ZBrushCentral

Tools and Documents?

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

Hello.

OK, can anyone please provide a link to or an explanation of how ZBrush handles saving of tools and couments. :slight_smile: I’m getting a little confused. If I’m working on a single mesh, I can save that as a tool and it’s all good, but if I have 10+ meshes or tools being used in my document, do I have to save each tool AND the document, or will saving the document also save the tools?

My problem is when I save the document it drops all the tools, if I save all the tools I have to move them all back into place, after loading all of them individually, every time I want to resume work after a restart etc.

This is really confusing me. :slight_smile:

Thank you.

E.

#2

Saving a tool means you’re saving out a 3D geometry file that contains some zbush-specific information, like subdivision levels, subtools, morph targets, poly painting, etc. That’s all a “tool” is, it’s like geometry on crack. It’s unfortunate that they chose the name tool, as it confuses people when they’re getting started.

Saving a document is a 2D save of your document as it looks at save time. I believe it keeps 2D layers in tact if you’re using them.

If you have multiple objects in your document, you should pick a main mesh and make everything else subtools of that mesh. That way you only have to save one file, and all your geometry will maintain its position, scale, and orientation in relation to everything else.

#3

Ahh, that’s exactly what I needed. :slight_smile: How do I choose which tool is the master?

#4

The “master” tool is the first one.

i.e. I build a body, so the body is the main tool. If I append other tools to this tool as subtools (hair, teeth, gloves, boots, etc.) then I can move them up and down in the stack (if you have a bunch), but you can never move them to the top of the stack as this is the “master” tool.

Also if you use subtool master to save (you should) it will always save out the file as the “master” tool’s name. If you’re just saving with tool>save as then you have to select the master tool for it to bring up that name in the save file.

#5

You can only have one tool active in the Tools menu at a time. So let’s say I wanted to make a small tree with five leaves on it (it’s sick or dying perhaps). I would make the mesh that constitutes the trunk and tree limbs, then I would make my five leaves. Now with all six tools open, I activate the trunk tool, go to it’s subtool pallet, click Import, and choose one of my leaves.

Essentally the master tool is the tool that you import all your subtools in to.

Bookmark this page for future reference:
http://www.pixologic.com/docs/index.php/Main_Page

Go to the online docs and do a search for subtools.