Clipping Curve Distortion

[Dragon]

I am attempting to CLIP a tool I made using a cylinder I flattened to make a TUBE GRILL for my car. However, when I attempt to clip the GRILL TUBE, I get the distortions you see below (seems to be same issue as: http://www.zbrushcentral.com/showthread.php?t=94852&highlight=Clipping+issues However, my tool was not created using Shadowbox).

My flattened Cylinder:

I of course did some quick research to see if anyone was having the same issue (closest is above), but to no avail. All these little issues are killing me (their killing my time). I started out well (no problem sculpting the body and I even did an extraction just fine, see this post: http://www.zbrushcentral.com/showthread.php?t=95181&page=12&pp=15
and
http://www.zbrushcentral.com/showthread.php?t=95181&page=14&pp=15
and the grill
http://www.zbrushcentral.com/showthread.php?t=95181&page=16&pp=15), but, for the last five months I have been stuck on little issues such as the one I just posted.

So, I do something to my sclupt for a few minutes, then, I run into an issue that takes me days and weeks to find the fix or work around to. Then I sculpt for a few more minutes, and again, I run into another annoying issue. Off I go again for a few days or weeks to find the issue to that problem etc.

It’s been an extremly slow process to get my 1 model done that I normaly see folks do in a couple of hours with NO problems. They push, pull, add, delete, append, poly paint, extract, mold etc with such ease. Yet, I try the same, and every little thing I seem to do is a major issue that takes days to get an answer to.

I don’t think it is a lack of knowlege of 3D (I now have a manual as thick as my fist with very cool info on almost everything ZBrush-or heck, maybe it is a lack of understanding 3D ). You know, no one learns a program over night, it takes some time to understand how it works. But, once you learn it’s tools and you start creating, it’s a wonderful experience.

As I have said many times before, I am an artist, not a rocket scientist. We should be able to open a program and just start creating without concerning ourselves about the ‘inner workings’ of a particular program. When working with clay, we do not concern ourselves with how the manufacturer made the clay, or how a pencil company puts the lead in the wood, or how an eraser is made. We simply grab the clay and start to sculpt, we grab the pencil and draw, and we turn the pencil around and it erases.

Man, I am about to give up on this 3D thing (even though I think it’s cool- ) Can you tell I am fustrated?? Anywho, I will keep trying (I will see how far my patients will take me), if someone can help great, if this post just goes into another void, oh well.

Attachments

[zber2]

[Dragon]

Thank you ZBER2, I think I am going to make a custom alpha, then inflate to make the ‘GRILL TUBES’. Will probably work better anyway. Best.

[Dragon]

Hey ZBER2, would you have any idea why my “Restore Startup HotKeys” under Preferences>HotKeys, would be grey? (cannot select it).

Yet another issue, I have been using DragRect with custom alphas with no issue.

Today I go to use it and guess what, it no longer works. Soooooo, begins the task of figuring out why now all of a sudden it does not work. I attempted to Init ZBrush, no go. I went back and fourth between different stroke types, no go. I restarted my computer, no go. I have attempted to re-assign the ctl key to the DragRect, no go. I went to my Alpha and Brush palettes to see if something there could help, no go (all looks correct). I switched between my custom UI and the Default ZBrush UI, no go.

I have spent hours attempting to find a fix to my issue (short of reinstalling ZBrush, and I don’t want to do that)… and so here I am again with another day wasted. Aurghhhhh!!

Anywho, any info would be helpful.

[zber2]

Originally posted by Dragon:

Hey ZBER2, would you have any idea why my “Restore Startup HotKeys” under Preferences>HotKeys, would be grey? (cannot select it).

Mine has always been greyed out too, but I have never assigned any custom keys either.

As to your DragRect Stroke problem, have you tried deleting the contents of your ZBrush 4.0 > ZStartup > ConfigFiles folder? ZBrush will write new files when restarted. I know that has fixed other problems before. You can also just temporarily move them if you feel more comfortable doing that.

[Dragon]

Mine has always been greyed out too, but I have never assigned any custom keys either.

As to your DragRect Stroke problem, have you tried deleting the contents of your ZBrush 4.0 > ZStartup > ConfigFiles folder? ZBrush will write new files when restarted. I know that has fixed other problems before. You can also just temporarily move them if you feel more comfortable doing that.

I was a computer tech for many years (my skills of fixing computers over the years have deminished of course), I was wondering if it maybe something like you mentioned. But, I had no clue as to what I needed to remove (I use to work for Quark-the page layout program- and we would just tell folks to delete their pref file and that always seemed to fix common issues with the program).

Cool, I will give it a shot. Thanks again. Sorry for bothering- .

Have a great one.

[gabo1991]

Hello zber2

Just wanted to step by and help you out a little. The clipping brushes do have their limitations as does everything. If you are clipping something extremely skinny like you are here there could be some issues but if you would like to put up just that subtool here I will take a look at what is going on.

The link you put in your first post about the shadowbox and clipping brushes is just an user error. You are not to use the clipping brushes when in Shadowbox. You only use masking brushes when in shadowbox.

I will be happy to help you out with the clipping of your grill though.

Paul

[zber2]

Hello gabo1991

I think it’s Dragon you should be addressing and not me. He is the one having the problem.

[Dragon]

Hello zber2

Just wanted to step by and help you out a little. The clipping brushes do have their limitations as does everything. If you are clipping something extremely skinny like you are here there could be some issues but if you would like to put up just that subtool here I will take a look at what is going on.

The link you put in your first post about the shadowbox and clipping brushes is just an user error. You are not to use the clipping brushes when in Shadowbox. You only use masking brushes when in shadowbox.

I will be happy to help you out with the clipping of your grill though.

Paul

Hi Paul, yes, I am the one having the issue not zber2. Do you have an email I can foward the tool to you to?
Zber2, I reinstalled ZBrush 4 and all is good now (seems something went haywire in the program). I don’t know why, but ‘I think’ it had to do something with my custom UI??
Anywho, I am just leaving ZBrush as is (so far, everything is working the way it should).
As for the tool I am trying to clip, I just think (as Paul pointed out), it’s too thin. But, would like to see what Paul thinks and see if he has a way of ‘trimming’ it without distortion (or another approach to making the tool-it would be much appreciated Paul- ).