Zsphere Tips and Tricks

[bozo_boy]

As you can see I stink at zspheres. My biggest problem is understanding how to make volumes/shapes with them. I tried using the spheres themselves to fill the volumes but that didn't work.

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/uploaded_from_zbc/200311/user_image-1069798575bwg.jpg

Is there a good source to find more info on Zspheres? I have checked all the QuickLinks and tuts. I need more.

[Washington]

Open a menu named 'Tool' and then open 'Inventory' in it. Drag 'Density' to the highest scale for more polygons and then post image of your rat. I want to see it!! :)

[andreseloy]

Hi bozo_boy welcome and here is a great tut from PusGhetty, is very very didactic¡¡
An extensive review ZSphere tutorial by PusGhetty (http://www.pixolator.com/zbc-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=011183)
I hope this help
Thanks for your attention
Andreseloy

[Kircho]

Instead of Adaptive use unified skinning. This will create the volume your after. The clarity of the underlying z-spheres depends almost exclusivley on the resolution you set the model to , usually with a model like this use a higher setting as there are are quite a bit of details.

Kircho

[Washington]

Sometimes I can't understand why people kept reffering to "An extensive review ZSphere tutorial by PusGhetty" because I did not find much info from there except general information about ZSphere. There was no tech or guide to buttons or step by step info.

I still could not figure how to set ZSphere balls with variety of resoultion amount for detail of polygons. I also could not figure how to flat or scale one side of a zsphere ball.

[andreseloy]

Excuse me, Is my opinion about that great tutorial from PusGhetty and the yellow letters that comes with the reference are always when you take the url and also is the title that autor put in his topic¡¡
Andreseloy

[Washington]

http://www.3dcommune.com/3d/page.mv?/3d/reviews/phpg2/index.htm

I went there and read all his article. Here is an example:

Zspheres/ The Options Continued…
Here are the six Adaptive skinning options:

1. Cskin – This button is called the Continuous Skin button and highlighting it causes the skin produced to be stretched smoothly between the intersecting areas making one single clean mesh. When this button isn’t highlighted then the skin will be made up of several meshes with sharp intersections, perfect for making realistic foliage.

2. Density – The Density slider adjusts the polygon resolution of the skinned mesh. The higher the level the more polygons, the lower the level the fewer polygons produced. Slide it down to 1 or 2 to produce low poly models for games.

3. Ires – The Intersection Resolution slider controls how Adaptive skins are made. When you use this slider you are determining how many children a Zsphere can have before its area of the model becomes high in resolution. You can achieve great control over your mesh by using the X, Y, and Z Intersection Resolution sliders.

4. Mbr – The Membrane Curvature slider makes the adaptive skin stretch out like the webbing between the toes of a frog. These membranes can be stretched across both “L” and “T” shaped intersecting areas of your model. This slider controls the amount of membrane that will form in these areas.

5. Preview – The Preview button does the exact same thing that toggling the “A” button on your keyboard does. It switches from Zspheres to an adaptive mesh preview. As stated above, the mesh can be sculpted and textured while in this mode. (NOTE: When sculpting and texturing in this preview mode do not move the vertices too much or add/remove Zspheres or you will lose your work.)

6. Make Adaptive Skin – Push this button to create an Adaptive skin mesh out of your Zsphere model.

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/uploaded_from_zbc/200311/user_image-1069801506kol.gif

The foot in image remind me of my mom when the water broke due to pregnancy and it filled her feet like it. Anyways PusGhetty did not explain how he flatted down the foot swellon.

[bozo_boy]

The top one is the highest density adaptive skin. The bottom a unified skin. I think I am missing some critical understanding of how Zspheres behave.

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/uploaded_from_zbc/200311/user_image-1069802707voi.jpg


My goal is to make a posable rat like Southern's "newt man". Seegmiller Posable Newt (http://www.pixolator.com/zbc-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=012971)

[Washington]

We both are in the same boat :)

[tjaden]

i too have yet to master the zspheres. what i have noticed is adaptive skins only seem to work on hierachial chains ie. no zsphere are used to add volume or shape. i can get quite a nice shape when using a unified skin but i wonder how useful the mesh would be for animation http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/uploaded_from_zbc/200311/user_image-1069803575aed.jpg

[aurick]

If you wish to create a poseable figure, you need to use Adaptive skinning. However, the key with this form of skinning is NOT to define the entire shape with ZSpheres, but rather to create a base mesh where you can then push and pull the preview mesh into the desired shape. It might help you to initially block out this base mesh using the Adaptive Density of 1, then increase to 2 to refine the ZSpheres layout, and finally to 3 before you start sculpting the preview. While creating your base mesh, avoid anything where ZSphere chains go through each other. That will create a mess in the mesh, like you see in your examples.

