ZBrush Documentation Guide PDF

ZBrush User Guide - Disclamer
ZBRUSH
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ZBRUSH USER GUIDE

PHASE 1 - DISCALMER
Please read this information before consulting the ZBrush User Guide.
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ZBrush is an extremely powerful piece of software which includes features ranging

from simple to highly advanced in order to give you access to a plethora of solutions for
creating astonishing artwork.
To help you better understand how to use ZBrush, you already have access to the
“What’s New” guides provided with each new version of ZBrush (located in the Documen-
tation folder), the Online Documentation and of course videos through the ZClassroom.
We are constantly adding to this collection of learning tools and the new ZBrush User
Guide will contain almost everything you need to learn ZBrush functions and workflows.
However, be aware that the creation of this guide is ongoing. ZBrush is one of the most
innovative and creative 3D packages available and with each new release, hundreds of
new features and changes are added. Additionally, people are constantly surprising us
with innovative ways to use ZBrush’s features to create remarkable results!
For these reasons, we have decided to release an unfinished version of the User
Guide now. We will continue to work on completing the project, with the finished guide
being scheduled for the next major ZBrush release. Please visit our Download Center on
a regular basis to access any updates to this User Guide.
If you have any inquiries, wish to report an error or would like to suggest extra infor-
mation for this guide, please contact: documentation@pixologic.com.
The Pixologic Team
ZBrush Documentation Guide - version 0.4
This documentation has been written by Thomas Roussel, Paul Gaboury, Matthew Yetter and
Mark Burgess
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Learn and Share
You’re 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.
Don’t 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 as well as our social media
outlets where you will find all the news related to the ZBrush® universe, from the most
recent Interview to new plugins or gallery additions.
ZClassRoom Portal: http://www.pixologic.com/zclassroom/
Artist Spotlight: http://www.pixologic.com/zclassroom/artistspotlight/
ZBrushCentral: http://www.zbrushcentral.com/
ZBlog: http://www.pixologic.com/blog/
Pixologic.com: http://www.pixologic.com
Pixologic Social Media: Facebook - Google+ - Twitter - Pinterest
Mac OS X & Windows version of ZBrush®
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.
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ZBrush User Guide - Table of Content
TABLE OF CONTENT
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INSTALLATION UPGRADING & ACTIVATION 24
I System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
II Installation and Activation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
III Upgrading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
IV Auto Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
1. Auto Update In Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
V Un-installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
VI Support Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
VII Backward Compatibility of ZBrush Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
3D NAVIGATION 33
I 3D Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
1. Rotate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
2. Move (Pan) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
3. Zoom 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
4. Frame to the current ZTool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
5. Frame to the current SubTool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
6. Select a SubTool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
7. Frame View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
GRID AND REFERENCES 36
I Shadow on Grid with BPR Render . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

II Grid Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
III Images References on Grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
IV Grid Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
BACKGROUND IMAGES 49
I 8 BIT versus 32 BIT Background Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

1. Background Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
II LightCaps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
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LIGHTBOX 55
I Opening a File Through LightBox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

II LightBox Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
III LightBox Categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
IV LightBox preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
MESH VIEWER 63
I Using the Mesh Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

II Mesh Viewer Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
HISTORY 67
I Undo and Undo History Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

II History and Project File Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
III History Functions and Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
IV Undo History Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
GIZMO 3D 75
I Gizmo 3D Basic Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

1. Placement and Orientation of the Gizmo 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
2. Move Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
3. Scale Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
4. Rotation Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
II Gizmo3D Topology Masking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
1. Gizmo3D Topology Masking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
2. Quick One-Touch Masking of PolyGroups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
III Extra Gizmo 3D Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
1. Extruding Topology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
2. Inserting an Edge Loop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
3. Duplicating a Mesh with Gizmo 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
4. Duplication and Negative Mesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
5. Working with Duplication and the Mesh Insert Brushes . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
IV Gizmo 3D Operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
1. Customize (Deformers and Parametric Primitives) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
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2. Sticky Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
3. Unmasked Center Mesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
4. Mesh to Axis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
5. Reset Mesh Orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
6. Lock/Unlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
7. Multiple SubTools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
V Gizmo 3D and Multiple SubTools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
1. Selection of SubTools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
VI Gizmo Equidistant Multiple Copy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
VII Gizmo 3D Parametric Meshes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
1. Parametric Primitive Cones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
2. Inserting a Parametric Primitive in the Current SubTool . . . . . . . . . . . 89
3. Transfer of Deformation from One Inserted Primitive to Another . . . . . 90
VIII Deformers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
1. Working with Deformers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
2. Bend Arc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
3. Bend Curve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
4. Bevel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
5. Crease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
6. Deformer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
7. Deformer Hard and Soft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
8. Extender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
9. Flatten . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
10. Inflate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
11. Multi Slice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
12. Offset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
13. Project Primitive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
14. Remesh by DynaMesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
15. Remesh by Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
16. Remesh by ZRemesher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
17. Remesh by Decimation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
18. Rotate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
19. Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
20. Skew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
21. Slice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
22. Smooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
23. Smooth All . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
24. Stretch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
25. Subdivide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
26. Taper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
27. Twist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
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TRANSPOSE 116
I Manipulating the Action Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

1. Creating the Action Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
2. Action Line Direction: First and Last Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
3. Transpose Axis Selectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
4. Moving the Action Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
5. Moving the First and End Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
6. Action Line Automatic Position Based on the Normal Surface . . . . . . 120
7. Action Line Automatic Position Based on the Selection . . . . . . . . . . . 121
8. Tips, Tricks and Other Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
II Primary TransPose Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
1. Move Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
2. Scale Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
3. Rotate Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
III Example of Posing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
IV TransPose and Masking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
1. TransPose Topology Masking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
2. TransPose Smart Masking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
3. Quick One-Touch Masking of PolyGroups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
V Model Operations Using TransPose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
1. TransPose Curve Deformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
2. Flatten a Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
3. Inflating a Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
4. Extruding Topology with Transpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
5. Inserting an Edge Loop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
6. Duplicating a Mesh with Transpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
7. Duplication and Negative Mesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
8. Working with Duplication and the Mesh Insert Brushes . . . . . . . . . . . 136
VI TransPose Screen Working Plane Orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
1. Rotating the View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
2. Storing the view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
3. Restoring the view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
VII TransPose Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
VIII TransPose Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
IX TransPose with Multiple SubTools: TransPose Master . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
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ALPHA 3D AND VECTOR DISPLACEMENT MESHES 146
I The Alpha 3D Brushes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

1. Creating a New Alpha 3D Brush . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
II Managing Your Brushes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
1. Adding a Single New VDM to an Existing Alpha 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
2. Deleting a VDM From the Current Brush . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
3. Copy Pasting VDM(s) From One Brush to Another . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
III General Advice About Alpha 3D and VDM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
1. Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
2. Usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
ALPHA FROM 3D MESH AND MULTI ALPHA 154
I Creating a New Multi Alpha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

II Managing Your Brushes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
1. Adding a Single New 3D Model to an Existing Brush . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
2. Deleting a Model From the Current Multi Alpha Brush . . . . . . . . . . . 157
3. Copy/Pasting 3D Models From One Brush to Another . . . . . . . . . . . 157
DYNAMESH 158
I DynaMesh Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

1. DynaMesh Resolution and Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
2. Manual Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
3. DynaMesh and Surfaces/Restrictions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
4. DynaMesh is a Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
5. DynaMesh and Inserted Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
II Example of DynaMesh Process: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
III Working with Multiple Meshes with a DynaMesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
IV DynaMesh with PolyPainting and Textures/UV’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
V DynaMesh Versus ZRemesher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
VI DynaMesh with TransPose and Gizmo 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
VII Partial DynaMesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
VIII DynaMesh with Polygroups Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
IX Boolean with DynaMesh: Merging SubTools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
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X Convert Inserted Meshes from Positive to Negative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175

XI Create Shell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
XII DynaMesh and Surface Noise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
XIII DynaMesh Models and “Small Holes” Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
XIV DynaMesh Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
SCULPTRIS PRO 184
I The Technology of Sculptris Pro Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186

II Uses for Sculptris Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
III Using Sculptris Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
1. Enabling Sculptris Pro Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
2. Brush Cursors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
3. Brush Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
4. PolyPaint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
5. Restrictions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
IV Sculptris Pro Global Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
V How Sculptris Pro Affects the Smooth Brushes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
VI Global Mode and Brush Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
VII Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
VIII Optimization with Decimation Master . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
IX Sculptris Pro Brushes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
CLAYPOLISH 199
I ClayPolish Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201

II Clay Polish Mask creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
III ClayPolish within the DynaMesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
IV ClayPolish Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
ZSPHERE 204
I ZSpheres and ZSpheres II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206

II ZSPheres Basic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
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1. Creating the Root ZSphere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207

2. Adding more ZSpheres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
3. ZSphere Red and Green Circles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
4. Inserting ZSpheres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
5. Deleting ZSpheres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
6. Previewing the Polygonal Topology: Adaptive Skin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
7. Manipulating the ZSpheres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
8. Working with the Symmetry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
9. Sculpting on the Adaptive Skin preview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
III ZSphere Structure and Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
1. ZSpheres are “Cubes”! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
2. Final Purpose of ZSpheres: Strategy Choices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
3. Preview of Inconsistent Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
4. Advanced Operations in ZSphere Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
IV Adaptive Skinning: Creating Polygons from ZSpheres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
1. Adaptive Skin in Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
2. Adaptive Skin Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
V Classic Skinning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
1. Magnets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
2. Invisible Connectors - Disconnecting Parts of the Model . . . . . . . . . . 223
3. Edgeloop Sockets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
4. Classic Skinning Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
VI ZSphere Rigging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
1. Binding a Model to a ZSphere Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
2. Previewing and saving the deformed pose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
3. Rigging with Mannequins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
4. Rigging Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
5. Rigging functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
VII Retopologizing with ZSpheres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
1. Overview of Creating New Topology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
2. Steps to Create the New Topology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
3. Importing Topology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
4. ZSphere Topology Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
VIII Projection with ZSpheres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
1. Projection Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
2. Improving the Projection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
3. Projection Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
IX Display Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
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ZSKETCH 237
I ZSketch Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239

1. How to Access ZSketch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
2. ZSketching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
3. How to Generate the Mesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
4. Accessing the Brushes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
5. Smoothing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
II ZSketch with a ZSphere structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
III Free 3D Sketching with ZSketch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
IV 3D Sketching on a SubTool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
V Create a 3D model from a ZSketch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
1. Unified Skin Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
2. Adaptive Skin method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
VI Unified Skin Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
VII Deformation of a ZSketch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
VIII ZSketch Brushes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
IX ZSketch Tips and Tricks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
ZBRUSH MANNEQUIN 258
I The Basics of Posing Mannequins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260

II Adjusting Mannequins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
1. Adjusting Bone Position and Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
2. To move the entire Mannequin: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
3. Adding or Removing Joints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
4. Changing the Size of a Mannequin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
5. Rotating the Whole Mannequin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
III Making Your Own Mannequin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
1. A Basic Mannequin Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
2. Using Different Meshes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
IV Sculpting Mannequins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
V Sculpting Using Poseable Symmetry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
VI Rigging with Mannequins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
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QUICKMESH 267
I Quick Mesh Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
ZMODELER 271
I ZClassRoom Videos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272

II Introduction to the ZModeler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
1. Context-Based Actions: Points, Edges, Polygons and Curves . . . . . . . 274
2. Restrictions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
III The ZModeler Brush: Actions and Targets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
IV Options and Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
V Edge Selector Widget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
1. Highlighting a Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
2. Highlighting an Edge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
3. Highlighting a Polygon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
VI The Do Nothing Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
VII Working With PolyGroups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
1. Propagation of PolyGroups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
2. Temporary PolyGroup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
3. Changing of PolyGroups During an Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
4. Copying an Existing PolyGroup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
VIII Replay the Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
IX ZModeler and Masking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
X Point Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
XI Edge Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
XII Polygon Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
XIV ZModeler Brush Targets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
1. EdgeLoop Versus PolyLoop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
2. Point Targets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
3. Edge Targets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
4. Polygon Targets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
5. Curve Targets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
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DYNAMIC SUBDIVISION 344
I Dynamic Subdivision Blended with Classic Subdivision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346

II Dynamic Subdivision Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
III Dynamic Subdivision HotKeys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
IV Dynamic Subdivision and Saved Projects/Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
V Priority Order of the different Dynamic Subdivision sliders . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
VI Dynamic Subdivision Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
ARRAY MESH 353
I Array Mesh Stages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355

II Working with TransPose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
III Pivot Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
IV Array Mesh and NanoMesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
1. Duplicating a NanoMesh with an Array Mesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
2. Converting an Array Mesh to a NanoMesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
V Working with Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359
VI Array Mesh Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
NANOMESH 368
I NanoMesh Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370

1. The Placement Mesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370
2. The Instanced Geometry (Nanos) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370
3. The NanoMesh Brush . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371
II NanoMesh Demonstration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
III Working with Multuiple NanoMeshes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
1. Multiple NanoMeshes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
2. Polygons with Multiple NanoMeshes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
IV NanoMesh Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374
1. Main settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374
2. Alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
3. Colorize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382
4. UV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384
5. Inventory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384
15
6. All to Brush . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385
MICROMESH 386
I About MicroMesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388

II MicroMesh and Millions of Polygons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389
III MicroMesh Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390
IV Converting a MicroMesh to a Real Geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392
FIBERMESH 393
I Fiber Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395

1. Simple or Double side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397
II FiberMesh Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398
III FiberMesh MAIN Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
1. Working with Curves Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
2. Variation Sliders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
IV Geometry of the FiberMesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405
V FiberMesh RealTime Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407
VI FiberMesh BPR Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408
VII Fibermesh Coloring, Texturing and UVs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410
1. FiberMesh UV’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410
2. Using the Mesh Polypainting to Create Colored Fibers . . . . . . . . . . . 413
VIII Exporting the FiberMesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414
1. Exporting FiberMesh as Guides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414
2. Exporting FiberMesh as Vector Displacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414
3. Converting as a Geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415
IX FiberMesh Groom brushes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 416
X Brush Fiber Mesh Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 422
XI Masking and Visibility of the FiberMesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424
1. Fiber Mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424
2. Masking with a Mask Brush . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 426
3. Hidding and Unhidding the FiberMesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 426
XII Additional Information About FiberMesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 427
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BOOLEAN OPERATIONS 428
I Important Notice about Boolean Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 430

II Boolean Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 433
1. Linearity of the Boolean operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 433
2. Start groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 434
III Data Support and Preservation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435
IV Live Boolean Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438
1. Activation of the Live Boolean Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439
2. Live Boolean Mode for Final Mesh Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439
V Basic Boolean Process in Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 440
VI Advanced Boolean Process in Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443
VII Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447
1. Live Boolean Renderer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447
2. Producing the Final Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447
VIII Boolean Resulting Topology Issues and Errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 448
1. Checking for Coplanar Faces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 448
2. Checking for Errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 449
IX Main Boolean Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450
X Geometry and Topology Analysis Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451
XI Boolean Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 453
SHADOWBOX 454
I Entering Shadow Box Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 456

II Modify in ShadowBox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 457
III Shadow Box Resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 459
IV Working with SubTools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 461
V Using References on the Working Planes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 462
VI Hiding Working planes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
VII Key sculpting points for shadowbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 464
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REMESHING 465
I Remeshing One or More SubTools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 467

1. Combining different SubTools with operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 467
II Remesh All options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 469
LAYERS (3D) 470
I Working with Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 472

1. The Record mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 472
2. Layers at different levels of subdivision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 472
3. Erasing the PolyPaint on a Layer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 473
4. Baking sculpting from a single Layer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 473
II Layer functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 475
MESH FUSION 478
I Creating a Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 480

II Replacement and Topology Brush . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 483
III Replacement Part Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 484
ZREMESHER 485
I ZRemesher Highlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 487

II The Concept of Adaptive Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 488
III Partial Mesh Retopology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 491
IV Symmetry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 493
V Working with Curves: the ZRemesher Guide brush . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 494
VI Spirals in the Retopology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 496
VII ZRemesher and Hard Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 497
1. Mesh Density . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 497
2. Work with PolyGroups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 497
3. Use curves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 498
VIII ZRemesher and High Polycount Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 500
IX Transferring High Resolution Detail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 501
1. Freeze Subdivision Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 501
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2. Duplicating your SubTool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 501

X ZRemesher Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 503
XI Tips and Tricks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 508
SURFACE NOISE 509
I About the Surfaces Noise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 510

II Apply Surface Noise Onto your 3D model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 511
1. Noise Maker 3D Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 511
III Surface Noise and Real Geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 512
IV Noise Maker in ZBrush Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 513
V Noise in Transparency with DynaMesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 513
VI Noise Maker Mask Mixing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 515
VII Mixing Noises from multiple sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 516
VIII Using an Alpha in Noise Maker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 517
IX Using an Alpha in the Noise Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 519
X Surface Noise Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 520
XI Noise Maker Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 522
1. Noise Maker settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 522
XII Noise Plugin Interface and Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 526
XIII Noise Maker Plugin Common Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 528
XIV Procedural Generator Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 529
LAZY MOUSE 2 540
I Stroke Continuity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 541

II Non-Buildup of Overlapping Strokes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 542
III Click-to-Click Straight Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 543
IV Stroke Pause . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 543
SPOTLIGHT 544
I Working with SpotLight: Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 546
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II Organizing and Working with multiple textures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 549

III Saving / Restoring SpotLight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 550
IV Spotlight for Image References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 550
V SpotLight Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 551
TIMELINE 562
I Enabling the Timeline: basic Key framing and Timeline options . . . . . . . . 564
II TimeLine Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 565
III Working with the Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 567
1. Playing and saving an animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 567
2. Navigation in the track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 567
3. Working with Animation Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 567
4. Working with Keyframes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 568
5. Enabling / disabling tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 570
6. Linking Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 570
IV The different tracks of ZBrush . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 572
V Working with Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 576
1. Working with Beats markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 576
VI Record and Preview the final Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 578
HISTORY MOVIE CREATION 579
I Overview of the History Movie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 580

II Movie Creation Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 581
BPR FILTERS 583
I BPR Filters List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 587

II BPR Filter Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 590
III BPR Filters Modulators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 592
POSTERIZATION 596
I Posterization of the Curve Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 598

II Posterization for Materials and Rendering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 600
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1. 3D Posterization at Render Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 600

2. 2D Posterization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 600
III Posterization as a BPR Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 601
IV Outline of the Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 603
LIGHTCAP 604
I LightCap™ workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 606

II LightCap™ and MatCap quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 608
III LightCap™ with Environments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 609
IV LightCap™ settings and options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 610
V LightCap™ adjustments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 616
VI LightCap™ Horizon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 618
KEYSHOT FOR ZBRUSH 620
I About the KeyShot for ZBrush Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 622

II KeyShot Hardware Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 623
III Supported and Non-Supported ZBrush Data Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 624
1. Geometry and Meshes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 624
2. Color, Textures and Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 624
3. Environmental Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 625
4. Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 625
IV Basic Workflow from ZBrush to KeyShot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 625
1. Changing the Rendering Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 626
2. Setting the Bridge Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 626
3. Sending Data from ZBrush to KeyShot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 626
4. Going Back from KeyShot to ZBrush . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 627
V Working with ZBrush Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 628
1. Material Priority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 628
2. Multiple Materials in Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 628
3. Working with Texture and PolyPaint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 629
4. Working with Surface Noise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 630
VI ZBrush to KeyShot Bridge Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 631
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TEXT 3D & VECTOR SHAPES 633
I Creating a 3D Shape Based on Text Entry or an SVG File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 635

II Quality and Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 637
1. Adaptive mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 637
III Font Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 638
IV Working with SVG Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 639
V Text 3D and Vector Shape Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 640
QUICKSKETCH 645
I Using Quick Sketch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 647

II Quitting Quick Sketch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 648
POLYGROUPIT 649
I Using PolyGroupIt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 651

II Working with Symmetry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 655
III Back and Forth with ZBrush and PolyGroupIt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 655
IV Conversion of PolyPaint to PolyGroups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 656
V PolyGroupIt Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 657
MULTIPLE LANGUAGE SUPPORT 659
I Changing the Default Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 661

II Quickly Switch Back to the English language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 662
III AutoNotes in Other Languages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 662
IV Creating Your Own ZBrush Translation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 663
1. Items to Translate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 664
2. Plugins and ZScripts: The Translation Exception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 664
3. Creating a Custom Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 664
4. The Edit Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 665
5. Auto Edit Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 667
6. Translation Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 667
7. Unique and Shared Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 668
8. Translating Icons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 669
22
9. Translation of the Gizmo 3D Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 670

10. Font for Your Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 670
11. Important Information and Advice About Translating ZBrush . . . . . . . 670
V Localization and Language Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 673
GOZ 676
I Installing GoZ on Windows and Mac OSX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 678

