ZBrushCentral

Object is visible but can't be edited

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

(I don’t know why my postings disappear in this forum, I always have to post the same thing twice. Hope it works now.)

I have some problems with my first Zbrush project:
I started with a sphere and sculpted it, and at some point by mistake I de-activated “Edit”. Now the object is still there on the screen, but I can’t edit it anymore.
I had saved the document before this happened, but when I re-open it, I still can’t edit the mesh. Is there any chance I can get it back into edit mode or do I have to start all over again?

I’d be grateful for any hints :rolleyes:

#2

The thing is, what you did was dropped the tool to the canvas. Your tool was still there, all you had to do was select the tool, drag it into the window and click edit again, and hit control-N to clear the canvas of the one your dropped and continue where you left off. Hopefully you didn’t quit without saving your tool or tools too.

See, saving the document only saves the canvas, not the tools or ones you have in active edit mode. To save the model (tool) your are working on, you have to save the Tool itself in the save as on the upper right or under Tools.

You are stuck with that model on the canvas as far as I know. Though, might not be the best option, but you can project some of the detail back onto a new sphere with the Zproject brush. Shape the sphere back into the general shape the one was, and divid to the same level. Move it so you can see both things at once. Click the move option near the edit button. It will disable the edit button, but you can reactivate that. While move is selected, say if there was a nose, click and drag from where the nose should be on the new model and drag the line over to the old nose on the canvas. This sets up where the zproject will grab from and start at. So click edit button again, then without moving a thing, use the zproject brush from your starting point (nose example) and see if it does any good for you.

There may be a way to make an alpha or something too.

#3

Thank you for your explanations, Thimothy.

I was afraid I couldn’t get the thing back. Oh well, there is a saying in my language that you learn by making mistakes. That is undoubtedly true.
I will try the workarounds you mentioned.

What I’m still confused about is the ZBrush terminology. In other programs a tool is something like a brush or a selection arrow, in ZB it’s the object I’m working on. That’s a bit weird.
And what’s the point of dropping meshes to the canvas? When and why would I intentionally use that?
And what can I do with a saved canvas? It’s not a texture/displacement map, is it?

… sorry for all these questions, but I feel as if I got some knots into my brain. :lol:

#4

i agree for new users this is confusing and should have more warnings that you can eventually disable. Tools confused me too back then, model would’ve been easier.
As far as the canvas, well zbrush was originally more of an illustration program, and still is, not everyone uses it for taking meshes into other animation programs. Honestly it’s really great and many people use it this way, just look at the scared silly contest most of the entries were done this way near the end.
http://www.zbrush.info/docs/index.php/ZBrush_Canvas

#5

I’m not sure exactly how to use the canvas for an effective illustration. But it’s really 2.5D as they say. When you drop something on it, it keeps the depth information. Almost like doing a sand sculpture but you can only look straight down at it.

You have some extra tools on the right, almost like brushes, do extra cool effects to the canvas.

One benefit to this Canvas method is, you can place hundreds of objects on top of each other, millions and millions of polygons, but as part of the canvas, it hardly use any memory. Though, it has one resolution only as you work, not sure you can increase it for render later besides what you started at. You can also move objects forward and back to place a scene.

Also note the projection master button on the upper left. Lets say you are doing some stuff like polypainting a texture, but wished you can use some of those canvase tools like contrast, hue, and such. Projection master will drop the model tool to the canvas, let you do those things, then pick back up.

One cool thing about tools compared to normal objects in 3D programs, is how you can switch between the subdivision levels. and work at different ones. Normally, in a 3D app, when you smooth, you still only edit the underlying base mesh. With the tool, you might have super fine details at subdivision level 6. But you want to make some major changes, but it does blend so well at that level, so you can go to a lower subd level like 2 and make some larger moves, then go back up to level 6 and see the details there moved and perfectly to those changes. That’s always good to do, shift-D to quickly go down, just D to go back up.

#6

I see.
It will take some time to get to know all the features. :smiley: Thanks a lot!