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ZBRUSH 4 R2
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
WELCOME
Welcome to the ZBrush 4R2 Whats New documentation. While much of ZBrush 4R2
is very similar to version 4, there are quite a few new features to help make your ZBrush-
ing even more productive and creative. We hope that the information you find here helps
you understand the differences between this release and previous versions of ZBrush.
This document only covers whats new in version 4R2. To learn more about the
features introduced in ZBrush 4, we invite you to read the ZBrush 4 Whats New Guide,
located in the ZBrush 4R2/Documentation folder.
Youre invited to visit our ZClassroom for a huge database of free high quality movies
explaining all the main features of ZBrush. Here you will also find the Artists Spotlight,
where famous 3D Artists explain how they use ZBrush, helping inspire you to create like
the pros.
Additionally, new online documentation with extra information beyond what is includ-
ed in this document will be available a few weeks after the release of ZBrush 4R2. Please
stay tuned to www.pixologic.com for the announcement!
Dont forget to subscribe for free to our ZBrushCentral community with over 300,000
members to discover tips, view artists creations, locate useful help for all things related
to ZBrush or post your works-in-progress!
We encourage you to regularly visit our ZBrush Blog where you will find all the news
related to the ZBrush universe, from the most recent Interview to new plugins or gallery
additions.
ZBrushCentral: http://www.zbrushcentral.com/
ZBlog: http://www.pixologic.com/blog/
Pixologic.com: http://www.pixologic.com
2011 Pixologic, Inc. All rights reserved, Pixologic and the Pixologic logo, ZBrush, and the ZBrush
logo are registered trademarks of Pixologic, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their
respective owners.
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
Instead of the Windows Ctrl key, the Macintosh uses the Command (Apple) Key. This
documentation will always refer to using the Ctrl key name, although it may sometimes
list both as Ctrl/Command. When the Ctrl key is mentioned anywhere in the documenta-
tion a Macintosh user will want to use the Command key instead.
The same is true for the Windows Enter key, which the Macintosh calls Return. When
seeing the Enter key mentioned anywhere in this documentation, a Mac user will want to
use the Return key instead.
The Close/Quit, Hide, Minimize and Maximize buttons are located on the top right in
Windows and at the top left on Mac OS X.
This documentation has been written by Thomas Roussel, Paul Gaboury and Matthew Yetter.
For all documentation questions and inqueries, please contact us at thomas@pixologic.com
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Minimum requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2. Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
3. Activation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4. Re-activation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
5. Deactivation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
6. Updating to 4R2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
6.1 Important note for ZBrush 3.2 GoZ on Macintosh . . . 16
7. GoZ and ZBrush 4 and ZBrush 4R2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
8. Un-installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
9. Modifying your Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
10. Support Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
III DYNAMESH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
IV TRANSPOSE ADDITIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
V CURVE MODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
VI CLAY POLISH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
1. Clay Polish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
2. Maximum Angle slider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
3. Sharpness slider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
4. Softness slider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
5. Repeat Sharpness and Softness sliders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
6. Edge Contrast slider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
7. Surface Contrast slider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
VIII NE W BRUSHES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
IX RENDER IMPROVMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
X LIGHTCAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
1. LightCap workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
2. LightCap and MatCap quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
3. LightCap with Environments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
4. LightCap settings and options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
4.1 Open and Save . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
4.2 Diffuse Channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
4.3 Specular Channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
4.4 LightCap preview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
4.5 Sphere to Equirectangular mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
4.6 New Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
4.7 Delete Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
4.8 Light Index slider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
XI WAX MODIFIER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
1. Strength slider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
2. Specular Highlight slider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
3. Fresnel slider: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
4. Exponent slider: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
5. Radius slider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
6. Temperature slider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
XII BACKGROUND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
1. Material Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
1.1 Reflection Exposure slider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
1.2 Reflection Gamma slider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
1.3 Reflection Fresnel slider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
1.4 Reflection Blur slider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
2. Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
2.1 Shadow slider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
2.2 Ambient Occlusion slider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
3. Mixer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
3.1 By Shadow slider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
3.2 By Ambient Occlusion slider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
3.3 Color picker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
3.4 By Intensity slider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
3.5 By Hue slider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
3.6 By Saturation slider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
3.7 By Depth slider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
3.8 Depth A & B sliders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
XV BPR FILTERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
1. Changes: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
1.1 LightBox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
1.2 Alpha palette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
This is the useful information that you will need to know when installing ZBrush on
your computer. This chapter also describes the activation and de-activation process.
1. Minimum requirements
Recommended:
2. Installation
Installation process:
1. After purchasing ZBrush 4R2 through our web store (powered by Cleverbridge) or
when receiving your upgrade to it a serial number and a download link will be provided
to you. Save this information for your records! You will need your serial number any
time you install ZBrush 4R2.
2. Download the ZBrush installer file and double-click on it to run the Install Wizard.
Follow the on-screen steps to be guided through the installation. You choose from a
default installation with the most common options or a custom install that will allow you
to specify the destination path and other options.
3. When the installation process is done, double-click on the ZBrush shortcut creat-
ed on the desktop or launch it through the Program Files (x86) >> Pixologic >> ZBrush
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
4 R2 >> ZBrush.exe on Windows. For Mac OS X it will be the application located in the
Application >> ZBrush 4R2 OSX >> ZBrush folder.
4. For Windows Vista or 7: On first launch ZBrush will need to be run as an Admin-
istrator. Right-click on the desktop shortcut for ZBrush or on the ZBrush.exe file in the
root ZBrush 4 folder and choose Run as Administrator. A Windows popup will then
ask you to allow this.
Notes (should not be necessary, but are provided in case the installer fails to
configure ZBrush correctly for your environment):
If ZBrush displays a Windows error on first launch, please install the vcredist_x86_VS2008_
sp1.exe located in the TroubleshootHelp folder. It may also be necessary to disable DEP as
described in the text file found in the TroubleshootHelp folder.
If you are a Mac user and receive a virtual memory error upon launching ZBrush, the permis-
sions will need to be changed. Get Info on the ZBrush 4R2 folder and change permission for the
Everyone group to Read & Write. Also click the gear icon underneath the permissions group and
select the option to apply to enclosed items.
Please check that a vmem folder is available on the root of ZBrush 4R2 folder, and also a
TempFiles folder in the ZStartup folder.
DO NOT ever attempt to run ZBrush in compatibility mode for an earlier version of Windows.
Doing so will prevent activation or will break activation on a copy that was previously running.
3. Activation
This step must be completed in order to launch ZBrush successfully.
The single-user ZBrush license allows you to have ZBrush activated on two of your
computers, provided that both copies are not actually used at the same time. For ex-
ample it may be activated on a workstation and a laptop. Please keep in mind that only
one copy of ZBrush should be run at any given time.
Volume licenses allow only the number of activations for which seats have been
purchased.
Floating licenses do not use activation and can ignore this section.
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
Activation process:
On first launch, ZBrush will ask for activation. Without activation, ZBrush will not run.
At the Splash screen, choose your method of installation: Web or Phone. We recom-
mend Web activation for faster processing. (The Activation Code option is ONLY used to
complete an activation. Your serial number is NOT an activation code.)
Web: Please read the agreement and validate it. You will then be forwarded to a
dedicated webpage. Enter your registered email address (this will be the most recent
address we have on file for you - the one that your ZBrush 4R2 serial number was
emailed to), your serial number and a description for the computer. After processing
this information, an activation code will be provided. To begin using ZBrush immediate-
ly, copy that key and return to ZBrush. Click on the Enter Code option. A small window
will open in ZBrush. This is where you will paste the activation code that you copied
from the web page. Click Ok, which will activate your copy of ZBrush. If you activate
using the copy & paste technique you may disregard the email that will be sent to you.
If you did not copy the activation key from the web page, you will need to follow
the instructions found in the email that will be sent to you. This email will have a copy
of your activation code, which you can paste into ZBrush. Please remember that if you
already activated ZBrush by copying the key from the web page you can disregard this
email completely.
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
Phone: Only use this option if your computer is not connected to the internet.
Phone activation takes longer than Web Activation.
Please read the agreement and validate it. A popup window will display a Request
Code and the phone number of our technical support line. Please have your serial
number ready and call the phone number provided. The Request Code will also need
to be provided to our support team to activate ZBrush. After taking the request code
and your serial number, the support representative will provide you with an activation
code. Click on the proceed button in ZBrush and in the next popup window, enter this
Activation Key. After activating by this method you will also receive an email with the
activation code, in case you prefer to copy it from the email rather than having the sup-
port representative read it to you.
4. Re-activation
If for any reason you need to re-install ZBrush again, you will need to re-activate
ZBrush. After re-installation follow the web activation or phone activation process to re-
ceive a new activation code. Re-activating ZBrush on the same computer will not nor-
mally consume an additional activation. Instead, you will see a message notifying you
that ZBrush has previously been activated on that computer and asking if you would like
to have the key resent to you. You can then copy the key from the web page or the con-
firmation email that you will receive to complete the re-activation.
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
On entering the license information, the Activation process can offer you a license re-activation.
5. Deactivation
This process lets you remove an activation from a computer, returning it to the activa-
tion server so that it can be used on another computer. This process is important if you
want to move ZBrush from one computer to another. Completing this process will not
uninstall ZBrush. It will merely restore the copy to a pre-activation state.
This process should also be used if youre preparing to reinstall Windows on your
computer.
Deactivation process:
1. Launch ZBrush, pull down the ZPlugin palette and open the Deactivation menu.
2. Choose your preferred method of Deactivation. We recommend Web deactiva-
tion.
3. Enter your registered email address in the form to start the deactivation process.
4. From the list, choose the machine that you wish to deactivate.
5. A confirmation email will be sent when deactivation is complete.
You will then be able to use your serial number to activate ZBrush on another com-
puter.
6. Updating to 4R2
Because ZBrush 4R2 is a stand-alone version, upgrading to 4R2 is the same process
as for a fresh installation. Your previous version(s) of ZBrush will remain an independent
application and the upgrade process will create a new ZBrush 4R2 folder in your Program
Files (x86) folder or Applications directory. At any time ZBrush 4 or 4R2 can be used on
your system after the upgrade to ZBrush 4R2. Do not run both versions at the same time
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
Please be aware that support for all versions prior to ZBrush 4 has been discontin-
ued, except for users who cannot yet upgrade to it thanks to having an outdated proces-
sor. You may continue to use an earlier version, but if it stops working for any reason you
will not be able to receive support to reinstall or reactivate it.
ZBrush 3.2 introduced GoZ, which is a bridge between ZBrush and other 3D software.
For temporary operations and configuration file, GoZ is using a folder which is named
Pixologic, and located in your public folder. This folder is renamed and its contents re-
main intact, while the ZBrush 4R2 installer will copy a fresh one at the same location.
If you have ZTL files located in this folder, they wont be deleted.
Also, it is impossible to use GoZ on ZBrush 4.0 or ZBrush 4R2 and 3.2 at the same
time as all the configuration files in the target applications will be changed.