1. Extra installation steps for Cinema4D: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 678
2. The GoZ Commands Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 679
II Choosing an application to communicate with . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 680
III GoZ Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 680
1. GoZ for mesh addition and the projection of details . . . . . . . . . . . . 682
2. GoZ for the rendering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 683
3. GoZ for base mesh creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 683
4. Working with several Tools and SubTools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 684
IV GoZ restrictions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 685
V GoZ preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 686
VI GoZ with non-supported applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 687
VII SDK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 688
VIII GoZ in the future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 688
23
ZBrush 2018 - 3D Navigation
INSTALLATION
UPGRADING &
ACTIVATION
All the steps you need to install or upgrade ZBrush, as well as to leverage its activation system.
24
This is the useful information that you will need to know when installing and up-
grading ZBrush® on your computer. This chapter also describes the activation and de-
activation process. Understanding how the activation system works will help you avoid
difficulties should you upgrade your computer, reinstall your operating system, etc.
I System Requirements
Recommended:
• Operating System: Windows Vista or newer. Mac OS X 10.7 or newer. (32-bits

or 64-bits for either platform.)
• CPU: Pentium D or newer (or equivalent such as AMD Athlon 64 X2 or newer)
with optional multithreading or hyperthreading capabilities.
• 6 GB recommended.
• Disk Space: 750 MB for ZBrush, plus 16 GB for the scratch disk.
• Pen tablet: Wacom or Wacom compatible.
Notes:
The scratch disk may be a different drive from where ZBrush is installed.
Having ZBrush and its scratch disk running on an SSD drive will result in improved perfor-
mance.
Minimum System Requirements:
• Operating System: Windows Vista or newer. Mac OS X 10.7 or newer. (32-bits

or 64-bits for either platform.)
• CPU: P4 or AMD Opteron or Athlon64 Processor. (Must have SSE2 -- Stream-
ing SIMD Extensions 2. All CPU’s from 2006 or later support SSE2.)
• RAM: 1024 MB (2048 MB required for working with multi-million-poly models).
• Disk Space: 750 MB for ZBrush, plus 8 GB for the scratch disk.
• Monitor: 1280x1024 monitor resolution set to 32-bits or Millions of Colors.
25
II Installation and Activation
ZBrush installation is based on an installer application, which is similar on both Win-

dows and Mac OSX operating systems.
After downloading the ZBrush installer you can run it to be guided through the activa-
tion process.
For all the information about the process of the installation and activation, please
read the “Install_and_activate_ZBrush.pdf” located in the ZBrush documentation fold-
er or available to download at our Download Center: http://zbru.sh/docs or visit our online
documentation website; http://zbru.sh/onlinedocs
It is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that you make a backup copy of the installer after
you have downloaded it. Download links are valid for two downloads or seven days,
whichever comes first. Our Support staff is happy to renew your download link at any
time but we also know from experience that people often need to reinstall on an evening
or weekend when there is nobody available to assist you.
Special notes for Mac users:
1. The download is a Disk Image (DMG) file which mounts to be like any other disk
on your computer. In some cases, a Finder window does not automatically open
after mounting the DMG. If that happens, you will find it within your Devices list.
Opening that will then allow you to run the installer itself.
2. Upon running the installer you may receive a message to the effect that it is from
an unknown publisher. In this case you will need to disable Gatekeeper before
you will be able to run the installer. Apple explains how to do this here: http://
support.apple.com/en-us/HT202491
26
III Upgrading
Depending on your current ZBrush version and what you need to upgrade to, there
are two upgrade paths available:
• Using a full installer to perform a “clean” install of a fresh new copy of ZBrush.
This does not require any earlier version to already be on your computer.
• Using an upgrader (downloaded from our Download Center or through the Auto
Upgrader system) which will duplicate your current ZBrush folder and then up-
grade the copy without affecting your current installation.
The full installer takes longer to download, but is greatly preferred. Using it avoids
any possible permissions issues. Also, if there are any problems with your current
ZBrush installation (even those you might not be aware of), an update will copy those
problems to the new installation! The full installer avoids that possibility. You will still be
able to manually copy any desired files from the old installation to the new one.
If you do wish to use the update process instead of the full installer, please read the
Auto Update chapter of this section.
27
IV Auto Update
ZBrush includes an Auto Update system which can check with the Pixologic® serv-
ers at your request to see if a new minor update is available.
This process is initiated manually and is voluntary. It is recommended that you run
it from time to time to see if a new update is available.
1. Auto Update In Action
The Auto Update is a separate application named ZUpgrader.exe (.app for Mac us-
ers), located at the root of your ZBrush folder.
This program can be executed by itself and when you wish to check for a new up-
date or upgrade. Make sure that ZBrush is closed, then simply double-click ZUpgrader
to run it.
An installer-like window will open. From there, simply follow the steps to check for
any available updates. The application will tell you whether or not something is available
for download.
• If no update is available, the software will automatically quit.

• If an update is available, the software will start the download. When the up-
date has finished downloading, it will be launched automatically and guide you
through the installation.
Auto Update in action.
The update installer is similar to the ZBrush full install process. Just follow the steps
to install the new components. The Auto Updater will automatically place all files in their
proper locations. When installation is finished the updater will close and you can launch
ZBrush to enjoy the new features or changes.
28
You will also find the update’s installer as a new program in the root of your ZBrush
folder. You can keep it for future use or simply delete it. We recommend that you keep
the most recent update and delete any older ones.
Note:
Each new update will include all items since the most recent ZBrush version release. This
means that if you’ve just installed ZBrush you will not need to download multiple updates – a
single download will be all that’s necessary to bring your installation up to date.
29
V Un-installation
This process completely removes ZBrush from your computer.
Un-installation process:
1. In the ZPlugin menu, choose Web Deactivation and proceed with license de-
activation as explained above. If you do not deactivate prior to un-installation,
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 Applications/ZBrush folder and the Us-
ers/Public/Pixologic folder to the Trash.
3. During the un-install process, depending on the Version of ZBrush you are us-
ing, the Uninstaller may ask you if you want to keep your GoZ files. Always
answer “Yes” if you are removing an older version of ZBrush after having up-
graded. If you answer “No”, GoZ won’t work anymore because most of its com-
ponents will be deleted by the un-install process.
4. After the un-installer has finished, check the location where ZBrush had been
installed. There will often be extra files which remain. You can delete those fold-
ers if you do not intend to use ZBrush on this computer again.
Note:
With the exception of GoZ and the various files in the ZBrushData shared/public folder, ZBrush
doesn’t write files outside its own directory.
30
VI Support Registration
Our Support system uses the same Pixologic ID that is used for activating
ZBrush 2018 (Single-User, Volume or Trial licenses).
If you have a Single-User or Trial license, use your existing Pixologic ID to log into
the Support system and receive technical support for ZBrush.
If you are working for an organization that uses ZBrush Volume or Floating licens-
es, you will still need to have your own Pixologic ID in order to log into the Support system
and receive technical support for ZBrush.
Not sure if you have a Pixologic ID yet? The easiest way to find out is to try to Reg-
ister for one. This is free. Just follow these steps:
1. Go to https://login.pixologic.com
2. Click the Register icon.
3. Enter all requested information and click the Register button.
4. If you have never created a Pixologic ID, one will now be created for you. If a
Pixologic ID already exists for this email address, you will be given the opportu-
nity to reset your password.
After creating your Pixologic ID you can go to https://support.pixologic.com at any

time to view your past tickets or create a new one.
31
VII Backward Compatibility of ZBrush Files
ZBrush files are not backward compatible, which means that your files created with
the most recent version of ZBrush won’t be compatible with any older version.
For example, if you have a file that you’d been working on with ZBrush 4R3 and then
save it using ZBrush 4R7, you will no longer be able to open it in version 4R3.
Different versions of ZBrush can be used together with GoZ due to the fact that its
main components have remained the same, but it’s not possible to work on the same
project between multiple versions of ZBrush at the same time. Once a file has been
created or saved in a newer version of ZBrush, it will not be able to be opened by any
earlier version.
GoZ cannot get around this restriction. It can be used to open files from earlier ver-
sions of ZBrush but it cannot be used to send files to an earlier version. The only way
to get a file into an earlier version of ZBrush than it was last saved in is through the OBJ
format.
32
ZBrush User Guide - 3D Navigation
3D NAVIGATION
How to navigate in 3D space.
33
I 3D Navigation
3D navigation in ZBrush 3.5 provides several ways to move your model in front of
the camera or pan the camera across the canvas. This is the list of all the navigation
capabilities of ZBrush.
1. Rotate
• Left click & drag in an empty space of the canvas or outside of the Edit rect-
angle. This action is only available when the cursor is not over a ZTool or a
painted part of the canvas.
• Right-click & drag in an empty space of the canvas or over a ZTool or painted
part of the canvas.
• Click & drag on the Rotate button available on the right Shelf in the interface or
in the Transform palette.
2. Move (Pan)
• Press ALT key and do a Left click & drag in an empty space of the canvas or
outside of the Edit rectangle. This action is not available when the cursor is over
a ZTool or a painted part of the canvas.
• Press ALT key and do a Right-click & drag in an empty space of the canvas or
over a ZTool or painted part of the canvas.
• Click & drag on the Move button available on the right Shelf in the interface or
3. Zoom 3D
• Press ALT key and do a Left click & drag in an empty space of the canvas or out-
side of the Edit rectangle. While doing this action, release the ALT key without
releasing the click. This action is not available when the cursor is over a ZTool
or a painted part of the canvas.
• Press the CTRL key and do a Right-click & drag in an empty space of the can-
vas or over a ZTool or painted part of the canvas.
• Click & drag on the Move button available on the right Shelf in the interface or
34
4. Frame to the current ZTool
• ALT+Click in an empty space of the canvas.

• Click on the Frame button available on the right Shelf in the interface or in the
Transform palette.
Note:
After selecting Subtool, clicking “Frame” once will frame selected Subtool. Click “Frame” again
to frame the whole ZTool.
5. Frame to the current SubTool
• ALT+Click on the selected SubTool.

• Click on the Frame button available on the right Shelf in the interface or in the
Transform palette.
6. Select a SubTool
• ALT+Click on an unselected SubTool to select it.
7. Frame View
An icon has been added to perform the Frame operation, which consists of a
zoom to make the current ZTool or SubTool fit within the document space.
This button is located in the Transform palette and a copy of the button is on the right
Shelf, located at the border of the document.
Shortcut: F or ALT+Click in an empty space of the canvas.

Note:
This function was available in the previous version of ZBrush, but only via the keyboard short-
cut.
35
ZBrush User Guide - Grids and References
GRID AND
REFERENCES
Support for reference images
36
The Grid feature is a great functionality, mainly to provide support for reference im-
ages. You can easily load your images for the front, side and top views to more easily
create artwork based on references.
A model with reference images on the back and side grids.
37
I Shadow on Grid with BPR Render
When doing a BPR render, the grids are now in a half transparent mode. This makes
the object visible from below the grid, as well as its shadow.
This new mode is useful when creating a BPR render using the History movie feature,
as the camera may under the model.
You can revert to the previous opaque grid behavior by turning off Draw >> Visbility
>> BackDots mode.
Note:
BackDots mode creates a simulation of transparency by drawing one pixel over two. Render-
ing your document or movie in HHalf mode will override this effect.
II Grid Changes
When displaying two or three grids they will now be set up as half a cube rather than
being centered on all three axes. This is similar to ShadowBox grids and is needed for
using reference images. Previously, it was common to change the visible grid from one
axis to another to fit your model’s orientation, but it was uncommon to display more than
one grid at once.
As a result, when displaying more than one grid, the model will be centered between
these grids rather than in direct contact with the original grid. When adding a second grid
this behavior may give you a sense that your object has jumped in space. However, only
its display relative to the grids will be affected; it’s actual coordinates will not be changed.
38
III Images References on Grid
A Floor Fill section has been added to the Grid options, located in the Draw palette.
These settings allow you to load your reference images for the working planes you want
to use. There are also settings to control visibility of these grids, the reference images,
and the model itself.
ZBrush can display a different image on each side of a grid plane. This is useful in
situations such as when you need different front and back reference images.
Once you load an image in the Draw palette for any of the planes, its grid will appear
immediately even if it was disabled prior to this action. There are separate slots for each
side of the grid, which become as soon as two images are loaded. There is also a switch
to edit the corresponding image settings.
If you wish to remove an image, simple click on its thumbnail to access the Texture
pop-up menu. From there, choose the Texture Off item. You can also select a different
texture to replace the current image.
39
IV Grid Options
With these new grid enhancements you have fine control over both placement and
manipulation of the images on the grid.
The options below operate the same for all working planes. (Front, Back, left, Right,
Up and Down)
Open and Save with LightBox

The Open and Save functions, located at the top of the Draw >> Floor grids section
allow you to save your current reference and/or grids setup for other projects. You can
also use this setup as a starting project.
LightBox has a new section which can accept your saved grid presets so that they
can be quickly loaded into ZBrush. To make your presets visible to LightBox, simply save
them to the ZBrush 4R4\ZGrids folder.
40
Snap Mode
When enabled, this mode moves the active grids from bisecting the object to being
outside its bounding box. This positions them so that they are positioned behind the
object, in the appropriate place to serve as supports for background images.
Disabling this option keeps the grids at their origin position, centered on the current
SubTool’s geometric center.
Fill Mode
The Fill mode slider, located near the top of the Draw palette defines how the grid will
be displayed.
• 0: The grid is displayed with no transparency.
• 1: The grid is displayed with slight transparency.
• 2: The grid is displayed with strong transparency.
• 3: The grid is displayed with slight transparency and the model with smart trans-
parency. In this mode, the polygons facing forward will be more transparent while
those near the edges will be more opaque. The visual effect is closest to a Fresnel
effect, producing the best visibility when working with references. You can modify this
display mode with the Edge Enhanced and the Edge Opacity sliders, located in the
Visibility section.
41
The four fill modes, from left to right and top to bottom. Notice that mode 3 (the 4th image) is the
most useful, but having dark colors can make the overall visibility more complex.
Front
Front mode, off and on.

This mode, located to the right of the Fill Mode slider is enabled only when Fill Mode 3
42
is not active. It displays the model with flat transparency to see the background through
it.
Front mode does not have transparency modifiers.
Snapshot to Grid
This function creates screenshots of your current model from all isometric angles and
applies them to the grid planes.
The model has been snapshot and the resulting images have been applied to the corresponding
working planes.
Snapshot Image Size

This slider defines the size of each image created by the Snapshot to Grid function.
High values produce images with better quality but will require more memory.
43
Snap to Mesh
This mode enables Position and Size modes described in the Snap Mode section
(4.2). It causes them to operate based upon the currently selected SubTool.
Snap to All
This mode is similar to Snap to Mesh mode, except that it causes Position and Size
to operate on all SubTools.
Snap to Axis
This mode is similar to Snap to Mesh, except that it causes the grid planes to align
with the world axis.
Snap to ShadowBox
A reference image applied to the front grid but not applied as a ShadowBox texture.
When starting ShadowBox with this mode enabled, the visible grids will be automati-
cally positioned and scaled to fit the ShadowBox working plane.
This option makes it easier to use references images in ShadowBox.
Note:
The references images on the grid are not a substitute for the ShadowBox working plane
texture. Using both may make it more complex to work with background images.
44
Image Selectors
Two selectors are available, letting you select different images for the inside of the
grid (first selector) and back/outside of the grid (second selector).
If the corresponding grid was previously disabled, assigning an image using these
selectors will enable the grid.
These selectors are also used to disable to replace the current image.
One
This mode uses the left image slot for both sides of the grid. If an image is loaded into
the second slot, it won’t be displayed on the grid.
PLine (Projection Lines from Cursors to Axis)
Projection Lines go from the cursor to the corresponding working plane.

This mode projects a line from the cursor to the visible Floor grids with the corre-
sponding axis color. The position is displayed in the ZBrush title bar. These lines make
it easy to ensure that your sculpting work remains true to the reference image.
45
Switch
This function swaps the textures loaded into the associated grid’s slots. The inside
texture will be moved to the outside position and vice versa.
Adjust
This option opens a dedicated image editor, similar to ZBrush’s JPG exporter with
which you can manipulate your original image directly within ZBrush.
The most common use of the Adjust window will be to crop the image. It is also useful
for changes such as improving the contrast of your reference images.
This reference image has been cropped to keep only the needed part.
Rotate, Flip and Inverse

These functions provide basic manipulation to rotate the loaded reference image by
90°, flip it horizontally or invert its colors.
If you wish to flip your image vertically, simply rotate it 90° twice and then flip it.
Scale, Angle, Vertical and Horizontal Offset

These four sliders manipulate your image within their respective grid so that you can
fine tune the image’s rotation, scale and position.
If your image moves partially outside of the grid, it won’t be cropped.
46
Note:
It is not possible to directly scale an image larger than 100%. Instead, increase the Grid Size
value, after which you can use Scale to reduce the image’s size as necessary.
Edge (E) Enhancement and Opacity

These sliders are enabled only when the Fill Mode slider is set to 3. (See above for
a description of this mode.)
The Edge Enhancement slider affects the detection of the angle used to determine
transparency.
The Edge Opacity slider modifies the opacity of the background image. As a result,
it alters the overall strength of the model’s opacity.
Front Dot
This mode makes the model 50% transparent by alternating pixel visibility. It only has
an effect when the model is in front of a grid and that grid has no applied texture.
Back Dot
This mode makes the model 50% transparent by alternating pixel visibility. It only has
an effect when the model is behind a grid and that grid has no applied texture.
This option allows a BPR render to display the model and its shadow through a grid.
Note:
This option is mostly used when recording a History movie with the original camera position-
ing. It will allow your movie to continue to show the model even when the camera moves behind
the grid.
Grid in BPR
This mode shows the grid lines when doing a BPR render, but not any textures as-
signed to the grids.
Opacity
The Opacity slider sets the universal opacity for all grids, from fully opaque to invis-
ible.
47
Axis
The Axis slider changes the size of the X, Y and Z axis indicator located at the center
of the visible grid. (Or at the center of the model when more than one grid is visible.)
Grid Color and Floor Color

These two colors pickers let you change the color of the grid itself and its background.
RGB Frame and RGB Fill

These two sliders will fill the grid lines and/or the floor surface more strongly with the
corresponding axis color: Red for X, Green for Y and Blue for Z.
Position
This option changes the position of the current visible grid, automatically centering it
on the current mesh’s geometric center. (For most models, the geometric center will also
be the pivot point.)
Size
This option fits the size of the visible grid to that of your current SubTool. (Or to all
SubTools if Snap to All is active.)
Enabling this mode, overrides the Grid Size slider, causing it to have no effect.
48
ZBrush User Guide - Background Images
BACKGROUND
IMAGES
360° environment maps.
49
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
Equirectangular 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.
50
I 8 BIT versus 32 BIT Background Images
ZBrush can now load 32-BIT images in HDR (radiance) file format for the background.
The main benefit of a 32-BIT image is to allow you to adjust the image exposure. This is
a dramatic improvement from an 8-BITs per channel image where the exposure range is
really limited.
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.
1. Background Settings
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.
51
Texture Popup window

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.
Zoom slider
The Zoom slider lets you zoom within the background image. It is only possible to
zoom in; you cannot zoom out.
Exposure slider
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.
Gamma slider
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.
Longitude and Latitude sliders

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-
ing your model with the image.
52
II 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.
Samples slider
The Samples slider defines the number of lights which will be created for the Light-
Cap:
• 0 creates 1 lights
• 4 creates 16 light
The more lights that are created, the more closely your LightCap will match the im-
age’s 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.
Reflect mode
53
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.
54
ZBrush User Guide - LightBox
LIGHTBOX
Quickly load your files and presets.
55
LightBox is a file and preset browser which can display the content of folders located
on your hard drive, providing large thumbnails so that you can easily preview your files
before loading.
The LightBox window and its button, located above the Canvas.
LightBox will display the content of the folders located in the root folder of ZBrush.
These are shown by categories: Project, Tool, Brush, Texture, Alpha, Material, Noise,
Fibers, Arrays, Grids, Document, QuickSave and Spotlight.
Two examples of content displayed with LightBox: Project files on top and Brushes at the bottom.
Save your using the default ZBrush Save/Export buttons for each item type, such as
File >> Save As for a Project. If you choose the default location (such as in the ZBrush/
ZProjects folder) your file will then be displayed in the corresponding LightBox folder.
You can also manually cop files into the appropriate ZBrush folder, such as placing
downloaded brushes in the ZBrush/ZBrushes folder. This is the best way to organize all
assets or presets, including files downloaded from the internet.
As with the ZBrush/ZBrushes folder, you can organize your files into categories by
using subfolders. These subfolders will be displayed in LightBox.
You are also able to save shortcuts in LightBox. For example, if you have an exter-
nal hard drive you can put a shortcut in the ZBrush/ZTools folder so that it will always be
there when you browse using LightBox.
The shortcut to open/close LightBox is: , (Comma key)
56
I Opening a File Through LightBox
To load any item, simply double click on its thumbnail. If it’s a 3D model / ZTool, it will
automatically be loaded into the Tool palette. If it’s a Grid, it will be set up for you in the
Draw palette. If it’s a material, it will be loaded in the Material palette and selected. Etc.
Only the texture and alpha choices have different behavior, due to the fact that they
can be used by ZBrush in multiple ways. In these cases you need to double click on the
thumbnail of your choice to load it in memory, then double click a second time to load it
into the appropriate palette.
II LightBox Functions
LightBox offers several ways to navigate and display its content:
• At the top of the LightBox window, click one of the category names to display
and browse its content: Tool, Project, Documents, etc. These hyperlinks refer to
ZBrush default folders.
• To the right of these default folders, click the left or right arrow to navigate
through the history of your browsing, similar to the navigation arrows in an in-
ternet browser.
• Double-click the left folder with the up arrow to go up a level in the hard disk
hierarchy.
• Double-click the other folder icons to open them and view their contents. Note
the preview thumbnail(s) display some of the files included in the folder.
• At the top right, choose to display one, two, three or four lines of icons.
• Click the bottom of the LightBox window and drag to scale it up or down. This
will change the size of the content preview.
• Click and drag within the content (including on a preview icon) to scroll left or
right within the current folder’s contents.
• “Open File” allows you to browse your system’s folder to open a Tool (.ZTL),
Project (.ZPR), .OBJ or.GoZ file without the need to select the corresponding
Open/Load button in the associated palette.
• The “Recent” category displays the latest files that you have loaded, regardless
of their file types.
• “Go to Folder” opens the location of the currently selected file while staying
within LightBox. It is especially useful when you are in the “Recent” category
57
and want to navigate to the selected file folder.

