ZSculpty Tools has been updated. The plugin will work with ZBrush 2021 for PC and Mac OSX.
In this version:
*Prim initialization and Sculpty map export
*Collada DAE format export for mesh in SL
INSTRUCTIONS:
To create a SL sculpty:
- Select one of the ZBrush Primitives.
- Press the ZSculpty Tools>Initialize Prim button. Select an option from the dialogue box. These options will set up the primitive so that the exported sculpty map can be uploaded to SL using lossless compression. It isn’t essential to use lossless compression but you will get best results, particularly with hard-surface or mechanical objects.
- The Switch button can be used to switch the HDivide and VDivide values for the primitive. Use whichever gives the best results for your model.
- Adjust the other values in the Tool>Initialize menu if desired.
- Press the ZSculpty Tools>Make Polymesh button. This will create a polymesh (with adjusted UVs) which you can sculpt and polypaint.
- When you have finished sculpting switch to the lowest subdivision level and press the Export Sculpty map button to export a map. Create any textures you want and export those separately. Your sculpty is then ready for uploading to SL. (In the SL image upload preview check ‘unconstrained’ to preserve the image proportions.)
Notes:
- The Arrow3D primitive can be used for sculpties but the lossless compression options can’t be used. Simply set up the primitive how you want before folowing stages 4 - 6 above.
- Sculpty maps can be exported from higher subdivision levels. This will give bigger maps with more detail (if the limited sculpty map format allows) but mostly they will not be suitable for lossless compression upload.
- The Scale UVs button is for scaling UVs for any mesh so that they fit within the 0-1 range. It’s not necessary to use this button if you have used the ZSculpty Tools>Make Polymesh button.
To export a mesh:
- Create your model. SL meshes should not have too many polygons.
- Your model must have UVs assigned. UV Master is a good way of doing this.
- If you want to use different subdivision levels for SL Levels Of Detail turn on the Create LOD switch.
- The Smooth switch will create smoothed normals for your model. For a hard-surface object turn off the Smooth switch.
- Press the Export SL Mesh button. Your model will be saved as a Collada DAE file which can be uploaded to SL using the Mesh Beta viewer. If there is a texture applied to your model this will be exported as a BMP file with the same name.
Notes:
- If your model has Polygroups then these can be used as separate texture/material regions in SL.
ZBrush 2021 version
To install:
- Download and unzip the plugin file to your desktop. If the unzipping creates a folder open it to locate the ZSculptyTools_2021.ZSC file and ZSculptyToolsData folder.
- Copy the ZSculptyTools_2021.ZSC file and ZSculptyToolsData folder to the ZBrush 2021<b>ZStartup\ZPlugs64 folder.
- Restart ZBrush. The ZSculpty Tools menu is in the Zplugin palette.
This version has a separate material per polygroup/SL face, named “material_001”, “material_002”, etc. For merged subtools, the materials are listed in subtool order.
Note: because of changes to the ZBrush primitives, this version has fewer options for exporting Sculpty maps made with any primitives other than the Plane3D & Terrain3D. (Mesh export as a Collada DAE file is not affected.)
Download here:
ZSculptyTools_2021.zip (189.9 KB)
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+++++++++++++++++++++Older versions+++++++++++++++++++++
Old version for 4R6 and earlier : ZSculptyTools09b.zip (344 KB)ZSculptyTools09b.zip (344 KB)