I NEED HELP PLEASE ? ? ?

[Kruzr]

'Evening all . . . :)

I have a question for anybody who can give me an answer. :rolleyes: How can you draw a mask, in a straight line??? :confused:

I've tried everything I can think of, with no success. :(

I'm trying to draw some vertical mask lines on a cylinder, using symmetric, & I want to inflate the unmasked areas, but I can't figure out how to draw in a straight line using the masking tool??? :)

I'm sure someone out there can give me an answer or a solution for my problem? :confused: Come-on now, don't be bashful, let it out! :D

I'll check back in a little while, to view the answers. :rolleyes: Heheheh.

Thanks in advance for any help & have a good one . . . :cool: Mark.

[Stonecutter]

Hey Kruzr!
It may sound dopey, but what I do in that situation,(I use a tablet), is to actually use a straight edge laying on my tablet. Even though it seems simplistic, it works for me. Hope it helps!
Stonecutter.

[Kruzr]

Hi Stonecutter . . . :)

Thanks for the suggestion, I know that would work, I used to use a tablet a few years ago, in a different software package. But now I don't have or use a tablet unfortunately, I'm using a trackball. :rolleyes:

Anyway, I appreciate your help & you have a good one . . . :cool: Mark.

[Kathy]

A straightedge on my tablet! Why didn't I think of that...sheesh it's been a while since I've picked up a pencil obviously.

Good suggestion stonecutter!

[ChadC]

Hi Kruzr,

You could make a textue in say Photoshop that is straightlines then import it into Zbrush, from there u can make that texture a stencil. At this point u should be getting the resuts you would like.

-Chad

ChadCoronato.com (http://www.chadcoronato.com)

[Zoid]

Hi Kruzr,

I like ChadC's idea, and you can probably make the straight line pattern in ZBrush also if you didn't have photoshop. I just wanted to add something here about the difference between "inflating" and "size xyz" when deforming a masked object. http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads0/user_image-996065076hfu.jpg
Using "size xyz" makes sharper edges and doesn't balloon out the object. ;)

[Digits]

Ack! I don't know how you do anything like you do with a trackball :eek:

I can't draw a straight line so I can't tell you how to do it by hand, but you can use the Col Mask for straight vertical lines.

A default cylinder is HDivs 32 VDivs 16, so if you want a vertical line 5 divisions wide, set your Sel at 5 and your Skip at 32
MaskAll
press Col
Size XY
http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads0/user_image-996076748hae.jpg

These numbers will have to be adjusted to how much resolution, i.e. HDiv/VDiv of your object. if you wanted 4 lines for the object above set Sel 4 Skip 4

Hope this helps!

[Digits]

I just thought of another way, Unwrap the texture from your object then draw the line(s) on the bitmap and either save it as an Alpha or use the Mask "Int" (intensity) button to apply the mask back to your object.

[Kruzr]

'Morning all . . . :)

I want to thank all of you for your help & suggestions. :D Unfortunately, the final results of all the examples & solutions given, are not really what I was looking for. I am already familiar with the "Inflate Column" & "Sizing" procedures in ZBrush, but as I said earlier, this method doesn't give the results I'm looking for. :( If nothing else works, I could always draw an alpha from scratch in PhotoShop, then import it into ZBrush as ChadC mentioned, which I had already thought of, thanks ChadC. But I was hoping there was an easier way from within ZBrush??? :confused:

The effect I'm trying to achieve is: The long vertical indented grooves as on a marble column, that have to be smoothly graduated. I figured I could use a blurred mask to get this result, but being that I can't make a straight mask pattern, then I guess I'll have to make an alpha in PhotoShop. :rolleyes:

Thanks again for the help & have a good one . . . :cool: Mark.

[Pixolator]

Hi ,
There are several methods that can be used when creating a mask for a 3D object (as already described above, thanks :) ) .

::When thinking about creating an alpha within ZBrush, you need to think in terms of "Depth Values" and not in terms of "Opacity Values". You can easily create variety of alphas that can be used for drawing and masking by simply drawing 3D objects ( or depth enabled brushes) that when ‘grabbed’ will produce the needed alpha. This process is both fast and effective, further more; the Alpha that is generated within ZBrush is of a much higher depth-resolution than imported alpha (to be exact, ZBrush is using 16bits alpha which is 256 times more accurate/detailed than the common variety 8bits alpha).

The ZScript below demonstrates a simple process in which a Sphereinder3D tool is utilized in order to create an alpha that will later be applied as masking to a 3D object (in this case, a Cylinder3D object)

Click on the icon below to download the zipped ZScripts (only 10k bytes in size). Place the expanded files within the ZScript folder and open the ZScript (MarbleColumn.txt) from within ZBrush.

http://www.pixolator.com/images01/MarbleColumn.jpg (http://www.pixolator.com/images01/MarbleColumn.zip)


I hope that you’ll find this helpful.

-Pixolator.
P.S. If you do try it, please post your findings and/or images.

[Kruzr]

Thanks Pixolator . . . I just downloaded the script, as soon as I play with it a little, I'll post an example as an image. ;)

Have a good one . . . :cool: Mark.