ZBrushCentral

Best method to add things like hoses to outfits?

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

I watched the zsphere scultpting tutorial, and that seems like the best way to add hoses to a sci fi outfit.

I’m working on a mesh though, and can’t figure out how to zsphere sculpt on top of it to create new geometry that follows the contours of the imported object.

Is there a better workflow for this? Maybe a specific brush? I’d want to draw the hose along the object, and then be able to pull it away from the object to create some natural falls.

I supposed a tutorial for this, or maybe adding vines on plants would be the same, if there are any?

EDIT: OK, looks like its the curvetube brush. I’ll see if I can find info on it in zclassroom.

In the mean time, it looks like it only works on a mesh without subdivision levels. Using freeze seems to imbed the curvetube into the mesh when unfrozen, and doesn’t create a new subtool.

#2

You might want to take a look at ZSketch.

http://www.pixologic.com/docs/index.php/ZSketch

Ezra

#3

I did look at zsketch, but can’t get it to sketch over an existing preloaded mesh, unless I’m missing a step somewhere.

In essence, I want to create a mesh in lightwave, import it, and then draw something like hoses or vines over the top, and then use the movecurve brush (I think thats what it was called) to drag some of them out away from the base mesh.

If I just zsculpt I can, but can’t seem to zsculpt over a imported mesh.

EDIT: that link does look like it has my solution… it looks like you need to append a zsphere first. Many thanks!

#4

Using CurveTube brush is probably the easiest way to go.

  1. Load the model that you want to add tubing to. Enable Edit mode and click Clone in Tool menu to make a copy (as backup).

  2. You can only have one subdivision level when using the CurveTube brush so pick a mid one and delete higher and lower ones.(don’t worry. remember you made a clone)

  3. Select the CurveTube brush from the brush palette then in the Stroke menu, under the Curve Mode section, enable Bend and Snap.

  4. Draw your tubing where and how you want. Note that you can only do one tube at a time. (unless you’re using Symmetry which will make more at a time)

  5. After you draw your tube, your model will auto-mask itself and the tube will be clear of a mask. Ctrl+click on the canvas to reverse the masking. Now the tube will be masked and your model clear of a mask.

  6. Go to Tool > Visibility and click HidePt (hide unmasked) then go to Tool > Geometry and click DelHidden. Now your tube is it’s own subtool. If you want to do another tube, Append your clone and repeat the process over again.

That should be enough for you to get the jist of the idea and once you get the hang of it, it goes really fast.

#5

I was running into an issue appending a zsphere to my mesh (it needs less that 15,00 polys) and if I decimated the mesh first, I was geting funky wirefame display version of the mesh instead of the usual transparent one.

This method might work better for this project, but I’l learn both methods in case one is better for a future project than this one.

Question: Is that zsphere attachement mesh display thing a bug, or is there a setting to change it back to ghosted instead of wireframe?

Thanks for the assist!

#6

Great info Zber2. I haven’t had a chance to try out many of these new Zbrush tools. That sounds like a cool solution.

Ezra

#7

Originally posted by Gareee:

I was running into an issue appending a zsphere to my mesh (it needs less that 15,00 polys) and if I decimated the mesh first, I was geting funky wirefame display version of the mesh instead of the usual transparent one.

This method might work better for this project, but I’l learn both methods in case one is better for a future project than this one.

Question: Is that zsphere attachement mesh display thing a bug, or is there a setting to change it back to ghosted instead of wireframe?
I don’t know what your doing there but it definitely doesn’t sound right. If you want your ZSphere chain to follow a surface then I will put together a short tutorial on how to do that and post it a little later here.

#8

Yeah, thats the end goal. I managed to get it working one time, but when I tried to replicate it, zbrush didn’t want to append the zsphere to the mesh because of the polycount.

But I got it to work at least once… :wink:

A tutorial for your method might be a good resource, if there is a newer better method.

One of the issue I’m having learning some of the tools and best practices, is that some of the tutorials reference versions of zbrush from years ago, and newer better methods for workflow have been released since then.

#9

Here is the tutorial.

zsphere 1.JPG
zsphere 2.JPG
zsphere 3a.JPG

#10

Thanks Ezra. IMO, that’s the easiest method.

#11

ZSketch method.

Do item 1 and 2 in the above tutorial then go to Tool > ZSketch and turn on ‘EditSketch’. The ZSketch will follow the surface of the body. When done go to Tool > Unified Skin and click ‘Make Unified Skin’. The skin will be in your Subtool list.

zsketch.JPG

#12

Off to try this. Again, thanks! :wink:

#13

Originall posted by Gareee

I was running into an issue appending a zsphere to my mesh (it needs less that 15,00 polys) and if I decimated the mesh first, I was geting funky wirefame display version of the mesh instead of the usual transparent one.

How are you appending a ZSphere?? Sounds to me like you loaded a ZSphere, drew it on the canvas, then went to Tool > Topology and clicked "Select Topo’ then tried to select your mesh. That’s the only place I know of where you get the 15,000 poly warning. When you Append a ZSphere through the Subtool submenu, it doesn’t care what the polycount is. Maybe you mean something else other than Append?

#14

Zber2, I think you hit the nail on the head! Thats exactly what I was doing. Every tutorial I read said to append it, but none specified which method to append it with.

I’m saving this thread as a pdf because it has invaluable information that I’m sure I’ll reference in the future.

I love that there is so much help linked here, but so much of it is out of date, and digging for info can be a daunting task.

#15

Yes, I know what you mean. The search engine on these forums is absolutely useless. It’s almost impossible to find what you need. I found that a really good source of info is the Pixologic Information Wiki and searching is a lot easier. Some of the stuff is a bit outdated but a lot is still relevant. As an example, the following 2 links are relevant to what I mentioned above. 3D Sketching on a SubTool and ZSpheres and SubTools.

#16

I’ll bm that link. I’m hell bent this time to stop being Zbrush’s bitch and master it! :wink: