Is it possible to efficiently work in Zbrush, using Deformation panel and ref. image?

[system]

So, heres the thing. Im trying to model some hard surface thing, and Ive encountered this problem: when I try to use some of Deformation palette tool, it works not as I want it to do, because of a pivot point. If i try to press "Set pivot point", my gun part moves to the center of canvas, thus making impossible modeling using reference image, but pivot point sets itself correctly. So its like a choise: or model, using ref. image, but with broken deformation tools, or with normal def.tools, but without help from a ref. image.
HOW TO move a pivot point to piece of model, not vice versa?

Attachments

[Spyndel]

It might be helpful to know what you want to do specifically.

Are you working lo poly or high poly?

Most of the deformation controls that are affected when you’re off center are positional ones (rotate, scale etc) that would be better done with the transpose controls in this situation. If you’re working low poly, Zmodeler probably has equivalent actions for many that dont require the object to be centered in the world space.

There is a rather complicated process for setting a pivot point, but I advise you just to find an alternate approach to doing the same thing.

[squeige]

Read up on the set pivot clear pivot option. (Tool Spivot/CPivot) What it does is temporarily center your model so you can use the deform panel to scale twist or whatever action you choose, once clearead it willl snap back into place… Also for somehting like what you are doing I would bet better on using the transpose line with mirror so you can scale uniformly in place.