ZBrushCentral

topology poles and weird spiking artifacts

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

Anybody know why this is happening to me lately? I haven’t noticed it before, but it seems like anywhere I’ve got a topology pole (5 edges sharing a vertex) zbrush is leaving little pinprick artifacts whenever I use the smooth brush. Sculpting using the clay brush or whatever other additive brush doesn’t leave the same artifact, and in most cases even makes it go away until I need to smooth that area again. I’ve tried playing with the brush settings such as the brushmod and whatnot, but it isn’t going away.

Any ideas on what I need to do to fix this?

I’m attaching a screenshot and using a bronze matcap to make it more visible, but it’s also visible with any other material.

[artifacts.jpg]

#2

there isn’t a fix…well, not until you’re done sculpting. If you can just ignore those areas until you are 'done" then hit them with the clay brush, or standard brush a bit at the end.

If there is a fix, then no one knows it, at least that I know of.

#3

Use the flattern brush. You can see this movie I did a while back that shows you. Here is the thread. http://209.132.96.165/zbc/showthread.php?t=60393

Here is the video link.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=qfnmattorZk&feature=channel_page

#4

I too have noticed this annoying behavior when ZBrush encounters poles.
Thank you for the tip tez! :slight_smile:

#5

bump. not that it helps to solve the issue at all. but another thread on the topic : http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/showthread.php?t=58994

this sorely needs to be addressed in the next release

#6

I’m having the same problem… I posted a thread about this here
http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/showthread.php?t=65831

I realize that i can get these to smooth out using some of the techniques
discussed here but the thing that is killing me is Normal Maps.
My Normal Maps work great until i start to notice these artifacts.
Then my Normal Map starts to look a little offset showing seams.
I would love for this issue to be resolved.I have tried to smooth out
these with the techniques and regenerate the Normal Map but is still screwy.

#7

thanks for the links and workarounds guys, I’ll add it to my ‘workaround workflow’ :laughing:

Also, I saw this in one of those threads:

The only real solution is to avoid such topology. If that’s not possible, then put the stars in places where it won’t matter.
I would shake the hand of the man or woman who can model an animation ready human face without putting a pole in a place that ‘matters’ :slight_smile:

Intersecting isolations will always create poles, and since a properly topologized animation-ready human face has isolations for the eyes and the mouth, you will always get poles around the cheeks and nasio-labial area.

But yeah, I think i’ll just use the flatten brush idea for now till 3.5 or v4 or whatever comes out :+1:

cheers guys!