ZBrushCentral

Orienting basic tool shapes

ZScripting Help
#1

Would it be possible to write a script that would take the different orientable ztools (cylinder, disk, etc) draw them to a standard size and orient them to the floor plane? Perhaps you could do the ztool and then have a panel that would snap it to different orientations to the floor plane?

Heh, or maybe I’m just frustrated as a noob who keeps spending several minutes and not getting it quite right.

You guys who do all the amazing work and who write the scripts and ZBrush for all the aspiring novices…

Bowing Down, We’re not worthy! We’re not worthy!

Cheers!

#2

You may find this plugin useful (read down to see the later versions):

http://www.zbrushcentral.com/showthread.php?161588-quot-Axis-quot-Plugin-for-ZBrush-4r2

#3

Yes, I installed it… but I m still getting confused as to how to position it initially… guess it’s me being new to it, or that it ZBrush really seems to be early days yet as to implicitly displaying the orientation of something and then being able to have separate views for the same work area. I really really love how programs like Rhinoceros 3D do it, you rarely have even the slightest doubt as to where something is or how it’s facing.

I guess I’ll eventually get used to it and from the results I have seen it’s likely worth the enforced vagueness that ZBrush for some reason is keeping in place.

Cheers, and thanks for the tip, that is a pretty neat plugin.

#4

Yes, it can be a bit confusing if you’re used to separate views. But think about ZBrush a bit more like the real world - you just put a piece of clay down on the table and start modeling. It really doesn’t matter how you draw out the model - the drawing out and positioning on the canvas (viewport) don’t affect the model itself, it’s just how you’re looking at it. So, if you’re not loading a project but choosing a model from the Tool palette:

  1. Select the model (ztool) in the Tool palette.
  2. Click and drag straight downwards on the canvas.
  3. Press T on the keyboard to enter Edit mode (or press the Edit button on the interface).

Once in Edit mode it’s easy to move, scale or rotate the model however you want.

Also you may find this grid useful. It will display the axes clearly.
Download here: AxesGrid
Unzip the file to your Desktop then move the AxesGrid.ZGR file to your ZBrush 4R6/ZGrids folder. You can then load the grid any time through the Lightbox Grids tab.

Attachments

AxesGrid-display.jpg

#5

Great tip. getting it now… thanks for the info… I’m going to have to make a new Evernote Notebook to save these gems.

Cheers!

#6

Worked like a charm, thanks again.

One quick question, how do I reset ZBrush to the default floor grid? I don’t see it as an item in the grids Tab.

#7

Should be on right side of unmodified UI. http://docs.pixologic.com/getting-started/finding-your-way-around/

#8

Just save out the grid you want as the default using the Save button in the Draw palette:
http://docs.pixologic.com/reference-guide/draw/
Save it to the ZBrush 4R6/ZGrids folder and you can then quickly load it any time from Lightbox.