ZBrushCentral

How to merge just the skin of an object while discarding the inside bits?

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

Hi there, I’m currently trying to make a mould for a sculpture of a hand I’ve done, and while I made the mould just fine, I’m running into some issues. I made claws for the hand as individual objects and pasted them into the sculpt, and now when I cut the model in half, its showing the roots of the claws embedded into the object, and I have no idea how to rid myself of them.

I figured there might be a way for zbrush to just ‘read’ the superficial topology of a sculpt, but I haven’t any idea where to find it. It’s been a day of nonstop figuring out how to build a mould and I’m already at my wits end, so I figured someone more experienced would have an idea how to help me.

The hand in question: clawinquestion hosted at ImgBB — ImgBB (I dont know why the claws are a different color, nothing is masked)

The problem: theproblem hosted at ImgBB — ImgBB (Cross section of sliced open hand, you can see where the end of the fingertip and the tip of the claw will obscure my ability to pour latex into the claws, thus defeating its role as a mould if I don’t fix this.)

I’m very grateful for any help I can get. Thank you in advance.

Edited to update links, hoping they work this time

#2

Links don’t work.

If you’re using a Boolean to cut the model in half, then just have the Hand and Claws as Union objects and put the cutting tool as a subtractive object at the end. Boolean the lot should give you what you want. If you want more help with Live Boolean (start groups , folders etc. then search Michael Pavlovich’s YT channel).

If you’re cutting in some other way, then just Boolean the hand and claws first. Use Live Boolean and then make a new tool or Merge the Hand Claws into a single subtool (Merge Visible will conveniently create a new subtool) and with the Merged subtool run Gizmo:Remesh by Union. That will Boolean all the parts in the merged subtool and leave you with the “superfical topology” as you call it (the skin or exterior surface). The only topology changes will be where parts intersect, and interior volumes will be removed.

#3

Thank you for letting me know the links are broken, apparently imgur doesnt want ANY of my images to be available to the public, so I updated the links to some other upload public site.

I’m hitting live Boolean before using subtractive from an IMM primitive overlaying the object.

How do I make them union objects? Sorry, I’m not very good at the language aroun dthe program just yet.

I will experiment with the remesh subtool and see what happens, thank you very much for your time to answer my question today!

#4

Got it. That fixed it. Thank you, thank you, thank you <3 You have saved me and my work.