• “New Folder” creates a folder at the current location, with the name of your
choice. For example, if you are in the Project category a new folder will be cre-
ated in ZBrush\ZProjects.
• “New” creates another LightBox browser, which by default will be positioned at
the bottom of the screen.
• “Hide” will close LightBox and is the same as clicking the main LightBox button.
• The bottom of the LightBox window displays the computer’s path to the cur-
rently selected item, which can be useful at times.
58
III LightBox Categories
Each LightBox category is listed below, along with where that category’s files are
saved in your ZBrush directory.
Project
The Project files are stored in the /ZBrush/ZProjects folder.
To save a Project, click File >> Save As.
Tool
The Tool files (3D models) are stored in the /ZBrush/ZTools folder.
To save a Tool, click Tool >> Save As.
Brush
The Brush files are stored in the /ZBrush/ZBrushes folder.
To save a Brush, click Brush >> Save As.
Texture
The Texture files are stored in the /ZBrush/ZTextures folder.
To save a Texture, click Texture >> Export.
Alpha
The Alpha files are stored in the /ZBrush/ZAlphas folder.
To save an Alpha, click Alpha >> Export.
Material
The Material and MatCap files are stored in the /ZBrush/ZMaterials folder.
To save a Material, click Material >> Save.
Noise
The Surface Noise presets are stored in the /ZBrush/ZNoiseMaker folder.
To save a Surface Noise preset, click the Save button located at the top of the Tool
>> Surface >> Noise editor.
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Fibers
The FiberMesh presets are stored in the /ZBrush/FibersPresets folder.
To save a FiberMesh preset, click Tool >> FiberMesh >> Save.
Arrays
The ArrayMesh presets are stored in the /ZBrush/ZArraysPresets folder.
To save an ArrayMesh preset file, click Tool >> ArrayMesh >> Save.
Grids
The Grids files are stored in the /ZBrush/ZGrids folder.
To save a Grids preset, click the Save button located in the Grids and Floor section
of the Draw palette.
Document
The Document files are stored in the /ZBrush/ZDocs folder.
To save a Document file, click Document >> Save As.
Note:
Remember, in ZBrush a Document is a 2.5D image rather than a 3D model. To save your
model as a 3D object that can be edited later, you must use either File >> Save As or Tool >>
Save As.
Quicksave
The QuickSave files, automatically created by the function of the same name as
well as Recovery files following a program crash are stored in the C:\Users\Public\Docu-
ments\ZBrushData\QuickSave on Windows or Users/Shared/ZBrushData/QuickSave on
MacOS.
Spotlight
The SpotLight files are stored in the /ZBrush/ZSpotLights folder.
To save a Spotlight file, which is composed of your loaded images, click Texture >>
Save Spotlight.
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IV LightBox preferences
In the Preferences >> Lightbox sub-palette you will find several LightBox settings
that can be modified to customize the look and feel of LightBox.
If you want ZBrush to remember your settings in future sessions, remember to store
your UI using Preferences >> Config >> Store Config. (Shortcut: Ctrl+Shift+I)
Note:
Spotlight preferences are also located in the Preferences >> LightBox sub-palette because
both functions are tied together when it comes to texture loading.
Open at Launch
When this mode is enabled, LightBox will automatically open when launching
ZBrush. If you want to have LightBox hidden on startup, just disable this setting.
Multiprocessor
Each time LightBox browses to a folder it generates the appropriate thumbnails for
that folder’s contents. This ensures that the thumbnails will always be accurate and cur-
rent.
The Multiprocessor slider lets you define the number of processor threads used
by LightBox when loading folder contents and building the corresponding thumbnails.
Higher values mean a faster display of the thumbnails.
Startup Row Count

This slider defines how many rows of thumbnails will be displayed by default in
LightBox.
Lightbox placement
This mode defines the position of LightBox. When disabled, LightBox is located at
the top of the canvas. When enabled, LightBox is placed at the bottom of the user in-
terface.
Glow / Text Brightness and Opacity

These settings affect the visual aspect of LightBox, its thumbnails and text.
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Remember Recent Files and Folders

This mode, when enabled (by default), takes advantage of the “Recent” tab in Light-
Box which lists all the previous files and/or folders you loaded in ZBrush.
Maxiumum Recent Files

This slider defines the maximum number of recent files that will be listed in the Re-
cent tab of LightBox.
Delete Recent Files List

This function will delete the recent file and folder history, erasing the contents of the
Recent tab.
Note:
This operation is not undoable.
Auto Create Shortcuts

This function automatically creates a system shortcut inside of LightBox when manu-
ally load a Project. This allows you to easily return to the folder where the file is stored.
62
ZBrush User Guide - Mesh Viewer
MESH VIEWER
Preview Insert Multi Meshes, Alpha 3D and VDM
63
The MeshViewer (or also named IMM Viewer) is a bar which appears above the
document when a brush is selected that includes multiple content choices. The viewer
displays the content choices and allows you to choose between them. This makes it
faster and easier to preview and select the content that you will use with this brush.
The Mesh Viewer appears above the document, displaying the contents of the Model Kit brush.
The brushes that take advantage of the Mesh Viewer are InsertMesh, InsertMul-
tiMesh, NanoMesh, MultiAlpha and MultiVDM (Chisel type).
Note:
It is also possible to use the regular InsertMesh viewer by pressing the M hotkey rather than
the MeshViewer.
64
I Using the Mesh Viewer
Before using the Mesh Viewer, you need to keep in mind that it behaves differently
when in Draw mode than when in Move, Scale and/or Rotate (with either Gizmo or Trans-
Pose).
• In Edit mode, clicking a 3D model in the viewer will select it.

• While in Move, Scale or Rotate mode, clicking the 3D model in the viewer will
replace the current model on the canvas with the selected one. This second
behavior is interesting when you are working with InsertMesh because after in-
serting a mesh, you can quickly replace it with another while keeping its inserted
position and scale.
From Left to Right, the same model with an insert mesh replaced on location by clicking and drag-
ging the IMM inside the Mesh Viewer.
While in Edit mode, navigating in the Mesh Viewer is as easy as doing a drag and
drop. You can click and drag one of the models from side to side, scrolling through the
brush contents to search for the desired mesh. Doing the same thing in Move, Scale or
Rotate mode will swap the models.
If you wish to have a better view on the mesh or you want to make the Viewer
smaller, simply click and drag the expander symbol located at the bottom center of the
Viewer window.
65
II Mesh Viewer Preferences
This IMM viewer has two options, found in Preferences >> Interface >> IMM Viewer.
Placement
The Placement slider controls the location of the Viewer. It may be placed at the top,
left, right or bottom of the canvas.
Auto Show/Hide
The Auto Show/Hide mode keeps the IMM Viewer visibility as it is at the time of
saving the preference. If the current brush is not one that supports multiple content, the
Viewer won’t be visible anymore. If the current brush is content based, then the viewer
will be always visible, even if a brush that doesn’t support multiple content is selected.
66
ZBrush User Guide - History
HISTORY
“Unlimited” Undo’s.
67
ZBrush includes two different systems for reverting your changes and steps when
you need to correct a mistake or simply change your mind. The first is of course the
traditional Undo and Redo functions found in most software. However, ZBrush also goes
well beyond this with the Undo History system.
The standard Undo/Redo system applies only to Pixol-based 2D and 2.5D painting
on the ZBrush canvas. Meanwhile, the Undo History system covers everything related
to the creation of 3D assets.
Undo History allows you to go farther back in your sculpting history to fix any mis-
takes -- even after reloading your model in a new ZBrush session! While there is still a
maximum number of undo’s which may be performed, this limit is now set at 10,000 by
default and in most cases will be in excess of what you might need. For clarity, you might
think of this simply as a process history.
The Undo History is saved as part of your Project (.ZPR) files, which means that
you will have access to all your previous history steps even after reloading your project.
The other file formats used by ZBrush (including .ZTL and .GoZ) don’t save your Undo
History.
In addition to the expanded undo/redo ability provided by this feature, the Undo His-
tory can be used to replay your creation process and render it as a movie. Please refer
to the Movie Undo History section of the User Guide for more information on creating
movies using the Undo History.
Some actions within ZBrush will clear your Undo History. ZBrush will warn you in
these cases before deleting the Undo History.
68
I Undo and Undo History Overview
The ZBrush Undo and Redo features let you cancel your previous steps from sculpt-
ing, painting a stroke or calling functions. The Undo and Redo commands can be found
in the Edit palette and the default hotkeys are Ctrl+Z for the Undo and Ctrl+Shift+Z for
Redo.
You will notice in the Edit palette that the Undo/Redo commands are listed twice.
Further, the top two of these buttons are almost always greyed out. That is because those
buttons are the traditional Undo/Redo features, which only when you are working in 2.5D.
(In other words, any time that you are not in Edit mode.) If you are in Edit mode, then
ZBrush automatically switches to Undo History mode and enables the other Undo/Redo
buttons along with their associated functions.
It is important to keep in mind that in ZBrush, some operations cannot be undone.

An example of this is when using one of the SubTool merging functions. Be aware that
when using such a feature, it will delete all of the project’s history up to that point. For
this reason, ZBrush will warn you and ask for confirmation any time you try to perform an
operation that will reset the history.
Having this message means your Undo History will be lost beyond the current point.
As with a traditional Undo, performing a new action will remove any later steps. For
example, if you have steps A, B and C you can undo back to step A. Doing something
new at that point will create a new step B, preventing you from being able to redo to reach
step C. Even “invisible” operations like storing a MorphTarget will delete any history that
follows that point.
The Undo History works in exactly the same way as a traditional undo. However,
since it is awkward to press Ctrl+Z or the Undo button hundreds or thousands of times a
slider has been added which will let you quickly scrub through your history.
To improve navigation through the Undo History, ZBrush displays an Undo selector
at the top of the document. It has small rectangles in light and dark grey, representing the
History steps. You can easily navigate by clicking on any step. Or you may scrub through
the History by dragging the light grey rectangle. You can also use the UndoCounter
slider found in the Edit palette.
69
The Undo History selector, located at the top of the Document. The light grey rectangle represents
the current step and can be dragged to navigate through the History.
The Undo history commands are located in the Edit >> Tool SubPalette. Notice that
Undo History, when enabled, replaces the classic Undo/Redo commands.
The Edit >> Tool History sub-palette.
70
II History and Project File Size
The Undo History is a very convenient function because it can keeps up to 10,000
steps and gives you a lot of freedom in your process. Unfortunately, it has a downside:
the stored data corresponding to a project can reach several gigabytes in file size. As an
example a simple model which would be 20 Mb as a ZTL (Tool) may grow up to 100 Mb
or even 1 Gb as a ZPR (Project) file, depending upon the actions you performed during
your creation process.
Some actions in ZBrush take up a small amount of disk space (like simple strokes)
while others can result in large data manipulation and an equally large amount of infor-
mation to be saved in the history.
To give you some examples:
• Functions like a projection on the whole model needs to store all the vertex
changes. This means that a model with 20 million polygons will have 20 million
vertices that change and so need to be stored. Duplicate this projection step
a few more times and it can turn into hundreds of millions of vertices to store.
• Another example is DynaMesh. Each time you update your DynaMesh, ZBrush
stores all the new vertices in the Undo History. Of course, the way DynaMesh
is typically used invariably means that a sculpt can be updated quite often in
a short amount of time. When generating a high density DynaMesh, sculpting
then re-meshing over and over can result in gigabytes of data to store for your
project.
If you don’t need to store 10,000 Undos in your history and won’t be needing them
in the future, it is advised to reduce the number of Undo History steps to less than 1,000.
This is done in the Preferences.
71
III History Functions and Commands
What follows are descriptions of the functions dedicated to the Undo History, located
in the Edit >> Tool SubPalette.
Del UH (Delete Undo History)

The Del UH function, located in the Edit >> Tool sub-palette deletes the current Tool
(or SubTool) History.
Note:
As explained above, the Undo History, depending on the number of Undo’s saved, can in-
crease the Project file size. If you don’t need your Undo History, don’t forget to delete it every once
in a while.
Undo Counter
The Undo Counter slider, located in the Edit >> Tool sub-palette allows you to scroll
and navigate through the current Tool history as an alternative to the Edit >> Tool >>
Undo and Edit >> Tool >> Redo buttons.
You can easily have a high number of Undo’s to navigate through in your history. In the screenshot
above, the counter is at step 1,337 out of a total of 3,420 Undo’s.
Restore Placement
The Restore Placement mode, located in the Edit >> Tool sub-palette moves your
camera to match where it was at the stored history point. This is useful for a history
playback.
Store
This Store function, located in the Edit >> Tool sub-palette replaces the camera posi-
tion stored in the current history position with the current position. This operation is useful
when creating a movie using the history information or whenever a camera position must
be replaced or modified.
72
IV Undo History Preferences
To manage ZBrush’s use of the Undo History feature, several preferences control
loading or saving history for the loaded Project. These are found in the Preferences >>
Undo History SubPalette.
The Undo History preferences, located in the Preferences palette.
Show Undo Selector

This mode, enabled by default, displays a small rectangle within the Undo History
displayed at the top of the document each time a new History step is added. The light
grey rectangle is the current step and the other darker ones are the previous or next
steps.
By dragging the light gray indicator you can quickly scrub through the Undo History.
Alternatively, clicking one of the darker rectangles will move you directly to that history
step.
Show Time Stamp

This option toggles display of the time stamp as a pop-up on the Undo Selector bar.
Max Undo History

This slider defines the maximum number of Undo History steps that you want to
keep available.
If you don’t wish to store your Undo History for time-lapse playback purposes, you
can reduce this value to reduce the impact of the Undo History storage space in your
Project file size.
Warn When Deleting

This slider defines the number of Undo History steps that ZBrush will automatically
delete without warning for confirmation. For example, you can move back 10 steps in
73
your Undo History and make a change that would cause all following History steps to be
lost. If this slider is set to 20, ZBrush will simply accept the change and delete the follow-
ing History steps. But if this slider was set to 5, ZBrush would ask for confirmation before
allowing the change to be made.
The purpose of this option is to prevent you from accidentally deleting your history
while navigating through it. When you are working on your model you will typically want
to leave this setting at a high value so that you can freely move within the history and
start over from any point. But if you are setting up an Undo History movie you will want to
reduce this value so that you don’t accidentally lose your work while preparing the movie
for recording!
Enable Saving
The Enable Saving mode saves your History whenever saving your Projects. Dis-
abling this button will prevent ZBrush from saving any Undo History when you save your
ZPR files. You will not have access to any Undo History carried over from a previous
session but you will also have a smaller file size.
Skip Loading
The Skip Loading mode is used when you wish to ignore any Undo History saved
within a ZPR that you are opening. The file will open like normal, but without its Undo
History. This is especially useful if working in 32-bits and the Undo History has resulted
in a file that is too large for your system to open.
74
ZBrush User Guide - Gizmo 3D
GIZMO 3D
Quick and easy 3D manipulation
75
The Gizmo 3D manipulator is a universal feature for ZBrush, providing a new way to
move, rotate and scale a model. The Gizmo 3D is an alternative to the TransPose action
line in ZBrush. The Gizmo 3D offers most of the same features found in TransPose, but
is condensed into a compact design. Depending on the actions you are looking for, you
can choose between the TransPose action line and the Gizmo 3D to manipulate models
in ZBrush.
The Gizmo 3D:
• Can quickly be repositioned and reoriented for better control of the transformation.
• Let’s you transform your current selection, whether a complete SubTool or just a
part defined by masking or visibility.
• Includes deformer operators like Bend, FFD box, Twist, and many others.
• Provides a quick way to load parametric primitives for insertion and creation.
• Manipulate multiple SubTools at the same time using Move, Scale and Rotate
operations.
Gizmo 3D: You can Move, Scale, Rotate, use special deformers and insert parametric primitives.
76
I Gizmo 3D Basic Operations
To enable the Gizmo 3D, you need to activate Move, Scale or Rotate mode first,
either through the Transform palette or above the canvas in the default ZBrush user in-
terface. You then need to enable the Gizmo 3D mode by clicking the corresponding icon.
The Gizmo 3D is the mode that ZBrush defaults to. This means that when selecting
the Move, Scale or Rotate mode, the Gizmo 3D will be enabled automatically, rather than
the TransPose action line.
To switch between the Gizmo 3D and the TransPose action line, you simply need to
toggle the Gizmo 3D icon or press the corresponding hotkey: Y.
By switching between Gizmo 3D and TransPose, you will notice that both Gizmo 3D
and TransPose action line have the same position and orientation.
Gizmo 3D mode is enabled on the right of the Rotate icon (by default).
When enabled, Move, Scale or Rotate mode have no impact as they are enabled together in the
Gizmo.
1. Placement and Orientation of the Gizmo 3D
When in Gizmo 3D mode, a short click on any part of the model (active or non-active
SubTools) will position the center of the Gizmo 3D on the click location. The orientation
of the Gizmo 3D will be defined by the orientation of the clicked polygon. This behavior is
very similar to single-clicking on a model with the TransPose action line.
If you perform a click and drag between two points on the model the Gizmo 3D will
be placed at the location of the initial click and the Z axis (blue) will be oriented along
the direction of your drag. This is very convenient to align the Gizmo 3D to an accurate
orientation in order to move the selection along this axis.
At any time, you can reset the position and orientation of the Gizmo 3D by clicking
the Mesh to Axis and Reset Mesh Orientation operator, combined with Unlock mode (see
below).
2. Move Mode
Move mode can be done in two ways:
• Click and drag on the red (X), green (Y) or blue (Z) arrow to perform a transla-
77
tion of the current selection along the corresponding axis.

• Click on the screen working plane arrows to perform a translation of the current
selection relative to the screen working plane. The operation is done perpen-
dicularly from the direction of the camera.
3. Scale Mode
Scale mode can be done through three different methods. Please notice that the
second one requires pressing the ALT key.
• Click and drag on the red (X), green (Y) or blue (Z) rectangle to perform non-
uniform scaling of the current selection along the corresponding axis.
• Press and hold the ALT key then click and drag on the red (X), green (Y) or blue
(Z) rectangle to perform non-uniform scaling of the current selection relative to
the working plane (2 axis scaling).
• Click and drag on the center yellow square to perform uniform scaling along all
three axes.
4. Rotation Mode
Rotation mode can be done through two methods. Also, holding the Shift key during
an operation will constrain the rotation to 5° increments.
• Click and drag on the red (X), green (Y) or blue (Z) circles to perform a rotation
around the corresponding axis.
• Click and drag on the grey circle, aligned with the screen working plane to per-
form a rotation around this axis.
78
II Gizmo3D Topology Masking
As with TransPose, the Gizmo 3D affects only non-masked areas. By applying a

mask to part of your SubTool, you will deform only the unmasked parts when manipulat-
ing the Gizmo 3D.
The Gizmo 3D includes several functions to help generate useful masking on mod-
els.
1. Gizmo3D Topology Masking
Similar to TransPose, the Gizmo 3D includes a masking feature which follows your
model’s topology. This function is very convenient to quickly mask a part which is com-
posed of clean topology (such as that generated through ZRemesher) before applying a
Gizmo 3D deformation. Examples of where this is useful would be to bend an arm or a
leg at the joint while posing the model.
To use this masking function, simply hold the Ctrl key while dragging the Gizmo 3D.
The mask will follow the topology, guided by the direction of cursor movement. All points
opposite the Gizmo 3D’s origin will be masked. The edges of the mask will also automati-
cally be blurred in order to facilitate a smooth edge for your deformation.
Note:
When applying topological masking, the Gizmo 3D orientation will be updated in real-time to
align with the cursor position.
2. Quick One-Touch Masking of PolyGroups
Masking particular parts of your models can sometimes be a tedious process – es-
pecially when the model is complex. However, if your model has PolyGroups this can
become very quick and easy.
Simply switch from Edit mode to the Gizmo 3D in Move, Scale or Rotate mode.
Then while pressing the Ctrl key, click on any PolyGroup to mask everything except this
PolyGroup.
This action is very convenient when you are inserting multiple meshes into a surface
and need to quickly select one of the insertions to then modify it through continued use
of the Gizmo 3D, TransPose, or with other tools.
Note:
This method of quickly creating masks is only available while using TransPose or Gizmo 3D.
79
III Extra Gizmo 3D Operations
The Gizmo 3D inherits most of the core functions from TransPose. Using these can
drastically improve your productivity.
1. Extruding Topology
When you need to add more topology by creating an extrusion or inserting an edge
loop, use the Gizmo 3D combined with masking.
Activate the Gizmo 3D and then hold the Ctrl key while dragging the Gizmo move
arrows. This will extrude all non-masked parts of the model.
This operation will only work with a model that does not have subdivision levels.
However, the Freeze Subdivision Levels feature can be used to temporarily drop to the
base mesh level for extrusion, then return to the highest level and re-project its details.
For each new extrusion, a different PolyGroup will be applied to each of the ex-
trusion’s sections. The extruded polygons also receive a dedicated PolyGroup. This is
so that you can later use PolyGroup operations like Tool >> Deformation >> Polish by
Groups.
To create an extrusion, follow these steps:
1. Ensure that your model is a PolyMesh 3D or DynaMesh. This function will not
work with Primitives or ZSphere previews.
2. Create a mask on your model. The masked areas will remain unaffected while
the unmasked areas will be extruded. If you wish to only extrude a small area,
a good tip would be to mask the area you want to extrude and then invert the
mask before continuing.
3. Activate the Gizmo 3D and place it at the best position to perform the manipula-
tion.
4. While holding the Ctrl key, click and drag one of the Gizmo 3D arrows. This will
move the entire Gizmo 3D in the direction of your movement and at the same
time will extrude the unmasked polygons.
5. 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.
6. When done, clear the mask.
Note:
When performing an extrusion in symmetry mode, you must first activate Transform >> Local
Sym.
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2. Inserting an Edge Loop
Edge loop insertion using Gizmo 3D can be done using the Scale manipulators. This
quickly creates topology inserts on a model rather than a simple extrusion. As with the
Extrude feature, the model must be a PolyMesh or DynaMesh and cannot have subdivi-
sion levels.
While Gizmo 3D is active, holding the CTRL key and dragging the Gizmo 3D Scale
manipulator will create an edge loop along the boundary of the non-masked part of the
model.
Of course, it is possible to simply CTRL+ click the appropriate Scale manipulator to

create an edge loop. Take care when doing this; the inserted edge loop won’t be visible
and you run a risk of overlapping edges.
3. Duplicating a Mesh with Gizmo 3D
When no portion of the model is masked, holding Ctrl while using the Gizmo 3D
Move manipulators will duplicate the mesh. One way in which this is quite useful is when
using the Insert Mesh brushes.
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 Gizmo 3D, ZBrush will simply add the new mesh to the
already selected one. It will not create a new SubTool.
If your SubTool is an assembly of multiple independent meshes, you must first fully
mask any meshes that you don’t wish to be duplicated.
To try an example of this mesh duplication feature, follow these steps:
1. Start with the Dog sample project or a DynaMesh.

