ZBrushCentral

Broken Symmetry Function (very frustrated)

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

Hi,

New to zbrush, not new to 3d.

I must say, I am very, very frustrated with this program. It’s like trying to fix something with my eyes closed. I know it’s supposed to be great and powerful, but every damn time i try to get something to work that worked last session, it doesn’t. Adaptive skin worked yesterday, yet now it’s all pinched and deformed around the same, unchanged zsphere armature. THIS IS INSANE. Now, on top of that, the symmetry feature no longer recognizes local symmetry. I’ve watched videos, read the pixologic manual, googled, experimented and of course, nothing. This is horrible. I’ve never, ever had this much trouble getting the basics of a 3D package before.

So, angry and frustrated rant aside, anyone know how to restore symmetry back the working, x axis position? I’ve tried lots of things, but I really need some help.

Thanks in advance!!!

#2

Hi. I empathize with you. I would work with certain features at one time and then sometime in short future, like a day or two, it seems not to work. Now I don’t know what it may be for you, but for me, I had masks on which I was not clearing. So when I went to utilize a feature on the model it made seem like it would not work, but really the mask was preventing changes.

Sometimes a mask can be hard to detect especially if your whole model is masked making have one solid color camouflaging the mask so to speak. Go to the TOOL >> MASKING and click “View Mask” button to see the masks. Click “Clear” button to rid of masks.

Some other possible helpfuls:
Turn off Perspective
Turn on Floor
See where your z Forward is, the blue line under your model and get your model oriented so that your symmetry x, y and/or z will appear on your model as expected.

Also you can reinitialize zBrush under PEFERENCES palette. It kind of like starting the app by double clicking its exe file, but it will wipe out your current project, so save first. This function won’t close zBrush but merely starts it again while already loaded.

Other things which you may already be aware of but just in case:
Make sure you in edit mode
Make sure you are working with 3D polymesh or dynamesh otherwise nothing is going to sculpt on the model.
This holds true when switching to new default tool (or primitive) and not making the new tool a polymesh.
Saving as Tool or Project vs. as a document. If save as document your tool will be lost, so save tools as tools to be reused later and save as project to save everything there is about each tool, subtool and settings you were using before the save.

Hope this helps.

#3

Transform menu may be helpful :wink:
Axis plug is also very useful, can be easily located and installed from the forums here.
And although many of the links are broken and images show placeholders, this may amuse you for a while and possibly enlighten you. Happy ZBrushing.
http://www.zbrushcentral.com/showthread.php?9095-NEWBIE-LESSON-ONE-The-Interface

#4

Thanks guys! I really appreciate the feedback. Yes, this program is very, very tricky starting out.

I did manage to get it fixed. I reset the symmetry and played with the mirror axis function and that seemed to do it. Now, I just have to figure out how to fix the messy zspheres thing.

Thanks again for the great advice and taking the time to reply. I’ll get it eventually!!! :slight_smile:

#5

Well, its gone again - the symmetry. Got it working again yesterday, now, poof! Gone, just like magic! - What worked yesterday is gone. I can’t believe this program. So, I guess I’ll download the axis plugin. I really and truly have never experience such a horrible, terrible UI and UI experience. One thing that just happened, the tool turned back in to 2d mode and I couldn’t get it back to edit mode. Why? I don’t know. I tried changing the color so then the edit modes goes away? Why? Have no idea. So, I had to draw out another model out (btw, why not just be able to open the tool and be done with it. What’s with this drawing the model out stuff) and then then edit that one. Oh yeah, and that’s when the symmetry stopped working. Yay!! So, I tried to fix it doing the same thing as yesterday, but no, this time for the second time in a row the realign symmetry option caused the program to fail. OMFG. Help, please. Right now I’m wondering if I should go back to mudbox. This is crazy.

#6

Use the force, once you know what this software can do, it’s awesome. It does take some getting used to. Did you read Newbie Lesson One?

#7

s_babb, when you change to a new tool, it turns off symmetry. It actually is like starting fresh each time you change to a new tool. So, let me see if I can describe this to help you.

In the Tool Palette where you have golden “Z”, the large one, not the small one… each time you switch that out you are selecting a new tool and starting fresh. Some of your settings may persist like materials and the current color, but as far as a lot of the toggle buttons and sliders found in many of your palettes they go back to default.

The rest of the buttons which near the larger “Z”, which are smaller, those are tools which you have worked with. The tools you worked with retain the settings where you last left off. So if symmetry was on for a tool and you leave it to work on different tool and come back, symmetry still will be on. So again, if you select from the larger “Z” you are selecting a new tool and it presents the tool with it defaults.

Also when you select a new tool, like 3D cylinder, sphere, the star etc, it may start you in edit mode automatically if you have been working on previous tools during your session, but you must make it a polymesh to sculpt on it. Again this is only when you are picking a new tool, not a tool you have been working, which are the smaller buttons.

I empathize with the frustration and I encourage you to stick out with zBrush. I truly believe, and no offense by the way, that what may appear to be broken features is really user error. I think one has to get accustomed to how the software works because if you look at many of the users here who are power users and submitting their art work for show and tell, they do not experience what you are going through. I experienced some of the frustration you are experiencing the first week of using zBrush getting acquainted with it and masking was just killing me because I had no idea that I was applying masks or forgot to clear one. So I when I went to do something and there was mask, the feature or action I wanted to do on the model would not work.

I been studying zBrush taking classes with Digital Tutors and that has reduced a lot of my early frustration and shorten my learning curve. You learn a lot if you continue to plug away at the course material. Anyway again, I encourage you stick it out and be persistent.

#8

Thank you, jaxprog! I really, really appreciate you taking the time to provide such a thorough answer. That does help, thank you. Again, I think I have it fixed. I guess it’s all about baby steps. I did end up buying the gnomon dvd’s and already I’m learning good stuff. I really want to get this because I know this program can enable an artist to do great stuff, it’s just pretty funky right now. And I totally understand that it is user error on my part and I know lots of thought went into this software. I’ll get it, but I’ll just try to slow down some, I think.

Anyway, thanks again for helping me. I’ll post some work next week, maybe.