Now is your chance to give the newest ZBrush features a test drive! This free Trial of ZBrush 2021.5.1 includes all features for 30 days. It is available to anyone, including those who have tested out previous ZBrush versions.
In fact, the timing is perfect for you to join this year’s Sculpt-Off and get in some practice with the new features ahead of time!
Please note: The Trial version is for evaluation only. It may not be used for commercial purposes.
Feature Highlights
The major features below are new since the ZBrush 2020 Trial version:
- Performance Enhancements - Even more performance enhancements have now been added to ZBrush. We revisited the systems behind the sculpting brushes along with many other popular features. Speed has increased across all sectors, including faster response time with high polygon models, increased DynaMesh speed and much more. In addition, a new Optimal option for smart management of multithreading will always maintain the right amount of threads ZBrush needs with your system for the best performance.
- Dynamics - Enhance your sculpting with a Dynamics system that allows any surface to be contracted, expanded, inflated or draped with gravity. Use masking to pin a portion of the mesh to create a point of interest or use a mask to create a unique interaction that can allow the surface to be rolled on itself. Create realistic cloth folds - even on a low resolution plane. Place your mesh, turn on the collision volume and any desired controls, then watch as ZBrush drapes the cloth mesh over any other visible meshes. WATCH VIDEO
- Controlled Cloth Sculpting - Special brushes have been introduced which use the Dynamics engine to give unique capabilities for interacting with the cloth surface. As examples, you can choose where folds will lay or simply grab the geometry to move it freely in the work space and create folds in real-time. GIF The ClothTwister brush simulates twisted cloth. ClothWind allows directional movement. ClothPinchTrails will create a seam with pinched cloth wherever your brush stroke takes place on the surface.
- ZModeler Updated - New functions have been added to the already powerful ZModeler brush system.
- iMage 3D GIF and PNG Format - The iMage 3D format provides a unique way to share both an image of your work and the 3D model itself with others, all in a single GIF or PNG file. This file can be posted on any website where it will appear as a regular 2D image and once opened in ZBrush the complete model with all it’s SubTools is ready to edit. Check out the many community sculpts waiting for you in ZBrushCentral’s iMage 3D Community Expo!
- Thick Skin - For the true sense of adding, removing or moving clay across a surface use Thick Skin. This gives any mesh the appearance of having been sculpted as a fine art piece. Thick Skin can also be used to establish a specific plateau from which to build upon a surface to create scales and other features with consistent height or depth.
- Sculptris Pro Enhancements - Sculptris Pro performance has been improved, further empowering it as a system for true creativity without limitations. WATCH VIDEO
- Contrast - Didn’t sculpt those wrinkles deeply enough? Need to enhance the details of those fish scales for a 3D print? The Contrast slider provides you with the ability to globally enhance all sculpting details while the Contrast brushes make it possible to focus on specific areas to heighten your sculptural details. Specific depths can be applied on an individual basis and even be adjusted in real-time, giving true freedom to experiment. Contrast doesn’t just bump the details. It can also be applied to smooth a surface back towards the original state before any sculpting details were applied.
- Curves Helper - Need to tie a knot around that character’s waist, create a flow of wires through a mech or apply laces to a shoe or boot? Curves Helper is your answer! It’s simple: draw any shape with ZSpheres and adjust it to fit your needs. Then with a simple click, convert the ZSpheres into an editable curve that will now allow any surface to be applied along the curve. Continue your edits in Curve mode, including swapping out the geometry being applied along the curve.
- Preview Ambient Occlusion - Sculpt with real-time render accuracy that captures every stroke applied to your mesh. Real-time ambient occlusion gives you the ability to quickly see which portions of your model might need that extra touch. Bring your creations to life in real-time with the Preview AO (Ambient Occlusion) feature.
- 3Dconnexion Mouse Support - Navigate in a way that frees you from a keyboard. Using the line of 3Dconnexion mice gives you the ability to navigate with just a slight touch of the navigation knob. Rotate and zoom at the same time or pivot around the point of interest without breaking your sculpting stride.
- +Many more features and enhancements.
How to Try ZBrush
- Go to the ZBrush Trial web page and click the button to Try ZBrush 2021.
- Follow the on-screen instructions. Be sure to double check your email address.
- Check your email for your download link. Note that the email may not go to your main inbox. Instead it might go to the junk folder or (if you have Gmail) the Promotions section of your inbox.
- Download and install the Trial.
- When you first launch ZBrush you will be asked for your Pixologic ID. This will be your email address and whatever password you chose when registering.
- Enjoy ZBrush!
How to buy ZBrush:
Click HERE to access the Pixologic store.
When you next run ZBrush after purchasing (assuming that the purchase was made using the same Pixologic ID that you used to register for the Trial), it will automatically detect your purchased license and give you the opportunity to switch to using it. This will then remove the need to have an internet connection every time ZBrush is run.
Learning ZBrush
We encourage you to make use of the following resources:
- The ZClassroom contains hundreds of free video tutorials, which can be sorted by categories, classes, and more.
- Online documentation, which is easily searched by topic or button name.
- ZBrushCentral, which has a ZBrush Usage Questions category so that you can ask questions and get answers.
Happy ZBrushing! 