2. Activate the Gizmo 3D.
3. While holding the Ctrl key, click and drag the Move manipulator of your choice
to duplicate the current mesh.
4. Duplication and Negative Mesh
When using the Gizmo 3D for mesh duplication, it is possible to tag the duplicated
mesh as a negative mesh. This additional function is specifically for use with DynaMesh
and will not have any effect without re-Dynameshing your object.
The negative mesh’s volume will be subtracted from the mesh it was inserted into.
An example of this feature’s use is to create a duplicate copy of the same mesh that can
81
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 the Gizmo 3D are the same as for duplica-
tion. The only difference is that you hold Ctrl+Alt when dragging the Move manipulator.
5. Working with Duplication and the Mesh Insert Brushes
While a PolyMesh 3D or DynaMesh is in Edit mode, select one of the Mesh Insert
brushes.
1. Use Brush >> Modifiers >> Mesh Insert Preview to select the object that you
wish to insert into your SubTool. Alternatively, press the M key to open the IMM
popup window or use the Mesh selector at the top of the user interface.
2. Click and drag on the model to insert the new mesh into the original one.
3. To duplicate the inserted mesh, mask all elements which you do not want du-
plicated.
4. Using the option explained above for quickly masking by PolyGroups is an easy
way to mask everything except the newly inserted mesh.
5. Switch to the Gizmo 3D.
6. While holding Ctrl key, freely move the Gizmo 3D to duplicate the unmasked
mesh and position its copy.
7. 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 need-
ing to manually update 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.
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IV Gizmo 3D Operators
The Gizmo 3D includes a variety of operators to modify its functions. They can do
things like relocate the position and orientation of the manipulator or use new transforma-
tion tools.
At the top of the Gizmo 3D is its list of Operators.
1. Customize (Deformers and Parametric Primitives)
Customization opens a special menu which gives you access to deformers and
parametric primitives.
We invite you to read the dedicated section above to learn more about these fea-
tures.
2. Sticky Mode
Sticky mode keeps the Gizmo3D at its original position after performing a transfor-
mation. Disabling this mode will revert the Gizmo 3D to dynamic positioning.
After duplicating part of the model while Sticky mode is active you can repeat that
duplication by using ‘Repeat Last.’ This functionality will allow you to duplicate the first
part at a desired distance then repeat that offset to create multiple copies.
3. Unmasked Center Mesh
Unmasked Center Mesh repositions the Gizmo to the center of the bounding box
of the current SubTool. If a part of the model has a mask or is hidden, the center will be
computed based on the visible area and/or the unmasked areas.
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4. Mesh to Axis
Mesh to Axis repositions the Gizmo 3D to the center of the scene axis. If Lock mode
is enabled (default), the SubTool will be repositioned as well.
If you want to reset only the Gizmo 3D position without affecting the current SubTool,
unlock it first or ALT+click the Mesh to Axis icon.
5. Reset Mesh Orientation
Reset Mesh Orientation reinitializes the Gizmo 3D to its default orientation, which
corresponds to the scene axis. If Lock mode is enabled (default), the SubTool will be
rotated as well.
If you want to reset only the Gizmo 3D orientation without affecting the current Sub-
Tool, unlock it first or ALT+click the Reset Mesh Orientation icon.
6. Lock/Unlock
Lock mode is a switch which freezes the Gizmo 3D to its current position. Opera-
tions will be applied to the current selection without affecting the Gizmo3D. Unlocking the
Gizmo 3D will allow you to move and rotate it without affecting your current selection. It
is the perfect solution to define a new pivot point position or to align the Gizmo 3D to a
specific mesh orientation.
Holding the ALT key at any time will temporarily unlock the Gizmo 3D without the
need to click the corresponding icon. It is also convenient for repositioning/reorienting the
Gizmo 3D (using the other operators) without affecting the current SubTool.
7. Multiple SubTools
This icon enables a mode that allows an operation using the Gizmo 3D to affect
selected SubTools. Please read the dedicated section below.
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V Gizmo 3D and Multiple SubTools
The Gizmo 3D allows you to apply a move, scale or rotate transformation to multiple
SubTools at once. This multiple SubTool manipulation is only possible with the Gizmo 3D
-- other actions like sculpting or applying deformers to a selection of multiple SubTools
is not possible.
To transform multiple SubTools at the same time, you first need to enable the “Trans-
form All Selected SubTools” mode found at the top of the Gizmo 3D. When the Gizmo
3D is in this state, all visible SubTools can be manipulated with the Gizmo 3D as a unit.
If you decide to use another ZBrush function like ZRemesher, an Inflate deformation, or
adding a subdivision level, only the current SubTool will be affected.
All the top parts of the car are moved and rotated together with the Gizmo.
1. Selection of SubTools
A quick and easy way to manipulate multiple SubTools is to use the visibility settings
found in the SubTool list. Only visible SubTools will be affected by the Gizmo 3D. Unfor-
tunately, this can break your SubTools visibility organization.
An alternative method is to use a temporary selection mode. This only works when
you are in Gizmo 3D mode and have “Transform All Selected SubTool” mode active. The
commands in this mode are like those of the Hide/Show brushes (Lasso and Marquee
brushes):
1. CTRL+Shift+ click on the SubTools of your choice to select them. Unselected

SubTools will be displayed with hash lines.
2. CTRL+Shift+click again on a selected SubTool to remove it from the selection.
3. At any time, use the Gizmo 3D manipulator to move, scale and/or rotate your
current selection.
4. CTRL+Shift+click on any empty space in the canvas to invert the temporary
selection.
5. Hold CTRL+Shift and do a click and drag on an empty space of the canvas to
clear the temporary selection.
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Note:
Solo mode is not affected by the Gizmo3D Transform All Selected SubTools mode.
From left to right: The DemoSoldier without a selection. The Shirt, Vest and Backpack SubTools
are selected. The selected SubTools are moved as a unit.
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VI Gizmo Equidistant Multiple Copy
The Gizmo 3D includes a function similar to how the TransPose line can allow dupli-
cation of the current model when fully unmasked. To activate this, hold the Ctrl key and
drag one of the Move arrows.
This feature also includes an equidistant multiple copy mode, meaning that the Giz-
mo 3D will create multiple copies of the same object with uniform spacing between each
copy.
The model has been duplicated once on left, then multiple times by releasing the Ctrl key while still
moving the cursor.
To perform an equidistant copy, follow these steps:
1. Verify that your model is fully unmasked, such as by clicking the Tool >> Mask-
ing >> Clear button.
2. Select the Gizmo 3D.
3. While holding the Ctrl key, drag one of the Gizmo 3D arrow manipulators. You
should see a copy of your model which you can reposition so long as you con-
tinue holding the Ctrl key.
4. Once you have defined the initial distance between the original model and its
first copy, release the Ctrl key without releasing the mouse click. As you con-
tinue to move the cursor you will see more and more copies of your model cre-
ated, with the same amount of space between each.
5. Release the mouse button once you reach the desired number of copies.
Note:
Be careful not to move the cursor too quickly when creating these duplicates in order to
ensure that the spacing is respected correctly.
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VII Gizmo 3D Parametric Meshes
The Gizmo 3D includes multiple polygonal primitives which are intended to be quick-
ly inserted in the current SubTool. These primitives can have their topology modified on
the fly at insertion time, before being manipulated and transformed by the Gizmo 3D.
It is important to keep in mind that these primitives will replace the current SubTool
unless it is fully masked. The default behavior is replacing rather than appending.
A good practice is to first duplicate a model, then click on a parametric primitive icon
to replace the mesh with the primitive of your choice
The parametric primitives, located at the top of the Gizmo 3D Customize menu.
1. Parametric Primitive Cones
After inserting a Primitive, you will have access to multiple cones located on top of
the 3D models. They are dedicated to the transformation of the primitive, allowing you to
affect the scale, size, polygon density, internal thickness and more.
Simply hover over a cone to see its description, then click and drag the circle area of
a cone to apply the corresponding transformation.
Manipulating the cones affects the cylinder shape and topology in real-time.
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2. Inserting a Parametric Primitive in the Current SubTool
As with all the Insert Mesh features in ZBrush, insertion will work only with models
that don’t have subdivision levels. If your current SubTool has multiple levels of subdivi-
sion, click on the Delete Higher/Lower functions located in the Tool >> Geometry sub-
palette.
1. Mask the entire current SubTool with a Mask Marquee or by pressing CTRL+A.
An alternative is to work with a temporary model which will be replaced by the
Parametric Primitive.
1. Switch to Gizmo 3D.
2. At the top of the Gizmo 3D, click on the small gear icon “Customize.” A popup
menu will open.
3. Click the icon for your parametric primitive of choice. The primitive will be in-
serted into your model and 3D manipulators will appear to let you change its
parameters.
4. If your primitive appears to be inside the original SubTool or otherwise at a bad
position or size:
• Click the small gear icon to show the Customize menu again. The top
bar should display the name of the selected inserted primitive. Click the
Gizmo 3D button to switch back to the manipulator.
• Now that the Gizmo 3D is back, manipulate the inserted mesh to the
desired position, size or angle.
• Click the gear icon again to bring back the menu. Select the top entry,
which will be named after the inserted primitive. This will give you access
again to the primitive values and parameters manipulators.
Through the gear icon, you will be able to switch between the Gizmo 3D and the
parametric primitive parameters. You can do this as often as you wish until you
create a new primitive or use another Gizmo 3D parameter like the modifiers.
5. Click and drag the primitive cone manipulators to change the resolution along
an axis, a revolution value, or the shape. Each primitive has its own settings,
which are very similar to the Tool >> Initialize settings for default 3D Primitives
found in the Tool palette. Simply hover one of the parametric primitive cones to
display the name of the associated setting, then click and drag it to change the
value.
Note:
When changing settings which affect the topology (like the density of the polygons) ZBrush
will force the display of the PolyFrame until you release the widget. This is true even if PolyFrame
is turned off as it allows you to better see the modifications applied to the primitive.
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3. Transfer of Deformation from One Inserted Primitive to Another
When working with parametric primitives, you can use the Gizmo 3D to stretch and
squash them. Internally, ZBrush will modify the bounding box of the primitive from a per-
fect cube to a deformed cube. When creating a new primitive, it is possible to have the
new shape fit the bounding box of the previous deformed model. You only need to press
the Shift key when selecting a parametric primitive to transfer the old bounding box shape
to the new model.
By keeping the previous shape, the inserted mesh will fit the same proportions. This
can be very convenient if you want to assemble multiple primitives to create a complex
shape.
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VIII Deformers
The Deformer system included in the Gizmo 3D is a series of tools which can apply
a global or local deformation to your current SubTool, depending on whether it is masked.
The deformers will let you bend, twist, subdivide, smooth and a lot more. All of the
deformers are interactive, making this a great way to visually edit your models.
The Deformers, located at the top of the Gizmo 3D Customize menu.
1. Working with Deformers
The Deformers will only work with models that don’t have subdivision levels. If your
current SubTool has multiple levels of subdivision, click the Delete Higher/Lower func-
tions located in the Tool >> Geometry sub-palette.
The Deformers are located in the Gizmo 3D popup palette, accessed by clicking the
Customize icon.
1. Switch to Gizmo 3D.

2. At the top of the Gizmo 3D, click the small gear “Customize” icon. A popup menu
will open. The bottom part lists the different deformers that are available.
3. Chose the deformer of your choice. A series of manipulators represented by
cones associated with a bounding box will appear.
4. When hovering over a manipulator, a description of the function is displayed.
Adjust the manipulators by clicking and dragging the circle part of the cones to
apply a transformation to your model.
5. If you wish to reset your current modifier, click again on the Customize (gear)
icon and select the corresponding action in the popup menu.
6. When finished with the deformer, switch to Draw mode or return to the Custom-
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ize menu to click Accept. You may also use the Customize menu to click the
Gizmo 3D function to revert to the manipulator or select another manipulator.
2. Bend Arc
The Bend Arc deformer bends the current SubTool along an arc (part of a circle). The
arc center is defined by one side of the bounding box and each side of the bounding box
can generate its own arc, producing a bend with multiple angles.
From left to right: the original model, the Bend Arc applied on one axis, then on two axes.
Settings:
• Radius: Defines the radius of the arc circle.

• Twist: Performs a rotation of the model around the arc.
• Angle: Defines the angle of the arc from 0° (horizontal) to 180° (a vertical angle).
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3. Bend Curve
The Bend Curve deformer bends the current SubTool along a curve which can be
modified through control points. The density of the control curve and the associated
control points can be interactively modified as well as their positions in space, which will
apply the corresponding deformation to the active selection.
Each control point can receive extra deformation for precise control.
On the left, a simple tube with the BendCurve deformer applied and associated with 4 control
points. On the right, all the points have been moved to completely change the shape of the tube.
Settings:
• Curve Resolution: Defines the number of control points on the curve.

• Smoothness: Allows the line to be more rounded or angular.
• Axis: Defines the axis of the bounding box on which the curve will be used (X,
Y or Z).
• Symmetrical: Sets a symmetry on the curve itself, where control points located
on each side of the curve will receive the same transformation.
• Smooth: Applies smoothing to the control curve. This can be useful if your modi-
fication has too strong of an effect on your deformation.
• Twist (on control points): Applies a twisting around the curve at the point loca-
tion.
• Scale (on control points): Applies a scaling deformation at the point location.
• Squeeze (on control points): Applies a non-uniform scaling deformation at the
point location where a value below 1 will squash the model and above 1 will
stretch it.
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4. Bevel
The Bevel deformer applies a bevel on the edges closest to the bounding box orien-
tation. This deformer will provide the best results on hard surfaces meshes.
The bevel deformer applied on the right. Notice that not all the edges have been beveled, but only
the ones that have been defined by the Crease Angle cone value.
Settings:
• Bevel: defines the radius of the bevel.

• Resolution: defines the tessellation density of the bevel.
• Crease angle: defines the minimum edge angle to apply the bevel.
5. Crease
The Crease deformer applies a crease tag to all the edges which fall into the defined
angle threshold. The crease edges can later be used with subdivision surfaces or apply-
ing bevels.
The Crease deformer applied on the right. Notice that not all the edges have been creased, but
only the ones which have been defined by the Crease Angle cone value.
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Setting:
• Crease angle: by defining this value, you will set the detection of the edges
which need to receive a crease tag.
6. Deformer
This deformer display a deformation cage on the SubTool. By deforming and ma-
nipulating the cage points, you will apply the corresponding deformation to your model.
This is also referred to as FFD for Free Form Deformation.
To manipulate a single point, you can simply click and drag on the point to move it
across the screen working plane.
You can also select a single or multiple points at the same time by clicking once on a
control point. It will turn to a white dot. To add or remove other points, press the Shift key
while clicking on new points. These points can be manipulated by the Gizmo 3D for both
Move, Scale and Rotate operations.
On the left, the Deformer applied to the head with the top point selected. On the right, the Gizmo
3D has been used to scale down and rotate these points, applying a soft and local deformation
which would have been difficult to do with the classic sculpting tools in ZBrush.
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Settings:
• X, Y and Z Divide: Defines the definition of the cage. More control points mean
more accuracy in a local area, while fewer points work better for global defor-
mation.
• X, Y and Z Symmetry: Sets the symmetry plane for the deformation. This sym-
metry, like that found in the Transform palette, can be parallel or mirror type
(regular symmetry).
7. Deformer Hard and Soft
These two Deformers are alternatives to the main Deformer Deformer. These De-
formers allow you to apply deformation to your model by manipulating a Free Form De-
formation Cage or Lattice. The only difference with the original Deformer Deformer is that
these Deformers will apply a soft deformation or a hard deformation to the model, based
on the points you are selecting.
To manipulate a single point, simply click and drag on the point to move it across the
screen working plane.
You can also select a single or multiple point at the same time by clicking once on a
control point. It will turn to a white dot. To add or remove other points, press the Shift key
while clicking on new points. Use the Masking commands as well to do multiple selection
at once. These points can be manipulated by the Gizmo 3D for both Move, Scale and
Rotate operations.
On the left, the Soft Deformer applied to the head and on the right, the Hard Deformer applied.
You can see that even if the cage deformation is the same, the result is different.
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Settings:
• X, Y and Z Divide: defines the definition of the cage. More control points mean
more accuracy in a local area, while fewer points work better for global defor-
mation.
• X, Y and Z Symmetry: sets the symmetry plane for the deformation. This sym-
(regular symmetry).
8. Extender
The Extender deformer by default inserts a loop of polygons along the bounding box
axis of your choice. This loop of polygons can be divided and moved along the model
by dragging its associated dot. It can also be applied to multiple axes at the same time.
This deformer is a great way to quickly create advanced primitives for creating “kit
bashed” style models.
The Extender part has been added to the top of the head. The Inflate cone has then been manipu-
lated to do a negative extrusion.
Settings:
• Extender: Defines the inserted loop size along the associated bounding box
side.
• Size (X, Y and Z): Defines the size (scale) of the deformation on the side of the
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manipulator.
• Symmetry (X, Y and Z): Allows the Extender deformation to be applied sym-
metrically.
• Resolution: Adds multiple edge loops inside the inserted loop of the Extender.
• Apply Creasing: Adds a crease to the border of the Extender.
• Inflate: Applies an inflate on the Extender area, creating thickness which can be
positive or negative.
9. Flatten
The Flatten deformer clips the current selection based on the planes of the deformer
bounding box. Please note that the polygons of your selection won’t be removed or
sliced. They are simply flattened on top of each other, similarly to the Clip Brush.
On the left, the original mesh, with the Gizmo 3D rotated. On the right, notice that the deformation
box has been oriented with the same angle as the Gizmo 3D, then the Flatten deofrmation has
been applied to the top part.
Settings:
• Flatten: Defines the depth of the deformation along the corresponding working
plane.
• Slice Topology: Adds an creased edge loop around the flattened area of the se-
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lection. This option will drastically improve the results of the Flatten deformation
when used in combination with Dynamic Subdivision.
• X, Y and Z Symmetry: Sets the symmetry plane for the deformation. This sym-
(regular symmetry).
10. Inflate
The Inflate deformer applies an Inflate deformation to your selection, based on the
size of the deformer bounding box. The resulting effect can be modulated through the
Smooth setting, giving you alternative inflate deformations.
The transformation is applied with a 100% deformation value on the bounding box
face manipulated by the cone through a progressive transition to 0% of deformation
value for the opposite face.
Settings:
• Inflate: defines the amount of inflation (or deflation with negative value) to your
model.
• Smooth: applies a global smooth to your model, useful if your inflate modifica-
tion produces overlapping and crossing polygons on angles.
metry, like the one found in the Transform palette, can be parallel or mirror type
(regular symmetry).
11. Multi Slice
The Multi Slice deformer inserts one or more edge loops along the X, Y and/or Z
axis. These edge loops do not follow the existing flow of the topology, instead slicing the
way around the model.
The transformation can be freely moved across the model by clicking and dragging
the blue dot located at the center of the modified topology. The width of each modified
area can be interactively modified as well.
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On the left, the original mesh. In the center, Multislice was used to insert multiple edge loops in
the center on the model. On the right, the blue dot manipulator has been moved up to set another
location for the slices.
Settings:
• X, Y and Z Resolution: Defines the number of slices to insert in the area of

transformation.
• Slice Width (per axis): Defines the width of the Multi Slice insertion area.
• Apply Creasing: Applies an edge crease to all slices inserted in the model.
12. Offset
The offset deformer is very similar to the Move transformation of the Gizmo3D as
stretching a cone from the model bounding box will move the model along this cone.
Both opposite cones of the bounding box are doing the same operation.
The benefit of this deformer is to allow you to precisely orient the bounding of your
model box based on the Gizmo3D orientation that you can set before selecting this de-
former. Then you can use this new orientation within your deformer.
Settings:
• Offset: moves the model along the axis of the selected cone.
13. Project Primitive
This Project Primitive modifier is a full creation and modification tool. Even if as it is
considered a modifier, it will let you build complex models in no time by projecting para-
metric primitives like cubes, spheres, cylinders or prism type shapes onto an existing
model. The shapes are based on superquadratic formulas.
When using this Deformer ZBrush will allow you to manipulate these basic models
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by changing their shapes and then transforming them with the Gizmo3D to move, scale
and rotate. These shapes will then be projected onto the surface of the original model. As
an example imagine taking a ball and putting a piece of cloth over it. The balls shape will
be projected through to the piece of cloth.
Since the Deformer is projecting the new shape onto the topology of the existing
surface this can result in stretched polygons. ZBrush can add extra polygons on the fly
to produce cleaner surfaces where it is needed. This smart and automatic tessellation
brings the capability to add new projected primitives on top of previous projected ones,
letting you stack projections the one after the other.
The Project Primitive includes multiple controls which will affect not only the shape
itself, but also its projection transition. It can be associated with the classic axis symmetry
as well as its own Radial Symmetry for intricated shapes.
An example of a model built only by using the Project Primitive deformer. Model courtesy of Jo-
seph Drust.
Projected primitive has four important behaviors that you must keep in mind:
• When the center of the projected primitive is located inside the model, it will pull
the polygons outside, adding the projected shape to the model
• When the center of the projected primitive is located outside the model, it will
push the polygons inside, creating a negative projection of the shape
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On the left, the center of the projection is inside the model, resulting of the partial sphere on top of
the surface. On the center, the projected sphere has been slightly moved in a way that the center
is now outside of the model: the projection is now done on the other direction, creating this partial
sphere cut. On the right you can see that the center is outside, like is showing the Gizmo 3D.
• The projected primitive can be seen as it can become a new mesh to start
working with or just being “invisible” to do its deformation, by changing the New
Surface cone value. Making the projected primitive visible is also a helpful op-
tion if you wish to see the shape of your projected primitive to change its shape
with more ease.
• The intersection between the projected primitive and the 3D model can be a soft
transition (by default) or can be sharp, based on the Blend cone mode.
If you wish to realign the projected primitive on the symmetry axis of the model,
simply press the shift key while using the Gizmo3D until it snaps to the symmetry axis.
13.1 Clip Manipulators
In addition to the cones to change the mathematical aspect of the primitives, the de-
former includes clipping controls, aligned with the Gizmo3D axis. By pushing and pulling
their controls represented with white dots, you will manipulate a clipping plane perpen-
dicular to the manipulation axis.
If you want to clip the model symmetrically, press the Shift key while dragging a Clip
dot, the opposite one will be moved in the opposite direction.
With this Clip control, combined with the Cones to change the primitive shapes, you
will have a very large array of primitives to build and deform your models.
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On the left, the original model with a Sphere projected on the top of the head. On the right, the
front clip dot (orange arrow) has been pushed inward to trip the sphere shape.
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13.2 Using the Project Primitive Modifier
This is an example project showing the basic usage of the Project Primitive modifier.
1. Load the DemoAnimeHead.ZPR project in Lightbox

