reverse of default brush behavior
- Soft Brushes (B)
- Standard Brush (ST)
- Clay Brush (CL) in addition to ClayTube and ClayBuildUp
- ZModeler (ZM)
- Move (MV)
- Curve > Accucurve for hard surface modeling (sharp edges pulled out in hard surface modeling)
- AutoMasking > Topological to adjust one portion model without affecting other parts
- SnakeHook (SH)
- Hard Brushes
- Trim Dynamic (bevel edges)
- HPolish (smoothes while preserving edges)
- Damian Standard (hard edge compared with standard brush)
- Draw cracks, pull out edges
- MAH Cut Mech A and B (cut brushes)
- Slash Brush (or Slash-L Brush)
- Insert Multi-Mesh Brushes (IMM)
- Brushes with tools within the brush
- Pressing M (material) brings up a dialog to select between brushes
- Allows appending of objects
- Hold down Alt, while dragging an object to create a subtraction boolean
- This will first mask all objects except the new IMM object
- Ctrl-Drag to unmask
- Ctrl-Drag again to perform boolean subtraction of object
- May insert by dragging a curve on surface (e.g. rope)
- Consider drawing out an object to draw on (and then remove later)
- Turn on Stroke > Curve Mode (with Bend and Snap selected)
- Drag out the curve
- Can also drag the end and curve line to move and shape the curve
- Once curve line is defined, may then modify geometry
- Click Brush > Modifiers > Stretch (to stretch out geometry to fill spaces)
- Remove the underlying object used to shape the IMM (if needed)
- Mask the IMM object first (ctrl-click the interface)
- Click Tool > Visibility > Hid Pt
- Click Tool > Geometry > Modify Topology > Del Hidden
- Repair geometry with Dynamesh an Zremesher
- Clear Mask (ctrl-Drag interface)
- Set Dynamesh to high resolution (e.g. 1200) and Blur to 0
- Turn On Dynamesh to resample at high resolution and then turn off again
- ZRemesher with default settings
- Additional Brushes
- Load brushes from LightBox > Brushes
- Save custom versions of brushes that you have modified settings (brush > save as)
- Download brushes online
- Hot Keys
X. Technique: Masks
- Hot-Keys
- Unmask (Ctrl-Alt Drag over region to unmask)
- Clear Mask (Ctrl-Drag over an empty area)
- Mask All (Ctrl-LMB with no items selected)
- Lighten and Blur Mask (Ctrl-LMB on masked area)
- Sharpen Mask (Ctrl-Alt--LMB)
- Invert Mask (Ctrl-i or Ctrl-LMB click in empty region)
- Draw rectangular Mask (Ctrl-Drag)
- Hold spacebar to move mask
- Group Mask into Polygroup and then Clear Mask (Ctrl-W)
- Groups masked items into a Polygroup and then removes the mask
- If no items are masked, then groups visible items into polygroup
- Useful Mask Brushes
- MaskPen (default)
- MaskCurve (solid line to gradient points to masked area)
- Press and release Alt (while holding down ctrl) to add a bezier point
- Press and release Alt twice (while holding down ctrl) to insert a straight point
- MaskLasso
- Transpose Smart (in brush menu)
- Useful for exactly placing alphas (e.g. text masks , 2d object masks) - use while holding ctrl button
XI. Technique: Visibility Selection, Clipping, Slicing and Trimming
- Hot-Keys
- Select visible and hide unselected (Ctrl-Shift-LMB drag)
- Select to hide and retain unselected (Ctrl-Shift-Alt-LMB, drag)
- Unhide all (Ctrl-Shift-LMB click in background, open area)
- Invert Visible, making visible hidden and the hidden visible (Ctrl-Shift-LMB drag in background, open area)
- Grow Visibility (Tool>Visibility>Grow or Ctrl-Shift-X)
- Shrink Visibility (Tool>Visibility>Shrink or Ctrl-Shift-S)
- Group Visible into Polygroup (Ctrl-W if no items are masked)
- Isolate Polygroup, making other polygroups invisible (Ctrl-Shift-LMB a polygroup)
- Does not work with SelectLasso tool (use selectRect tool for this)
- Common visibility selection brushes
- Selection
- SelectRect (default, rectangle shaped selection)
- SelectLasso
- Allows for free-hand drawing a margin
- Clipping brushes
- Clip compresses all geometry into the clip plane (see Trim below as a possibly better alternative)
- ClipCurve
- Places a cut through an object and smashes all of the clipped geometry into that plane
- Best used when clipping simple geometry (otherwise resulting topology is messy)
- Limit number of changes in direction of curve to <2-3 for each line drawn
- ClipCircle or ClipCircleCenter
- Clips polygons outside of the circle
- Hold down Alt (with Ctrl-Shift) to clip polygons inside the circle
- Behavior changes when the center point of the circle overlaps mesh (unless circle is entirely within mesh)
- ClipRect
- Behavior changes when the center point of the circle overlaps mesh (unless rect is entirely within mesh)
- Consider ClipCurve instead (more predictable)
- Slicing brushes
- Slice creates a new polygroup from beyond the slice line
- SliceCurve
- SliceRect
- SliceCirc
- Trimming Brushes
- Trim is an improved clipping brush that removes trimmed geometry and fills the hole with reasonable topology
- TrimCurve (best with straight lines without bends)
- Press Ctrl-Shift space-bar>polygroup to create a new polygroup from the remaining face after trim
- Press Ctrl-Shift space-bar>bradius to create an interesting cut-away and partially sliced surface
- TrimRect
- TrimCirc
- Pointers
- Visible objects may be deformed, rotated, moved, scaled as if the hidden geometry were masked
- Mask areas to prevent that area from being clipped
XII. Resources
- ZBrush Intro 1 YouTube Playlist (Michael Pavlovich)