[Frenchy Pilou]

Hi Bozo
Why not play the scripts inside the prog ?
"Zspheres" and one or 2 creatures always in the prog ?
All will be more clear after :)
Pilou

[Washington]

Hi, like I said before that we are in the same boat :D

We need better tutorial how to work with sphere and skinning. Need more information on zspheres; Magnet, Sharpen, Skin modeling, and Hi/Lo Res polygons on individual zsphere ball. http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/uploaded_from_zbc/200311/user_image-1069818882hjj.jpg

[Zeddicus]

Same boat too. I've had less than enthusiastic results with ZSpheres myself, and to be honest it's not for lack of understanding or trying (and yes, I've watched the tutorials included with ZBrush plenty of times). Also, Aurick mentions not letting link spehres go through each other, but I've seen a lot of examples over the past year here where the artist has done exactly that with great results, so the comments confuse me. I keep telling myself it's all about practice and some day I'll get it right, but so far it's been a much more difficult nut to crack than, say, modelling a head out of a sphere tool or creating an object from an alpha.

[Washington]

My guess is that Aurick might mean that the grey zSpheres is not supposed to touch other arm(s) of grey zSpheres.

My theories for this is: Pix did not implent hierarchy on skinning with zSphere. After the skinning process, the skin polygons applied to the bones and its hierarchy.

a) The zSphere joint is guided acute point.
b) The grey (arm) zSphere is continious derivation for skinning and would across to other arm(s).

[Washington]

My theory is correct. To see how the skin was applied with bones hierarchy and continious derviation crossing to other arms:

1. Make a character or an object with zSphere
2. Preview adaptive skin or press "A" key
3. Enable "Dots" in Transform palette menu
4. Click in background to view the colors of polygons that it was applied on bones and its hierarchy also to view how the skinning was derviated across to other grey (arm) zspheres.

So it should be good practice to study in this area to understand zSphere better. There are few more tools that I might not know about ie magnet zSphere with "Alt" key

[Washington]

Pixolator,

I strongly suggest that the dots of skin should be in zSphere mode so we could sculpture with zSphere better.

[bozo_boy]

Here is an example of one thing that confuses me. This is how I originally started my rat model (A). I then add the back legs (B) and a weird distortion takes place. And after the front legs and neck (C) it gets all whacky.

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/uploaded_from_zbc/200311/user_image-1069865133dvs.jpg

I have played the scripts, Frenchy, but I am a little dense.

I am going to try again using Auricks suggestions.

[Washington]

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/uploaded_from_zbc/200311/user_image-1069867379pew.jpg

What I mean "Mark" is use the Draw Pointer in Transform palette.

We need some tips how to make a single zsphere ball into hi-resolution

Thank you

[Washington]

Other example what Low-Resolution caused wacky skinning
http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/uploaded_from_zbc/200311/user_image-1069869400utb.jpg

[Washington]

I just found a post Topic: ZSphere Xres,Yres,Zres tutorial (sort of) by BoneCradle (http://www.pixolator.com/zbc-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=012048)

The X,Y,Zres sliders have been a part of ZBrush I have never payed much attention to, but I finally got around to checking them out.
These sliders can be found in the Transform palette, although as they affect only adaptive skining I wonder if they might be better put in the Tools>Inventory palette.

The Xres, Yyres and Zres sliders control the resolution of zspheres, specifically those that are adaptive skinned. A full explanation of them can be found in the manual in the Transform palette section. In addition to that, if you use Digits Widget (found in the quicklinks) for making zsphere models, this enables you to change the resolution of the selected zsphere in any axis even after it has been drawn.

To get a better understanding of what they do I put together a simple zsphere tool and played with the various combinations; the results are shown in the picture below. The numbers refer to the values entered for the Xres,Yres,Zres sliders in that order and were applied only to the top zsphere. What they effectively do is make it possible to increase the number of edge loops in a particular direction.

When all sliders are increased to the same amount this replicates what the Ires slider in the Tools>Inventory menu does, except that the Ires slider applies the change to all zspheres in a model that have over a certain number of other zspheres attached to them. Using the X,Y,Z sliders you can apply changes selectively to single zspheres.


http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/uploaded_from_zbc/200311/user_image-1069870743juf.jpg

The thing that spurred me into looking at zsphere resolution was being unhappy at the way I have been doing hands.

