ZBrushCentral

Workflow to Use Common Subtools Across Projects?

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

Any ideas for a workflow to more easily reuse common subtools between projects?

I have been either:

  • exporting subtools as .obj files from one project, then importing to other projects
    or
  • copying tools from one project, opening another, pasting.

Is there a way to more easily save and retrieve my most commonly used subtools in a zbrush - friendly (polypaint, material, etc) format?

Thank you

#2

Saving as a standard Tool format (.ztl) will save all that info for you.

From there you have a few options for how to add that saved Tool to whatever other Tool you’re working on. Personally I recommend keeping the Subtool Master plugin pinned to the UI. It’s Multi-Insert / Multi-Append options will automatically take care of the whole process for you and works on both OBJ and ZTL formats.

#3

Thanks. I’ll try that.
But how would I save out a single subtool without deleting all others first?
The “Do Visible” doesn’t seem to get me that.

#4

With the subtool selected, you could hit the clone button then save that as the Tool.

#5

That works, Thanks!

Did this:

  • select subtool you wish to save
  • in the Tool palette, click CLONE
  • in the Tool palette, click on newly cloned subtool (now the SubTool palette only contains the desired single subtool)
  • SaveAs (saves the single subtool in .ztl format for future use)

To reuse that subtool use either Tool>Load Tool (then click on working subtools in tool palette, then append) or Subtool Master > Multiappend

I’ve never really understood the distinctions between clone, copy, etc in that tool palette.

Thanks again!