2. Select the Gizmo3D by choosing Move, Scale or Rotate then click on the small
Gear icon on the top left of the Gizmo3D.
3. A popup will open, select “ProjectPrimitive”. You should see all the cones ap-
pear as well as the Gizmo3D.
4. Click and drag the green arrow of the Gizmo3D to move around the top of the
head the default primitive, which should be a sphere. If you move too much
to the top the projected primitive, the effect will be transformed from a pull to
a push effect. Keep the projected sphere inside of the model to have a pulled
deformation.
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5. Now click and drag the red cone on the top right corner of the model bounding
box to enable the X symmetry. The click and drag the red arrow of the Gizmo3D
to move the projected primitive on the side of the head, to create a kind of hair
bun, resembling a famous rebel princess.
6. Of course, you can use the other axes of the Gizmo 3D to move around the pro-
jected sphere to refine its position. Use the X scale manipulator as well to do a
non-uniform scaling of the projected sphere which can be followed by a rotation
along the Z Axis. As you can see, a Projected primitive can be manipulating like
all type of 3D meshes and can be modified on the fly by the Gizmo3D.
7. Now you can play with some cones to adjust some settings: Click and drag the
Pink Blend cone to adjust the transition shape between the projected sphere
and the head, then why not click and drag the Pink opacity cone to affect the
global intensity of the projected head. Just try adjusting cones to see the real
time modification on your model.
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8. If you feel that the spherical shape is not what you are looking for, click and drag
the long orange Modifier cone. It will convert your projected primitive sphere
shape to a cubic or pyramidal one.
9. Now click on the white cone Accept: your current projection will be validated,
and a new projected primitive will be ready to be use. This new one is the same
as the one you just validated.
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10. Manipulate this new projected primitive by pushing it outside of the mesh: it will
push the polygons inside the bun hair shape you previously created.
11. When you are done with your model, click on the orange Gear icon on top of the
gizmo and in the popup, click on Accept to completely validate your modifica-
tions and quitting the modifier.
You can continue to manipulate your current projected primitive or apply it to create
new ones and then continue to apply some deformations to change the shape of your
model or simply creating new models. You only need to keep in mind that you are deform-
ing on existing model with simple shapes and like this, creating some deformations which
could be difficult to do otherwise.
13.12 Settings
The Project Primitive deformer includes a large amount of settings, including dy-
namic ones: they are visible or not depending of some other settings.
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The Settings are groups by positions located on the bounding box.
• Primitive type yellow cone: Selects the type of primitive to project:

1. From a Cube to a Sphere through a Diamond shape, based on the associ-
ated Modifier cone values.
2. From a Sphere to a Cylinder through a double side Cone, including more
or less sharp angles, based on the two associated Modifiers cone values.
3. From a Cylinder to a Pyramid through Cones, including Cube or sliced
Cones based on the two associated Modifiers cone values.
4. From a Torus to a Washer type shape with square or diamond type section
based on the two associated Modifiers cone values.
• Primitive axis blue cone: Sets the orientation of the primitive, along the selected
axis (X, Y or Z).
Note:
The axis swap may not be visible with primitives like sphere or when some cones settings
affect the primitive to make it look like a sphere.
• Modifier 1 & 2 orange cones: these two cones affect the shape of the primi-
tives to make it more rounded or angular by changing its internal mathematical
descriptions. As an example, you will be able to change the cylinder to a prism
shape by changing both these cones values.
By pressing the Shift key while click and dragging the modifier cone, you will
constrain the values to decimals (0.1, 0.2, 0,3, etc.). It’s an easy way to bring
back the modifier to it’s default values of 0.5.
Note:
The Sphere primitive only has one Modifier cone.
• Accept white cone: the manipulation of the Accept white cone will bake the
current projection into the model and will generate a new projection ready to
be used. It is very similar to a “validate and go next” action. This cone’s values
don’t have an impact on the operation, you only need to click it to do the baking
of the current projection.
• New surface purple cone: when enabled, with a value different than zero, this
cone will prevent the fusion of the primitive into the existing model.
It can be helpful in multiple ways. The first one is to let you see what your primi-
tive looks like when applying the settings, which is not always easy when your
model is set to a negative projection and then invisible to you. Another great
usage is to create a new object, like it could be another SubTool and start new
projections on top of it.
• Blend pink cone: this cone is only available when the New surface cone is en-
abled. The blend cone produces, when enabled, a soft transition between the
shape and the projected primitive. Setting its value to zero will produce a shape
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transition.
• Opacity pink cone: applies a global opacity on the projection, similar to making
the projecting more or less transparent compared to the model original shape.
By default, the value at 1 means that the projection is fully opaque, making the
shape of the projected primitive the full priority in the deformation. If set to 0.5,
the shape will be a 50% mix of the projected primitive shape and 50% of the
original shape.
• X, Y and Z opacity: applies opacity similar to the global one explained above,
except that it is applied only along the axis of your choice.
• Tesselate: increases or decreases the local topology added by ZBrush to in-
crease or decrease the quality of the projection. Increasing the topology value
will produce better results, but it can drastically increase the global polygon
count having a negative impact on performances.
• Maximum Displacement orange cone: defines the intensity of the displacement
created by the projected primitive.
• Apply Grouping blue cone: adds or not a new PolyGroup to the projected sur-
face.
(regular symmetry).
• Radial Symmetry: applies a radial symmetry around the active symmetry axis or
the modifier, where the numbers set by the Radial Symmetry cone defines the
number of copies. It is advised to only work with a single symmetry axis, except
when working on a perfect sphere.
14. Remesh by DynaMesh
The Remesh by DynaMesh lets you convert or update the current model as a Dy-
naMesh model, without the need to enable this mode in the Tool >> Geometry palette.
You can change all the settings and values while still in this modifier without affecting the
original model, but once you accept the modification of this deformer, the current state of
the model with its DynaMesh settings will be applied.
If you modify some settings in the Tool >> Geometry >> DynaMesh section, they will
be used by the modifier, like the Polish mode.
ZBrush will keep in memory the original model until you validate the modifier or alter
the original model. It allows you to change the modifier settings and try other values with-
out the need to undo your previous modifications.
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Settings:
1. Target Polygon Count: defines the number of polygons for the DynaMesh, in
thousands of polygons. By click and dragging this cone, you will set the desired
number of polygons and when released, the DynaMesh will be created (or up-
dated) by using or not the options explained below.
2. Reproject: enables the projection of the original model on top of the result of
the DynaMesh. Enabling this mode will increase the quality of the DynaMesh,
but it will increase the computation time on complex and high polygon meshes.
3. Smoothness: applies a pre-smoothing to avoid sharp edges on the resulting
DynaMesh. Mainly visible with a low resolution.
15. Remesh by Union
The Remesh by DynaMesh lets you create a union Boolean operation between all
the models of the current SubTool, without the need to go through the SubTool manipula-
tion and the associated Boolean selectors.
All the models which have intersection will be combined as a single model which is
perfect if you want to merge insert meshes together with the support model.
Note:
The Boolean won’t take in consideration the models that are totally masked, this can happen
after using an InsertMesh brush. Don’t forget to unmask your model before selecting the modifier.
This modifier doesn’t have any setting. The Union is done as soon as you enter in
the modifier.
16. Remesh by ZRemesher
The Remesh by ZRemesher allows you to create a retopology of your current model
by using ZRemesher. It is very convenient as you can only work on a non-masked part
like an Insert Mesh without having the need to split your parts as SubTools.
If you modify some settings in the Tool >> Geometry >> ZRemesher section, they will
be used by the modifier, like the grouping options or the Adaptive Size value.
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.Settings:
• Target polygon count: set the target polygon count for ZRemesher. The result-
ing retopology polygon count can have a very different value depending of the
Adaptive Size value found in the Tool >> Geometry >> ZRemesher section.
• X, Y and Z Symmetry: Sets the symmetry plane for the retopology along the
axis of choice.
17. Remesh by Decimation
The Remesh by Decimation can reduce the polygon count of the current model by
using the Decimation Master plugin. It will more or less reduce the un-necessary vertices
of the model by trying to keep a much as possible the original model shape.
Settings:
• Target Polygon count: sets the target polygon count of the decimation in thou-
sands of triangles
• Use PolyPainting: if the model has PolyPainting, Decimation Master will use it
to optimize the model according to the contrast of the color.
• PolyPainting weight: the PolyPainting weight defines how much Decimation
Master will use the PolyPainting information to produce the decimation.
• Protect borders: when enabled, this cone will tell Decimation Master to keep all
the points undecimated on the boundaries of the opening.
• Keep UVs: keeps the current UVs of the model and decimate them according
to the topology. Note: this function increases the processing time and memory
usage.
• X, Y and Z Symmetry: sets the symmetry plane for the retopology along the axis
of choice.
18. Rotate
The Rotate deformer is very similar to the rotation transformation of the Gizmo3D
as stretching a cone from the model bounding box will rotate the model along this cone.
Setting:
• Rotate: rotates the model along the axis of the selected cone.
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19. Scale
The Scale deformer is very similar to the scaling transformation of the Gizmo3D as
stretching a cone from the model bounding box will scale the model along this cone.
Both opposite cones of the bounding box are doing the same operation.
Setting:
• Scale: scales the model along the axis of the selected cone.
20. Skew
The Skew deformer is creating a deformation of the same name by scaling along
one or two axes the manipulated face of the model bounding box.
You are able to manipulate each axis cone of each face of the bounding box individu-
ally. For a better control of your deformation.
Setting:
• Skew: deforms the model along the manipulated cone axis.
21. Slice
The Slice deformer is a simplified version of the MultiSlice one. It adds an edge slice
all around the model which can be converted as a polygon strip based on the Slice Width
cone value.
This modifier is very convenient when working on hard surfaces models to add ring-
based extrusion shapes.
Don’t forget that changing the orientation of the Gizmo3D before entering in the
modifier will let you change the orientation of the slice.
Settings:
• Slice position: the blue dot allows you to set the position of the slice dynamically
by drag and dropping it.
• Slice width: changes the width of the slice, from a simple slice to a polygon strip.
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• Inflate: adds a positive or negative extrusion to the slice, only when the Slice
with value is different than zero.
• Apply creasing: adds a crease around the slice.
metry, like the one found in the Transform palette, can be parallel or mirror type
(regular symmetry).
22. Smooth
The Smooth modifier applies a smoothing to the current object or its unmasked part
in a similar way to the Smooth function found in Tool >> Deformation >> Smooth but
based on a bounding box side direction. The smooth effect will be go gradually from the
side of the stretched cone to the opposite side, from 100% of the value to 0% of the value
of the smooth set by the cone.
Because this operation is done on real time, performances can be affected by the
number of polygons of the current model.
Setting:
• Smooth: defines the strength of the Smooth, from 0 to 500 where 0 applies no
smooth at all.
23. Smooth All
The Smooth All modifier applies a smooth to the current object or its unmasked part
in a similar way to the Smooth function found in Tool >> Deformation >> Smooth.
Because this operation is done on real time, performances can be affected by the
number of polygons of the current model.
Setting:
• Smooth: defines the strength of the Smooth, from 0 to 500 where 0 applies no
smooth at all.
24. Stretch
The Stretch modifier is very similar to the Scale modifier and then to a non-uniform
scaling done with the Gizmo 3D. In opposition to the Scale modifier which will stretch the
model on both size of the modifier bounding box, the Stretch modifier will only deform the
model based on the selected cone without affecting the other side of the model.
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Setting:
• Stretch: stretch the model along the axis of the selected cone.
25. Subdivide
The Subdivide modifiers allows you to subdivide the current model in a similar way
to the Tool >> Geometry >> Divide function.
Note:
Partially masked objects will be completely affected by the subdivision. Only models which
will be totally masked won’t be affected.
Setting:
• Smooth Divide: subdivides the model the same was as the Tool >> Geometry
>> Divide option when the Smt (Smooth) mode is on.
• Faceted divide: subdivides the model but without applying a smoothing on the
result. It will add more polygons to the model without affecting its visual aspect.
26. Taper
The Taper deformer applies the corresponding deformation to the mesh.
On the left, the original mesh. On the right, the model was transformed with the Taper modifier.
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Settings:
• Taper: Defines the strength of the deformation as well as its direction, from start
to end or vice versa.
• Exponent: Allows the Taper effect to be more rounded at either the start or end
of the deformation
27. Twist
The Twist modifier applies a twisting effect around the selected axis.
On the left, the original mesh. On the right, a two axis twist has been applied on the model.
Settings:
• Twist: Defines the rotation angle of the twisting effect along the selected axis.
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ZBrush User Guide - TransPose
TRANSPOSE
Manipulation and transformation at your fingertips.
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The TransPose Action Line, currently in Move mode.
TransPose is the official term for the Action Line feature, activated by being in Edit
mode and selecting it from the Brush palette or by turning on Move, Rotate or Scale.
Its original usage was to create quick poses (optionally symmetric) by mixing topo-
logical masking and the position of the Action Line to do bends, twists, moves and scal-
ing. TransPose can also be useful to simply manipulate your Tools or SubTools in space
without deforming them.
The TransPose tool has grown to include a large number of functions which extend
the default toolset. It is a powerful tool, not only to manipulate but to create.
It uses three different elements:
• An Action Line is used to move, scale or rotate the model or some part of the
model.
• In the Transform palette (or on the top Shelf, located above the document) the
Move, Scale and Rotate buttons control which of the associated transformations the
Action Line will actually execute.
• An optional mask causes TransPose actions to be done only on unmasked areas
of the model. Among other things, this allows you to easily pose your models. Trans-
Pose always functions at the vertex level of the model you are working on, which is why
using a mask will perform the action only on the unmasked areas.
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I Manipulating the Action Line
This is the basic action to utilize TransPose. It is important to understand and master
since TransePose is a core element of ZBrush.
Like most elements of ZBrush, TransPose fully supports Symmetry and Radial Sym-
metry. If those modes are enabled, all your TransPose actions will be done in symmetry
according to your settings.
1. Creating the Action Line
To create an Action Line you must enter Move, Scale or Rotate mode. You can press
the “W, E or R” hotkeys or use the buttons mentioned above. Now simply click on your
model’s surface and drag to create the Action Line. It is important that your first point is
located over geometry rather than empty canvas – although that geometry can actually
be part of an inactive SubTool.
The endpoint of the line will snap to whatever is under it. If this is empty canvas,
the Action Line will be aligned to your document’s working plane. You can also force the
Action Line to align with the working plane rather than your model’s geometry by holding
the Shift key.
The Action Line can be moved while creating it by holding the spacebar. Release it
to continue drawing the Action Line.
Any previous Action Line will be removed as soon as you start a new one.
Note:
TransPose line creation and modification are not undoable.
The yellow circles will scale relative to their distance from the camera.
2. Action Line Direction: First and Last Points
When drawing the Action Line, your first click will default to the first point of Trans-
Pose while the end of your click-drag action will set the end point. It is important to keep
in mind that TransPose has start and end points because actions are performed by ma-
nipulating one these points, with different results depending upon which point is being
interacted with.
The first point is always easily identified because it has the three axis selectors.
It is not possible to switch the first and last points after the Action Line has been
drawn. You must draw a new Action Line instead.
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3. Transpose Axis Selectors
In addition to the Action Line itself, the start point also displays a set of axes around
it as colored lines ending in small circles. Clicking one of these small circles will instantly
align the Action Line to that axis: X (red), Y (green) or Z (blue)
These axis selectors are aligned with the Action Line when it is created relative to
the model’s surface. However, if you drew the Action Line aligned to the canvas, the axis
selectors will be set relative to the model’s local coordinate system. This means that you
can easily affect your model along one of its axes by drawing the Action Line relative to
the canvas and then clicking the desired axis selector.
On the left, the default orientation of TransPose after being drawn on the model. To its right are
different orientations, aligned with the three axes, both in positive and negative space.
4. Moving the Action Line
To move an entire Action Line, click on the yellow rim of the center circle and drag it.
You can also click and drag on the Action Line itself.
The line always moves in the plane of the canvas. Its distance from the viewer does
not change.
Remember that you can also move the Action Line while creating it by holding the
spacebar as described above.
5. Moving the First and End Points
To move an end of the Action Line, click on the yellow rim of the endpoint’s circle
and drag it.
The endpoint moves in the plane of the canvas. Its distance from the viewer does not
change. You can snap the orientation of the line in 22.5 degree increments by holding
Shift as you move the point.
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To move an endpoint of the Action Line to a precise place in a model (for example,
to be precisely at a joint), first orient the model squarely along one global axis by holding
Shift as you rotate it. The model will ‘click’ into the nearest perpendicular view. Center
the endpoint properly in that view, then do the same thing while viewing along another
global axis.
6. Action Line Automatic Position Based on the Normal Surface
In some cases, you will wish to orient TransPose relative to the model’s surface
normal. For example, having the Action Line aligned perpendicularly to your surface can
be useful for doing a clean extrusion.
To help in this alignment, a single click on the surface will draw an Action Line out
from the clicked point.
The TransPose line will be also aligned perpendicularly to the surface when insert-
ing a mesh via an Insert-type brush. Immediately after inserting the mesh, switching to
Move, Scale or Rotate will display an Action Line already aligned to the surface, ready to
help you manipulate the inserted model.
The action line will be aligned to the normal of the clicked polygon.
However, an exception exists: if you insert a mesh while using the Shift key to have
it aligned to one of the universal axes, when switching to TransPose the Action Line will
be relative to the corresponding universe axis rather than to the surface of the support
object.
Please refer to the Insertion and IMM brushes documentation for more information
about the insertion of 3D meshes.
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7. Action Line Automatic Position Based on the Selection
The white circle on the right will center TransPose relative to the current selection.
By clicking on the small white circle located at the extremity of the TransPose line,
the position of the starting point of the Action Line will be set to the center of the current
selection, changing the orientation of the model relative to the canvas.
This operation can be done on a visible tool or on a partial visible mesh. In this latter
scenario, the Action Line will be set on the center of these visible polygons.
Whether the selection is composed of a full mesh or a partial visible one, the world
axis selectors will be always aligned to the world, letting you easily set a new orientation
for the Action Line.
8. Tips, Tricks and Other Information
TransPose’s basic actions can be combined with several modifier keys to perform
extra actions:
• Holding Shift while drawing your Action Line will snap its endpoint to the canvas
rather than the model’s surface.
• Holding the Shift key while creating an Action Line or modifying an end point
will create snap the line’s orientation to 22.5° angle constraints, always relative
to the canvas.
• Keep in mind that everything in yellow is to manipulate the Action Line while the
circles inside the larger yellow ones are to perform TransPose functions.
• When drawing the Action Line, tap the CTRL/Command key to change from
drawing your Action Line to executing its function (Move, Scale or Rotate). If you
do this, the center of the operation will be located at the part of the Action Line
that is opposite your cursor.
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II Primary TransPose Actions
This section covers the basic operations of the TransPose line which are Move,
Scale, and Rotate. These will be the core of your TransPose usage. Read this section
carefully as TransPose doesn’t always work like a traditional 3 axis manipulator found in
other 3D packages. The additional power and control that it provides requires a unique
workflow.
1. Move Mode
The Move mode will use the Action Line to move your current Tool or SubTool points.
These vertices can be stretched or simply moved.
Because it is operating on the vertex level rather than the object level, if your model
has a Mask applied only the unmask vertices will be moved or transformed.
Move operations:
To perform a move action, you must draw first the Action Line. Its position will have
an impact depending on the action you are performing. Always refine the Action Line
position as needed prior to the operation.
• To move the entire unmasked area, click and drag from inside the midpoint of
the Action Line.
• While moving the inner midpoint of the Action Line, you can optionally press the
Shift key to apply a constraint along the Action Line axis.
• To scale or stretch the unmasked area, click and drag from inside an endpoint
of the Action Line. The other end will take the role of the coordinate system’s
origin. The point underneath the click will be moved to follow the mouse, in the
plane of the screen. All other points in the model will be moved proportionally
within the coordinate system defined by the Action Line, which produces a scal-
ing or shearing effect.
Pressing the Shift key will constrain the scale along the axis, resulting in non-uniform
scaling.
• While in Move mode you can hold the Alt key before clicking on your 3D object.
This will execute the operation directly without needing to draw an Action Line.
An alternative is to tap the Ctrl key once while drawing the Action Line. The Ac-
tion Line will disappear and the move operation will start.
• When in Move mode you can change the model’s Z depth. Do this by holding
the Alt key, clicking on the mesh and releasing Alt before you start to drag the
cursor. Dragging back and forth will now change the depth.
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2. Scale Mode
The Scale mode will use the Action Line to perform a uniform or non-uniform scaling
of your model’s unmasked areas, perpendicular to the Action Line.
Scale operations:
To perform a scaling action, you must first draw the Action Line. Its position will have
an impact depending on the action you are performing. Always refine the Action Line
position as needed prior to the operation.
• Click and drag an end point of the Action Line to do a uniform scaling of the
model. The opposite endpoint serves as the origin of the scale. (The model
points under that end will not be transformed as the model is scaled.)
The operation is limited by the size of the Action Line. If you need to create a much
larger or smaller transformation, you may need to do it several times in a row.
• Click and drag from inside the midpoint of the Action Line to perform a non-
uniform scaling of the model, perpendicular to the Action Line.
• If you wish to perform a non-uniform scaling along the Action Line’s axis, you
must use Move mode and then click on the inner endpoint. Please refer to the
Move mode above.
• While in Scale mode you can hold the Alt key when dragging from an endpoint:
the model will be scaled along the axis of the Action Line but those parts of the
model nearer the dragged endpoint will be affected much more strongly. The
parts of the model by the opposite endpoint won’t be affected by the operation.
For example, draw an Action Line from a model’s head to its feet. By pressing Alt
and dragging the endpoint by the feet you could lengthen the legs while leaving the rest
of the model largely unchanged.
• While in Scale mode you can hold the Alt key when dragging from the midpoint:
the model will be scaled along all three axes but the effect will be much greater
between the midpoint and the endpoint.
• While in Scale mode you can hold the Alt key before clicking on your 3D object.
This will execute the operation directly without drawing the Action Line. An al-
ternative is to tap the Ctrl key once when drawing the Action Line. As soon as
you press the Ctrl key, the Action Line will disappear and the scaling operation
will start.
3. Rotate Mode
The Rotate Mode will use the Action Line to perform a rotation of the model’s un-
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masked areas along the perpendicular axis of the opposite TransPose point.
Rotate operations:
To perform a rotate action, you must first draw first the Action Line. Its position will
have an impact depending on the action you are performing. Always refine the Action
Line position as needed prior the operation.
• Click and drag an end point to rotate your model. The non-dragged endpoint
serves as the origin (fulcrum) of the rotation.
The position of the end point is important: If it is on top of the model and snapped to
the surface, TransPose will perform a free rotation. If the end point is over empty canvas
and aligned with the working plane, the rotation will be perpendicular to the canvas.
Pressing the Shift key while performing the rotation will apply a constraint at 22.5°
intervals.
• Click and drag from inside of the Action Line’s midpoint to perform a rotation of
the model along the Action Line axis.
• While in Rotate mode you can hold the Alt key when dragging from an endpoint:
the model will be rotated perpendicularly to the axis of the Action Line end point
but only those parts of the model nearer the dragged endpoint will be affected.
Those parts of the model above the opposite endpoint won’t be affected by the
operation. This is also known as “Bone mode”.
Note:
You do not need to mask your model for “bone mode” to work. It will only ever affect the parts
of the model below the bottom Action Line.
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III Example of Posing
When TransPose is used with masked and partially masked objects, it gives you
a huge amount of power in creating your scene, including the ability to quickly achieve
realistic poses of humans and creatures. Here’s a quick look:
With Rotate pressed on the shelf (or Transform palette), press and hold CTRL then
click on the pectoral muscle of the solder and drag towards the deltoid (shoulder muscle)
to create a topological mask that isolates the arm. Release CTRL.
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Click on the shoulder and drag downwards towards the hand. This will create an Ac-
tion Line. Click and drag the end point to pose the arm.
Redraw the topological mask for the forearm. To do this press and hold CTRL then
click on the bicep of the soldier and drag towards the forearm.
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Draw another Action Line. Click on the end point and pose the forearm.
Draw another mask for the wrist area. Draw another Action Line and move it inside
of the wrist so that the hand will rotate from the center of the wrist.
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Click on the center dot to rotate the hand around the Action Line. Clicking on the
end points moves the model on a fulcrum. Clicking on the center point rotates the model
around the axis of the Action Line.
Let’s draw another mask for the arm so we can rotate the entire arm upwards to-
wards the head.
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Click and drag on the center point to rotate it along the Action Lines axis
Click and drag on the end point to raise the entire arm.
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IV TransPose and Masking
As mentioned above, masking expands the capabilities of TransPose by restricting

