ZBrushCentral

saving tools and documents?

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

If I have imported a mesh from maya and saved it as a tool, draw it on the canvas and then modify the image will the tool update to include the modifications or will I have to save it again. Will saving it again result in a new tool with the updated features?

Will the tool remain in my palette if I close zbrush and open it again? If not what must I do to have it remain available?

When saving a DOCUMENT will it reopen and again be sculptable? If not how can I make it so it is?

How should I save to retain created tools and the image mesh in case of a crash?

#2

Tools (3D meshes) must be saved as tools (from the Tool pallet) in ZTL files. They will not be sculptable otherwise. Zbrush documents only contain 2.5D Pixols (depth-cued pixels).

The tool pallet is cleared each time ZBrush is shut down. You must reload any tools you wish to use when your start Zbrush. Each time you save the tool to the same file (the same [name].ZTL) it will overwrite the old file. I tend to sequentially number my files so that I keep some previous generations of my models.

Occasionally exporting your ZTL as an .obj (the export button on the tool pallet) isn’t a bad idea. I try to keep a few generations of these around as needed just in case.

-K