ZBrushCentral

holes and rifts

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

is it possible to make holes and rifts in a wing in zbrush?
something like this:
[vlcsnap-2009-09-06-19h50m30s254.png](javascript:zb_insimg(‘156744’,‘vlcsnap-2009-09-06-19h50m30s254.jpg’,1,0))
or do i have to make it in other apps like maya or use an alpha map?
i would prefer to sculp those in zbrush but dont know if its possible.

#2

As in most applications, you can do it texturally, by assigning a transparency map texture with transparent segments.

If you are rendering in ZB, you can do it with 2.5 d tools, erasing away the sections you want once posed.

You could do it as part of post processing with a multipass composite image in photoshop.

And you can do it on a mesh basis, by deleting portions of the geometry. 1)Mask the sections you want to delete 2)Invert the selection by hitting "Inverse" in the masking palette, or by CTRL clicking outside the object in the canvas. 3)Select "HidePT" in the masking menu . This hides everything not masked 4)Then, apply "Mask all" to the remaining visible portion of the mesh. This is not strictly necessary, but it keeps ZB from applying smoothing to the remaining mesh when sections are deleted, resulting in slight loss of detail. 5) Hit "DelHidden" in the geometry palette. This will delete any geo not visible. Note: This only works at the lowest level of subdivision, so you may have to delete lower levels of subD in order to get less coarse results. For best results, if you are going to do this, it should probably be modeled into your mesh from the very start before any substantive sculpting is done, especially if you want more realistic edges to the geometry, and not just look like gaps in the geometry with impossibly crisp edges. Remember, for a variety of reasons, most "2d" planes modelled in ZB actually have some thickness to them, so you're dealing with 2 overlapping planes, and not a single one. Most of the time, I think people opt for a textural or post work solution to this problem.
#3

ah i see.
thank you for your anwser.
but after reading this i think its better if i make an alpha/tranparency map after all.

#4

One other thing you could do, which I neglected to mention, is sculpt the cape or wing, or whatever the surface is normally, then use the retopolgy tool to drawn in new geometry over top, with all the largest tears and holes, and create new geometry from that, with thickness or without.

Unless you need an absolute solution on the mesh level, for instance for 3d printing, It is still probably only worthwhile to sculpt in the largest details this way, and use a textural compromise for the smaller “holes” and such, as it will create some complicated geometry, not to mention being a pain in general.