ZBrushCentral

How to model this?

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

Hi A newbie question and any advise would be much appreciated! I wonder how to go about modeling something like in the image!

Arm_01
Arm_011317×600 11.5 KB

I now I could maybe use snake brush (and Dynamesh) and so on but I still like to have control of the separate extrusion without having to mask everything else all the time when making adjustments. Any ideas?

#2

Hello @perolalars ,

This will take some artistry, but I would approach this by sculpting the stretched middle portion as a separate piece of geometry out from the center and into the end pieces, rather than out from the end pieces. This has the benefit of allowing you to avoid the complication of fusing those connecting strands together in complicated ways. Simply start with the area where those strands are merged, then sculpt out the connecting strands into the end pieces with Snakehook, Sculptris Pro, Smooth and Inflate brushes.

Please forgive the crude approximation:

abstract
abstract1600×633 26.9 KB

Once the middle portion is sculpted as desired, fuse it to the end pieces with Dynamesh, Live Boolean, or Remesh by Union, ZRemesher to clean and simplify the mesh, and smooth the transition into the end pieces so it looks more organic.

Good luck!

#3

Hi Spyndel! And many thanks for your reply! So, I was thinking in those terms modeling it. Had a hope that it would be some way a bit easier to do this. I have been doing the model in Rhino with SubD-modeling and exactly as you suggest starting with just 2 planes and connecting them with the strands. And since I am quite new to ZB it was not soo hard in rhino, but I want to be better at working in ZB and use the more “fluid” way to work in ZB… So I think I have to decide which way to go… Thanks for input though, much appreciated!

#4

Hi @perolalars ,

I’m more of a free sculpt fan, but there are many different ways to do this in the program. For instance, that interior structure might be a good fit for ZSpheres in classic skinning mode. This would be a less destructive and more interactive way to block out that shape as low poly, and then fuse any strands together as desired:

Zsphere
Zsphere2910×1770 98.2 KB

#5

@Spyndel Yesss! Why didnt I think of that?! Great! And SubD in Rhino are quite free for being a cad app so its a great addition and a great way to block out a shape for export to ZB. Many thanks for ZSphere tip! Much happier now!