My usual style of hand is shown in the picture below. The problem with it is that the edge loop that runs around the base of the fingers also joins the thumb, which makes it really hard and a long job to push vertices into the right place.

I figured that if I could increase the resolution of the 'palm' zsphere where the fingers joined it I would be able to add more zspheres to that side without making a messy mesh and to 'separate' the thumb from the fingers.

After experimenting I found the optimal resolution for the hand I was working on was 0,5,8 (EDIT CORRECTION: I think the resolution was in fact 0,7,5 - damn my memory
). It may look counterintuitive, but no tweaking was done to the mesh before the first skin. It gave nice edge loops, with plenty running from the wrist to the fingers so that details like tendons could be put in. It looks rubbish from the side though, but a quick flattening and smooth fixed that in much less time than it would take to push vertices around.

Here's the hand tool (XYZ res_ZSphere hand.zip - go to his thread to download from there) if you want to have a play. If you want to pose it, you'll probably need to add more zspheres in the fingers to help define the knuckles.

I think these sliders could be a really powerful tool when making zsphere models and is certainly something that I have been underutilising. It was great to learn something new too

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/uploaded_from_zbc/200311/user_image-1069870809mca.jpg

[Frenchy Pilou]

I am maybe a mad dumb :)
But I believe that all these problems are explain in the Tut inside the prog "Advanced ZSpheres" :)
Pilou

[Washington]

I put green circle on BoneCadle's pic. He put proper polygons resolution number on it. It helped skinning and zsphere intact.
http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/uploaded_from_zbc/200311/user_image-1069871867alg.jpg

[Washington]

Yes Frenchy but it is not all explained.

It did not say how to control polygons resolution on an individual zsphere.

[Washington]

[Deleted Suggestion]

[Frenchy Pilou]

Why not try the Zsphere Widget ? (http://www.pixolator.com/zbc-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=010409) by Digits - Several functions to help make ZSphere modeling easier!
Pilou

[Washington]

[Deleted suggestion]

[aurick]

What is happening at the hind legs is very simple. As the ZSpheres tutorial ZScript shows, each ZSphere is treated as a cube for purposes of attaching more ZSpheres. What is happening is that you are attaching the hind legs at a point that causes them to be skinned to the same "face" as the tail. As a result, you get the strange mesh.

This can be corrected by using additional ZSpheres. Attach the initial leg ZSpheres to points that put them on separate "faces" from the tail and body. Then attach another ZSphere to them, which you can move around and pose without causing the legs to become connected at the same point as the tail.

The other solution is what has been explained above.

[Washington]

Frenchy

I reviewed ZSphere Advanced tutorial that came with 1.55b. I have seen it over ten times and never paid attention to the detail Pix wrote. Yes it is all explained in it.

Bozo bear with Pix's tutorial and you will get through it to be a better modeller.

[Washington]

Bozo

The custom XRes, YRes, and ZRes scaler will only apply on new zsphere. FYI it sucks. I think beta testers have better function than this.

[somlor]

Hmmm.. so there is no way to change the X/Y/ZRes of a Zsphere after it's created?

[tjaden]

another issue is in preview mode of an adaptive mesh i only seem to be able to use the zadd option not zsub to sculpt the mesh.is this normal??

[Bonecradle]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Hmmm.. so there is no way to change the X/Y/ZRes of a Zsphere after it's created? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Going through the main interface, no.

But you can change the X/Y/Z res of any sphere, at any time, to your hearts content, using Digits Widget zscript (and many more things besides). It's a while since I used it, but I think I found it best when changing the res after the fact, as it were, to change it first to 0,0,0 and then to your desired amount.

[TVeyes]

Tjaden: Just hold down the 'Alt' key while sculpting, that will sculpt using Zsub. You can use the 'Alt' key with nearly all tools, if not all, including the 2D tools.

[somlor]

Great tip Bonecradle! I'll give that ZScript a whirl. Thanks.

[somlor]

Err... it may be really late, but I can't find the function to adjust X/YRez on ZSpheres using Digits Widgets ZScript. :confused:

[Bonecradle]

Here are links to Digits resources (http://www.cyber-webs.com/zbrush/Z-Tools.htm) and the zif widget documentation (http://www.cyber-webs.com/zbrush/scripts/zifwidget1.htm).