ZBrush 4 and ZBrush 4R2 can be used together with GoZ as main components are
remaining the same, but its not possible to work on the same project between ZBrush
4 and ZBrush 4R2 at the same time. Its only possible to take files from ZBrush 4 into
ZBrush 4R2; the opposite is not possible as ZBrush 4 cant open ZBrush 4R2 files.
If you start a project with ZBrush 4R2 or if you open a ZBrush 4 file in R2 and then
save it, you will not be able to open the file in ZBrush 4 by any method not even through
GoZ.
8. Un-installation
This process completely removes ZBrush from your computer.
Un-installation process:
1. In the ZPlugin menu, choose Web Deactivation and proceed with the license de-
activation as explained in a section above. If you do not deactivate prior to un-instal-
lation, the un-installed machine will continue to count against your serial number and
potentially prevent you from reactivating!
2. On Windows, use the Windows Control Panel uninstall utility and follow the steps.
On Mac OS X, simply move the ZBrush folder and the Users/Public/Pixologic folder to
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
the Trash.
3. Check the location where ZBrush was installed for extra files which havent been
deleted by the installer. You can delete those folders if you do not intend to use ZBrush
on this computer again.
Note:
With the exception of GoZ, ZBrush doesnt write files outside its own folder.
Activating an earlier version of ZBrush is not the same as having a registered Support
account. The Support system is an independent platform. It does not use any existing
log-ins that you might have for ZBrushCentral, Cleverbridge or any other ZBrush-related
sites.
1. Go to http://support.pixologic.com
2. Click the Register icon.
3. Enter your email address and whatever password you would like to use for the
Support site. These will become your login info for the future.
4. Fill in your system information. We need this info in order to respond to your sup-
port requests more efficiently.
5. Also provide your ZBrush 4 serial number and the Cleverbridge reference number
for your copy of ZBrush 4R2. This information identifies you as someone who has actu-
ally purchased a ZBrush license.
6. After you submit the form you will receive a confirmation email at the address
you used to register. Follow the instructions in that email to complete your registration.
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
1. Go to http://support.pixologic.com
2. In the box on the right, use your email address and password to log in.
3. The box on the right will now have a My Account button. Click this to manager
your account.
4. Update your account to make sure that your system information is current.
5. Also update your account to have your new ZBrush 4/4R2.
Once your Support account is current with your ZBrush 4 license information you
will be able to submit tickets to receive technical support. You will also be able to call for
phone support. All phone support calls will create a support ticket, which you will then be
able to follow up on via the Support system or by email.
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
The Mesh Insert becomes significantly more powerful with the introduction of Dy-
naMesh. For those not already familiar with this feature, Mesh Insert is possible using
the MeshInsert brushes found in the brush palette. These brushes are dependent upon
settings in the Brush >> Modifiers sub-palette.
In Previous versions of ZBrush, the main use of Mesh Insert was to insert one 3D Tool
into another Tool. There was, however a restriction of not being able to work subdivision
level. There was also a certain amount of geometry separation when certain actions
where performed. Now thanks to the fact that DynaMesh doesnt use subdivision levels,
the Mesh Insert functions and brushes will give you a large freedom of creativity.
Several changes and improvements have been added to these functions for an im-
proved library of new Insert brushes.
The head was inserted in the body, which automatically switched to Ghost transparency. Model by
Magdalena Dadela.
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
Note:
Press the ALT key while inserting a mesh to create a negative mesh, which will be removed
when combined with a DynaMesh. Read the DynaMesh section for more information.
Select the InsertCylinder brush and drag to insert the cylinder onto the selected
mesh. Without releasing the mouse button, press and hold the space bar.
Move your cursor to move the inserted cylinder relative to the screen/canvas.
Release the space bar to set the new location of the inserted cylinder.
Release the mouse button to finalize the insertion location.
Two hands inserted into the mesh, then moved by holding the space bar. Model by Mariano
Steiner.
Another way to manipulate a mesh insertion is to mask all parts of the mesh except
for the inserted element. To demonstrate how to mask all parts of the mesh except for
the previously inserted one, follow the steps below: (This example inserts a cylinder. You
could use any object, however.)
Load the DynaMesh064.ZPR project found in the LightBox Project menu. If you
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
are asked to save your work, do so if you wish to return to your current session later.
With the InsertCylinder brush selected. Draw a cylinder onto the sphere.
Turn on PolyFrame mode to see that the cylinder just drawn will have a different
PolyGroup than the sphere it was drawn onto.
Switch into Move Mode. Hold CTRL and click on the cylinder. You will see that
everything but the cylinder becomes masked.
Move, Scale and Rotate your cylinder to any part of the sphere. (Note: This will
use the TransPose Action Line.)
Once satisfied with the cylinders position, enter Draw Mode again. Ctrl+Drag
twice on the canvas for the cylinder to become a part of the sphere. The first time clears
the mask and the second invokes the DynaMesh remesh function.
On the left, inserted meshes in white. In the middle, TransPose combined with radial symmetry.
The Ctrl key modifier was used to mask all spheres except the inserted ones. On the right, the
unmasked spheres have been moved to another location.
If you held the ALT key while drawing the cylinder in the above scenario, the cylinder
would be used to create holes. You will also notice that when the ALT key is used with any
InsertMesh brush the PolyGroup assigned to the inserted mesh will be white. This white
PolyGroup is an indicator that that mesh insertion will be subtractive rather than additive
when the remesh is performed.
Note:
You do not have to actually mask the model in order to move the inserted mesh via Trans-
Pose. As an alternative to masking you can set the Brush >> Auto Masking >> Mask By PolyGroup
slider to 100. When this is done, ZBrush will use an invisible mask based on the models Poly-
Groups. In essence, any brush -- including all TransPose modes -- will only affect the first selected
PolyGroup.
they operate.
If you move your cursor back toward the insert position, you will perform a non-
uniform scale along the perpendicular axis of the insertion.
Hold the Shift key to uniformly scale the inserted mesh. While moving, the rotation
will be locked.
While holding the ALT key, move your cursor up and down to stretch your inserted
model. This is perfect for creating holes through a mesh.
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
III DYNAMESH
A character created with DynaMesh, started from a simple DynaMesh sphere. Model by Mariano
Steiner.
DynaMesh is truly analogous of sculpting with traditional real-world clay. As you add
volume to clay by stretching out details or laying on strips of new clay the actual consis-
tency of the material remains exactly the same. So no matter how much volume you add,
you still have the same capacity for sculpting. DynaMesh accomplishes the same thing,
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
maintaining the uniform resolution and polygon distribution of your mesh. This is very un-
like traditional sculpting methods which result in stretched polys if you push the surface
too far - something that hampers your ability to do anything more with the surface in those
areas. DynaMesh will truly free your sense of creativity.
DynaMesh is a mode which can be used with the primitives in ZBrush. You can also
convert any existing geometry into a DynaMesh , but remember that DynaMesh for de-
signing during the beginning stages of a sculpt rather than once serious detailing has be-
gun. The detail of the converted mesh will be defined by the DynaMesh Resolution slider.
Once any geometry is converted into a DynaMesh you will have entirely new geometry
which is evenly distributed across the mesh. This is perfect for sculpting but naturally
removes all pre-existing topology layout from the original model.
Once you have a DynaMesh you can sculpt it with any of ZBrushs array of sculpt-
ing tools. This will naturally result in polygons becoming distorted in some places as
you make significant changes to the base shape. At any point during this sculpting (and
as often as you wish), simply hold CTRL and drag on any open area of the document.
ZBrush will instantly retopologize your DynaMesh to restore a uniform geometry distri-
bution. Even if you have stretched geometry to extreme measures, the result will be a
uniform mesh that you can easily continue sculpting.
Every time you reorder the geometry with DynaMesh, ZBrush will only adjust the
surface that has been edited. This means that areas that already had nice polygon distri-
bution will keep them even after the retopology operation.
All DynaMesh commands and options are located in the Tool >> Geometry sub-pal-
ette.
Note:
The DynaMesh retopologize action can also be called a remeshing action.
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
When you start with a low resolution, a larger model will be allowed before it starts
losing details. A higher resolution will allow more small details, but it will be limited in
terms of how much you can expand the bounding box size in other words, how far you
can push the surface between remesh operations.
Three DynaMesh resolutions with differences in accuracy of details. From left to right: 64, 128, 256
2. Manual Update
Keep in mind that the DynaMesh creation is not an automatic process. You will need
to update your geometry when you feel that you need it. To perform this step, you must
be in Edit >> Draw Mode and simply hold the CTRL key while click/dragging on an empty
space of the document in the same way that you would to a clear a mask on your model.
Upon receiving this command, DynaMesh will update your geometry in a fraction of sec-
ond.
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
The mesh topology on the left has been stretched by several brush strokes. On the right, new
topology has been created with uniform polygon distribution, ready to continue sculpting.
With a high resolution and/or a large bounding box, DynaMesh will need more time
to update your mesh. However, productivity is not lost because most of the time, this up-
date process will still be done in less than a second (depending on your computer CPU
performance).
Notes:
If you wish to add your own shortcut to DynaMesh this can be accomplished by applying a
hotkey to the Add button in the DynaMesh options.
The DynaMesh update can only be performed when ZBrush is in Draw mode and not when in
TransPose (Move, Scale or Rotate) mode.
If your model already has a mask applied, you must clear the mask before being able to
update the DynaMesh.
be in DynaMesh mode.
Pick one of your favorite brushes like the Clay or Clay Buildup and start sculpting
as usual. Your model will react exactly like traditional sculpting clay would.
When you encounter distortion, stretched polygons or have the sense of missing
some polygon density in any area, you can ask ZBrush to update your mesh. To do
this, simply hold the CTRL key and drag a small rectangle outside of the mesh in any
open space of the canvas in the same way you would to clear a mask. The mesh will
automatically update with new geometry, ready for additional deformations or brush
strokes.
In addition to the brushes, you can use TransPose with masks to make local or
global deformations. Just remember that you must clear your mask before you can
update your DynaMesh.
You can also use Mesh Insert brushes to incorporate other models into your Dy-
naMesh object. For example, you can have premade noses, ears, eyes and mouths,
ready to add to a DynaMesh whenever you need one. This is a great solution to quickly
build figures without having to always redo your work.
When you have finished building your low or medium resolution base mesh and
want to start refining your figure with detail sculpting, quit the DynaMesh mode. Your
model will become a traditional Polymesh3D. It will now be ready to add subdivisions
for fine details.
When the Group option is enabled, ZBrush will use polygroups to maintain separate
geometry shells on a mesh that will still appear to be one piece of geometry and can be
sculpted as such. You can have a lot of fun with the Group option in DynaMesh while
using the new Slice Curve brush. (Learn more about the SliceCurve brush in the New
Brushes section of this document.)
As already stated, this grouped mesh behaves as a single piece of clay. The only way
to see the different polygroups is by enabling the PolyFrame button on the right side of
the interface or by clicking the Transform >> PolyFrame (PolyF) button. Each Polygroup
will be displayed with a different color.
If the Group option is enabled and a mesh has different polygroups, the DynaMesh
remesh action will maintain these PolyGroups. At the same time it will fill any holes or
gaps between dissociated objects.
The Slice Brush creates new PolyGroups on the fly based on a curve or line that you
draw. Combined with the DynaMesh and the Group option, this lets you easily cut objects
into separate watertight volumes.
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
Note:
The DynaMesh resolution is per-SubTool. Adding more groups to your model will not affect
the resolution of the DynaMesh and all groups will share the same resolution. If you wish to have
different meshes with different DynaMesh resolutions, you must use different SubTools which can
then each have a different DynaMesh resolution.
This restriction only applies to textures and UVs, however. A DynaMesh is still made
up of polygons and so it supports PolyPainting. You can apply PolyPaint at any point dur-
ing the process of creating with the DynaMesh feature. PolyPaint information will not be
lost even when you remesh a DynaMesh to redistribute the geometry. Please do bear in
mind that if your DynaMesh resolution is lower than the original polymesh model, you will
experience a loss of PolyPaint quality when activating the DynaMesh feature. Also keep
in mind that because DynaMesh regularly updates the mesh and changes the geometry
count as you work, this can affect any PolyPaint.
In short, painting while DynaMesh is in use should be treated the same way as mesh
generation - as a way of blocking out your design before you move on to refining and
detailing.
Note:
If you have a pre-existing model with texture you can keep that texture when activating
DynaMesh. To do this, subdivide the model to have a number of polygons approximately equal to
the texture resolution. Apply the texture and use Tool >> Texture Map >> New From Polypaint to
convert the texture to paint. You can now activate DynaMesh, which will delete the UVs but keep
the PolyPaint. The resolution of the paint will of course depend on the DynaMesh resolution, which
does mean that you are likely to lose some of the textures details.
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7. DynaMesh Actions
A creature based on a simple sphere with inserted cylinder meshes. Model by Matthew Kean.
By default, all new inserted elements will be additive meshes. This means that when
doing the remesh operation, the inserted items will be merged as one element with the
original DynaMesh.
This is an example of using the Insert brushes with custom meshes like ears, lips, nose, etc. com-
bined by DynaMesh. The ears were inserted first, then the nose and lips. After using DynaMesh
to create new topology, some transition was done with the help of the Smooth brush. This entire
model was done in minutes, creating a base mesh using nothing other than brush presets!
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
When holding the Alt key while inserting a mesh, ZBrush will consider it to be a nega-
tive mesh. This means that when the remesh is completed, the inserted mesh will be
removed from the previous mesh and create holes. The result is similar to a subtraction
Boolean operation, but without the messy polygons usually associated with Booleans.
You can insert multiple meshes and add or subtract them all at once via a single
remesh operation. You can even mix additive and negative meshes, creating different
combinations at once.
The original mesh is on the left, with a negative mesh inserted. (As indicated by the white color.)
The center and right views show the final result.
To visualize negative meshes before a remesh operation using DynaMesh, toggle the
PolyFrame display (located in the Transform palette). Negative meshes are displayed
with a white color.
When inserting a negative mesh (see Sub action) on top of a positive mesh (see Add
action), the remesh action will create geometry only where the two meshes intersect
each other. All other geometry will be removed. This operation is very similar to the Sub-
Tool Remesh intersection option.
You can create an internal thickness within any DynaMesh by first inserting a nega-
tive mesh (Sub). Clicking the Create Shell button will then place a hole where the Insert
brush was used and an internal thickness will be added to the DynaMesh. The Thickness
slider will let you change the size of the thickness, which is inward from the mesh surface.
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
(In other words, it will be inside the model rather than inflating the surface.) This tool is
perfect for people who wish print their models in 3D as it will reduce the amount of mate-
rial for printing and so reduce costs.
Shell creation: The original mesh is on the left with a negative mesh inserted at the location where
the opening is desired. The final result is shown on the right. The shell thickness is visible at the
openings location.
If you do not wish to have a hole when Create Shell button is pressed make sure to
move the negative inserted mesh away from the mesh before remeshing.
Note:
The shell thickness calculation will consider local thickness across every point of the models
surface. Any place where multiple shells intersect will not create any shell. Put another way, if the
Thickness value is too large for the local mesh size, a shell wont be able to be created at that
location. An example would be if the slider is high the a character with small fingers. In that case
the body would receive a shell but the fingers would not.
8. DynaMesh Options
Defines the resolution of the DynaMesh, controlling the overall polygon density of the
model. A low value will create a low resolution mesh with a low polygon count, while using
a higher value will create a high resolution mesh that will retain more details at the cost
of a higher polygon count.
A low resolution DynaMesh will update faster while a high resolution one will take
more time to update.
When enabled, any DynaMesh with multiple PolyGroups will be split into separate
pieces. It will still be kept as one SubTool.
When enabled, the current details of the model will be projected onto the DynaMesh
automatically. This can be useful when converting a polymesh with existing details to a
DynaMesh. Remember that the Resolution setting will play a big part in the amount of
detail that can be retained.
Applies a smoothing effect to the DynaMesh when Project is enabled. A low value
generates a small amount of smoothness while a high value will smooth all major details
on the model.
When enabled, this option applies the various ClayPolish settings each time you
update the DynaMesh. This is meant to smooth sharp corners.
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Defines the thickness of the shell in relation to the resolution of the DynaMesh.
Lunch Crunch speed sculpting by James Van Den Bogart in 1 hour, 10 minutes. This started from
a simple sphere and was sculpted using DynaMesh.
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IV TRANSPOSE ADDITIONS
TransPose and its Action Line - a ZBrush feature dedicated to mesh manipulation,
deformation and poses - has been enhanced in ZBrush 4R2.
This operation will only work with a model that does not have subdivision levels.
However the Freeze SubDivision Levels button (explained in the Added Functions and
Changes chapter) can be used to temporarily drop to the base mesh level and extrude
the mesh, then return to the highest level and re-project its details.
Ensure that your model is a Polymesh 3D or a DynaMesh. This function will not
work with primitives or ZSpheres.
Create a mask on your model. These masked areas will remain unaffected while
the unmasked areas will be extruded. If you wish only to extrude a small area, a good
tip would be to mask the area you want to extrude, then invert the Mask before perform-
ing the next steps.
Activate the Move TransPose mode (W hotkey) and draw an action line out from
your unmasked area.
While holding the Ctrl key, click and drag the white circle located within the Action
Lines orange middle circle. This will move the entire Action Line in the direction of your
movement and at the same time will extrude the unmasked polygons.
When you release the mouse button (or lift the tablet pen), ZBrush will update the
mask to include the new geometry created by the extrusion. This allows you to continue
the extrusion without needing to manually update the mask.
When done, clear the mask.
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
Note:
When doing your extrusion in symmetry mode, you must activate first the local Sym mode,
located in the Transform palette.
This action requires a polymesh or DynaMesh with no subdivision levels. (The Freeze
Subdivision Levels feature can be used to prepare models that have subdivision levels.)
When duplicating with the TransPose Line, ZBrush will simply add the new mesh to the
already selected mesh. It will not create a new SubTool.
If your SubTool is an assembly of different independent meshes, you must first fully
mask any meshes that you dont wish to be duplicated.
Use the Brush >> Modifiers >> Mesh Insert Preview to select the object that you
wish to insert into your SubTool.
Click and drag on the model to insert the new mesh onto the original one.
To duplicate the inserted mesh, mask all elements which you do not want dupli-
cated. Using the option explained above for quickly masking by PolyGroups is an easy
way to mask everything except the newly inserted mesh.
Switch to the TransPose Move mode (W hotkey) and draw an Action Line.
While holding Ctrl key, click and drag the white circle located within the TransPose
Lines orange middle circle. You can freely move the TransPose line to duplicate the
unmasked mesh and position its copy.
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
Upon releasing the mouse button (or lifting the tablet pen), ZBrush will update
the mask to leave only the new copy unmasked. This allows you to continue creating
and positioning duplicate instances of the inserted mesh without needing to manually
update the mask.
When done, clear the Mask.
Notes:
Be very careful when masking your model to perform this action. If any portion of the model
is missed - like a part hidden by another mesh - performing the copying action will instead create
an extrusion. We strongly recommend using the new way to easily mask by PolyGroups. This will
ensure that no points are missed.
The negative meshs volume will be subtracted from the mesh it was inserted into. An
example of this features use is to create a duplicate copy of the same mesh that can then
be used to create a shell. (See the DynaMesh section of this documentation for more info
regarding shell creation.)
The steps to create a negative copy with TransPose are the same as for duplication.
The only difference is that you hold Ctrl+Alt when dragging the Action Line by its middle
white circle.
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
V CURVE MODE
A model where the Curve feature has been used extensively. Model by Marco Plouffe.
The new Curve Mode will allow you to draw a curve and then sweep your stroke
along it. Depending on the selected options, the curve will be deformable and/or movable
across the mesh.
When created, the curve can be applied to any item in the Brush palette. This allows
you to apply deformation to the mesh beneath the curve or to modulate a mesh using the
curve settings. It can even work with PolyPaint.
The deformation attached to the curve can also be updated at any time: ZBrush will
update the resulting stroke, letting you refine your design for fine tuning. Once a curve
is drawn out you can even switch to a new Curve brush to use the same curve with a
different result. However, remember that the curves are only editable when Curve Mode
is enabled so if you switch to a brush that does not have Curve Mode engaged the curve
will not be able to be edited.
Several custom brushes with Curve Mode already activated have been included with
ZBrush 4R2. These allow effects such as duplicating patterns onto a mesh or even the
insertion of other meshes for use with DynaMesh. These sample brushes can be used
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
as good starting points to create your own custom Curve brushes or to better understand
the great potential introduced by this Stroke setting.
Brushes that have Curve Mode activated can be located in the Brush palette or in the
LightBox >> Brush >> Curves folder.
Note:
Curve Mode is different from the LazyMouse Spline and Path options. These other settings
snap or constrain the brush action along the spline or path, while the Curve mode applies the
brush along the length of the curve.
Click and drag on your surface to draw a stroke over your model. The number of
internal points making up the curve can be modified using the Max Points slider setting.
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
Note:
The curve must be started on a model (active or not), but can be continued into the empty
space of the document.
Upon releasing your mouse/pen click, your stroke corresponding to your current
brush will be automatically created and a small circle at either end of the curve will ap-
pear. These are manipulators to control the curve, similar to the circles on TransPose
Action Line. By hovering over the curve without clicking on it, you will attract the curve
to move with your cursor, which will also change color. This deformation or movement of
the curve will also be affected by the Bend and Snap options found in the Curve Mode
settings.
You will notice that the brush icon will change color from its default red color to a cyan
color when hovering over any curve. This cyan color indicates that you are using this cur-
sor to manipulate the curve and will use its size and falloff setting to deform the curve.
Your Stroke type must be DragDot in order to manipulate any curve. A small circle will
apply minor deformation to the curve while a larger circle will apply a large deformation to
the curve. The Bend option must be turned on in order to complete small deformations.
To change the cursor settings, change the Curve Edit Radius and Focal Shift sliders val-
ues, located in the Stroke palette.