its deformations to specific areas of your model.
You can of course create the mask before using TransPose. However, TransPose
itself has features to create masks in ways that are beneficial specifically to its functions.
1. TransPose Topology Masking
The original goal of TransPose was to provide a new way to deform a model and
give it a pose. This typically requires moving parts of the model one at a time, which
means repeatedly masking portions of the model. Masks are of course easy to create
but it’s also slow to be constantly moving in and out of TransPose mode in order to do
so. To speed up the posing process, ZBrush offers a feature while in TransPose mode
that produces a mask which follows the topology of your model. This simplifies tasks
such as the selection of only model’s arm, even if the mesh intersects with another one.
To use this masking function, simply hold the Ctrl key while dragging the Action Line.
The mask will follow the topology, guided by the direction of the Action Line. All points
opposite the TransPose line’s origin will be masked. The edges of the mask will also
automatically be blurred in order to facilitate a smooth edge for your deformation.
Tip:
If you goal is to mask everything except a small area, just hold the Ctrl key while creating the
TransPose Line close to this area. You can then invert your mask if necessary.
2. TransPose Smart Masking
TransPose Smart Masking is actually an alternate brush which must be selected in

the Brush palette. It doesn’t have the same behavior as the default TransPose Action
Line. It is used to create a Mask based on the object’s curvature rather than topology.
Beyond this, all other actions and functions are exactly the same
To use it, simply hold the Ctrl key while dragging an action Line. The longer the
length of the Action Line, the more strongly it will detect the curvature of the surface. This
makes a short line perfect for small areas and/or complex shapes. On the other hand,
a long line will have higher tolerance and be best for large areas with distinct borders.
You can combine multiple masks by pressing the Shift key to add a new mask to the
previously created one.
As with all masking operations, you can use the ALT key to un-mask portions of the
model.
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Note about TransPose brushes:

When selecting a new TransPose Brush mode (like TransPose Smart) it becomes the default
TransPose mode. All future uses of TransPose will use this mode until such time as you select a
new TransPose Brush.
Smart Masking easily detects areas of the model by analyzing its surface.
3. Quick One-Touch Masking of PolyGroups
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Masking particular parts of your models can sometimes be a tedious process – es-
pecially when it’s a complex model. However, if your model has PolyGroups this can
become very quickly and easily.
Simply switch to TransPose in Move, Scale or Rotate mode. Then while pressing
the Ctrl key, click on any PolyGroup to mask everything except this PolyGroup.
This action is very convenient when you are inserting multiple meshes into a surface
and need to quickly select one of the insertions to then modify it either through continued
use of TransPose or with other tools.
Note:
This way of quickly creating masks is only available through TransPose.
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V Model Operations Using TransPose
TransPose is not only a manipulation tool. It includes a large number of functions

which can be used to create new geometry, either duplicating your model or performing
special deformations to it.
1. TransPose Curve Deformation
The TransPose Action Line can be used to bend the portion of your surface that is
located between the two furthest circles of the Action Line.
The deformation is modulated by the Curve settings, located in the Brush palette.
Example of a deformation process:

1. Begin by applying an Action Line.
2. Make sure that you are in Move mode.
3. Next, hold the ALT key and drag the Action Line’s center circle to bend surface.
While moving your cursor the Action Line will be temporarily hidden so that you
can visually control the deformation.
Quickly deform your models with the TransPose line. The deformation is controlled by the position
of the TransPose line and its Curve settings.
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2. Flatten a Surface
The TransPose line in Move mode lets you flatten the model along its Action Line
axis when clicking and dragging the start point’s inner circle. (This is the point displaying
the three axis lines.)
Flatten through TransPose in action.
Notes:
Manipulating the opposite inner circle behaves like normal: stretching the polygons along the
Action Line.
By default, the operation will be done to the entire model. Using a Mask will help you work on
a local area of your model with better control of the operation.
3. Inflating a Surface
The TransPose line in Move mode lets you inflate the model along its Action Line
axis by right-clicking and dragging the inner circle at the line’s end point. (This is the point
that does not display the axis indicator.)
Note:
By default, the operation will be done on the entire model. Using a Mask will help you work on
a local area of your model with better control of the operation.
4. Extruding Topology with Transpose
When you need to add more topology by creating an extrusion or inserting an edge
loop, use the TransPose line combined with masking. Activate Move or Scale mode to
draw an action line and then hold the Ctrl key while dragging the line’s center circle. This
will extrude all non-masked parts of the model.
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This operation will only work with a model that does not have subdivision levels.
However the Freeze SubDivision Levels feature 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.
For each new extrusion, a different PolyGroup will be applied to each of the ex-
trusion’s sections. The extruded polygons also receive a dedicated PolyGroup. This is
so that you can later use PolyGroup operations like Tool >> Deformation >> Polish by
Groups
To create an extrusion, follow these steps:
1. Ensure that your model is a Polymesh 3D or DynaMesh. This function will not
work with Primitives or ZSphere previews.
2. Create a mask on your model. The masked areas will remain unaffected while
the unmasked areas will be extruded. If you wish to only extrude a small area,
a good tip would be to mask the area you want to extrude and then invert the
Mask before continuing.
3. Activate the Move or Scale TransPose mode (W and E hotkey) and draw an
Action Line out from your unmasked area.
4. While holding the Ctrl key, click and drag the white circle located within the
Action Line’s 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. The nature of the extrusion will depend on whether you are in Scale
or Move mode.
5. 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.
Note:
When performing an extrusion in symmetry mode, you must activate first the local Sym mode
found in the Transform palette.
5. Inserting an Edge Loop
Edge loop insertion using TransPose can now be done in Move or Scale mode. In
Move mode it works as before. In Scale mode it adds a new ability to quickly create
topology inserts on a model without subdivision levels rather than a simple extrusion.
While Scale mode is active, holding the CTRL key and dragging the action line’s
inner middle circle will create an edge loop on the boundary of the non-masked part of
the model.
Of course, it is possible to simply CTRL+click the appropriate circle to create an

edge loop. Take care when doing this, however. The inserted edge loop won’t be visible
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and you run a risk of overlapping edges.
The default workflow to create an edge loop is to mask the area that you wish a new
edge loop to border, invert the mask, placing Transpose in Scale mode and use the CTRL
key with the inner middle circle to create the insertion.
6. Duplicating a Mesh with Transpose
When no portion of the model is masked, holding Ctrl while using the TransPose in
Move mode will duplicate the mesh. One way in which this is quite useful is when using
the Insert Mesh brushes.
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 one; it will not create a new SubTool.
If your SubTool is an assembly of multiple independent meshes, you must first fully
mask any meshes that you don’t wish to be duplicated.
To try an example of this mesh duplication feature, follow these steps:

1. Start with the Dog Project or a DynaMesh.
2. Activate the TransPose Move mode (W hotkey) and draw an Action Line.
3. While holding the Ctrl key, click and drag the white circle located within the
Action Line’s orange middle circle. Simply move the TransPose line anywhere
across the screen’s working plane to duplicate the current mesh.
7. Duplication and Negative Mesh
In addition to TransPose’s standard method mesh duplication, it is possible to tag the

duplicated mesh as a negative mesh. This additional function is specifically for use with
DynaMesh and will not have any effect without re-Dynameshing your object.
The negative mesh’s volume will be subtracted from the mesh it was inserted into.
An example of this feature’s 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.
8. Working with Duplication and the Mesh Insert Brushes
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While a PolyMesh 3D or DynaMesh is in Edit mode, select one of the Mesh Insert
brushes.
• 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 Trans-
Pose Line’s orange middle circle. You can freely move the TransPose line to
duplicate the unmasked mesh and position its copy.
• 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 need-
ing 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.
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VI TransPose Screen Working Plane Orientation
Instead of manipulating the model relative to the camera’s viewing plane, TransPose
also includes a mode to operate perpendicular to the document. This can be very useful
when you need to create a rectangular mask with a 45° angle: just rotate the view to 45°
then create your mask before resetting the view orientation.
The camera rotating around the screen working plane.

Note:
Displaying the floor grid may help you visualize that it is the view which is rotating rather than
the 3D model.
1. Rotating the View
Hold the Ctrl key and drag the small white circle that is at the Action Line’s end
point. This will align the camera to the TransPose line. This will only rotate the camera to
be aligned with the TransPose line and won’t rotate the 3D objects. The camera will be
moved to the closest vertical or horizontal distance of the TransPose Line.
Pressing the Shift key while performing the rotation will apply an angle constraint of
22.5° to the camera orientation.
2. Storing the view
Hold the Ctrl and Shift key while clicking on the white circle at the furthest point of the
TransPose line to store the current view orientation.
3. Restoring the view
Hold the Ctrl key while clicking on the white circle at the furthest point of the Trans-
Pose line to switch back to the previously stored view orientation.
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VII TransPose Preferences
By editing the Preferences >> TransPose settings you can change or adjust the
behavior of the Action Line.
Circles Radius
Adjust the Circles Radius slider to increase or decrease the size of the circles on the
Transpose line.
3D
Turn off the 3D radius option if you wish the Transpose line circles to remain at the
same size and not be adjusted with perspective.
Axis length
The Axis Length slider sets the length of the red X, green Y and blue Z axis lines on
the Transpose line.
Show Alignment Dial

The Show Alignment Dial makes the white alignment circle at the end of the Trans-
pose line visible or invisible.
Clicking this white circle will align the TransPose line to the center of the visible mesh
portion while CTRL+click+dragging it will perform a rotation perpendicular to the screen/
working plane axis.
Snap Max distance

When drawing the Transpose line the ends of the line snap to the surface under
or near to the cursor. When the cursor is over the canvas background, the Snap Max
distance determines how far it can be from the model and still snap a Transpose line
endpoint to the model’s surface.
Rotation Steps
The Rotation Steps slider allows the number degrees that the Transpose line will
snap to while holding Shift and rotating. A setting of 10 means the line will snap every 36
degrees.
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Mask Blur Strength

When masking a mesh, the Mask Blur Strength slider determines the amount the
mask edges are blurred when Ctrl+clicking the mesh. Higher values result in more blur-
ring.
Mask Sharpen Strength

When masking a mesh, the Mask Sharpen Strength slider determines the amount
the mask edges are sharpened when Ctrl+Alt+clicking the mesh. Higher values result in
more sharpening.
Align ActionLine To Axis

When the Align Actionline to Axis button is pressed, 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 option turned off, the Transpose Line will be drawn between the
closest mesh points to the beginning and end of your stroke.
Align MaskLine To Axis

When applying a mask with the Transpose line, if the Align MaskLine to Axis option
is on then the line will always be aligned to a single axis.
Enable Transpose Inflate

The Enable Transpose Inflate will activate the 3rd red circle to allow inflation when
holding the Right mouse button and click+dragging. The 3rd red circle is the one furthest
from the mesh.
Enable Transpose Trim

The Enable Transpose Trim will activate the 1st red circle to allow flattening when
click+dragging the circle. The 1st red circle is nearest to the mesh.
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VIII TransPose Units
TransPose Units in action, with a specified measurement of “Heads”.
Dimensions within a virtual space like the ZBrush canvas are completely arbitrary.
While the object is consistent relative to itself, there is nothing that truly determines
whether the distance between two points if 100 millimeters, inches, miles or even light
years! That is something that is more important to your mind than it is to the computer.
All the computer cares about is that the distance between two points is X number of units.
You are the one who determines what those units actually are.
You will often want or need to think in terms of specific units of measurement when
working with your ZBrush model. For this reason, TransPose can display graduations on
its line for measurement purposes. The graduations are enabled by default and can be
changed in the Preferences >> TransPose Units menu.
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The purpose of the units in ZBrush is to let you easily verify the dimensions of an ob-
ject while working on the proportions of a model. At any time you can set the units value
to one of your choice and initialize the length of the Action Line to a known value. Then
every Action Line drawn will display its length in the status bar.
To give you an example, load the DemoSoldier project. Activate Move and draw on
the model to create an Action Line that has the length of the head. After setting this length
to 1 unit in the preferences and naming the units “Heads” (see below), you can increase
the length of the Action Line from the top of the head to the foot to see that the demo
soldier is 7.8 Heads in length!
1.1 TransPose Units Preferences
Use Preferences >> TransPose Units to change this behavior to fit your project’s
needs:
Unit Scale
The Unit Scale slider sets a scale factor to the current units. When calibrating the
units it is advised to set this slider to 1 first.
Set Units
Click on this button to enter your units. As it is virtual units, enter any text you want:
cms, inches, heads, light years, clicks, rocks, etc. Press Enter to validate your unit.
Minor Ticks Per Units slider

This is the number of small graduations between the Major ones, like millimeters
marks between centimeters or 8ths of an inch.
Major Ticks Per Units slider

This is the number of main ticks in the action line, like the half inch marks on a ruler.
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Calibration Distance slider

Display the distance of the action line, from one extremity to the other. Change this
value to calibrate the action line.
1.2 Calibrate TransPose
The steps below will calibrate TransPose to suit your needs. In this example, we’ll
be telling ZBrush that the Demo Soldier is exactly 72” tall. Use the same process to set
your own values with any model.
1. Switch to TransPose by clicking activating Move, Scale or Rotate while in Edit

