ZBrushCentral

Curve functionality.

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

Hello. Learning about curves and was having a problem where I couldn’t actually make anything show up on the model while using the curve line. Fixed that when I found out that there was a bug and patching zbrush could fix it. Now my question is this, the book im reading makes it sound like I can draw the curve out and then draw on the curve itself and have that area effected under the curve on the mesh. Instead of this, when I put my brush down on the curve and drag, it both drags the curve around AND effects the mesh…which ends up being a nice mess. The book did not mention anything I need to do to lock the curve down or anything. Any idea what I am doing wrong or are there still bugs in 4r7 related to curves? Thanks guys.

P.S. Would post pics but I am about to leave for work and am in a hurry. Thanks again.

#2

Anyone? Not sure if there is some setting I should use or if it isn’t working correctly. Hoping to get it figured out in morning if I get time to play with Zbrush. I would ask if this was another instance of brush size needing to be set to 1 like the zsphere problems I run into…but the curves use the brush size to determine how the stroke works if I’m correct.

#3

Once you draw the curve on your mesh, just click on it. Don’t click and drag. You can click more than once to keep adding to the stroke.

eg: Select the Standard brush. Go into Stroke> Curve and enable Curve Mode. Enable Bend and Snap. Draw the curve on your mesh then click on it once, twice, however many times you want.

#4

Ok. What setting will keep the curve from deforming the model while I reposition the curve?

#5

Hmmmm, maybe an old book? There are several brushes, as well as the settings in the stroke palette. If the area is masked, no sculpting or painting can or will occur :wink: Check out the ZClassroom videos :slight_smile:

#6

Will have to look into it some more. Unfortunately I don’t have much time before work since I had to run to town this morning :frowning: On a more positive note, I figured out why I wasn’t getting notifications when people reply…apparently Hotmail thought zbrushcentral was junkmail lol. Figure things out one problem at a time hehe.

#7

Move Z Intensity slider to 0.

#8

Thank you very much. Some of the things in this program don’t seem very intuitive lol. I was about to hop on and ask why the end of the curve line is always strait when the rest mostly follows the path I draw until I noticed the straitness starts where my brush size ends and tried adjusting that. Taking me some getting used to with the brush size affecting multiple things under it on some of the functions in zbrush like zspheres and apparently curves…will have to keep it in mind if i’m having odd issues with other things in future.

Thanks again, I’m happy there are people willing to help out. Guess it doesn’t help that my book is a little out dated now, but I intend to finish it if possible.

#9

Hmm…having a new issue while trying the CurveSurface brush. Book wants me to make some wings using it. My issue is that if I try to draw my 2nd curve with the model zoomed out it connects to my first curve and messes things up. The odd thing is if I zoom in I can draw the new curve fine and they will both have a decent mesh fill between them. Having to be zoomed in makes it a pain to make a longer curve though. I’ve tried dropping my brush settings to 1 and that makes no difference. Any ideas? At work or I’d post some pics.

#10

Part of the problem here is that there are 10 or more brushes with Curve in their name. one might work better than another.

#11

The book calls for the CurveSurface brush if I recall right, which let’s you draw multiple curves off of the base mesh and each curve after the first is connected to the previous one with a mesh shaped after the curve you’ve drawn. I wish I was home atm to grab a few pics. They seem to work fine IF I zoom in on the mesh and start the next curve that way, but if I stay zoomed out so I can easily see what I’m trying to make then for some reason the curve try to combine with the last one and makes a big mess. If I can’t avoid this problem, is there a way to make the curve longer after having started it while zoomed in? Usually the curves just get drug around if I pull on either end, not sure if I can make it longer easily after the initial drawing.

#12

not sure but maybe adjusting the Curve Edit,Falloff, or Snap modifiers in the Stroke menu might solve that.
Don’t curves delete when you click the mesh, so draw out your first curve, click the origin mesh, draw out second curve. Edit: maybe when out too far this doesn’t work, you could use the delete button and hotkey it for quickness maybe. Edit again: I tried it and turning down the Snap seemed to fix the issue you’re talking about (if i understood correctly)

#13

Will check out snap in the morning. With the curve surface brush I want to keep each curve as the space between them makes a mesh. In this case I’m trying to make demon wings with it. Hopefully the snap setting helps…it’s just wierd how things work fine if I’m zoomed in but it snaps, if that’s the issue, when zoomed out.

#14

Great. Snap was the problem. I also found that apparently brush size effects how long of a curve I can draw also. Thanks guys.

Would be nice if I make it out of the curves section of this book without having to post more questions about it lol.

#15

Software improves and allows for different methods. Older material may still have some good information, but will not have the more powerful additions and other earth shaking improvements covered. You have to play with the software. Lots and lots :slight_smile:

#16

I’m noticing this lol. Wish I had looked for a newer book before I started learning this time around…or better yet, wish I had been more serious about learning a few years ago when I got the book/zbrush. Books been mostly gathering dust while zbrush has been constantly evolving. Curious what all is going to be in R5 other than full 64bit.