Note:
To avoid having to open the Stroke palette to modify the Curve Edit and Curve Focal Shift val-
ues, use the corresponding hotkeys when your cursor is hovering over the curve: S for Curve Edit
radius and O for Curve Edit Focal Shift. Alternatively, use the ZBrush QuickMenu by right-clicking
with your mouse/pen or by holding Space Bar.
After you move your cursor away from any already-drawn curve ZBrush will allow you
to draw another curve. You may also delete any drawn curve by clicking the Delete button
in the Stroke Palette. An alternative is to tap your cursor quickly on your model surface
to delete the current curve.
Whenever you draw a new curve, the previous one will disappear and be replaced
with the new curve. The exception to this is when using the CurveSurface brush, where
each curve will be used to continue the surface from curve to curve. Curve Mode remains
active until you turn it off or select a brush that does not have Curve Mode activated. If
Curve Mode is re-enabled after being turned off, the most recently created curve will be
visible once again.
All curves must start on a 3D model, even if you wish to sweep it off the surface. How-
ever, after creating a curve you can click on one of the end manipulators and then hold
the Space Bar. This allows you to move the curve relative to the screen/canvas. This in-
cludes being able to move the curve off the model, making it possible to easily create 3D
geometry when combined with the Insert brushes. Combining Curve Mode and the Insert
brushes with DynaMesh can give you an artistic freedom to create with no boundaries.
Notes:
If you want to apply a curve to a Mask or Smooth brush, you may do so by holding the ap-
propriate modifier key (CTRL or Shift) while changing the Curve mode options. If you wish to apply
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
these options to a different Mask or Smooth brush, you must first select that brush and then hold
the modifier key to gain access to the brushs settings.
By default, the curve will always snap to the surface even if the Snap setting is disabled. If
you wish to create a curve which will snap to the screen working plane, enable the Once Z mode,
located in the Picker Palette. Dont forget to return to the original settings after drawing your curve,
as the Picker options are global to ZBrush rather than linked to the selected brush.
2. Curve Editing
After creating any curve, an update to the curve can be made to immediately modify
the attached stroke made by the selected brush, as mentioned above. As soon as your
brush stroke has been drawn, the brush will be applied directly to your model. If you then
drag your curve to either of its two extremities manipulators, this same stroke will be
updated according to your existing curve.
For an example, if you use a brush with Curve Mode engaged to PolyPaint your
model, as soon as you release your cursor, you will see your stroke color applied on the
surface of your model. Now manipulate your curve. The PolyPaint will instantly move to
match the new curve location or shape.
This ability is extremely powerful when you need to do fine tune edits on your model,
whether its an alpha pattern on your surface or PolyPaint.
3. Snapshot of Curves
If you wish to reuse your existing curve to create a copy of its current stroke, you can
drop it to the models surface at any point and continue using the curve with a new stroke.
To complete a snapshot of your current stroke click the SnapShot button in the Stroke
Palette or press the 5 key. SnapShot will affix the current brush stroke to the mesh, yet
allow you to continue using the same curve to create additional instances of the stroke.
Note:
A good tip is to apply a curve, make a snapshot of its result, then switch to a new brush and
apply its effect to the same stroke. This is a good way to create complex shapes or apply complex
sculpting and painted effects by overlapping different brushes together.
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
The Curve mode settings, located below Lazy Mouse in the Stroke palette.
Curve Mode allows a curve to be applied to the currently selected brush. As with other
Stroke settings, this option is enabled per brush and is not globally applied to all brushes.
AsLine mode constraints the curve as a line. It only affects the initial creation of the
curve and has no effect while editing a curve.
Curve Step defines the roundness of the Curve when created. This setting works in
conjunction with your brush size. Curve Step tells ZBrush how often to create a point in
a curve. By default, Curve Step is set at 0.25, this means that ZBrush will create a point
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
along the curve every time the cursor moves a distance that is 25% of the brush size. A
low setting results in a short distance between steps and will create a smooth stroke with
many points. A high setting applies a stroke with larger steps and fewer points. This slider
also works in conjunction with the Max Points Slider.
The Step setting with three different values from left to right: 0.1, 0.5 and 0.9. The lower setting
creates smoother curves containing more points.
A bend can be applied by hovering over any of the points along the curve and then
moving your cursor to pull the point and create the desired angle.
The amount of bend at the cursor location is defined by the Curve Falloff settings,
located at the bottom of the Curve sub-palette. A Curve Falloff which slants upward to the
right (the default shape) will produce a rounded curve deformation while a curve falloff
which slants downward will produce an angular curve.
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
Snap mode enables the curves ability to snap to the underlying surface when being
manipulated or while applying the associated brush.
Intensity mode enables the usage of variable intensity when the brush stroke is ap-
plied to the curve. To create a constant stroke along the curves length, disable this set-
ting. When the Intensity Mode switch is disabled a consistent intensity will be applied
along the entire curve.
Size mode enables variation of the size (elevation) of the brush along the curve. This
variation will be applied from the starting point to the ending point of the curve.
To see the effect of Size mode, it is recommended to experiment with the InsertCylin-
der brush and various Curve Falloff settings combined with Size mode:
By default, when Size is off the cylinder is inserted along the curve with a constant
size.
When Size is on with its default settings, the cylinder is at its full size at the origin
of the curve and at 0% of its size at the end point.
Change the curve falloff to the opposite shape (from top left to bottom right) and
the Cylinder will be at its full size at the end point and 0% of its size at the beginning.
Now edit the curve in different ways to see the results you can come up with.
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
Two different Falloff curves, each affecting the size of the brush along the Curve.
Remember you can apply these settings to a traditional sculpting brush for similar
effects.
This curve setting can be used to modulate two modes: Bend mode and Size mode.
When used with Bend mode, it will let you define smoothness or pinching of the
curve. See the Bend Mode section above for more information.
When used with Size mode, it will let you define the shape of the deformation when
the brush is applied along the Curve. Top to bottom within the box defines strength as
values from 100% at the top to 0% at the bottom. Left to right defines the position along
the curve from its origin at the left to its termination at the right. See the Size Mode sec-
tion above for more information.
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
The Curve Edit Radius slider changes the size of the brush when editing its curve.
Its similar to the default brush Draw Size slider located in the Draw palette, but applied
to the Curve editing.
A larger Edit Radius size will deform large portions of the curve while a smaller size
will only deform small lengths.
The Curve Edit Focal Shift slider changes the falloff of the brush when editing its
curve. Its similar to the default brush Focal Shift slider located in the Draw palette, but
applied to the Curve editing.
A larger Focal Shift size will make smooth deformations while a smaller size will pinch
the curve.
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
The Max Points slider defines a maximum number of points on the curve after its
creation. This setting is useful when you want to apply a specific pattern along the curve.
This will also work in conjunction with the Curve Step slider.
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VI CLAY POLISH
It can easily simulate the feeling of clay or other raw materials. It can also clean the
visual aspect of your model; especially when combined with DynaMesh.
Using ClayPolish is simple: enter your desired settings and then apply ClayPolish to
your model. The feature works with both PolyMesh3D and DynaMesh surfaces. In fact,
DynaMeshs Polish mode will automatically apply ClayPolish each time the topology is
updated.
A rough concept sculpt is shown on the left. On the right, the model was then updated using
DynaMesh with ClayPolish. Both models have the same polygon count except where ClayPolish
optimized the surface softness and edges.
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1. Clay Polish
Click on the ClayPolish button to apply effect to your model. The effect will use the
parameters explained below.
3. Sharpness slider
The Sharpness slider controls the intensity of the overall sharpness that is applied to
the angles during the polish cycle. This can result in a significant surface change. This
slider will also work in conjunction with the RSharp slider explained below.Softness Slider
4. Softness slider
The Softness slider controls the intensity of the overall softness that is applied to the
mesh surface during the polish cycle. This will give more of a smooth transition across
the mesh when its value is increased. This slider will also work in conjunction with the
RSoft slider explained below.
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
The model on the right has Edge Contrast set to 15 compared to a model without. It gives a more
traditional sculpting aspect.
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
An example of NoiseMaker, which was used for most parts of this model. Created by Geert Melis.
The Tool >> Surface sub-palette has been updated with a new user interface which
brings more control to the noise management process.
Offset, Angle and Scale settings have been adding for each axis, allowing you to fine
tune your surface noise.
Note:
For more information about Surface Noise, please refer to the ZBrush 4 Whats New PDF,
included in your ZBrush 4R2 installations Documentation folder.
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To edit the noise you wish to apply to your model, click the Noise mode switch. If no
noise has been dynamically applied to the model, the NoiseMaker window will open with
its dedicated interface.
If noise already exists, the Noise switch lets you toggle its visibility.
To change your existing noise, click the Edit button. To completely remove your noise,
click the Delete button.
By default, the texture will be applied as noise within the 3D canvas space. Alterna-
tively, you can enable the UV option to apply the texture using your models UV informa-
tion. Once applied, many of the surface noise settings can be used to adjust the texture
in exactly the same way as for procedural noise.
Click the small white dot located at the bottom left of the preview window. A sys-
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
tem dialog box will open, allowing you to browse for your desired texture.
Adjust the Scale, Strength or Color Blending settings to create different unique
effects on your model. Scale, Offset and the Angle setting at the bottom of the window
will have no effect on your image.
A tile texture applied to the model with different scales. At any time, the result can be converted to
geometry, moving the models vertices to be affected by the noise.
Breakdown image of the usage of textures combined with Noise Maker to create patterns. Image
courtesy of Maxence Fleuret.
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
Note:
For better results, it is strongly advised that a texture used for noise be tileable and in 16-bit
grayscale PSD format.
You will notice that the 2D and NoisePlugs buttons currently do nothing. They will be enabled
by a plugin which is planned for release sometime after ZBrush 4R2 launches. The Offset, Angle,
and Scale XYZ sliders at the bottom of the popup window will also only work with that plugin. More
information will be made available following ZBrush 4R2s release.
Note:
BPR can render the transparency without converting it to actual geometry. It is only necessary
to perform the final step of double-clicking the Sub button if you wish to have physical holes that
you will sculpt with.
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VIII NE W BRUSHES
New sculpting features are added to ZBrush with each new release. In order to help
you begin using these features immediately with great results even before you have
learned the various settings for these features we have added several new preset
brushes in ZBrush 4R2.
When you first open the Brush pop-up window you will see that it has been reorga-
nized. A number of new brushes have been added and to make room for them some
from ZBrush 4 have been removed. Those that have been removed are still available
to you, however. You will find them by clicking the LightBox button and then clicking the
Brush heading. You will actually find far more brushes than just the ones that have been
moved out to make room for the new presets. Theres a huge variety to choose from!
Note:
Most of these new preset brushes are work especially well with DynaMesh to generate extra
geometry very quickly.
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
Similar to Curve Mesh except that it inserts a cube along the curve,
creating a type of extrusion. As with the other mesh insertion brushes,
your model cannot have subdivision levels when using this brush.
Some of the new Insert brushes found in the Brush popup window.
Combines the effects of the Curve and Move brushes for a constant
displacement of geometry along the curve path.
The Curve Tube brush creates a tube along the curve that you have for
your first stroke. Until you exit the Curve Mode, you can change the
curve shape to refine your tube.