mode.
2. Move the ends of the TransPose line to two points between which you already
know the distance. In this example, draw the line from the top of the head to
the bottom of the feet.
3. Open the Preferences >> TransPose Units SubPalette.
4. Change the Units Scale slider value to 1.
5. Click on Set Units and enter the unit name of your choice. (Inches for this ex-
ample.)
6. Change the Major Ticks Per Unit slider value to 1.
7. Change the Minor Ticks Per Unit slider to a value of your choice, like 2. The line
will display a smaller mark between each major tick.
8. Set the Calibration Distance slider to the known value. In our example, we’ll use
a value of 72.
Now draw a new Action Line between any two points on the model. Notice how
this new line’s length will be displayed in the Status Bar and the ticks on the Action Line
match your settings.
In the example above you could just as easily have used a Calibration Distance of
“6”. TransPose would then automatically display all distances in feet instead of inches.
Or you could have told ZBrush that the figure is actually 66 inches high. The important
thing is that once you have calibrated the TransPose Units to your specifications, all
future Action Lines will be consistent relative to each other. This is very useful if you are
creating objects that must be accurate to scale, such as for 3D printing.
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IX TransPose with Multiple SubTools: TransPose Master
TransPose is designed to work with only the currently selected SubTool. It cannot
affect other SubTools.
If you need to use TransPose in a way that will affect all of a model’s SubTools, the
easiest solution is to use the TransPose Master plugin. This operates by creating a tem-
porary mesh composed of all the visible SubTools, which you can then transform as de-
sired. (You can use Deformations and even some sculpting brushes as well.) Once you
are satisfied with the temporary mesh, TransPose Master will then apply your changes to
all SubTools of the original model.
One place where this is useful is in the case of a character with various articles of
clothing. (The Earthquake model included with ZBrush is a fine example.) With Trans-
Pose Master you can work with the figure and have all clothing elements automatically
update to fit the new pose.
We strongly advise you to look at this plugin as it brings a lot more freedom for creat-
ing complex scenes.
For more information about the TransPose Master plugin, please refer to its docu-
mentation. You will find that in your ZBrush installation’s Documentation\plugins folder.
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ZBrush User Guide - Alpha 3D and Vector Displacement Mesh
ALPHA 3D AND
VECTOR DISPLACEMENT MESHES
Grow complex shapes!
146
Alpha textures are grayscale images used with brushes to affect how they displace
the surface geometry of a model. Alpha 3D represents an evolution of this system. This
format allows ZBrush to use a 3D shape to deform the model when applying a stroke.
This gives better results when it comes to reproducing an existing shape, such as making
horns grow from a dragon’s skull.
Regular 2D alphas are very convenient when it comes to producing fine details like
skin pores, small scars, or fabric patterns. However, when using these 2D alphas to cre-
ate major shapes they are restricted by vertical elevation and cannot support overhangs
or undercuts. The Alpha 3D feature does not have these restrictions as a 3D alpha will
deform the underlying surface of model by using a stored mesh. The Alpha 3D system
uses an internal, Vector Displacement Mesh (VDM).
The only restriction will be the density of the polygons needed to reproduce the
brush’s VDM shape. If you are working with a low resolution mesh, your model may not
have enough polygons to deform to flawlessly rebuild the shape stored in the brush.
Model courtesy of Pablo Munoz G
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I The Alpha 3D Brushes
To use Alpha 3D, you must use one of these brushes: Standard, Layer, or the Chisel
3D brush. Upon selecting one of these types of brushes you will see the Mesh Selector
on top of the canvas. This lists the available content for the selected brush. Simply pick
a VDM of your choice, then click and drag the cursor on your model to sculpt it using the
VDM shape stored in the selected brush.
Some of the 3D Alpha brushes are set by default to work with the Drag Rectangle
stroke. Feel free to change instead to the Freehand or Dot strokes, or even combine it
with Lazy Mouse for more control or different results.
On top, some of the VDM’s used on the sphere.
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1. Creating a New Alpha 3D Brush
Creating your own Alpha 3D brushes is the key to producing advanced models and
increasing your productivity. They can be designed to generate highly detailed models or
just to produce mid-resolution shapes like an ear that you can refine later.
Due to how 3D Alphas work, VDM creation needs to follow some specific steps:
1. Load one of the Brush3DTemplate projects located in LightBox >> Project >>
Brush3DTemplate folder. You have different grids to choose from. To be rec-
ognized as a VDM, the model must be sculpted on a grid with square borders.
2. Sculpt your shape with the regular ZBrush tools. Since you must maintain a
grid structure you won’t be able to use some features like the Slice curve or
DynaMesh.
3. Feel free to use Subdivision surfaces and to push/pull your geometry. If you
notice some stretching you can use the Tool >> Deformation >> Relax Plane
Grid function to relax the topology before you continue sculpting. It is advised
to use this function when you are at the stage of building the rough silhouette
of the VDM.
4. Once your model has been sculpted you must check that the boundary of your
grid is still a square. If not, you can mask everything except the boundaries,
then use the Tool >> Deformation >> Morph to Grid slider at 100% to revert the
boundaries to a perfect square.
5. You can follow the above steps as often as you wish to create multiple Sub-
Tools, all composed of models sculpted from the various grid base shapes.
6. Disable Draw >> Perspective and align the front of the model to the camera by
holding the Shift key while rotating. You want to have the grids directly facing
the camera.
7. Select one of the brush types compatible with Alpha 3D: Standard, Layer, or
Chisel3D (which is actually a Layer Brush) and clone it through the Brush >>
Clone function. Otherwise the next steps would delete the original Alpha 3D
brush content.
8. Click the Brush >> Create >> Create Multiple Alpha Brush button. All SubTools
will be converted to VDMs and associated with the current brush, replacing the
previously stored models. Notice that your Alpha now has a “3D” flag on it.
9. Note:
10. The SubTool names will be assigned as the VDM names.
11. Try your new Alpha 3D brush on some models. If necessary, change the Brush
>> Depth settings.
12. If you feel the need to fix a VDM, you can edit some of the SubTools you had
originally created to refine the grid base shapes. Once edited, redo step 8 to
rebuild the brush with the updated VDMs.
13. When you are satisfied with your brush, click Brush >> Save As to save your
brush. It is recommended to save it to the ZBrushes folder located at the root
of the ZBrush application directory. This then makes it easy to access later
149
through LightBox’s Brushes folder. You can alternatively place the newly cre-
ated brush in the ZStartup/BrushPresets folder to load it on ZBrush startup.
(Remember not to have more than 25 brushes in the ZStartup folder or you may
experience unexpected behavior with the ZBrush UI.)
The Mesh/IMM Viewer above the document lists the current VDM’s included in the brush. Simply
select one, then click and drag on your model to grow the shape.
Important notice:
If a 3D mesh is grid based, it will be treated as a VDM when the brush is created.
However, if it is a regular 3D model, it will be stored as an Alpha From Mesh. Please read
the sections for “Alpha From 3D Mesh and Multi Alpha” to learn more about using 3D
meshes as regular alphas.
Only the model on the right can be converted to a VDM because it has been sculpted on a grid.
The model on the left has been sculpted on a volume and so can only be used to create an alpha.
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II Managing Your Brushes
When you are working with an existing brush it may be necessary to add or remove
3D models, or even transfer them from one brush to another without rebuilding them.
After each modification, don’t forget to save your brush by either overwriting it or creating
a new brush.
The features to manage the models included in your brushes, located in the Brush palette.
1. Adding a Single New VDM to an Existing Alpha 3D
Select the brush that you want to edit and, with a SubTool compatible with VDM (grid
based) loaded, click the Brush >> From Mesh button. The model will be added to the
current Alpha 3D brush, placed at the end of the Content Browser.
2. Deleting a VDM From the Current Brush
Select the brush that you want to edit and in the Content Browser, select the VDM to
delete. Click Brush >> Create >> Delete Mesh.
3. Copy Pasting VDM(s) From One Brush to Another
In the Brush >> Create sub-palette, you can find multiple functions to pass your mod-
els from one brush to another. The process is always the same, copying a single VDM (or
all VDMs) from the current brush, then selecting another brush and pasting the content
into it. You can paste to append, adding the VDMs to those already found in the brush.
Or you can paste to replace, deleting all original content.
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III General Advice About Alpha 3D and VDM
This section contains assorted information about Alpha 3D and the associated VDM
feature. These items are important to consider when you are creating or using such
brushes.
1. Creation
• When creating an Alpha 3D, select the Standard Brush or the Chisel3D/Layer
brush based on the results that you wish to achieve. The Layer/Chisel Brush
will produce results closer to the original model stored in the brush. The Stan-
dard Brush will produce a result closer to that of a standard 2D alpha.
• When creating your VDM on a grid, it is advised to work with subdivision levels.
Just as with regular sculpting, going up and down in levels during the creation
process will bring you more flexibility than trying to work with a fixed resolution.
• The border of the grid defines elevation level 0 for the brush. You can push and
pull the mesh during VDM creation to create parts which will cut into or extend
out from the surface when using the Alpha 3D.
• Because VDMs store mesh data, avoid using unnecessary subdivision levels.
High resolution VDMs may make brush strokes slow. High resolution VDMs also
result in brushes with a large file size.
• During the creation process, try to use as much of the grid area as possible.
This will give better polygon distribution and avoid the need for too many sub-
division levels.
• When sculpting, it can be very easy to accidentally deform the border of the
grid. Masking the sculpted parts of the grid model and then using Deformation
>> Morph to Grid will adjust the edges to be perfectly square again. However,
it can also create steps along the boundary between the sculpted areas and the
edges. You may need to smooth and redo the operation multiple times to get
a nice transition.
• Instead of fixing the edges after sculpting, you can avoid affecting the edges in
the first place by masking the borders of the grid before you begin sculpting. Be
sure to clear the mask before subdividing the model and then reapply the mask
after – otherwise you will get triangles along the edges of the masked area.
• If you need to delete subdivision levels in order to use functions like the Gizmo
3D Deformers to bend or twist, you will need to reconstruct those levels before
you can use Deformations >> Morph to Grid. You can reconstruct the subdivi-
sion levels with Tool >> Geometry >> Recontruct Subdiv.
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2. Usage
• When using an Alpha 3D brush, don’t forget that you can use different Stroke
settings. For example, if you create a Dragon scale VDM you can combine it
with the Stroke >> Dots stroke and a Stroke >> Lazy Mouse >> Lazy Step value
close to 1. This would create strips of scales.
• Keep in mind that the VDM will deform the existing topology based on the shape
stored in the brush. Depending on your brush radius and the actual stroke that
you make, this can widely stretch other details close to your stroke.
• The standard alpha settings found in Alpha >> Modify have no effect on a VDM.
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ZBrush User Guide - Alpha From 3D Mesh and Multi Alpha
ALPHA FROM 3D MESH

AND MULTI ALPHA
Multiple Alphas based on 3D meshes in your brush.
154
Alphas are 2D greyscale textures that can change the surface elevation on your
sculpt in a positive or negative direction. These 2D greyscale textures can be created or
modified in any type of 2D editor.
Another method for creating these 2D greyscale textures is to use 3D models. As

opposed to Alpha 3D and its associated Vector Displacement Meshes, these 3D models
are converted on the fly to their equivalent as greyscale data. This gives each 3D model
you create in ZBrush the potential to be used as a 2D greyscale Alpha.
As with Insert MultiMesh and Alpha 3D, a brush can have multiple 3D meshes stored
in it and used as alphas. This means that a single brush can contain a complete library
of patterns dedicated to any purpose that you might imagine.
Note:
It is only possible to create Multi Alpha brushes from 3D objects. It is not possible to create a
brush composed of multiple 2D alphas.
A 3D mesh used to create a Multi-Alpha. Different alphas can be created merely by changing the
orientation.
I Creating a New Multi Alpha
Creating your own Multi Alpha brushes based on 3D models is an easy process
and can be done using existing SubTools. Each SubTool will be used to produce a cor-
responding greyscale image.
All types of PolyMesh 3D objects are compatible, from surfaces to volumes. Always
keep in mind that clean boundaries will produce cleaner brush strokes.
1. Create your own shapes as separate PolyMesh 3D SubTools. They can have
subdivision levels or even be DynaMesh.
2. Disable Draw >> Perspective. Hold the Shift key while rotating to align the
model so that its front directly faces the camera. The point of view will define
155
the generated alpha.

3. Select the brush that you wish to receive these new alphas. You can optionally
duplicated it using Brush >> Clone to work on a copy and retain the original
as-is.
4. Click Brush >> Create >> Create Multiple Alpha Brush. All SubTools should be
converted to their own alphas in the selected brush. Any models previously
stored in the brush will be replaced by the new ones.
Note:
The SubTool names will be assigned to the Multi Alpha 3D Mesh names.
5. Try your new alpha(s) on some models. As with regular alphas, you can modify
them through the settings found in Alpha >> Modify.
6. If necessary, you can some of the alphas by editing the SubTools used to create
them. When you then redo the creation process, your brush contents will be
replaced by the alphas.
7. When satisfied, you can click Brush >> Save As to save your brush for future
use. You can add it to the ZBrushes folder located at the root of the ZBrush ap-
plication directory, making it available through LightBox’s Brushes folder.
8. You can instead save the brush to the ZStartup/BrushPresets folder so that
it will be automatically loaded on ZBrush startup. (Do not have more than 25
items saved in the BrushPresets folder
Important notice:
If a 3D mesh is grid based, it will be treated as a VDM when the brush is created. If
it is a regular 3D model, it will be stored as an Alpha From Mesh. Please read the “Alpha
3D and Vector Displacement Meshes” chapter for more information about Alpha 3D and
VDM.
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II Managing Your Brushes
When you are working with an existing brush you may find it necessary to add or
remove 3D models, or even to transfer them from one brush to another. (This avoids
the need to rebuild the alphas.) After each modification, don’t forget to save your brush,
either by overwriting the original or creating a new brush.
The functions to manage the models included in your brushes, located in the Brush palette.
1. Adding a Single New 3D Model to an Existing Brush
With a SubTool loaded, click Brush >> From Mesh. The alpha will be previewed in
a popup window where you will be able to define its size and orientation. The model will
then be added to the current Multi Alpha brush, at the end of the Content Browser.
2. Deleting a Model From the Current Multi Alpha Brush
Select the brush that you want to modify. In the Content Browser, select the 3D
model to delete then click Brush >> Create >> Delete Mesh.
3. Copy/Pasting 3D Models From One Brush to Another
In the Brush >> Create sub-palette you can find multiple functions to pass your
models from one brush to another. The process is always the same: copying a single
model (or all models) from the current brush, then selecting another brush and pasting
the contents into it. You can paste to append, adding the models to those already found
in the brush. Or you can paste to completely replace the original contents.
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ZBrush User Guide - DynaMesh
DYNAMESH
Freedom of Creativity.
158
DynaMesh is one of the most powerful ZBrush® functions for generating base
meshes. DynaMesh is a perfect solution for free-form sculpting because it removes any
need to focus on topological constraints. It’s possible to change the overall shape of any
DynaMesh by pushing or pulling, adding various pieces of geometry to combine into one,
or even removing geometry in a manner that is similar to Boolean operations. DynaMesh
has been designed to create low and middle resolution sculpting stages and in some
scenarios high resolution for hard edge sculpting. This makes it a perfect way to create
your base meshes before diving deeper into all the powerful traditional ZBrush sculpting
and editing tools.
A character created with DynaMesh, started from a simple DynaMesh sphere. Model by Mariano
Steiner.
DynaMesh is very much like 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,
maintaining the uniform resolution and polygon distribution of your mesh. This is very
unlike traditional sculpting methods which result in stretched polygons if you push the
159
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 is intend-
ed for use during the beginning stages of a sculpt rather than after serious detailing has
begun. How much detail the converted mesh can retain will be defined by the DynaMesh
Resolution slider. Once any model 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 from the original model.
Once you have a DynaMesh you can sculpt it with any of ZBrush’s 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 distribution.
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-
palette.
Note:
The DynaMesh retopologize action can also be called a “remeshing” action.
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I DynaMesh Overview
These following chapters will give you an overview of the technical information to
know about DynaMesh. These points are important as an understanding of them will give
you the information that you need to use DynaMesh to its fullest.
A creature based on a simple sphere with inserted cylinder meshes. Model by Matthew Kean.
1. DynaMesh Resolution and Details
On a technical level, the new geometry resolution generated by DynaMesh is limited

to a cube of 2048x2048 polygons per face based on Voxels. When the mesh bounding
box is pushed out of this maximum resolution, the geometry can start lose details.
If starting with a low resolution, a larger model can be generated before it starts los-
ing 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.
The DynaMesh resolution is computed based on the ZBrush universe which is (in
simplest terms), limited to the size of the default grid. As soon as you start working on a
model with a size that is larger than the grid, you may experience a very large number
of polygons for your default DynaMesh resolution (hundreds of thousands). Similarly, if
your model is significantly smaller than the grid you may find that your geometry has al-
most no polygons. As a result, changing the resolution slider will have barely any impact
on the polygon count.
To make your model optimized for the DynaMesh, you may need to rescale it or reset
it to the ZBrush universe by using the Unify function, located in the Tool >> Deformation
sub-palette. If you start having unexpected behaviors with the DynaMesh process, don’t
forget this command!
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Three DynaMesh resolutions with differences in accuracy of details. From left to right: 64, 128, 256
Notes:
Working with high resolution values for DynaMesh will result in models with millions of raw
polygons. This can slow down your re-mesh operations or make ZBrush unstable when using the
maximum resolution of 2048.
Using DynaMesh options like Project or Polish can take longer computing time with a high
resolution.
Please bear in mind that DynaMesh is meant as a concepting tool. You will enjoy the best
results by keeping your DynaMesh resolution as low as possible and waiting to detail once the
base form has been finalized.
If working with units in another software before exporting to ZBrush, check the values. If your
model is a human body of 180cm, you may end with a very large model in ZBrush scene. Switch-
ing the units to meters and then converting the 180cm to 1.8m will make the model conform better
to the ZBrush universe.
2. Manual Update
Keep in mind that DynaMesh remeshing 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. Upon receiving this command, DynaMesh will update your ge-
ometry -- usually in a fraction of a second.
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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 Edit >> Draw mode and not
when in TransPose (Move, Scale or Rotate) mode.
If your model has a mask applied, you must clear the mask before being able to update the
DynaMesh.
3. DynaMesh and Surfaces/Restrictions
The DynaMesh remeshing process can only work on volumes and not on surfaces.
Surface detail can be lost based on your Resolution setting (found directly under the Tool
>> Geometry >> DynaMesh button).
4. DynaMesh is a Mode
DynaMesh is not an action, but a mode, applied to your current object. It means that
in this mode, ZBrush will wait for a user action to update your model to a new one and
will continue to wait for such actions until you quit this mode.
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For this reason, it is important to quit the DynaMesh mode when you are done with
it. Not doing so can result in accidental remesh of your model.
To give you an example, if you have a DynaMesh model which you then subdivide
and start sculpting fine details, if you then go to clear a mask ZBrush will remesh your
model. This will lose your subdivision levels and all the details you created.
5. DynaMesh and Inserted Content
DynaMesh not only works with the classic sculpting brushes, but also in conjunc-
tion with 3D shapes that you insert into your model. These meshes can be added to
your DynaMesh model to grow its shape or subtracted to create holes which can tunnel
through it.
To add these new shapes, you can use the SubTools as Boolean-like operations (ex-
plained below), or more naturally, through various brushes. ZBrush includes a large set
of brushes that contain premade content using Insert type brushes (or IMM), or through
brushes like the CurveTriFill or Curve Tube.
The process remains the same when using these brushes: you are inserting your
content where you need, manipulating it to refine the position or shape, then updating
your DynaMesh geometry to include these additions or subtractions.
Please read the Insert Mesh and IMM brushes section to learn more about how to
use these brushes and also how to create them.
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II Example of DynaMesh Process:
1. Load a Polymesh3D. A good example can be the DefaultSphere project, avail-

able in the LightBox Project tab.
2. Go to the Tool >> Geometry menu and click the DynaMesh button. You will now
be in DynaMesh mode.
3. Pick one of your favorite brushes like the Clay or Clay Buildup and start sculpt-
ing as usual. Your model will react exactly like traditional sculpting clay would.
4. When you encounter distortion, stretched polygons or have the sense of miss-
ing 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 addi-
tional deformations or brush strokes.
5. 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.
6. You can also use Mesh Insert brushes to incorporate other models into your
DynaMesh 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.
7. 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.
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III Working with Multiple Meshes with a DynaMesh
It’s possible to work with multiple meshes while in DynaMesh mode. Any inserted
object which is remeshed with the original one can remain separate by turning on the
Group option located next to the DynaMesh button.
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 SliceCurve brush.
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 DynaMesh and the Group option, this lets you easily cut objects
into separate watertight volumes.
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.
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IV DynaMesh with PolyPainting and Textures/UV’s
DynaMesh is a raw set of polygons that doesn’t support UV’s. It is in fact impos-
sible to have UV’s on a DynaMesh due to the fact that UV’s are dependent upon topol-
ogy - something that changes every time you remesh. If your original model has UV’s,
switching to DynaMesh mode will delete all UV information. A texture will not be able to
be applied to the model until DynaMesh mode is deactivated and you create new UV’s.
This also naturally means that textures previously created for the model will no longer
wrap correctly after using DynaMesh.
This restriction only applies to textures and UV’s. A DynaMesh is still made up of
polygons and so it supports PolyPaint. You can apply PolyPaint at any point while using
DynaMesh. 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 qual-
ity 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 viewed in the same manner as
sculpting with DynaMesh. That is, 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 UV’s 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 texture’s details.
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V DynaMesh Versus ZRemesher
DynaMesh recreates a new topology to replace the previous one, with a uniform
structure and mostly quads. ZRemesher also creates a new topology to replace the
previous one, with a uniform structure and almost only quads. So which one is better for
your use and why?
Note:
To learn more about ZRemesher, please refer to the corresponding section of this Guide.
As explained in the introduction above, DynaMesh is designed to quickly rough in

your concept without worrying about or being restricted by the underlying structure: it
updates your model topology in the blink of an eye, allowing you to continue sculpting
and experimenting with no limitations. Unfortunately, in some areas it will also produce a
flow of polygons which look random and may not be the best when you need to add fine
details to your model. (Which of course is not really the goal of the DynaMesh, except
when working in specific scenarios such as creating hard surface meshes.)
DynaMesh is based on a voxel resolution and it is almost impossible to predict the

final polygon count. The algorithm is built to quickly update the full topology of the model,
as well as to let you merge and subtract other objects to bring your ideas to life. With
this process it is easy to quickly increase the resolution of your model for improved detail
sculpting, resulting in models potentially containing hundreds of thousands (or millions)
of polygons.
On paper, ZRemesher is similar to the DynaMesh, with an end goal of producing

a model with clean, evenly distributed topology for sculpting. However, ZRemesher is
designed to produce an approximate polygon count which will become your new base
mesh. After this base mesh is created you can then apply subdivision levels and continue
sculpting normally. Since ZRemesher is trying to produce a very clean and accurate
topology that is quad based and near a specific target number of polygons, its creation
process takes a bit longer to compute.
A good workflow would be:
1. Create your model through DynaMesh, refining the silhouette and major forms
using large brush strokes while increasing the resolution as needed.
2. When done creating the overall forms and ready to proceed to detail sculpting,
duplicate your DynaMesh as a new SubTool.
3. On the original DynaMesh, create new low resolution topology using ZRemesh-
er: After processing you will have a new mesh with far fewer polygons and bet-
ter topology flow.
4. Now add several subdivision levels to approximately match the polycount of
your original DynaMesh.
5. Project your original DynaMesh form to the newly subdivided ZRemesher mod-
el. On completion you will have what appears to be the same model with all of
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its details. However, this model will have better topology for continued sculpting
as well as several subdivision levels (allowing you a better sculpting workflow).
6. You can now delete your DynaMesh SubTool if needed. Don’t forget to disable
the DyaMesh mode or you may accidentally update your Dynamesh and erase
all the above steps you just performed.
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VI DynaMesh with TransPose and Gizmo 3D
TransPose and Gizmo 3D are highly versatile tool. It isn’t only a move/rotate/scale
Action Line -- it can also duplicate an inserted object or modify it before updating the
DynaMesh.
As a reminder, if you are in Move mode and press the Ctrl key while on the center
dot of TransPose or an arrow of the Gizmo 3D, it will duplicate the current mesh. If you
use Ctrl+Alt when performing this operation, the duplicated object will be considered as
a negative volume.
Also, after duplicating these models or after several insertions, you can Ctrl+click on
any of the inserted models while in TransPose/Gizmo 3D: ZBrush will automatically mask
everything except the one you clicked. This makes it easy to isolate your sculpting only
to this inserted mesh.
We invite you to read the TransPose and Gizmo 3D sections to learn about all of its
features including duplicating an inserted mesh (both positive and negative) and working
with masks.
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VII Partial DynaMesh
It’s possible to use DynaMesh with a model that has been partially hidden.
To convert part of a model to DynaMesh follow these steps:
1. Hide parts of the model by using the Select Lasso or Select Rectangle brushes.
2. Make sure to refine the opening because DynaMesh will close the surface to
create a watertight mesh.
3. Turn on DynaMesh mode by clicking Tool >> Geometry >> DynaMesh >> Dy-
naMesh. (If you are already in DynaMesh mode, click twice to toggle it off and
then on again.)
4. At this point, the visible polygons will be converted to a DynaMesh and ZBrush
will restore the model to full visibility with the formerly hidden polygons being
masked automatically. (This mask will be invisible.)
5. Modify your new DynaMesh model. You can remove the mask at any time to
continue sculpting.
VIII DynaMesh with Polygroups Support
DynaMesh also supports the ability to retain existing PolyGroups that are on the
model whenever a remesh operation is performed. This will include the groups created
by using Insert Mesh brushes in either add or subtract modes.
What this means is that you can more easily create complex models by combining
DynaMesh with functions like Polish by PolyGroups or Panel Loops.
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On the left, the model with its PolyGroups. On the right, the DynaMesh model with PolyGroups
preserved.
Note:
If PolyPaint is enabled, then that will be maintained instead of the PolyGroups. You can
preserve one or the other. Be sure to turn off the SubTool’s brush icon if you wish to maintain
PolyGroups.
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IX Boolean with DynaMesh: Merging SubTools
Combining objects when updating a DynaMesh can be done through the SubTool
sub-palette, in a similar way to the Remesh All function. When doing this, DynaMesh
will use the SubTool operator icons found in every SubTool to merge or subtract all your
SubTools in an operation similar to traditional Boolean operations.
Only the Subtraction and Addition functions are compatible with DynaMesh. The
Intersection operator has no effect and is not available.
Note:
For more information on Remesh All and its operators, please refer to the Remesh All Sec-
tion.
The SubTool operators. On the left: add. In the center: subtract. On the right: intersection.
To use the SubTool operations associated with DynaMesh, the currently selected
SubTool must be in DynaMesh mode. The other SubTool(s) to be merged may or may
not be DynaMesh models. Performing a Tool >> SubTool >> Merge Down operation will
merge both models into a single one. They will fuse together as soon as you update the
DynaMesh with a Ctrl+click drag or Tool >> Geometry >> DynaMesh >> Add operation. It
is strongly advised to update your DynaMesh immediately after each merging operation.
Follow these steps to use any SubTool as a DynaMesh subtractive:
1. Make sure that the DynaMesh SubTool is above the SubTool you wish to merge
with.
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2. The SubTool that is immediately below your selected DynaMesh SubTool must
have the Subtract icon selected. This is the second icon in the SubTool icons.
3. Now select the second SubTool, and in the Tool >> PolyGroups sub-palette click
the Group As DynaMesh Sub button. This will convert the SubTool that will be used as
a subtraction into a white PolyGroup. (When using DynaMesh a white PolyGroup is an
indicator for ZBrush to use that mesh as a subtraction.)
4. Select the DynaMesh SubTool (the sphere in this example) and click the Merge-
Down button found in the Tool >> SubTool sub-palette.
5. Hold Ctrl and Click+Drag anywhere in the open document to perform a DynaMesh
remesh. ZBrush will use the Cylinder to create a hole through the sphere.
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The result.
When using the Merge Down command for subtraction:
• Make sure to have DynaMesh mode enabled.

