Help creating a brush.

[Gordon_Robb]

I am doing a fair amount of work on models that will be 3D printed for moulding. I have to work to scale, and it is small scale. What I also have some some fairly limiting minimums sizes for things like cuts (panel cuts etc). the have to be .2mm wide by .2mm deep for example.

I have been doing this by having a cube that I know is the right relative size as a sub-tool. I position it were I’m going to make the cut and do what ever to make sure it’s the right width and depth, using the template cube in the background.

What I was wondering is if I could create a tool that cuts into the surface by a fairly controllable width and depth, with no change for pressure sensitivity. That way, I could adjust the size to be right (compared to the reference sub-tool), and then draw the cut, and it would be the right width and depth.

Can anyone tell me if this is possible, and perhaps point me in the direction of where to start?

Thanks in advance.

[Spyndel]

What I was wondering is if I could create a tool that cuts into the surface by a fairly controllable width and depth, with no change for pressure sensitivity. That way, I could adjust the size to be right (compared to the reference sub-tool), and then draw the cut, and it would be the right width and depth.

Layer brush with a morph target stored will displace to a fixed depth, dependent on brush mod and Z intensity settings.

Tablet pressure sensitivity can be controlled globally in Preferences > Tablet, or on a brush by brush basis in Brush > Tablet Pressure.

[Gordon_Robb]

Thanks Looking at Layer brush now. Not sure what the point of the Morph Target is though?

[Spyndel]

Thanks Looking at Layer brush now. Not sure what the point of the Morph Target is though?

Storing a morph target first establishes a consistent starting point for the displacement. If you don’t store the morph target first, the brush will displace from wherever you start on the existing surface, which means overlapping strokes may displace to different values. Generally speaking, when using a morph target, attempting to apply the brush into an area that has already been displaced to the maximum value will not result in further displacement.

Try it both ways. You’ll see the difference.

[Gordon_Robb]

Great thanks. Have sussed it.

Here it is in use. Three simple strokes, minimal clean up required at the joins.

The normal brush size controls the width, I have to adjust the modifier to get the depth to match, but it works great.

Thanks for your help.

[Spyndel]

Great thanks. Have sussed it.

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Against a flat surface, creating a custom alpha and attaching it to a drag rect stroke type with the layer brush would get you more precise results without all the hand touch up.

Against a flat surface, Projection Master is also great for stamping in detail to a fixed depth. Simply create an alpha in the desired shape, then attach it to the single layer brush in PM 2.5 d mode. Use the move and scale modes while the stroke is still live to position it.

For a cut that deep on a flat plane, you might consider extruding it from a polygroup. Paint the desired group as a mask, group masked, smooth the edges with group loops, shape with Slice brush for precise angles, extrude with the transpose tool.

[Gordon_Robb]

Yep, have tried, and used all of that.

Thing is, this is for putting details like panel lines into very small scultps. These cuts will be .2mm to .3mm. Having just spent half an hour with doing it this way, it is a lot quicker. So I’m happy.