The curve is drawn on the screen working plane and doesnt snap to
surfaces.
Start at another location to create a new tube or use the Stroke >> Snapshot function
to create copies of your tube based on the existing Curve.
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ZBrush 4R2 whats new guide
The Curve Tube Snap brush is similar to the Curve Tube brush except
that it snaps to the underlying mesh. Until you turn off Curve Mode, you
can change the curve shape to refine your tube, but the Curve wont
snap anymore the surface.
Start at another location to create a new tube or use the Stroke >>
Snapshot function to create a new tube based on the existing Curve.
Curve Tube (top) snaps to the canvas plane while Curve Tube Snap (bottom) operates relative to
the model surface.
The Curve Line Tube brush creates a tube along what is initially drawn
as a straight line. Until you turn off Curve Mode, you can change the
curve shape to refine your tube, but the Curve wont remain as a straight
line.
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The curve is drawn on the screen working plane and doesnt snap to surfaces.
Start at another location to create a new tube or use the Stroke >> Snapshot function
to create new copies of your tube based on the existing Curve.
Curve Editable applies the Standard brush along the Curve, but allows
you edit your stroke after creating it. This makes it possible to reshape
your stroke by manipulating the curve..
Start at another location to create a new stroke or use the Stroke >>
Snapshot function to create new copies of your stroke based on the
existing curve.
A PolyPainting stroke was applied on the left with the Curve Editable brush. The curve was then
manipulated, updating the PolyPaint stroke. By changing the PolyPaint color and again manipulat-
ing the curve, the stroke color was updated. Model courtesy of Stefano Dubay.
The Curve Standard brush is similar to Curve Editable, except that the
Dots stroke is selected instead of DragDot. This allows you to use the
curve as a brush along the surface.
Start at another location to create a new stroke or use the Stroke >>
Snapshot function to create new copies of your stroke based on the
existing curve.
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The Curve Pinch brush applies a Pinch along the curve created by
your first stroke. Manipulating the curve will then create new pinch
strokes.
2. New Brushes
The original model is on the left with a curve drawn using the Slice brush. The middle and right
images show the resulting topology and the two PolyGroups created by the brush.
The Slice brush not a brush in the traditional sense but rather is similar
to the mask, smooth and selection brushes in how you access it. First
you select the desired Slice brush and then ZBrush uses that brush any
time you hold the appropriate modifier keys. (In this case, Ctrl+Shift.)
This brush does not use standard symmetry and cant be used on a
mesh with multiple subdivision levels. If you wish to maintain your sub-
divisions, first use the Freeze Subdivision Levels option located in the Tool >> Geometry
sub-palette. Establish symmetry by using Mirror and Weld in that same menu.
This brush simply slices the models geometry and creates a different PolyGroup on
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each side of the drawn curve. The Slice brush curve system is similar to the Clip brushes.
For more information about them, please read the corresponding chapter in this docu-
ment.
When slicing the model, the corresponding curve adds to the models topology. Tri-
angles will be created where a quad cannot be created from the slice of the curve.
The model will still be a single object with the two new PolyGroups welded together.
When combined with DynaMesh and its Group option, the Slice brush lets you liter-
ally split your mesh in two pieces along the curve. Upon remesh, ZBrush will create two
objects with separate PolyGroups. However, even though new pieces are created they
are still part of the same Tool or SubTool. If you need to split them into separate SubTools,
simply use the Group Split function found in the Tool >> SubTool menu.
With the editable nature of Curves, you can edit the shape of your model while still in
the creation process and refine your desired shape.
Its a quick way to create new meshes as a base for sculpting with DynaMesh.
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Curve Quad Fill in action: the creation of the wings for the base mesh is just a one-stroke action.
Note:
If the curve is not closed, ZBrush will automatically do so by connecting the two extremities.
The Curve Tri Fill brush is similar to the Curve Quad Fill brush except that its internal
content is filled by triangles rather than mainly by quads.
Its a quick way to create new meshes as a base for sculpting with DynaMesh.
Note:
If the curve is not closed, ZBrush will automatically do so by connecting the two extremities.
Start at another location to create a new line or use the Stroke >> Snapshot function
to drop a copy of the last drawn lathe based on the existing Curve.
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A curve is shown above, followed by the Lathe result. Below, the original stroke was then tweaked
to alter the lathe result. Another lathe was then quickly added.
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IX RENDER IMPROVMENTS
In addition to the enhancements in materials and their creation, the Best Preview
Render (BPR) has been optimized to produce cleaner and sharper renders while also
introducing new functions and settings with which to fine tune your renders.
The core ZBrush rendering engine has also now been optimized for a 32-BIT render-
ing pipeline, providing greater bit-depth and color variation for each pixel.
An example of renders in ZBrush 4R2. The top images used texture and advanced shaders. Yet
even the simple render on the bottom is more impressive than was possible in earlier releases.
Image courtesy of Nicolas Garilhe.
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To avoid waiting for a render, ZBrush will now store the lighting and shadow informa-
tion the first time you render a model. Simple adjustments that do not change the sur-
face itself relative to the camera can then be rendered in a fraction of the time because
ZBrush can simply apply the stored light and shadow data, adjusting only for the property
changes.
If you do change the camera position, mesh shape or add a new light ZBrush will
need to calculate the lights and shadows again, which means waiting for a full re-render.
For that reason it is best to perform a BPR and make all desired adjustments to materi-
als and color (performing new BPR renders as needed) before continuing with scene
changes that would require new light and shadow calculations.
2. Details slider
By increasing the Details slider, you will increase the quality of your render. This is
done by creating larger maps for the Light >> Environment Maps and will also affect the
quality of LightCap creation from a background image. These environment maps control
the overall quality of material output.
For quick renders or quick LightCap creation, keep the default setting of 1. Once
satisfied with your various settings you can then increase the Details sliders setting to
create environment maps with a higher dynamic range, resulting in your best quality final
render.
The size of the Diffuse and Specular maps created by the LightCap process is
512x512 pixels with a Details slider value of 1 and increases to 2048x2048 pixels with a
value of 3.
3. Smooth Normals
With this mode, you wont need to add extra subdivision levels to create a smoother
surface at render time with BPR. This rendering mode instructs BPR to automatically
smooth the edges between polygons which in turn gives the models surface a perfectly
smooth appearance.
In order for this mode to work, you must also enable the Tool >> Display Properties
>> Smooth Normal option for any Tool or SubTool(s) that you wish to be smoothed by
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the BPR. This means that you can toggle render smoothing for individual surfaces as
desired.
A low value means a blend with a very short/narrow transition while a high value
means a blending with a broad transition for an extremely soft effect.
There is no material blending in the left example. On the right, Blend Radius is set to 20.
This Material blending value is global and will affect your entire model. If you wish to
also control some SubTools on an individual basis you will also need to adjust the BPR
Material Blender slider in that objects Tool >> Display Properties sub-palette.
The wax effect is fine-tuned using the Render >> Preview Wax sub-palette.
For more information about the Wax shader and its settings, please read the BPR
Wax chapter.
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X LIGHTCAP
Using the LightCap Designer is simple and really powerful, even it is important to take
in consideration that some difference exists between a Material and a Matcap, which
have an impact on how you are using both with the LightCap:
Also, another difference is the settings available for both Materials and MatCaps:
Materials let you tweak and modify a large amount of settings and mix difference
shaders together through the Shader Mixer, while a MatCap can be more globally ma-
nipulated through the textures in which it was composed of. MatCaps interact with the
model geometry, mainly through the cavity information.
Its important to consider these points when creating a new Material or MatCap
through the LightCap Designer.
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If you wish a material with advanced settings and abilities of tweaking, start with a
standard Material like the Skin Shade 4 one.
If you want a material with a great management of cavities and which will look similar
depending of your scene, start with a MatCap.
Note:
It is possible to use the MatCap information as a shader for the Standard Materials.
Keep also in mind that using the LightCap Designer means modifying the current
active Material or MatCap, then it means that the new lighting information will be mixed
with the current material settings and you may need to alter them in order to achieve the
result you are looking for.
1. LightCap workflow
This is an example of workflow using the LightCap designer and may vary from your
needs.
Change the default color to a white one if you have another selected, through the
color selector located in the Color palette.
Go into the Light palette and open the LightCap sub-palette.
Click on the New Light button: it will add a new light in the preview window, creat-
ing a soft low light visible on a sphere. By clicking and dragging in this preview you will
see a red dot appearing on the top of a sphere, this is the new light you just created. .
Each time you add a light or move a light upon release of your cursor, your 3D model
MatCap/Material will be updated.
Now, change some light settings: increase the Aperture value to create a spread
light. At the value of 180, it creates a light which is similar to the ambient light and fills
the LightCap window with light. At times this is a good base light to start with for your
material. Change the lights color by clicking in the color selector in the LightCap De-
signer. To finish with this step you can change the light Strength to create a stronger
base light.
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Its time to add an extra light, by clicking on the New light button: a new red dot
appears as a new light projections onto the sphere. Like the two steps above, you can
manipulate your lights and its setting as you go.
When you are happy with the new light position, Color, Aperture or Falloff, click
on the Specular button on the top right of the LightCap designer interface: now, you will
be able to change the specular information of your MatCap/Material, mainly the opac-
ity. The opacity setting is the only slider that is separate per channel for both Diffuse
and Specular while others settings are connected between these two editing modes. It
means that if you want to make a light invisible but keeping only its specular, you have
to define the Diffuse opacity at 0 and the Specular opacity to a value higher than 0. If
you change the Strength setting, both Diffuse and Specular will be affected.
Note:
If your specular seems to be not affected by your color change and that you are using a stan-
dard Material like the SkinShade4, check the Material >> Modifiers settings and in your Shader(s),
that the Colorize Specular is at 0 and not another value.
Continue the previous steps to create more lights and make your Material/MatCap
visually richer.
If your base material is a Matcap, go in the Material >> Modifier sub-palette. You
will notice at the bottom a little window with the image preview of both images created
by the LightCap Designer if you used a MatCap at the beginning of this process. If you
started with the RedWax MatCap you will have an image with two spheres. The sphere
on the left (A) corresponds to the diffuse of the LightCap Designer and the one on the
right (B), correspond to the specular of the LightCap Designer. Any modifier in the
MatCap setting with A will affect the siffuse of the MatCap and any modeifier with B will
affect the specular of the MatCap.
If your base material is a Standard Material, in the Material >> Modifier sub-pal-
ette. Try to modify the Ambient, Diffuse and Specular sliders: as you may have noticed,
they are connected to the LightCap information, which means that if you want to see
100% of the LightCap Diffuse and Specular, you have to push the corresponding slid-
ers to 100%. To conclude about the Standard Materials, remember that they are also
connected to the default ZBrush lights, located in the Light palette: changing the light
Intensity and position will have an impact to your scene preview and render. The default
scene lights are simply added to the LightCap lights. The LightCap Designer system is
an advance lighting system so if you wish to completely turn off the standard ZBrush
light you can do so. Once the standard light is off only LightCap lights will affect the
material.
The Render Details settings, located in the Render >> Render Properties sub-palette.
