Useful small ZScripts and Macros for ZBrush 4 & 4R3

[marcus_civis]

Is there any plugin that will retain obj grouping and material groups coming into zbrush, and then exporting it back out?

Currently you can import and have material groups converted to polygroups, but rigging grouping is lost. Also when you export, poly groups are converted to obj rigging groups. 8/

ZBrush can only import one sort of group at a time, so can only import either materials as groups or OBJ groups. A plugin couldn't change that (for example, what would happen when groups overlapped). However, it would not be difficult to write a plugin that swapped back the original groups & material groups on export. I could probably add this to the Poser Utilities plugin.

[Gareee]

That would be a very nice addition!

When working on a rigged figure for either lightwave or poser, I usually have both types of groups, and I'm amazed they are not retained for compatibility with other applications afte rall these years.


BTW, does the poser plugin still work in R3?

[marcus_civis]

This plugin is more a curiosity than anything but perhaps some people will find it useful. It's designed to scale up a model so that a large image can be made from a series of smaller images. In theory very large images are possible but this will depend on your system as rendering at ZBrush's maximum document size can be heavy on resources.

The example image, using the Kotelnikoff Earthquake.ZPR included with ZBrush 4R3, is 53 x 40 inches at 300ppi (16040 x 11829 pixels) and was stitched together from 16 separate images. The close-up shows size as actual pixels.

Full instructions in the zip: MaxResize.zip

[stone3d]

Very cool.

[Nyx702]

Document MaxResize

This plugin is more a curiosity than anything but perhaps some people will find it useful. It's designed to scale up a model so that a large image can be made from a series of smaller images. In theory very large images are possible but this will depend on your system as rendering at ZBrush's maximum document size can be heavy on resources.

The example image, using the Kotelnikoff Earthquake.ZPR included with ZBrush 4R3, is 53 x 40 inches at 300ppi (16040 x 11829 pixels) and was stitched together from 16 separate images. The close-up shows size as actual pixels.

That is so awesome Marcus! I have been thinking about this one for a while! Thanks so much.

[marcus_civis]

Thanks stone3d and Nyx702!

[Nyx702]

Here is something I made recently. Pretty basic compared to some of these guys

It takes your currently masked geometry and duplicates it WITHIN the same Subtool. Similar to 3dsMax duplicate to element. It works with a fully masked element or partially masked geometry.

I made this because I was placing 4-5 different spikes all over a creature. I didn't want 100 Subtools to manage and wanted to duplicate different ones as I went.



DupElement.TXT

[Gareee]

OOOoooOOO!!! THAT looks handy! Thanks!

[jawa64]

I made this because I was placing 4-5 different spikes all over a creature. I didn't want 100 Subtools to manage and wanted to duplicate different ones as I went.

So this seems to work with subdivs for single levels or dynamesh people can just use Duplicating_a Mesh with Transpose
unmask what is to be cloned press (W) Move:transpose line and (Ctrl+click) on the Center red circle to pull out another instance of the unmasked polys within the same subtool.

[Francesco Mai]

This plugin is more a curiosity than anything but perhaps some people will find it useful. It's designed to scale up a model so that a large image can be made from a series of smaller images. In theory very large images are possible but this will depend on your system as rendering at ZBrush's maximum document size can be heavy on resources.

The example image, using the Kotelnikoff Earthquake.ZPR included with ZBrush 4R3, is 53 x 40 inches at 300ppi (16040 x 11829 pixels) and was stitched together from 16 separate images. The close-up shows size as actual pixels.

Full instructions in the zip: MaxResize.zip

Dear Marcus,
this plug-in seem very interesting for each digital artist that need to print at quite high size.Is is a pity for some limits but I hope
than in future could be as a classical BPR..

A question.

I love 2.5 pixol images as you can see here

I find that the best method to achieve decent hi-resolution working canvas for printing is to zoom out in discrete step,I mean 0,5 or 0.25 or 0,125 so I can work at the whole images.Of course I know the importance of AA button to have a nice antialiasing but I have also a 4 time less density in pixels and condemn myself to have a smaller printed image.

Now,as you know,antialiasing with soft RGB in Zb with classical Best Render"mode in not very good.Can you suggest me a method or invent a plug to achieve very high resolution images with 2.5 pixol as maxresize plug in?Do you think that in future there will be a chanche to have a new 2.5 rendering engines with some more features?.I ask you because I am a digital artist that exhibit my works worldwide and my dream is have big Lambda print of the fantastic world of 2.5 D.For now I can show my Zbrush works onlu on monitor
With classical rendering and polygons 3d packet is easy to chose the desired resolution and here you are you fantastic high res images.But wit canvas of Zbrush and 2.5 D tools how can I do?

Thank you for your help

Francesco Mai

[Roland Kaiser]

XYZ Tool Postion Zscript, ZBrush 4R2 version works fine.(Operate normally)


XYZ Tool Postion / ZBrush 3.1
http://www.zbrushcentral.com/showthr...1-Update&pp=15
.

use this version made for ZB4 R2, with any bugs fixed

http://www.zbrushcentral.com/showthr...for-ZBrush-4r2
Roland

[Nyx702]

So this seems to work with subdivs for single levels or dynamesh people can just use Duplicating_a Mesh with Transpose
unmask what is to be cloned press (W) Move:transpose line and (Ctrl+click) on the Center red circle to pull out another instance of the unmasked polys within the same subtool.

Yeap. That is correct. I love that feature and wish I could use it all the time. This macro is for the many many times your mesh isn't one of the above options.

[marcus_civis]

Dear Francesco,

The problem with 2.5D images is that they are linked to the resolution of the document. A pixol is no different from a pixel in that respect. So the best way to get a large image is to set the document size to as large as possible. The ZBrush maximum of 8192x8192 is enough to give you an image of 69 cm square (27 inches) at 300 ppi. You can work on this at any zoom and then export at the full size. There's no need to use AAHalf as print resolution will effectively create its own anti-aliasing.

So, to answer your question, it is not directly possible to write a plugin like the MaxResize one for 2.5D.

[Francesco Mai]

Dear Francesco,

The problem with 2.5D images is that they are linked to the resolution of the document. A pixol is no different from a pixel in that respect. So the best way to get a large image is to set the document size to as large as possible. The ZBrush maximum of 8192x8192 is enough to give you an image of 69 cm square (27 inches) at 300 ppi. You can work on this at any zoom and then export at the full size. There's no need to use AAHalf as print resolution will effectively create its own anti-aliasing.

So, to answer your question, it is not directly possible to write a plugin like the MaxResize one for 2.5D.

Hello Marcus,
thank you so much for your suggestion about the natural antialiasing of printing a 8k images...Your help was precious!

[Seavannah]

I was wondering is there anyway to render out the BPR Render Passes not just for the turntable but for the timeline movie/animation? Would really love to render out an animation I made using the timeline but not to have to export all the Render Passes Manually frame by frame to composite the passes in Photoshop like we can with your wonderful Turntable Plus. Thank you for all the great cool stuff that has made ZB even easier to use.

I was also wondering is there a script that can make subtitles in ZB for tutorial movies where we could type the things we are saying for the hard of hearing or those that just want to be able to read what is being done?

A big big thank you for your time and all your hard work over the years!