newbie questions(text n screen res.)

[scient]

hey, i just wanted to know if you can insert text using zbrush at all?
and about the screen res/my monitor is 800x600 res.if i switch to the next res up to see the "ok" button can i then change res back to 800x600 without any problems? cause ive read that changing your screen res to higher than default can stuff up your monitor.thanks!
I just had to edit n add that those sample images at pixolator.com are awsome!!! i didnt think that was possible!
:eek:

[Silent-bob]

hello scient, let me be the first one to greet you to this forum, welcome!

question 1: as of yet, there is no way for directly inserting text into ZBrush.. :(

question 2: if you change the res in windows and do not approve of the change in 15 second (it gives you a little box..) windows will automaticly change the resolution back to its original setting..

if this question was about changing the resolution in ZBrush, than there is no problem at all, all you are doing is changing the size of the document


hope this helps, and again, welcme to the forum! :cool:

[aurick]

ZBrush doesn't have a text tool at this point (although it wouldn't surprise me at all if that was in the works). There are a couple of ways to get it into your scene. One would be to create it in Photoshop or something similar, then import it as a texture. If you give the text any color other than black, you can give it a black background and then set the texture to be transparent in the Texture palette. The black will disappear when you apply it to a 3D object (such as a plane), leaving only the text. If you want the text to be black, you can also create two versions of it for import. In one, you have the text texture, with the black text. In the other, you would have black text on a pure white background. The former texture would be imported into the Texture palette and applied as a regular texture. The latter, you would import into your alpha palette. Using the Plane3D tool, max out its mesh density using the Tool:Modifiers:Initialize settings, and then in Tool:Modifiers:Selection click the button to apply your alpha as a mask. Click Hide in the same palette to make everything that is not text disappear. You can then apply the text as a texture, and it will appear as black text with no background, to position as you please.

Another way to get text, if you want 3D text is to use Elefont (info on it found here (http://www.pixolator.com/zbc-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=000284)), which will create a DXF for import as a Polymesh. You can then treat it like any other tool.

As for the resolution question, I wouldn't work in ZBrush at less than 1024x768 (and actually use 1152x864). Anything smaller, and you'll have trouble seeing every setting in some of your palettes (especially the Tool palette). The Windows default resolution is just what most people are the most comfortable with looking at. I think most graphics people would quickly go insane if that was the best that they could use. (Especially since a good many of us are mostly there, already!) If you have a decent graphics card at all, it will support quite a bit better. Just select the resolution that you want from your display settings and click the "apply" button. Windows will test the setting to see if your graphics card/monitor combination can support it. If so, then you can keep the settings. If not, you can try another one. But the bottom line is that most modern monitors and graphics cards both will support a resolution far greater than most people would be comfortable with looking at.

Hope all of that helps you out!

[scient]

ok cool, so even know my monitor is 15" in 800x600 changing to 1024x768 wont damage it at all? im just scared to keep it at 1024x768 since ive read some things that it will cause the monitor to 'burn out' or something, n making me have ot get a new one :confused: lol But thanks alot to you both,it was very helpful and ill check out those link about text.THANKS!

[Silent-bob]

scient, to keep you cool, im an electronics student, and there is absolutly no way that changing the resolution from windows can permanently damage your monitor. it's just not phisically possible.. so dont worry about it..

[scient]

thats great,thanks again you were really helpful.