New to Zbrush from using Mudbox, and I’m loving Zbrush so far. Love the controls and the interface. Here are my questions:
I’m using Projection Master to make these straps that go around a long super hero’s boot. I can do em easy in Projection Master, but, is there a way to use Projection Master with layers, so that the detail I project is then on a layer of its own?
2nd question: is there a way to save masks in Zbrush? It’d be really handy.
cheers.
If you sculpt in a 3d layer then any 3d deformation to the mesh is stored in whatever layer the sculpting was done, even from projection master edits.
Just activate new in the 3d layer palette under tools and you’ll have a new 3d layer to sculpt in. Here you can do your editing, then if you don’t like it, you can disable the layer by turning it to zero and deleting it. Or you can increase or decrease the effect of your deformation by sliding the values higer or lower. You can multiple layers all storing different edits.
If you sculpt your straps on a 3d layer, you can then even create new strap meshes by creating a difference between the sculpted information on the 3d layer and the mesh it was sculpted on.
Color information works differently though I’m just assuming you’re speaking of 3d deformation edits which is all handled through the 3d layer.
A handy trick of 3d layers is to store a morph target of your mesh before editing on the 3d layer, then when you want to clean up or rework some of your sculpting you can switch to the morph brush and morph back in some of the mesh detail before editing. In combination with the strength sliders of the 3d layers and with masking this is an incredibly controlled way to add surface detail exactly where you want it.
Note that, to “flatten” a layer into your sculpt, you have to delete it. Just hit delete while it’s at the strength you’re happy with and the edits become part of your mesh.
Regarding masks, masks in zbrush can be save by masking then hitting “create alpha” in the masking palette then exporting that alpha for future use. Import the alpha when you start a new session and wish to reload that mask, then click “mask by alpha” in the masking palette.
Ah thanks for the help.
I tried using the Projection Master with layers again and it was working for me just the way I expected. Guess it was just playing up on me last night. Its such a nice feature.
Thanks for the other tips and the savings masks workflow; all gonna be very useful.
cheers.