By having a higher render quality, you will increase the details of these internal maps,
which can be visible when using a texture or an alpha for your LightCap lights. Depend-
ing on your needs, use this setting to increase or decrease the quality of the internal
maps. When this detail slider is changed the internal maps will automatically update
when a light is clicked in the LightCap Designer.
Note:
It is important to consider the memory aspect of the Render Details, setting a larger map size
will require more memory and more computing. If your LightCap doesnt include details with Alpha
and texture maps, we recommend using the lowest quality.
Please read the Background section for more information about creating a LightCap
from a background image.
The opposite is also possible with LightCaps: ZBrush can generate a background
image from all lights and color that are on in the LightCap Designer. LightCap will store
all the lighting information based on a sphere, it is easy to project this information as a
background image, which then, will fit the look and feel of your model with its MatCap or
Material assigned to it from that was created from the LightCap Designer system.
To create an environment from the LigthCaps, simply click on the Light >> LightCap
>> Create Environment button. After a few seconds, your background image will be re-
placed by a new image based on the LightCap information.
This background image can only be saved within a Project and cant be exported as
a separate image.
The Save button lets you save a LightCap and all its information and the Open button
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Swtich to this channel in order to manipulate the lights that will affect the diffuse of
any material. Any changes done to the lights settings will be linked to the Diffuse slider of
a Standard Material and will be linked to the A channel (or the left sphere) of a MatCap.
Note:
Except for the Opacity information, all your changes in values and settings will be also applied
in the Specular mode.
Swtich to this channel in order to manipulate the lights that will affect the specular
of any material. Any changes done to the lights settings will be linked to the Speculat
slider of a Standard Material and will be linked to the B channel (or the right sphere if the
RedWax was originally selected.) of a MatCap. If you did not select a MatCap with two
spheres then the specular will be baked into the A channel along with the diffuse light
information.
The preview window displays the preview of the LightCaps in real-time, will also al-
low you to manipulate the light by moving their dots corresponding to their positions. The
Preview display can be switched to diffuse information or the Specular information of the
LightCap.
A red dot corresponds to the current light while grey dots correspond to non-selected
lights.
The default preview is display as a sphere, which correspond to a 360 light position-
ing system and not 180, which mean that lights which are positioned on the side of the
sphere are in fact lighting the back of your model and not its side. If you wish to light the
side, you must approximate your light position.
The LightCap can be display as a sphere (by default) and in a planar form name
Equirectangular, similar to environment map with a width to high ratio of 2:1.
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To change the preview of the LightCap, click on the larger red dot on the top left cor-
ner of the LightCap preview, visible only when hovering your cursor in the top left corner
of the LightCap Preview window. To turn the LightCap Preview to the default view click
on the top left corner again.
The New Light button adds a new light with its default setting on the center of the
LightCap preview.
The Delete Light button deletes the active light of the LightCap preview.
The Light Index slider lets you quickly select the lights in order of creation by moving
the slider or clicking on the arrow buttons on the left and right of the slider.
The Strength slider defines the diffuse and specular intensity which are bound to-
gether.
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The Shadow slider defines the opacity of the shadow generated by the LightCap
light and if the light will even cast shadows. To completely turn off shadow casting of any
individual light move this slider to 0.
When a LightCap is generated by from the environment background, the shadow in-
tensity may vary and most of the time, the light under the horizon line have their intensity
at 0.
The Aperture slider defines how the light or its specular spread falls over the surface.
A high value will spread the light on the surface while a low value will do the opposite,
creating a very concentrated light.
Note:
We recommend the first light created in the LightCap, have an Aperture value of 180 which will
create a kind of base light with any selected color, which will be similar to an ambient light.
The Opacity slider changes the selected lights opacity. This setting is different from
the Strength because it doesnt affect this value, but makes it more or less transparent.
The Opacity value can be different for the Diffuse and Specular mode of the Light-
Cap: you can create a light which wont have a diffuse impact, but which will have only
affect specular by turning the Opacity slider all the way to 0 on the diffuse channel but
keep it at 1 in the specular channel or you can apply the opposite effect.
The Falloff slider defines the distance that the light will cover over a model from it
center point to its extremities. The falloff doesnt affect the amount of light or specular, but
how it is distributed on its aperture space.
The Exposure slider lets you apply a multiplier on the light Strength value. This is very
similar to the Exposure in photography.
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The Gamma sliders allows you to change the Gamma of the light, which mainly af-
fects the contrast of the light color.
The Color selector allows you to define the color of your light. As each color picker in
ZBrush, you can click in the color selector and drag your cursor any where in ZBrushs
interface to pick a color. With the LightCap, only the real color will be picked and not the
color combined with the shadow and specular information.
The Blend mode affects the way the current light will overlay with other existing light
of the LightCap. ZBrush offers various kind of blending modes, similar to the ones found
in popular 2D software.
By clicking on the Txtr button, the Texture palette will appears, allowing you select
a texture to be applied to the light itself as a gel image which will be projected on the
LightCap.
Note:
If you want to use your own textures, you must first load it through the Texture palette or by
clicking on the Import button in the Texture floating window.
The Alpha selector button is similar to the Texture selector except that it allows you
load an Alpha which will define the shape of the light. Like this, you can create light shape
similar to what you can find in photography studio with rectangular soft box and a gobo
lights that are used in film
Note:
If you want to use your own alphas, you must first load it through the Alpha palette or by click-
ing on the Import button in the Texture floating window.
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Both Horizontal and vertical tile sliders allow you to change the number of and se-
lected Texture and/or Alpha being applied in both horizontal and vertical axis.
Both Scale Width and Height sliders allow you to adjust the size of any selected Tex-
ture and/or Alpha in both horizontal and vertical axis.
The Blur slider will only blur when a texture has been selected in the texture window.
Blurring of texture will occur upon import of the texture.
For example, set the Blur slider to desired blur then import a texture. If you wish to
continue to adjust the blur of the already selected texture you must adjust your Blur slider
first and then reselect the texture to apply adjustments.
The orientation slider allows you to change the rotation of the Texture and/or Alpha
applied to the selected light.
The Create Environment utility converts the LightCap into a background texture that
is automatically loaded as a background in the Light >> Background sub-palette.
Note:
For more information about the background and the LightCap please read the LightCap and
Environment chapter of this LightCap section.
5. LightCap adjustments
The LightCap Adjustment sub-palette includes several functions, which will globally
alter or transform the current LightCap in opposition to the LightCap settings, which will
only affect the selected light.
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The Exposure slider allows you to apply a multiplier on all the light intensities of the
LighCap. This is very similar to the Exposure in photography..
The Gamma sliders allows you to change the Gamma of the LightCap, which affects
the contrast of the light color.
The Hue slider allows you to change the global hue of the LightCap, which can let you
alter its global color tint.
The Saturation slider allows you to change the color quantity of your LightCap. A low
saturation will make the color lean more to the grayscale while a high value will increase
the color saturation of the LightCap.
The intensity slider allows you to increase or decrease globally the color intensity. In
opposition to the Exposure which alters mainly the lights exposure, the Intensity affects
all the LightCap in the same way, whether its just a color or a light.
The Retain Highlight slider allows you to decide which part of the specular highlight
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you want to make visible or not, mainly to change the lights highlight.
By enabling the Use Material Curve mode, you can use the Standard Material shad-
ers Diffuse and Specular curve to modulate the diffuse and specular information.
6. LightCap Horizon
The LightCap horizon sub-palette includes functions to manipulate the orientation of
the LightCap, but also creating and manipulating a Horizon Line.
The Longitude and Latitude sliders allow you to rotate your LightCap on both hori-
zontal and vertical axis. This is a great and quick way to change the global light and color
orientation of your LightCap, letting you create variations in just a few clicks.
The Horizon opacity slider displays the horizon line which is composed of two gradi-
ents above and below the median line. The slider value sets its visibility.
The C1 to C4 sliders and color selectors define the start and end color of the bottom
to top gradient of the horizon line along with the corresponding color intensity.
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The Top and Bottom Rate sliders define the offset of the gradient of both bottom and
top horizon.
XI WAX MODIFIER
The Wax modifier creates a wax effect on the selected material. This effect is visually
very close to a Sub Surface Scattering effect, but requires less setup to achieve a nice
result in your renders.
A DynaMesh model with the Wax modifier enabled. Image courtesy of Michael Defeo.
Another advantage of Wax over SSS is that ZBrushs Preview render can display this
shader effect in real-time as you sculpt. Simply enable the Wax shader in the Render >>
Render Properties menu. You can then adjust this real-time wax effect using the settings
located in the Render >> Preview Wax sub-palette in the same way that you would adjust
the BPR Wax shader that is only used for a full BPR render.
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The Wax settings, located in the Material >> Wax Modifiers sub-palette.
Note:
When enabling the Wax shader setting by increasing the Wax Strength slider, a note will be
displayed informing you that you have to enable the Wax Preview if you want to see it in real-time.
1. Strength slider
The Strength slider defines the amount of wax effect to apply to the model. A high
value will make the model appear to be very waxy while a smaller value will result in a
subtle SSS-like effect.
Note:
MatCap does not have a specular component. Therefore the specular settings in the Wax
modifiers will not have any impact if a MatCap is used. However, the standard materials do have a
specular component and will be affected by the Specular value in the Wax Modifiers.
3. Fresnel slider:
The Fresnel slider defines if the wax effect will be applied on the surface of the model
that is facing the camera or on the surfaces of the model angled away from the camera.
A negative value will affect the front of the surface while a positive value will affect the
sides of the surface.
4. Exponent slider:
The Exponent slider sets how fast the Fresnel falloff of the wax effect will be applied
to the surface. In other words, how sharply a change in surface angle will affect the wax.
5. Radius slider
The radius slider defines how far the wax effect spreads out from the areas where
your other settings determine should be waxy. A low value will reduce the area of the
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wax while a high value will increase the amount of wax rendered across the surface of
the model.
6. Temperature slider
The Temperature slider affects the wax temperature, similar to the light temperature
found in photography. A negative value will add a cold (blue) tint to the wax while a posi-
tive value will add a hot (red) tint.
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XII BACKGROUND
To create more immersive renders, ZBrush 4R2 allows the loading of a background
image for use as an environment map, projected on a sphere that surrounds your scene.
These background utilities are located in the Light >> Background sub-palette.
An image used in this manner must be a panorama with a ratio of 2:1. In other words,
the width must be twice the size of the height. For this feature, ZBrush uses the Equirect-
angular Projection method for the environment -- the same one used for most HDRI (High
Dynamic Range Image) work. This means that ZBrush is now able to load HDRI images.
This includes support for 32-BIT color depth, which stores a wider range of color and light
information compared to a classic 8-BIT image like a jpg.
Rather than simply serving as a great-looking background, these images can also be
used by ZBrush to create what is called a LightCap. This process uses the data within the
image to extract color and light intensity which is then used as actual lights by the ZBrush
4 R2 rendering engine. In other words, rather than painstakingly creating lights to fit the
background image, LightCap does the work automatically.
A model integrated with a background image. Image data was used via a LightCap to light the
model. Image courtesy of Julian Kenning.
