ZBrushCentral

Problem understanding subtools

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

Hello Everyone,

I’m hoping someone can help me gain a better understanding of how ZBrush handles subtools. For example: I have three separate files:TorsoNoArms.ztl, LArm.ztl, and RArm.ztl. I bring-up ZBrush 4 and load TorsoNoArms.ztl. So, TorsoNoArms appears in the Tool palette and in the SubTool palette.

Next, I load LArm.ztl. At that point, I have TorsoNoArms and LArm in the Tool palette and only LArm in the SubTool palette.

Next, I load RArm.ztl. At that point, I have TorsoNoArms, LArm, and RArm in the Tool palette, and I have RArm and arms2 in the SubTool palette. arms2??? I would expect to see only RArm in the SubTool palette. Apparently, ZB has renamed LArm to arms2, and ZB has established a link between RArm and LArm even though they have been loaded as two completely separate files.

I would think that only the current Tool would appear in the SubTool palette because (as far as I can see) there really are no subtools until other tools are explicitly appended. Obviously, I’m wrong. Can anyone clue me in on the program logic ZB uses to handle subtools?

Thanks,
DocPit

#2

Are you sure each .ztl only has one subtool inside it?

#3

If the two arms have identical point counts, this would happen. The way to avoid it is to select something other than the first arm (like the Simple Brush) before loading the second.

Or you could use SubTool Master to load all of them at once, making them separate SubTools within the same ZTL.

#4

Thanks very much for the responses. I didn’t have a second subtool, but I did create the arms symmetrically, so the point-count explanation resolves that. Thanks, again.