Custom UI Showroom

[Norman3D]

Dear Zbrush community,

I have recently found out about the great feature of custom UI in Z-Brush. For some reason I never paid much attention, until yesterday. I began experimenting with it, and I have finally put together the UI that best fits my needs.

I'm opening this thread so everybody can share their custom UI and tips n' tricks regarding this feature.

I'll start with my own.



EDIT: Attached my config. Note: You will need Svengali's ZMats31Launcher and Quicksave plugins. The UI works best at 1024x768. I'm sorry, I promise I'm gonna buy a new screen soon.

[UncleDamfee]

everyone should attach their custom UI to their post.

[Svengali]

I thought I would post a custom UI that I was starting to experiment with a while back... in this version I created a custom "user ZSpheres" palette that contains ALL subpalettes and buttons involved in ANY way with ZSpheres.

Most all of the subpalettes here are reconstructed from button groups that exist in other palettes. Each "user ZSpheres" subpalette group is assembled anew by dragging and dropping buttons and sliders, etc. from the appropriate existing palettes to the "user ZSpheres" palette.

One thing to note: I've assembled a subpalette called ZSphere Tweaks which uses all the buttons and sliders from TVeyes ZSphere Tweaks plugin with additional appropriate sliders and buttons copied in from other existing subpalettes. (You might notice some of the controls are duplicated in several of the other recreated subpalette sets.)

Another note: The screen dimensions here are 1680 x 1050 and in the screen grab image, I've artifically extended the right panel and the "user ZSpheres" palette to show ALL the subpalettes and controls.

Naturally, many of these subpalette controls only appear when a ZSphere model is active.

You might also notice a useful button I added (CustomUI) which lets me save the current layout to a specified UIfile with a single click. As I add new things to the custom user palette, I update it so if anything goes wrong I don't have to start over. VERY USEFUL. If anyone wants the script for this button just ask and I'll post it here.

I'd be interested if anyone else has explored similar custom palettes?

Svengali

[Norman3D]

Woah! That ZSphere palette is great! Those are a lot of options right there. I haven't tried to do any custom palette yet, I guess I'll have to give it a try.

Btw, how did you change the background of the canvas? Its a plain gray color instead of the default gradient ramp.

Your UI looks beautiful!

[aurick]

This is a cool idea. UncleDamfee had the right idea, though. Why not post a config file along with your screen grabs? This will give other users the opportunity to try your UI out without having to completely recreate things based on the pictures.

The best way is to press Preferences>Config>Save UI. Then zip and upload the file. The other users can use Preferences>Config>Load UI to load the file and try your interface out for themselves.

Norman3D: Just to the right of the Help button in the Title bar there are two buttons that are used to toggle between the many color variations that we've provided with ZBrush 3. I think Svengali is using the one that you get if you press the Next button seven times.

[Norman3D]

This is a cool idea. UncleDamfee had the right idea, though. Why not post a config file along with your screen grabs? This will give other users the opportunity to try your UI out without having to completely recreate things based on the pictures.

The best way is to press Preferences>Config>Save UI. Then zip and upload the file. The other users can use Preferences>Config>Load UI to load the file and try your interface out for themselves.

I'll be right on it!

Norman3D: Just to the right of the Help button in the Title bar there are two buttons that are used to toggle between the many color variations that we've provided with ZBrush 3. I think Svengali is using the one that you get if you press the Next button seven times.

Yeah, I knew about that, but I ment the canvas background itself... not the whole look. As far as I know the only way to achieve that color is to actually fill the layer. I was just wondering if there was another way to do this without having to touch the actual document.

[Svengali]

Aurick:

I'll post the custom UIconfig file for my "user ZSpheres" after I delete a few personal buttons and stuff. This design is still WIP but I would be interested to see how other ZSphere modelers might adapt it to his/her own workflow. I mentioned before that the layout is for a wide format screen though I think that resolution is now pretty widely used.

I will also post a version of the CustomUI button ZScript which helps minimize the frustration that can accompany the building of extended, complex user menus.

The interface color set shown is one of the default versions as Aurick said - I like it because it shows both enabled and disabled buttons and sliders equally well.

Norman: Customizing the canvas background gradation is simple - In the Document menu try different settings for the Range, Center and Rate sliders. Set Rate to zero to eliminate the gradation all together... settings are saved with the UI.

Sven

[Norman3D]

Doh. thanks for pointing that out svengali. I cant believe I missed it, I guess I should digg even deeper into zbrush.

On monday, when I'm at work I will try to come up with a UI focused on enviornment modelling with all the stuff I need in my workflow and nice custom palettes.

[aminuts]

I'll put my vote in for your custom UI button Sven....specially if you can save it with a name and in incremental numbers....for those of us who are both attention and or memory challenged!

[tdrs]

I made a lot of interface layout - sculpt, paint, dis & normal, Misc (topo, projection, and so on). This is a dis & normal layout Screenshots.



Very glad to see that everyone's attention this topic.

I think that There are some bug in the custom functional, for example, after custom interface, subtool and 3d layer subpalette sometimes can not be displayed normally.

[Norman3D]

I have also noticed a little bug. The little material box (you can see it at the left side, check my screenshot) disappears. Some times when I startup Zbrush it is there, sometimes it's not. Kinda wierd.

[Norman3D]

here is the new UI I did at work. Those buttons and the ones at the right click menu are all I need.

[echodreamer]

Hi Everyone,
I've also just recently began customizing my ui but i'm finding that several of my hotkeys are not functioning particularly my undo hotkey. Has anyone else encountered this? I can reset my hotkey for undo but it quickly becomes disabled again for no apparent reason. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!

[Codeman]

I thought I would offer out my custom ui I created for ZBrush 3.1, for 2.5 Painting. This UI is a work in progress but it seems to really work well on my wacom pen enabled tablet PC as well as my desktop.

Any feedback to improve the interface is encouraged.

The zip file is here: ZBrush 3.1 Painting 2.5D Custom UI



This is also linked in my 2.5 thread:http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/showpost.php?p=515245

[Codeman]

Is the Zsphere ui ready yet?