PPP3 - ZBrush Skills #2

Cont.

Sculpting & Painting

Left Click + Shift = Smooth Brush
Left click + Alt = Opposite of selected 'zAdd' or 'zSub'
'x' in Edit Mode = Activate Symmetry. (to change which Axis the Symmetry is applied to: Transform > Activate Symmetry > X/Y/Z/Radial)

To paint a polymesh surface, it needs its colour 'Filled'.
Color> FillObject = Base Colour will be Uneditable outside of FillObject.
This allows you to apply Colour to a Polymesh surface with a brush once you deactivate zAdd & zSub.
You can also Paint with zAdd/zSub, the colour will be applied along side the changes made to the Mesh.

Painted Surface ft. Masks: zAdd, zSub, RGB

Masking

'Ctrl' in Edit Mode = +Mask
Ctrl + Alt = -Mask
Left Click + Ctrl + Drag in Canvas area = Box Masking
Left Click + Ctrl + Alt + Drag in Canvas area = Box Unmasking
One of the above 2 Commands + Space Bar = Move Box Selection

Tool >  Masking > View Mask = Changes Visibility of all Masks
Tool >  Masking > Inverse = Inverts mask Selection
Alternatively:
While holding Ctrl, Left Click on Canvas Area = Inverts Mask Selection
Holding Ctrl brings up a Mask Brush menu to manually mask in different ways.

With Primitives, you can Mask By Alpha which offers deeper control on mesh masking.
it's possible to mask a certain amount of rows/columns or even  a grid mask.

Also, if you're using the 'Move' tool and you hold Ctrl you can use Topological Masking.
This allows you to choose parts of a Mesh that you want to Transpose.

Move Tool + Masking

Deforming Geometry

Tool >  Deformation = Allows Mesh Deforming

If you combine Masking with Deformation you can mold a basic shape very quickly into something that may be more useful to sculpt.

Gravity, Taper, Inflate + Inverted Masking

Polygroups

Must have PolyF (Poly Frame) turned On.

Ctrl + Shift + Left Click Drag = Rectangular Group Selection (Green)

Green = Visible

Red = Invisible

Ctrl + Shift + Click in Canvas Area = Inverts Visibility

Alt + Ctrl + Shift + Left Click Drag = Rectangular Group Selection (Red)

On the Ctrl + Shift Brush Menu you can also Select 'Slice Curve' which will make seperate Polygroups instantly from its selections.

Tool >  Geometry > Modify Topology > Delete Hidden (Will delete all Polygons that are not Visible)

Tool >  Polygroups

This Menu allows you to Edit/Create Polygroups in a Number of Ways.

Ctrl + W = Create Polygroup from Selected.

Ctrl + Shift + Click on Polygroup = Makes Group Selected the only Visible Polygroup.

You can also create Polygroups from Masks.

'Polish' slider allows Crisper selected Polygroups.

You can use the 'Move' Tool on seperate polygroups.

Click on the Mini Red Circle (in PolyF) of a Polygroup to align the Move Tool to the Group.

Ctrl + Left click with 'Move' Selected to Mask off other Polygroups.

Tool > Subtool > Split > Split Hidden (Split Hidden Polygroup/Polygons)

Tool > Geometry > Edge Loop

Crisp > Create Edge Loop = Creates a new Polygroup on sides of Selected

Polygrouped Pupil of Eye after being Transposed

Materials

Apply by:
Painting with 'M' channel on, zAdd/zSub off
Select Material, Color > FillObject

Open Materials Shelf  > Different Materials present different Modifiers
You can save Modified/Created Materials and load them in future.

Primitive + Chrome with Cavity Detection and Base RGB

Zplugin > Subtool Master > Fill > Color/Material/Color+Material
If you click Ok with non selected, it will revert your Geometry's Material back to the Default state.

Textures

Texture Tile (left shelf) > Select Material = Allows Painting with Texture
Tool > Texture Map > Open Texture = Applies Texture to entire Geometry
Tool > Polypaint > Create Polypaint from Texture = Creates a new Polypaint from loaded Texture Map
Tool > Texture Map > Create > New from Polypaint = Creates Texture Map from Polypaint on Geometry (Requires UV Map)

To create a simple UV Map in ZBrush:
Subdivide Geometry
Apply Texture/Polypaint
Lower Subdivision
Tool > UV Map
Select UV Size (512 - 4096)
PUVTiles ( Pack UV Tiles, Can user UV Master Plugin for better results)

PPP3 - ZBrush Skills #1

2.5D "Drawing" using Pixols.

1. Alpha + MRGB + zAdd = Edits Material, Colour and Positive Depth of Alpha Brush.
2. Alpha + RGB = Edits Edits Colour of Material applied to Alpha Brush.
3. Alpha + M = Edits Material applied to Alpha Brush.
4. Alpha = Alpha Brush.
5. Select Alpha Brush.
6. Select Material.

4 Different Version of Alpha

File Types

Document > Save As = .zbr File. (Used for 2.5D Based Files. e.g. Illustrations with Depth).

File > Save As = .zpr File. (Used for 3D Primarily) Includes loaded Subtools & Materials.

Tool > Save As = .ztl File. (Used to Save/Load zTools).

Tool > Import = Use .obj Files to import Meshes from other programmes. (e.g. Exported .obj file from Maya)

Display

Draw > Perspective/Floor = Change Angle of View & Grid Size

Transform > PolyF = Show Mesh (Highlighted Meshes are different Polygroups)

Transform > Transparent > Ghost = Changes non-selected Polygroups to Transparent or Ghost Transparency.

Transform > XPose = Seperates all Polygroups from each other in displays them as individual Meshes

See-Through Slider = Changes Transparency of zBrush, can be used for reference images.

Draw > Front-Back > One > Map1/2 = Adding Texture Plane (Reference Planes/Boxes)

Texture Maps Applied

Draw > Fill Mode = Changes Transparency and Depth of Texture Plane (Off, Background 50%, Background 100%, In-front of Mesh)

Transforming Objects

With Primitives you can edit their Meshes in the Tool > Initialize menu and modify the geometry of a shape before converting to a Polymesh.

W = Move - Opens up the 'Transpose' Brush (1st + 3rd Circle dragged from one end to other, use 2nd Circle to Move Mesh)

E = Scale

R = Rotate

Pre-Initialized 'Gear' Primitive and then Transposed

Tool > Geometry > Position = Alternative way of moving Object within Canvas space (Remembers default Coordinates)

Tool > Geometry > Size = Works the same way as the 'Position' subtool.

Subdivisions

1. 'Divide' Button used to Subdivide geometry only when already converted to a Polymesh.

2. Resolution Slider. Switch between levels of Lower/Higher Subdivisions.

3. Example of zAdd on Object.

4. zAdd applied to Object at Lvl 3 Subdivision.

5. Higher Resolution zAdd on geometry.

6. Shows a higher lvl of Subdivision, meaning any zAdd changes to geometry are of a higher poly count. Note: zAdd geometry applied at lower Subdivision levels stays a similar quality.

7. Changed back down to a lower resolution.

8. zAdd geometry still apparent but the smaller amount of polys has affected the quality.