ZBrushCentral

Retopology tools driving me insane

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

Ok, I’ve been attempting to retopologize for the first time ever today. And by today, I mean literally all day today. It’s just a simple lower jawbone of a skull, the easy part. I’m using the method of appending a z-sphere to a clone of my jawbone, the going to topology, edit topology. The first part is a nightmare to get started, if I can finally get it to lay down the initial two points, it’s another half hour of clicking and ctrl+z’ing to get it to lay the next two where I want it to, rather than way out in outer space.

Once I get those initial 10 or 12 layed out it’s pretty smooth, but it will still randomly generate a point in space far away from my model and connect a line to it, instead of whatever I actually told it to do. Sometimes I can control+z , do the exact same thing, and it works. Sometimes I have to control+z and change my view ever so slightly, then it works. Sometimes none of that works and I just have to delete the last point I made and try again entirely. This is literally every two or maybe three points I lay down. I’m frustrated beyond belief, I just don’t understand why it’s so random in what it’s doing.

Also, finally, when some lines it just won’t connect to no matter how many times I try or from what angle. It’ll look like it did, but I can change the view and it’ll be way off and not connected at all. I think these are the lines that are slightly clipped below the surface of the original, not sure.

#2

I’m not sure why you need to work on a clone of your object rather then the mesh itself, but I don’t think that’s part of your problem.

First, a tip: fill your object with blue so the topology lines really stand out and it is then easier to see what you are doing.

Because you are using the control key to reset the point at which you create your various points/polys, the mesh often gets masked and its frustrating because you can’t see the mask. If you are having problems moving things etc. Be sure to try ctrl click dragging in an empty area of the workspace to clear it and try again.

As you are retopologizing you will see the red circle around a point. From that point all you have to do is click to create another point or link to a point created. You develop a rhythm and a plan so you rarely have to use any modifier keys to reset your working point. This comes in time. but if you want to work in a different area of your mesh you need to reassign the red circle to a new point in one of three ways:

  1. hold down ctrl and click on another point to start a connection, or create a new point.

  2. Click twice in an empty area of the workspace until all the little tiny white squares around the points disappear and then click on a point (you wont see the actual point, but you can easily guess where they are)

  3. Click once in an empty area of the workspace and hold Shift (possibly cntl works here also) and click on another point - this for some reason doesn’t work consistantly for me and I often have to hit “undo”

If you have a point that won’t connect, try the release mask thing and also you can go into transform move (w key) and/or move the difficult point out to the surface.

#3

Also this is a great retopology tutorial, that might help:

http://jcappelletti.com/index.php/instructional-videos/zbrush-tutorials

#4

As much as I hate to say it, if you can use topogun or 3D coat, zbrush’s topology tools are dog ****.

#5

I persevered with Zbrush for retop for a while, but when 4 came out, itbwas so bad I took the plunge for topogun. Sorry if this is no help to you.

#6

It’s well meaning to post about alternative programs, but that is not what this thread is about. It’s been repeated again and again on this forum that these other programs offer a much easier topology experience.

Some posters can’t afford or don’t want to purchase anything beyond Zbrush or, they, like myself, own 3d Coat, but still want to understand the full functionality of Zbrush. Pointing new users and/or beginners to yet another product can only frustrate and confuse them. And the question is about Zbrush.

If you are just trying to get the message out to Pixologic about your dissatifaction regarding the current state of zbrush’s retopo tools there are more direct ways, plus I’m quite sure they are well aware of everyone’s discontent about this issue - no more needs to be said.

#7

Well the other programs are mentioned because there is NO understanding zbrush’s topology tools. They are simply frustrating and not very user friendly. Regardless if you think these the other programs should not be mentioned is irrelevant, because they are the “easiest” solution. The TC is already understanding the frustration that comes zbrushs topology tools.

Also implying we are trying to get a message to pixologic is also pretty irrelevant and frankly uncalled for as that ship sailed a long time ago.

3D coat and Topogun I believe are $100 which far from being unaffordable.

#8

I’d just like to thank everyone who posted solutions and alternatives. I did manage to complete the retopology of both tools using Zbrush. It was incredibly trying, though. At the risk of repeating myself, it’s not the actual process itself that is confusing or frustrating, it’s the part where you’re going along fine and it suddenly freaks out and generates random “nodes” or points in space or generates a line to another point on the model when all you’ve done is shift+click the same way you’ve been doing for all the others. If that was resolved I would have no problems with it, at all.

Well, that and where symmetry appears to break it close to the mirror lines. And when it refuses to connect to a line for no reason thats apparent.

#9

The poster didn’t ask if someone could suggest an alternative software package. These posts exist. He/she ask for help with Zbrush. And $100 to some families where there’s raging unemployment and rising food prices is quite significant for some.

I have overcome the limitations of Zbrushes topology tools with a little time and effort. I’d, also, appreciate having them repaired, but the work-around solutions are fine and I quite enjoy re-topologizing in Zbrush now that I understand it a bit better.

As to the retopology tools, in addition to straight out retopology, it is useful in many other ways such as attaching geometry and closing holes, etc, etc. So it is worth knowing and understanding within zbrush.

#10

dude that 3rd video saved my life, thanks! :smiley:

#11

Yes, there have been other threads/posts describing alternative software for retopologising it is true. Similarly, there are are plenty of threads/posts describing how to use Zbrushes tools, including how to wrangle ZB4s tools to make it useable. If we were to only answer questions that had not been answered, there wouldn’t be much posting :slight_smile:

I for one mentioned topogun purely to inform. I have no knowledge if the price is outwith the posters range. He could be a hobbier with no money for all I know. I just wanted to say that I had managed to persevere, and that I had given up, and tell him about another option.

It was all the help I could give.