Books & challenge

[DLee]

I was going to make this a lesson, then realized that would send some into fits of laughter ~G~ So, perhaps a challenge would be better.

What started this idea was when I saw Jay(can't remember his whole name) ask about a book and how to make one in zbrush.

These are all one piece, I'm sure the master's here could do much better with a seperate cover etc. The closed book with no white design on it was a cube skinned. The others are a regular cube with maxed polycount. Used masking and inflate to get the shapes. They arn't very good. I'm hoping the guru's will show a slicker way.

To the challenge. If some have some spare time, perhaps you could post your books. Not the tools, just the technique used to get them. We are here to learn. ~s~

My question is there a way to mask a straight line on an active tool?

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1032459433ihx.jpg

[Mahlikus The Black]

Well I thought I knew but I should try it first...
:(

[DLee]

No, that doesn't work when in edit mode. Once you're in edit mode the stroke pallet is in accessable.

[Stonecutter]

I've said this elsewhere before, so pardon the repetition Deb, but I use a tablet, and therefore the easiest way I've found to draw a straight line is fairly obvious...

I use Freehand as the stroke type, with '0' as the spacing setting, and a 3-sided engineers' ruler to draw the line...

Low-tech, but works without fail every time...Sometimes computer software gets in the way of a simple approach... ;)

EDIT: I just re-read your post, and I guess my method wouldn't work...Have you thought of making an Alpha, then a Stencil from that? You could then use 'wrap' mode and draw a straight line mask even on a curved surface...I don't mask much so I missed the 'Edit' mode point in your question... :rolleyes:

[Mahlikus The Black]

I made this reakky quick to see.... 3D terrain tool with a straight up and down V Profile and an h profile change (like a book) and a few snapshots after repositioning with the gyro...you can put a tassle (spelling?) bookmark down the middle or use zsub and a fine Draw size to make the bend..OH..or for that matter..make only one side of the book then dup the layer and flip it on the horiz!!

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1032462982kru.jpg

[Mahlikus The Black]

okay..for the straight line...you should be able to turn off all the axis save the one you need in the transform palette-modifiers sub palette...use a small DS and an alpha that has a fairly hard falloff..(brush 12 or 14).
That way you can even draw with a drunken sumu wrestler and still make a straight line. But the draw masking doesn't behave the same as the actual editing...HEY PIX!..Whats up with that..weird...Okay so you can pick the ssquare alpha and select the move (push/pull) in edited and drag rect?..this should work right (considering the polues of your mess are really small or in a nice row)?

[DLee]

Okay, well least now I know it's not just me. Doing a straight masking line while in edit mode isn't possible. I've tried all the suggestions and none really work. I did mine by just doing it slowly. Of course a nice crisp line would be nice.

I use the ruler idea a lot for straight lines, just not workable in this instance.
Black, very good open book. At least we proved a book can be done in Z. Thanks, guys.

[juandel]

i think it might be possible, DLee. i guess you will want to start from a cube. i would do like this for applying it freehand:

go to preferences ::quickedit+pf(polyframes), rotate cube so that it is exactly facing you with a side that doesnt show a pole.

reduce division - you can use optimize (and divide later again).

go to edit move mode - select square alpha - press ctrl - start dragging OUTSIDE of object - try to apply alpha in drag rectangle draw. once it sits you will probably find a few more polys affected by the mask: unmask them in edit mode pressing ctrl+alt. once you like it, do not forget to make it re-selectable by making it a custom alpha via makealpha in selection.

another way and probably more accurate way would be to experiment with the row and col buttons and skip/select sliders in the objects selection window.

one of this might do it and i hope it helps. first one is a bit different from what you had to do in 1.23 and is only what i found out with Zoid’s help (HE found out :D), but i think in this case it should do its job.

