ZSphere Design Intent?

[Bruce Gregory]

After many hours of experimenting with ZSphere positioning and settings I have come to the conclusion that ZSpheres are a "roughing out" tool. Unless you consider the formation of small limbs (fingers and toes) as fine details. There does not seem to be any apparent way of creating such things as fine facial detail using ZSpheres which could, in turn, be reposed by repositioning the ZSpheres. I am slightly disappointed by this, only from the standpoint of being able to produce animation within ZBrush, on a frame by frame basis, using adaptive skins (which retain the same textures after repositioning the ZSpheres), rendering and exporting out a frame, reposing, exporting out, and using the 16 layers as a kind of "flip book" review of all poses. If this were possible, I think we would see some extraordinary animations made within ZBrush utilising all of the many wonderful tools therein. Which leads me to the question: What was the design intent of ZSphere modeling by the creator, (Pixolator)? If I am right in assuming that it was designed to be a roughing out tool, then many of us who like to push things to the limits of their capabilities would be spared much suffering by obtaining this knowledge.

Can anyone enlighten?

[Stonecutter]

You can create facial contours, if that's what you mean...Adding ZSpheres in the right place gives you cheekbones, chins, eyebrow ridges...I've just started using them recently, but each time I do, I find new procedures with them...Maybe you just need to take a little more time for experimentation... :)

And Welcome to the Forum! :tu:

I also am interested in this use for ZBrush, and have every hope of success so far, but unfortunately I haven't got anything to show you at this point... ;)

[Bruce Gregory]

StoneCutter:

I have approached facial features using ZSpheres from 2 angles: attempting a kind of fabric mesh with control points (using the membrane settings at 100), and by creating an egg-shaped head object and adding ZSpheres for brows, nose, etc. I believe I have tried nearly every possible combination of settings without producing a comprehensible mesh. Do you have any examples of your facial modeling techniques, or better yet a ZScript? Any abbreviation in my experiments at this time would be greatly appreciated.

sincerely,

Bruce Gregory

[Stonecutter]

I'll see if I can get a script together for you, Bud...I'm in the middle of a project today, but weekends are a nice time for me to do those kinds of things... ;)