Is there a way to use one mask to boolean away or combine another? Or use a polygroup to trim a mask.
Hi @jimmylegs
To subtract from the shape of the mask?
Well, any masking is subtractive if you hold down Alt after activating the masking stroke. So if you draw a mask normally by holding down Ctrl, then draw another mask but hold down Alt after beginning the stroke, the masking marquee will change to white and erase any masking that falls underneath it. This will work with an alpha as well.
“Combining” shapes to make a new mask is a simple as just drawing additional masks. Masking is additive.
The Mesh from Mask brushes also have multiple ways to add on or subtract from the current stroke.
More like if I have a intricate mask already created and turned it into a polygroup in case I need to turn it into a mask at some point. I want to create a new mask using the existing mask or polygroup edge but don’t want the hassle of subtracting it from the new mask. For instance I want to create a new mask for the obliques and use the edge of the existing serratus mask to match the edge of the new oblique mask.
If you have well-defined polygroups, then masking or unmasking them is as simple as using the visibility shortcuts and Ctrl-clicking in empty canvas to invert the current masking status (masked points will be unmasked, unmasked points will be masked). If in Move mode , masking can be applied directly to any polygroup with a single click.
So if you have a complex mask drawn on a mesh that incorporates a polygroup surface, and you would like to subtract that polygroup surface from the mask area, Shift-Click on the polygroup to hide everything but that group, ctrl-click in empty canvas to clear the mask from that group, then Shift-Ctrl click in empty canvas to unhide everything. The areas that were masked or unmasked on the hidden portion of the mesh remain that way, and the polygroup surface will have been subtracted from it.
I will try to figure that out it sounds super confusing now. Wouldn’t it be 10 times easier to have a command that would add or subtract a polygroup from a mask?
I’ve just described that function. It takes 3 clicks.
If you haven’t committed the visibility shortcuts to muscle memory, many things may seem more difficult than they are. These are the most basic functions in ZBrush for isolating geometry. You will struggle with many things if these aren’t a reflex.
Yea your right. I have been playing around with it. It’s really confusing but I guess with time it will get easier. Thanks for the reply.