How do you add a 3D tool during Edit Mode?

[JTG]

Hello - I’m again very much lost as a beginner. A lot of YouTube videos explain types of brushes and Dynamesh (which I am thankful for in its own right) but I have a lot of trouble navigating through edit mode. It’s like my nemesis at the moment.

Specifically, I’ll go through this by step.

-Open Zbrush
-Add a tool (Say a Cylinder 3D) at any random size - call this Tool A.
-Now, I want to add a Ring 3D (call this Tool B) and edit both Tool A and Tool B.
(Meaning, I want to be able to move/scale/rotate and sculp with whatever brush I choose, for both tools)

• However, the issues are as below;

1. After I add Tool A, I switch to Edit Mode - then, when I select another tool in my tool menu, it won’t let me add another tool - instead, Tool A itself transforms into, say a Ring 3D. In Edit Mode, there’s no way to add a new tool.

2. After I add Tool A, I hold myself and before entering edit mode, I add a Ring 3D. This lets me add Tool A and Tool B separately on the canvas - great, so now I enter Edit Mode. But now this is again a problem because I can then only edit Tool B - the earlier added Tool A is completed resistant against any brush or command, as if it doesn’t exist.

And if I exit Edit Mode, it’s game over, as I understand - no turning back, the tools you previously were able to edit are no longer going to obey an commands, whatever you do, it will be fixed into eternity in Zbrush, never editable again.

I’m completely stuck and my head’s about to explode not being able to do something so simple. As much as I do have a big amount of complaints as to why there is even a need to distinguish edit mode and otherwise, and why it cannot be switched on and off with ease (what’s the point of not letting us re-edit a tool again once we exit edit mode?), I would like to know how to get around this issue.

[zber2]

Hello @JTG

@JTG

After I add Tool A, I switch to Edit Mode - then, when I select another tool in my tool menu, it won’t let me add another tool - instead, Tool A itself transforms into, say a Ring 3D. In Edit Mode, there’s no way to add a new tool.

To add another Subtool, you would click “Append” in the Subtool palette. (See image below)

@JTG

After I add Tool A, I hold myself and before entering edit mode, I add a Ring 3D. This lets me add Tool A and Tool B separately on the canvas - great, so now I enter Edit Mode. But now this is again a problem because I can then only edit Tool B - the earlier added Tool A is completed resistant against any brush or command, as if it doesn’t exist .

Doing it that way, you are only adding objects to the 2.5D canvas. 2.5D is how ZBrush started originally. It still has it’s uses as illustrations for example. You can search Youtube for “ZBrush 2.5D” for examples and tutorials or see video below. However, if you use “Append” in the subtool palette to add new subtools, you would select the new subtool from the Subtool list and start editing it. Then select the previous subtool if you wanted to go back to editing that one.

@JTG

And if I exit Edit Mode, it’s game over, as I understand - no turning back, the tools you previously were able to edit are no longer going to obey an commands, whatever you do, it will be fixed into eternity in Zbrush, never editable again.

All is not lost after you turn Edit off. Your Tool is still in the Tool palette. Just use Ctrl+N to clear the canvas, select the Tool in the Tool palette and draw it on the canvas. Turn Edit back on and you’re back in business

.

[JTG]

Hi thanks for the info - I’m still not really getting the hang of all these seemingly convoluted commands…but I guess it’s a matter of getting used to it…Appreciate it