- juandel

[DeeVee]

It looks good to me D. another image that is different! :tu: :tu: :tu:

[Zoid]

Hi DLee,

I like your books and your challenge. I think I will try if time permits. Mahlikus, you're on to something with that terrain tool, but I think DLee is looking for a more unified object. Juandel is correct except that it was WingedOne who figured it out first, not me. I'm assuming that you are starting with a cube which in ZBrush is an interesting primitive which LeDiscot recently pointed out. The cube in ZBrush has poles, much like the sphere which you need to be aware of when masking. Here is a script which shows dragstroke masking on a flattened cube, first flattening on the z axis which doesn't work, and then on the y axis which gives better results. As always, run this script with the "show actions" button enabled. Hope this helps some :)

Straight Line Mask.txt (http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_file-1032664378aeu.txt)

[DLee]

Just ran the script, Zoid. That looks exactly what I want. Going to go back and study that some more. Thanks.

I really found the skinned cube worked really nice, better than the plain cube. Your masking idea should work perfect on the closed books to.

[Zoid]

I'm glad it worked for you. I'm really enjoying modeling with the "polyframe" on. It helps with very precise masking and modeling. :tu:

[Kruzr]

Good Evening DLee . . . :)

Here's an image of a "Book", as it is. Ha Ha Ha. :D I just threw it together, kinda quick. It's two separate pieces, the "book pages" & the "book cover". The book pages were created from a Cube3D, masked & "Inflated" for the pages, re-masked & "Bend" for the center section, or "V", re-masked again & "SBend" for the curved look to the pages. The book cover was created from a Cube3D, masked in a couple of small places & "Offset" to create the folds in the center of the cover. It could have been created a little better, but I just wanted to post an image before I go to bed. ;)

Anyway, you have a good one . . . :cool: Mark.

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1032499834btz.jpg

[DeeVee]

K that is excellent! I hope Debs gets the technique down, I can see a lot of posibilities for this. :tu: :tu: :tu: :)

[DLee]

Kruzer that's beautiful. Thanks for posting it.

[ed_the_atom]

Detective Tome..........book division police.
All one sphere, no texture. whoa...eyes are spheres.

The book ideas are more than useful to this person thanks all. :tu:

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1032510152ctn.jpg

Another tool by Quick Tools R Us

[Frenchy Pilou]

Jack Palmer ? http://www.toutbd.com/surprises/corse.JPG
Pilou

[ed_the_atom]

Nope Frenchy......image straight out of my deluded mind :)

[juandel]

ooops - sorry, WingedOne (and thank you!) - and thanks, Zoid for pointing that out! :D

a very beautiful book, Mark and a :tu: :tu: :tu: :tu: detective, Ed!

- juandel

[Zoid]

Hi again DLee,

Here's another book image for your thread.
http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1032663601qry.jpg

I also managed to make a notated script like I said I would do for you. My first script got scrapped halfway through notating it when I got inspiration for a new method. Here is the updated version of my script, Straight Line Mask.txt (http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_file-1032663843ris.txt) This time run it with show actions off and hopefully it will work better. :cool:

[DLee]

Wow Zoid, that book is beautiful!!! Good job!

[DeeVee]

All these books are great! Nice ispirational thread Debs. :) :tu: :tu: :tu: :tu: :)

[Muvlo]

I thought I'd give this a try as it is just the sort of thing Bones would spring on us at 3DFC.

My method was similar to Kruzr's, Bend then SBend. Only thing different on mine is that by giving one axis a higher mesh density in relation to its size compared with the other two I could apply noise to give the appearence of pages to the book. Then the same thing for the cover, and then lots of time spent with materials and rendering. :D

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1032665866njm.jpg

[DLee]

I love those old pages, Muvlo. Perfect for a book of magic.

[Ron Harris]

wow...great thread Dlee....I tell ya, you would not think that something as simple as a book would be so kewl looking ....alot of great images.....and I adore the last two....thnx for the script zoid...that will be a great learning tool for me I know.. :tu: :tu: :tu:

[wenna]

wow, go away for a few days and look at all these great books!!! Really great!