ZBrushCentral

insert brush drag as curve straight on a axis?

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

Hi fellas,
iam pretty new to zbrush and watched lots of Video tuts since then.
still i have lots of Problems with the simpliest things (at least simple in 3dsmax).

Iam on a facehugger sculpt (went out of dynamesh already) and wasnt satisfied with ist Long tail.
So i created an insert mesh to drag it down as a curve.

now i know the routines behind dragging it on a polygroup to get it automatically welded.
the Major Problem is to get i in a “straight” line on the world axis.

It seems there is no Option (Picker Menue) or Curve functions (As Line) or short cut that supports a straight creation of a curve along an world axis.

the only way i found yet is turn on Symmetrie (X) - this way i see 2 Curves when iam off World axis.It also behaves a bit snap like to the World axis.

anyway - is there any “cleaner method” to create a Curve mode insert brush along an axis?

#2

Have you tried playing with the Lazy settings in the Stroke Panel?

#3

Curve tube brushes are really cool and at the same time they can be a pain.
From what I done and in my experience, to make a curve tube straight is to draw it outward straight from the mesh on the initial draw. Any time after the initial draw, it may be subject to snaking or bending. Try to draw it so that your drawing does not cross over existing topology but rather over empty canvas. So you may need to use selection tool hide mesh if you are working with a lot stuff before you draw it out.
Because curve tube is a type of insert mesh you have to draw it on existing mesh. You just cant draw it from empty space on your canvas.
Use the transpose tool to adjust tube while it is still straight. The move transpose can move anywhere on the canvas and it does not have to connected to the mesh you drew it on.
Use the transpose rotate to pivot the tube on its end.
Use the transpose scale to adjust how big it is.
You can change your brush size and click on the tube to update it how thick/thin its going to be.
When you are stratified with the result, go to Stroke Palette or menu, curve function and click the delete button to remove the curve line showing in the mesh.
At this point you can clear the mask and the tube becomes apart of the mesh or you can create a new sub tool by clicking Split Unmasked Points under Tool>>Split

Hope this helps