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zspheres for rigging in 4R7 ?

I cannot make it work. I followed this: http://docs.pixologic.com/user-guide/zbrush-plugins/transpose-master/
Loaded the ZSphere, made sure “ZSphere Rig” is turned on. Clicked on “StoreTM Rig” in Transpose Master, then loaded the re-meshed tool.
Clicked “PasteTM Rig”, the Zsphere rig pasted in okay, but nothing else will work. If I move, rotate nothing happends. There is no binding? Where am I going wrong? Please … I am going nuts over this :cry:

Not sure what is your problem and I simply will explain the full workflow.
The basic zsphere rigging without transpose master is: Get a tool from the standard library that comes from Zbrush, for example Nickz. Now go to the Zsphere tool. In the menu select mesh from rigging now select the Nickz tool. You will need to scale down the sphere first, activate symmetry and for example create a quick vertical toward the neck and now two lateral simple arms for testing. Now activate the option bind mesh to test the deformation, for example rotating an arm. It should work. If this works then you can extrapolate it to your own model. This is done with the rigging menu in the tool section, not transposer master.
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Now if you want to use transpose master and use the copy and paste options then you only need to create the transpose mesh, select an zsphere and repeat the process of select mesh with the newly created transpose mesh. Now you can copy from a previous done zsphere skeleton if you want but it doesn’t change the workflow, it simply will built a new skeleton copy of your original one. Then if you want to test again this new copied skeleton activate rigging bind mesh and transform the skeleton

Some useful videos about this topic, the second including transpose master, but I guess you have seen them already:



Okay, getting there - almost :slight_smile:
ps: picture 1 is from when I couldn’t bind the mesh!

I find it hard to kepp forms of the bull when bending legs, neck etc.
Is is best to use a thin skelton, or? Wonder if mine is too thick? The remeshed bull is 63.000 points at the lowest level. How do I avoid crumbling of the skin?

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Both are opposite problems. Crumbling skin could come because you have too many polygons or you are pinching the position of the zspheres. Soft joins can appear because you have too low amount of polygons, but it is not your case as you have too many. 10.000 - 15.000 is OK. 2.000 would be way too soft in joins.

Zsphere is not an accurate skin system and you must expect some retouching later, always. For how typically react the zspheres your joins are (sadly) what it is expected. But you can get a bit more accuracy if you create a couple of zspheres next to the joins, in the main zsphere line or as a stick pointing to the join you want to keep. The rigging is done by the ball position, not by the size, something that you probably know. Then adding a couple of extra zspheres could increase the hardness of the join.

Thanks, I will give it another try. Remesh again - much lower, and a thinner skeleton.

Thickness of the skeleton won’t make any difference, as it depends of position of the zspheres, not size. Also you can scale all zspheres at same time with a single click. It only has a visual effect, no rigging effect.

I thought I read somewhere that the spheres needed to “fill out” the figure to maintain shape. Also I will place spheres carefully next time.
I wish I could see a video somewhere of a high detailed figure being rigged etc. :slight_smile: Love to look and learn. Grateful for youtube btw.
ps: how do you scale all spheres at once?

the location of the sphere is what it matters. A higher number could increase the effect.

To change all the spheres size use scale mode, alt and click the branch nearer of the first zsphere. If you only want to change the size of a section of zsphere rig, for example an arm, do the same in the start branch of the arm.

HUGE thank you…
I am no expert, but your advice help a lot
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