Note:
For a high quality background, it is advised to use a large image such as a size of 8000x4000
pixels. Also, the quality of the LightCap created from a background image is controlled by the
Details slider in the Render >> Render Properties sub-palette. When the Detail slider is set to 1
ZBrush will create 512x512 environment maps. When set to 2, 1024x1024 environment maps are
created and when set to 3 ZBrush will create 2048x2048 environment maps.
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Put another way, a standard JPG has 255 steps in brightness between black and
white. HDR can have thousands of steps. This more closely matches lighting conditions
in the real world while simultaneously giving far more data to manipulate on the fly data
that you can use to dramatically alter your renders.
ZBrush now converts all images to 32-BIT depth, including JPG files. This means
that any image of the appropriate dimensions can be used as a background image from
which to create a LightCap. HDR images will result in the best quality render but JPG
requires less memory and disk space usage. For this reason it is recommended to use
JPG whenever the highest quality is not required. For example, you can convert an HDR
image to JPG for use while sculpting and setting up your scene, then switch to the HDR
version for the final render.
2. Background Settings
2.1 On mode
The On button enables or disables display of the background texture. This option is
only available if a background texture has been loaded.
For this model, a background was used to create a LightCap and then turned off for the final ren-
der. Model courtesy of Young Choi.
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When clicking the Texture selector, you can choose which background image to ap-
ply from the Texture palette. If the desired image has not already been loaded, click the
Import button at the bottom left of the popup window to browse for the texture you wish
to use.
A texture loaded in the Background palette and previewed in the floating window.
The Zoom slider lets you zoom within the background image. It is only possible to
zoom in; you cannot zoom out.
The Exposure slider lets you define the exposure value of the image. This is useful
when working with 32-BIT images like HDRI since they contain multiple exposure ranges.
The Gamma slider lets you change the gamma value of the loaded background tex-
ture. This affects the darker regions of the image without affecting the brighter regions,
allowing you to make shadows darker or to bring out details that are hidden by shadows.
The Longitude and Latitude sliders let you rotate the background image on the hori-
zontal and vertical axes. This makes it possible to find the best point of view for integrat-
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3. LightCaps
The LightCap function lets you create a LightCap (Light Capture) based on the shad-
ing information within the background image. Once this has been done the LightCap
image can be accessed and applied using the Light palette.
LightCap creation is based on two settings: the Samples slider and Reflect mode.
The Samples slider defines the number of lights which will be created for the Light-
Cap:
0 creates 1 lights
1 creates 2 lights
2 creates 4 lights
3 creates 8 lights
4 creates 16 light
5 creates 32 lights
The more lights that are created, the more closely your LightCap will match the im-
ages lighting and color information. However, this also means that if you wish to modify
the LightCap information you will need to adjust the values of more lights.
From left to right: a LightCap created with Sample values of 2, 3, 4 and 5. More samples produce
a more accurate LightCap.
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When Reflect is enabled, specular information will be calculated from the image and
created as part of the LightCap. This specular data will then be added to each light. This
option is useful when you want to use a reflective material on your model.
Specular created with Reflect mode on is shown at the left and with Reflect mode off at the right.
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The default ZBrush materials and their component shaders have received several
new enhancements and functions to work in collaboration with the new LightCap and
Background functions. This also provides new ways to mix your shaders.
This section lists these new additions for materials, the Material Mixer and the Envi-
ronment options. All these items are located in the Material Palette.
1. Material Modifiers
Several new modifiers have been added to ZBrushs default Materials. When com-
bined with the Environment Reflection slider, these modifiers give you more control when
working with a background image.
By adjusting the Reflection Exposure sliders setting you will increase or decrease
the lighting information in the background that is reflected on the 3D model. This sliders
effect is most apparent when using LightCaps from a background image.
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The Reflection Gamma slider lets you change the Gamma information present in
the reflection by increasing or decreasing the contrast between the high and low values
within the background images reflection. Darker parts of the image can be brightened or
darkened even more relative to the brighter parts of the image. This sliders effect is most
apparent when using LightCaps from a background image.
The reflection Fresnel slider lets you define the location of the reflection on the model
depending based upon the angle of the surface relative to the camera. This makes it pos-
sible to have reflections only on the front of the model or only to the side. You will thus
be able to create different types of surfaces, from organic to metallic. The Environment
Reflection slider must have a value higher than 0. This sliders effect is most apparent
when using LightCaps from a background image.
The Reflection Blur slider allows you to blur the surfaces reflection of the background
image.
2. Environment
The Shadow slider controls the intensity of the shadows being cast on a Tool and/or
SubTool(s) using the selected assigned material. The Render >> BPR Shadow settings
then control the quality of shadows being cast onto the Tool and/or SubTool(s).
The Ambient Occlusion slider controls the intensity of ambient occlusion being ap-
plied to a Tool and/or SubTool(s) using the selected assigned material. Ambient occlusion
darkens surfaces that are close to other surfaces (such as where a wall intersects with
the floor), simulating how shade naturally pools in areas where surfaces are close to-
gether. The Render >> BPR Ao settings then control the quality of the ambient occlusion
being applied to the Tool and/or SubTool(s).
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3. Mixer
The Material Mixer has been enhanced with new mixing operators, making it possible
for you to mix several shaders on a surface, creating dynamic materials and effects.
As an example, these new operators can let you use the models PolyPaint informa-
tion to define where the first or second shader will be visible on the model. Another exam-
ple would be to simply remove specularity from parts of the surface that are in shadow.
Most of these new mixer sliders are combined with an exponential slider which will
affect the way any shader is spread across the surface.
The By Shadow slider lets you mix the current shader with the previous shader based
solely on the shadow being rendered on the models surface. This effect will only be no-
ticeable after performing a BPR render.
The By Ambient Occlusion slider is very similar to the By Shadow slider except that it
lets you mix the current shader with the previous shader based on the rendered surfaces
ambient occlusion information. This effect will be visible after a BPR render.
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You can use the Color picker to sample a color from the model which will then act as
a modulator for the selected shader. Simply click and drag from this over your model to
select the desired color. This color picker ignores specular and shadow information and
so will only sample the surfaces base color. By adjusting the associated sliders, this
sampled color can be used based on any combination of its Intensity, Hue or Saturation.
The By Intensity slider lets you mix the current shader with the previous shader based
on the intensity of the PolyPaint color that has been sampled using the Color Picker.
The By Hue slider lets you mix the current shader with the previous shader based on
the hue of the PolyPaint color that has been sampled using the Color Picker.
The By Saturation slider lets you mix the current shader with the previous shader
based on the saturation of the PolyPaint color that has been sampled using the Color
Picker.
The By Depth slider lets you mix the current shader with the previous shader based
on the depth of the surface relative to the camera.
The Depth A and B sliders control a range between where the selected shader and
all previous shaders will be displayed. Changing the Depth slider from 100 to -100 will
give opposite results.
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Note:
If you wish to use your MatCap in other projects, be sure to save it using the Material >> Save
button.
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Note:
The top Intensity A & B sliders are affect the intensity of the final rendered shader result (post-
process). The new second Intensity A & B sliders modify the intensity of the MatCap image before
it is rendered (pre-process).
Three MatCap variations created from the same MatCap. Model courtesy of Mariano Steiner.
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XV BPR FILTERS
A composition which mixes different filters: Blur with a Depth mask, Noise, etc. Image courtesy of
Matthew Kean.
BPR filters (located in the Render >> BPR Filters sub-palette) are post-process ef-
fects applied to your Best Preview Render. There are several advantages to using these
filters. First, it avoids the extra step of doing post-render work in another program like
Photoshop. Second, the BPR filters can use internally computed information like depth
or masking. This means you can apply the effects to a local area rather than to the entire
image. This local application of the filters is also what sets BPR filters apart from the other
render filters from previous versions of ZBrush.
ZBrush provides 13 different types of filters which may be layered on top of each oth-
er at will. Keep in mind that because these filters are applied to a Best Preview Render,
their effects will only appear after a BPR render has been completed. To enable or dis-
able a specific filter layer, click on the small circle at the top right corner of the BPR filters.
Filters are similar to Layers in 2D software and each is applied on top of those be-
neath it in the stack. This means that a different order of the same filters can produce a
different result.
The BPR filters are modes. This means that for each new render of your current
project, the same filters will be applied, consistently producing the same resulting effect.
Note:
When you have created a filter combination that you particularly like you can save it for future
use by saving your Project. In the future you can load the Project again, ready for you to load your
new model and hit the BPR button.
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The BPR filters can use Depth, Fresnel, Shadow, Ambient Occlusion, Sub Surface
Scattering and Mask (Alpha) data, along with Color based on Intensity, Hue and/or Satu-
ration information from the render. Some of these items (like Mask and Fresnel) are com-
puted by default. Information like Ambient Occlusion or Sub Surface Scattering are able
to be used by the filters only if they have been computed at render time. Simply enabling
the filters slider will not activate that particular rendering option; you must specifically
choose the render options that you desire using the various Render switches. This gives
you the flexibility to speed up your test renders by disabling some render options without
having to also disable the corresponding filters.
The workflow for using BPR filters is simple: select a filter slot, enable it, choose the
filter of your choice and then finally tweak the settings according to your needs. Repeat
these steps with another slot to add a new filter on top of the previous one.
The BPR Filters and their settings, located in the Render >> BPR Filters sub-palette.
1.1 Noise
Applies speckles to the render. The noise color can be modulated by the Color set-
ting located at the right of the Blend mode.
1.2 Blur
Fuzzes the rendered details. The Color setting has no impact on this filter. This filter
is the opposite of the Sharpen filter and so if the Strength slider is set to a negative value
this filter will produce a Sharpen effect.
1.3 Sharpen
Makes the edges and other details in the render more pronounced. This filter is the
opposite of the Blur filter and so if the Strength slider is set to a negative value this filter
will produce a Blur effect.
1.4 Orton
1.5 Fade
Applies transparency to the render. At 100%, the rendered colors become invisible.
1.6 Glow
Applies a glow effect to the render. The color of the Glow is based on the render color.
1.7 Color
Applies a uniform color to the render which can be modulated by the Color setting
located at the right of the Blend mode. This filter is applied using the Replace blending
mode.
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1.8 Red
Applies a uniform red color to the render using the Screen blending mode. The Color
setting has no impact on this filter.
1.9 Green
Applies a uniform green color to the render using the Screen blending mode. The
Color setting has no impact on this filter.
1.10 Blue
Applies a uniform blue color to the render using the Screen blending mode. The Color
setting has no impact on this filter.
1.11 Saturation
Modifies the color purity within the render. (Red at 100% saturation is pure red while
at 0% saturation is colorless gray.) The Color setting has no impact on this filter.
1.12 Hue
Shifts the colors within the render to a different color. How far the color is shifted away
from its starting point is modified by the Strength slider. The Color setting has no impact
on this filter.
1.13 Intensity
Modifies how bright the colors are within the render. A negative for the Strength slider
will darken the render while a positive value will lighter the render. The Color setting has
no impact on this filter.
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Click on the F1 to F8 buttons to display the corresponding slot which can receive a
filter. By default, no filters are activated. You must click on the small circle at the top right
of the Function button to enable/disable the filter.
