Help: Alpha Maps?

[Mr Z]

hello everyone, I have a slight problem.

What does alpha maps do and how do I use them in Zbrush 1.23b full :qu:
I have tons of them from many websites and I really want to use them if I just knew what they do and how to use them!

as always, all help is highly appreciated!

from Shane or Shaun or DJ Fenix!

[juandel]

in case you downloaded them alphas straight from the net, you will probably have to convert them from .jpg and .gif files into either .psd or .bmp-files to be able to import them via the alpha-palette-inventory-load move into your alphapalette, mr. Z! ... the different greyscale values they consist of are translated into z-depth by z-brush: basically it is like the brighter the more z-impact. alphas work for instance as brush-tips, can be applied as selections, fogpatterns etc.etc. but imho they are simply pure magic :D :D :D good for ya, having that mucho of them at hand! :D

- juandel

[aurick]

There are actually a lot of different ways that alphas can be used in ZBrush. In fact, most every part of the program can be influenced by them in some way, shape or form. Here are a few:

:: Certain materials can have a texture loaded into the S1 slot to create interesting effects. Alphas that have been converted to textures are especially impressive here.

:: Any alpha image can be turned into a stencil and used to give considerable control over painting. This is especially handy for text.

:: An alpha can be applied to a 3D object as a mask and used to control deformations. For example, a bump map can be used to add real bumps to the object. A transparency map can be used to remove eyelashes from an imported Poser figure.

:: An alpha can be used in the global light boxes in the Lighting palette to control brightness throughout the entire image.

:: You can also use alphas in the Render palette to give better control over fog.

:: Alphas are especially useful when painting because every 2D and 2.5D brush will take on the shape of your currently selected alpha. In other words, alphas are the key to creating custom brushes. Combine this with the different options in the Stroke palette for awesome results.

I've probably even missed a few possible uses. These are just the ones off the top of my head. From my own experience I can say that when I first started using ZBrush I completely ignored the Alpha palette as pretty much a waste. Boy was I ever wrong! There is no longer a single project that I work on without using many different alphas for practically every phase of the job.

It's also really easy to create your own. Any texture can be converted into an alpha (and the other way around) with the click of a button. You can also draw whatever shape you want on a blank part of the canvas, complete with depth, then use the MRGBZGrabber to snatch the depth information as a brand new alpha. This makes creating new brushes a snap.

Experiment a lot, and above all else: Have fun!

[Mr Z]

Thanks Juandel and Aurick for giving me such in depth info, it really does give me some new light on that really puzzling issue.

Hmmm, now back to Z for some real fun!

thanks again

[s o u t h e r n]

Download AlphaManager from the AlphaManager Thread (http://www.pixolator.com/zbc-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=003164) and there are 4 tutorials built in that explain some of what has been said here.

Hope they help.

Glen