Click to select one of the available filters to apply to your render. The same filter may
be applied in multiple slots, with each instance receiving its own settings.
Changes the mode by which the filter effect will be combined with your render. Each
filter has a default blend mode that will be selected by default but you are free to change
it to get the exact result you are looking for.
By clicking on the Color box you can change the color applied to the filter. Some filters
like Red, Blue or Green are not affected by this option.
Defines how strongly the filter will be applied to your render. At 0, the filter has no
effect, while at 1 it applies the effect at 100%. Negative values are also possible and will
reverse the filters effect (such as turning the Blur filter into a Sharpen filter).
Alters the current filter by increasing its spread. This setting is modulated by the
Strength slider
The Filter Blur type adjusts the falloff rate of the selected filter to have more of a sharp
or blur angle.
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Most of the settings have an Exponential slider which can increase or decrease the
corresponding modulator by an exponential curve. A low value means that the effect will
spread along the corresponding area while a high value will reduce and concentrate the
effect on local areas.
3.1 Depth
Modulates the filter based upon the depth information in the scene. This information
is always available and doesnt need to be enabled in the Render settings to be applied
to the image.
3.2 Fresnel
Modulates the filter based upon surface orientation. By adjusting the modulators val-
ue the filter can be applied to the front surfaces of the model or to surfaces angled away
from the camera. This information is always available and doesnt need to be enabled in
the Render settings to be applied to the image.
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3.3 Shadow
Modulates the filter by which parts of the surface are in shadow. When at its maxi-
mum value, the filter will only be applied where there are shadows in the render. This
information is always available and doesnt need to be enabled in the Render settings to
be applied to the image.
Modulates the filter based upon how close surfaces are to each other. When at its
maximum value, the filter will only be applied where Ambient Occlusion shadows are cast
within the render. This information is available only when Ambient Occlusion has been
enabled in the Render >> Render Properties sub-palette prior to rendering.
Modulates the filter by where light is able to pass through the model via its SSS set-
tings. When at its maximum value, the filter will be applied only to the translucent areas
within the render. This information is available only when Sub Surface Scattering has
been enabled in the Render >> Render Properties sub-palette prior to rendering.
3.6 Mask
Modulates the filter by the models silhouette. When at its maximum value, the filter
will be applied only within the parts of the canvas that are covered by your model. With
a value of -1 the filter will only apply to the background. This information is always avail-
able and doesnt need to be enabled in the Render settings to be applied to the image.
The color chosen with this selector will be used as a modulator for a filter. In this way,
the filter can be applied only to that color in the render, based upon the Intensity, Hue and
Saturation sliders located next to the swatch. If you click and drag from the Color swatch,
the cursor will become a Picker with which you can select any color in your render.
Modulates a filter based on the intensity of the color that is selected in the associated
Color Swatch. The Int Exp slider will control the size of the intensity roll off being applied
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to the model. Higher settings will result in less of the render being affected by the filter.
3.9 Hue
Modulates a filter based on the hue of the color that is selected in the associated
Color Swatch. The Hue Exp slider will control the size of the hue roll off being applied
to the model. Higher settings will result in less of the render being affected by the filter.
Modulates a filter based on the saturation of the color that is selected in the associ-
ated Color Swatch. The Sat Exp slider will control the size of the saturation roll off being
applied to the model. Higher settings will result in less of the render being affected by
the filter.
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1. Changes:
1.1 LightBox
Lightbox is now located at the top of the ZBrush user interface and its content has
been reorganized in new folders.
Several new items such as new Brushes and Projects have been added.
The Alpha palette has now been reorganized into various function-specific sub-
palettes.
The Mesh Insert Preview is now larger so that you can more easily see the se-
lected mesh.
The Stroke BRadius and PolyGroup mode which were previously in the Stroke
palette are now located in Brush >> Clip Brush Modifiers.
Shadow Box is now located in the Tool >> Geometry sub-palette and has its own
dedicated sliders that are no longer linked to the Remesh All sliders. Shadow Box was
previously located in the Tool >> SubTool menu.
The Enable Customize feature has been moved to the Preferences >> Config
sub-palette.
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The Zoom palette has been removed. Its contents have been moved to the Docu-
ment palette.
The Ghost Transparency settings have been moved to the Transform palette.
They were previously located in the Preferences >> Draw sub-palette.
2. New additions
ZBrush now allows you to quickly create an icon for any of your brushes. It can use a
custom image that you have created; simply click Select Icon to load your custom image.
You can also let ZBrush create the custom icon for you. To do this, Alt+click the Select
Icon button. ZBrush will take a snapshot of the currently loaded Tool and will use it as the
brush icon. We recommend first creating a sphere on which you have prominently drawn
a stroke with your custom brush. This will allow your new brush icon to match those that
come with ZBrush.
The Snake Hook brush has been modified to provide new functionality. Holding the
Alt key now allows the brush to follow the surface of any underlying SubTools.
Auto Mask Mesh insert (enabled by default) automatically applies a mask to all the
non-inserted meshes when using any type of Mesh Insert brush.
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Color Alternate mode allows you to toggle between the Main Color and Secondary
color when PolyPainting. Simply hold the Alt key to switch to the Secondary Color. This
mode is enabled by default.
Whenever the floor grid is displayed and a BPR render is done the plane will become
invisible plane for purposes of catching shadows. This allows you to integrate your mod-
els with a background image by orienting the grid so that it matches the images floor.
It will then appear as if the shadows are being cast on the image. This is similar to a
Shadow catcher material available in various 3D packages.
If you dont want to use the grid as a shadow catcher, simple hide it before doing your
BPR render.
You can use the floor to simulate your model being cut in half by adjusting the Grid
Elevation in the Draw Palette. By default this Elv slider is set to -1. Try moving this to 0
and doing a BPR render to see your model cut in half. Other values work as well; any-
thing beneath the floor plane will be removed by the BPR render.
Another option would be to rotate the model using the Tool >> Preview window or a
deformation. Changing the models internal coordinates causes it to be positioned differ-
ently relative to the floor grid. You can then rotate the model so that the grid is parallel
with a wall or other surface so that your BPR render will cast its shadows there instead.
By also adjusting the Elv slider your model could even appear to be coming out of a wall.
These arrows allow you to select the SubTool immediately above or below the cur-
rent SubTool. Shift+clicking on these arrows will now select the top or bottom SubTool
in the list.
These arrows allow you to move the selected SubTool higher or lower in the list.
Shift+clicking on one of these arrows will now move the selected SubTool to the top or
bottom of the list.
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2.7 Autoreorder
The AutoReorder function changes the order of all SubTools in the SubTool list by or-
dering them according to their polygon counts. Models with more polygons will be placed
above those with fewer.
Note:
This operation can be undone.
The Merge Similar function will merge all SubTools which have similar polygon counts.
It is very useful when wanting to combine SubTools that where originally duplicated.
Note:
This operation can be undone.
The projection range is now computed based on the objects bounding box rather
than the scene size. This provides better results in the projection. Be aware that this will
affect the results of the Dist (distance) sliders value.
If you wish to change the topology of your models lowest subdivision level (the base
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mesh), enable the Freeze Subdivision Levels mode. When enabled, ZBrush will auto-
matically store all subdivision levels and drop the model to the lowest subdivision level.
You will now be able to safely make changes to the topology of the lowest level. For
example, you can use DynaMesh or the Mesh Insert brushes.
When you are done editing the base mesh, click Freeze Subdivision Level to turn it
off. ZBrush will now return to the highest level and reproject the details from the previous
topology.
This mode is very similar to the import function of GoZ when it replaces existing
topology with a new structure. However, there is no need to exit ZBrush or export and
re-import your mesh.
Optimize Point Order is a utility which updates the point order of your models topol-
ogy. Visually, nothing will change, but the internal structure of your model will be updated.
This operation can be used to avoid broken models when passing them between ZBrush
and other packages.
The algorithm to close the holes in a model has been updated to produce better topol-
ogy when doing so.
The Fix Mesh utility is able to repair topology errors such as non-manifold edges in
your mesh. It can be useful to run this utility if you find that your model produces topology
errors in other 3D packages.
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Polish by Groups applies a polish smoothing on your model that is based on each
PolyGroup. Each group will be polished individually, creating crisp edges between them.
Repeats the last deformation used, applying it only to the selected SubTool.
Repeats the last deformation used, but applies it to all visible SubTools except the
selected one.
Several modes have been added to apply attributes to the current Tool or SubTool
which then control the BPR render:
BPR Transparent: Creates model transparency when rendered with the BPR
system. This effect can be combined with dedicated transparent materials.
BPR Invisible: Makes the SubTool invisible at render time. The invisible object
still generates shadows on other objects and the floor grid but will not receive shadows
from other objects. In short, the object becomes a shadow generator rather than a
shadow catcher.
BPR Smooth Normals: Smooths the models polygonal edges at render time.
This avoids the need to add subdivision levels to the model in order to achieve a smooth
surface. A model can thus look smoother while still being low resolution.
For this setting to have any effect, the Smooth Normals mode must be enabled in
the Render >> Render Properties sub-palette.
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BPR Material Blend: This slider allows to individually adjust the selected SubTool
relative to the value set by the Render >> Render Properties >> Material Bend Radius
slider. Each SubTool is thus able to have unique material blending effects at render
time.
This option takes the One Open Subpalette setting a step farther by actually hiding all
sub-palettes except the current one. Clicking on the current sub-palettes title then opens
a popup from which you can select any of the other available menus.
This option works the same as the SubPalette Popup option, but affects palettes
themselves. When more than one Palette is docked in either of the side Trays, you can
switch between palettes by clicking the open palettes title. A popup window will open list-
ing all other palettes that have been docked in the same tray. Simply click on the desired
palette title to make it the active palette.
You can make a model partially transparent so that you can see the background im-
age through it. Among other things, this can help precisely position your model and the
floor plane relative to the background.
A background image must first be applied via the Light >> Background setting. En-
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able the Transparency button and then adjust the slider to specify how transparent the
model should be.
When activating various sculpting modes the brush circle changes color as a visual
cue to let you know which mode youre in. This preference will allow you to customize
those colors. You can adjust the colors for the following modes: Sculpting, Smoothing,
Masking and Hiding Polygons.
Holding the Shift key activates ZBrushs Mouse Gestures feature an alternative way
of moving, scaling and rotating your model. If you find that Mouse Gestures are interfer-
ing with your work or distracting (such as when working with a tablet), this setting allows
you to disable the feature.
When this setting is enabled, ZBrush will always keep your TransPose Line on the
same axis as the drawn point. This will always make sure to keep a straight line. With the
setting is disabled, the TransPose Line will be drawn between the closest vertices to your
strokes starting and ending points.
When applying a mask with the Transpose Line this setting will ensure that the Trans-
Pose Line is always aligned to a single axis.
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Lets you define how many CPU threads you want to use with ZBrush. Lowering this
value can make time-consuming operations take longer to complete. However, it will al-
low you to use your computer for other things while waiting.
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XVII THANKS!
Pixologic would like to thank everyone who has participated as a beta tester for
ZBrush 4R2.
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I NOTES
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