• Make sure the object you are subtracting has fewer polygons than the shape
you are subtracting from. This will alleviate any DynaMesh subtraction errors.
• When subtracting multiple parts from a model at the same time, turn on the
Groups option or you may end up with only one part of the model being sub-
tracted from the main form.
Note:
The function Merge Down cannot be undone. If you are not sure you will be satisfied with the
results of your operation, you can duplicate the SubTools as a backup and hide them.
X Convert Inserted Meshes from Positive to Negative
The Tool >> Polygroups >> Group as Dynamesh Sub function also allows an in-
serted mesh to be converted to subtraction. Please refer to the Polygroup section for
more information on this feature.
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XI Create Shell
This tool is perfect for people who wish print their models in 3D as it will reduce the
amount of material for printing and so reduce costs. You can create an internal thickness
within any DynaMesh by first inserting a negative mesh (Sub) by pressing the ALT key
when doing the insertion.
Clicking the Tool >> Geometry >> DynaMesh >> Create Shell button will place a
hole where the Insert brush was used and an internal thickness will be added to the
DynaMesh. The Tool >> Geometry >> DynaMesh >> Thickness slider will let you change
the size of the thickness, which is inward from the mesh surface. (In other words, it will
be inside the model rather than inflating the surface.)
The shell thickness calculation will consider local thickness across every point of the
model’s surface. Any place where multiple shells intersect will not create any shell. If the
thickness value is too large for the local mesh size, a shell won’t be able to be created
at that location. An example would be if the slider is high and applied to a character with
small fingers, in that case the body would receive a shell but the fingers would not.
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
opening’s location.
If you do not wish to have a hole when the Create Shell button is pressed, make sure
to move the negative inserted mesh away from the mesh before remeshing.
The Create Shell operation creates additional Polygroups in the resulting DynaMesh:
one corresponding to the intersection of the negative mesh and another for the internal
thickness.
Note:
The Create Shell function may be not compatible with the Project mode of DynaMesh since
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the generated thickness may be smaller than the projection range, giving unexpected results. It is
advised to first duplicate the model, generate the thickness and then do a projection from the origi-
nal model to the hollowed one. This will offer you better control over the projection and its results.
XII DynaMesh and Surface Noise
Because DynaMesh calculates your model as a volume and because the Surface
noise generator in ZBrush creates true 3D noise, ZBrush can use these features in tan-
dem.
The noise created by the Tool >> Surface >> Apply to Mesh is different than that
generated with DynaMesh because the former simply displaces the underlying surface
to create the noise while DynaMesh will compose the noise in 3D.
To generate 3D noise, please follow these steps:
1. Apply Surface Noise on your model, which must be a PolyMesh 3D.

2. Alter the Surface noise curve (in particular the Offset slider to make its value
negative) until you start to see some areas disappearing from the surface.
3. Validate to close the Surface Noise popup.
4. In the Tool >> Geometry >> DynaMesh menu, click the Sub button to generate
the 3D noise. If you want to increase the amount of details created by the opera-
tion you can undo the operation and modify the DynaMesh resolution.
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XIII DynaMesh Models and “Small Holes” Effect
After updating your DynaMesh model, you may notice that in some very thin areas
the model may have a lot of small holes. This result isn’t due to an issue with ZBrush but
rather because the DynaMesh resolution is simply larger than the surface thickness. Dy-
naMesh is based on Voxels, which actually depend on small cubes to create the surface.
If the surface thickness is smaller than these cubes, ZBrush is unable to totally recreate
the surface.
To avoid this broken “swiss cheese” topology, always try to keep a certain amount of
thickness. Some brushes (like the Clay types) when used with a larger radius can attract
the back of the surface in thin areas and overlap them into an even thinner shape. This
can easily occur in shapes like ears, fingers, extracted clothes, etc.
If you noticed this effect happening at a later stage of your creation and you cannot
undo your work, one trick is to use the Inflate brush to fill the holes with the adjacent
polygons and then update the DynaMesh process.
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XIV DynaMesh Functions
DynaMesh is strongly affected by most of its options and functions, located in the
Tool >> Geometry sub-palette. To get the most from DynaMesh it is important to consider
all of these options.
The DynaMesh options in the Tool >> Geometry sub-palette.
Resolution Slider
The Resolution slider defines the resolution of the DynaMesh, controlling the overall
polygon density of the model. A low value will create a mesh with a low polygon count,
while using a higher value will create a high resolution mesh that will retain more details
due to its higher polygon count.
A low resolution DynaMesh will update faster while a high resolution one will take
more time to update.
As long as the DynaMesh remains in a 2048x2048x2048 resolution cube all details

will be maintained as you remesh. If your sculpting causes the DynaMesh to exceed a
2048x2048x2048 space, the mesh will be updated to once again fit with the cube. At this
point it could begin losing details.
Note:
If when remeshing your model the resolution drastically changes or seems to be the same
regardless of the resolution slider, it is because your model size is either too big or too small com-
pared to ZBrush universe and the DynaMesh default working space. To fix this issue, use the Tool
>> Deformation >> Unify function, which will reset the mesh size and pivot point. (If your model is
made up of multiple SubTools, use the TransposeMaster plugin.)
Please refer to the DynaMesh and Resolutions chapter above.
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Group mode
When enabled, this mode splits any model with multiple PolyGroups into separate
pieces. It will still be kept as one SubTool.
Project mode
When enabled, this mode will automatically project the current details of the model
onto the DynaMesh. 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. The projection settings are controlled by the settings under
Tool >> SubTool >> Project.
SubProjection
The Subprojection slider controls the placement of geometry when the Project option
is enabled. A higher setting will apply more geometry to the detailed part of the mesh, but
will also increase the polygon count.
The process is progressive, and by pressing the ESC key during the computation
you can stop it at the current stage.
Blur Slider
The Blur slider applies a smoothing effect whenever a remesh is performed. A low
value generates a small amount of smoothness while a high value will smooth all major
details on the model.
The slider includes a small dot at its top right. When on (filled circle), ZBrush uses an
algorithm which as much as possible preserves the volume of the model. When it’s off
(outline circle) ZBrush uses a stronger smoothing algorithm.
Note:
It is advised to keep the dot on. This switch is meant for users who need to load models cre-
ated in earlier versions of ZBrush.
Polish Mode
When enabled, this mode applies the various ClayPolish settings each time you
remesh. With the default settings this will smooth the surfaces and create sharp corners.
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Add: Inserting additive meshes

By default, all new inserted elements will be additive meshes. This means that when
doing a remesh operation, the inserted items will be merged with the original DynaMesh
as one element.
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!
Sub: Inserting negative meshes

When holding the Alt key while inserting a mesh, ZBrush will consider it to be a
negative 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.
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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.
And: Intersecting meshes

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.
Create Shell
This function creates an internal thickness within any DynaMesh. You must first
inserting a negative mesh (Sub). The shell is always generated inward from the surface
by an amount defined by the Thickness slider
Please see the Create Shell chapter above for more information about this function.
Thickness slider
The Thickness slider defines the thickness of the shell in relation to the resolution of
the DynaMesh.
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“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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ZBrush User Guide - Sculptris Pro
SCULPTRIS PRO
Digital clay to the next level
184
Sculptris Pro is a global editing mode for ZBrush that provides unique behavior for
multiple sculpting and painting brushes. When Sculptris Pro is enabled, brushes will
modify the topology of your model on the fly to ensure that the brush shape is accurately
maintained. You can grow parts, add fine details or erase parts of the model without wor-
rying about the underlying topology. As you sculpt, ZBrush will add or remove polygons
as necessary based on your brush size. With this mode, you can focus on the visual
aspect of your model with no need to worry about polygon resolution or other technical
constraints.
When Sculptris Pro mode is off, ZBrush sculpting relies on the existing vertices of
the model to produce the deformation. With Sculptris Pro mode, ZBrush creates any
necessary vertices where they are needed before moving them. This means that you
can sculpt fine details even when your model may not otherwise have enough polygons
to support them.
The intent of Sculptris Pro mode is to provide another layer of creativity and artistic
freedom within ZBrush. As with all ZBrush features, Sculptris Pro mode can be mixed
with DynaMesh, imported models and scan data, ZSphere adaptive skins or decimated
models. It can even be used on models that have been output from the Live Boolean
system or which will serve as Live Boolean operators to create new meshes.
A model created with Sculptris Pro mode. On the right you can see the variations in density based
on the size of the sculpted details. The more finely detailed the brush is or the smaller its size, the
denser the topology generated by ZBrush will be.
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I The Technology of Sculptris Pro Mode
Inherited from our Sculptris application, this mode provides automatic triangulation
(also known as tessellation) of the model as you draw your brush strokes. It generates
polygons on the fly to support details sculpted in the mesh.
By default, this triangulation density is relative to the Draw Size of the brush. A small
brush size will produce dense triangulation in order to support fine details. A large brush
will produce minimal triangulation, allowing broad deformations of the surface.
In addition to performing this tessellation, Sculptris Pro will also apply decimation to
the model in real-time. This means that ZBrush will analyze the current stroke in order to
remove unnecessary vertices, providing a more optimized result.
When using Sculptris Pro mode with Smoothing brushes they will function to relax
the surface of the model. They will also apply real-time decimation to remove any un-
necessary polygons.
This combination of both tessellation and decimation is referred to as “Tessimation.”

It is the technology powering the Sculptris Pro mode, making it different from the original
dynamic topology technology found in our Sculptris software.
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II Uses for Sculptris Pro
Sculptris Pro mode is a great art feature that can be used in a variety of ways.
Because it is deeply integrated within ZBrush it can be combined before or after other
ZBrush operations, allowing this mode to be added to your existing pipelines in a variety
of ways.
Here are a few of the many ways in which Sculptris Pro can benefit you:
Concept
For most artists, creating concepts will be the most common use for Sculptris Pro. It
is ideal for starting with a simple shape (such as a Sphere3D Polymesh or basic ZMod-
eler shape) which you then push and pull into shape, mixing brush sizes and adding
major or minor details on the fly with no worries about the underlying topology.
Sculptris Pro can of course be combined with DynaMesh, using the latter to mix
multiple primitives and brushes to create quick shapes and volumes before switching to
Sculptris Pro mode for your medium-to-small shapes and details.
Refinement
As explained in the Concept section above, the Sculptris Pro mode is a great tool
to add medium and small size details. When working on a model you may find that you
need to add some details or just modify part of an existing model, but the current topol-
ogy doesn’t allow what you have in mind. One such example would be adding a horn to
a low-resolution head.
So long as your model does not have subdivision levels you can use Sculptris Pro to
simply reshape the portion of the model that is a problem. This is very different from the
way that DynaMesh rebuilds the entire model’s topology. Instead, Sculptris Pro will only
modify the topology where you are currently working, without affecting the entire model.
Working on Boolean Mesh Results

ZBrush is well known for how its powerful Boolean operations can combine very high
resolution meshes with low resolution models. But if you want to refine or rework some
parts of your model after the Boolean operation, you may find yourself challenged by
the topology at the Boolean intersections. You may also find that the variation in density
prevents you from adding the quality of details you are looking for.
With Sculptris Pro you won’t need to DynaMesh the model or recreate the topology.
Simply sculpt where you like -- even on the intersection areas. ZBrush will refine the
topology on the fly.
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Working with Scan Data or 3D Print Files

Scan data and ready-to-print files are often models with non-optimized topology.
With Sculptris Pro you will be able to clean scan data without doing a retopology. For 3D
print files you will be able to do quick fixes such as contrasting details or even add new
details, without the need to reproduce the model from scratch.
Working with CAD Files

Another great benefit of Sculptris Pro is to edit, sculpt or modify models coming from
CAD software. These meshes are usually NURBS/Solid meshes before being converted
to polygons, and the result of this tends to be topology that is not suitable for subdivision
sculpting. Before Sculptris Pro it was necessary to convert these models to DynaMesh or
create new topology with systems like ZRemesher.
With Sculptris Pro you can freely sculpt these models without any constraints, using
the best aspects of both the CAD world and the digital sculpting world.
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III Using Sculptris Pro
The Sculptris Pro mode is as easy to use as it is versatile. Harnessing its full poten-
tial only requires you to keep a few items in mind.
Sculptris Pro works with raw polygons and is not compatible with subdivision sur-
faces. Your model must be a PolyMesh 3D and must not have subdivision levels. If the
current state of your model doesn’t allow Sculptris Pro to function, the brushes will have
their normal behavior.
1. Enabling Sculptris Pro Mode
This first step to use the Sculptris Pro mode is to enable it by pressing the Sculptris
Pro button. In the default ZBrush user interface (UI), this is the Sculptris Plus logo above
the canvas. If you are using a custom UI, you will find the Sculptris Pro button together
with its global settings in the Stroke >> Sculptris Pro sub-palette.
2. Brush Cursors
Once Sculptris Pro has been enabled -- and if the current Tool or SubTool is compat-
ible -- the brush cursor will change from red to purple. If the brush cursor remains red,
check to make sure that your model has no subdivision levels, is not a 3D primitive, is not
a ZSphere, and does not contain partially hidden geometry.
When using a smooth brush during Sculptris Pro, the cursor color will switch to an
orange color. This indicates that your brush stroke will produce both smoothing and Tes-
simation.
Note:
Cursor colors can be changed in the Preferences >> Edit sub-palette.
3. Brush Size
At default settings, the Draw Size will affect the tessimation density for your current
brush. A large brush size will create large polygons while a small brush size will create
dense or very dense topology, making these small details accurate even if the original
topology had few points.
This system differs from how DynaMesh produces uniform topology density. It al-
lows you to create fine details or very large shapes on the fly by only adjusting the Draw
Size.
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As explained in the next section, you can adjust the global settings of the Sculptris
Pro mode to accomplish any of these results:
• Keep the tessimation constant without having the brush size control its density.
• Have tessellation only, without decimation.
• Modify the factor by which changes to Draw Size modify topology.
4. PolyPaint
Sculptris Pro is compatible with PolyPaint and this works in the same manner as for
sculpting: Depending on your brush size, it will add polygons as necessary to accurately
paint vertex colors. This means that you can produce a fine paint stroke even if the model
is low resolution.
5. Restrictions
As explained above, Sculptris Pro only works on models without subdivision levels.
It also has some other restrictions to keep in mind:
• The mode will not work on partially hidden models. If you hide a part of the
model, Sculptris Pro will be disabled even if the icon indicates that it’s still on.
Brushes will switch to their default behavior with no tessimation.
• Drag Rectangle and DragDot strokes are not supported. Only Dots, FreeHand
and Spray strokes are supported by Sculptris Pro.
• VDM brushes are not supported.
• Any brushes that generate content will not work, such as IMM/Insert brushes,
Curve brushes, etc.
• UVs are not preserved.
• Masks are taken into consideration by Sculptris Pro. Mask intensity will affect
tessimation, determining how strongly the polygon structure will be modified.
• The Brush auto-masking setting, Mask By Polygroups will not work with Sculp-
tris Pro.
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IV Sculptris Pro Global Settings
Found in the Stroke palette under a sub-palette of the same name Sculptris Pro of-
fers a few options that are important to understand if you want the best control over your
sculpting or to start creating your own brushes.
Users will find their own preferences for which options are enabled or disabled –
especially when it comes to the Combine option. We recommend testing the different
Sculptris Pro options to see what fits your individual needs.
On the left, a cube with a low polygon density. On the right, a bevel has been manually sculpted
with the Trim Dynamic brush. Notice the addition of polygons generated on the fly by the Sculptris
Pro mode, removing the need to subdivide the model.
The Stroke >> Sculptris Pro sub-palette.
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Adaptive Size
Enabled by default, Adaptive Size instructs ZBrush to tesselate the model more or
less strongly based upon the Draw Size. The smaller the radius of the brush, the more
dense the topology will be and the larger the brush, the larger the polygons.
Adaptive size in action. Above, a large brush stroke and below, a smaller size brush stroke. All
other settings are the same between the two strokes. Notice the difference in topology density.
When disabled, tessimation applied by the brush stroke will no longer be modified by
the brush size radius. Instead, it will only use the Subdivide Size and Undivide Ratio set-
tings. (The latter requires that Combined mode be enabled.) The density itself is mainly
controlled by the Subdivide Size slider.
Combined Mode
When Combined mode is enabled, ZBrush will mix both tessellation and decima-
tion while sculpting, constantly maintaining the proper number of polygons to support
your brush strokes and details. Combined mode uses the Subdivide Size slider value
to tesselate the mesh while at the same time using the Undivide Ratio value to remove
unnecessary polygons.
This function serves to avoid having extra polygons in your model while also clean-
ing your topology.
Keep in mind that when using this mode with high density meshes the stroke can
be slowed down due to the fact that ZBrush needs to perform two complex operations at
the same time. Some artists prefer disabling Combined mode to increase performance,
relying on the Smooth brush to reduce the number of polygons when desired.
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Subdivide Size
The Subdivide Size slider only functions with brushes that are compatible with
Sculptris Pro. It defines the density of tessellation applied to the mesh during the stroke.
A low value creates dense tessellation (smaller polygons) while a high value creates a
sparse tessellation (larger polygons).
If Adaptive Size mode is turned on, this slider’s effect is modulated by the Draw Size
value.
Undivide Ratio
The Undivide Ratio slider defines the amount of decimation applied to your brush
stroke. The purpose of the Undivide function is to enhance the quality of the stroke and
avoid adding unnecessary polygons.
The Undivide Ratio function can be disconnected from the sculpting strokes by dis-
abling the Combined toggle. By doing so, you will improve the brush stroke reactivity and
speed.
A low value will decimate only the smallest polygons within the area of your brush
stroke, making the effect visible only in dense parts of the model. A high value will
decimate larger triangles, making the optimization visible even in less dense areas of
the model.
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V How Sculptris Pro Affects the Smooth Brushes
The Smooth type brushes use the UnDivide Ratio value to produce decimation and
smoothing at the same time. However, if the model has a lower density than the current
Sculptris Pro settings, these brushes will add whatever polygons are necessary to pro-
duce the effect, similar to a regular sculpting brush.
If you want to apply variable polygon density or locally remove some polygons with-
out affecting the details, you can create a new Smooth brush by using the Brush >>
Clone function and then set a Z Intensity value of 0. In this case, tessimation will be ap-
plied without any mesh smoothing.
When used with Sculptris Pro, the Smooth brushes also have a secondary behavior
accessed by releasing the Shift key while still maintaining the stroke. This will create an
additional inflate effect that allows you to smooth the surface while also avoiding unwant-
ed shrinking. An example of when it is useful would be when doing long deformations
with the Snake Hook brushes, which grow thin at the ends.
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VI Global Mode and Brush Settings
By default, Sculptris Pro takes the lead with all compatible brushes. This means that
they will locally tessimate your model based on the global Sculptris Pro settings found in
the Stroke palette. However, it is possible to customize each brush to have its own unique
settings, giving you better control for your specific needs.
You can access these settings in the Brush >> Sculptris Pro sub-palette. By default,
brushes are set to use the global settings. Here is a description of these settings.
The Sculptris Pro sub-palette in the Stroke palette
Enable
This overrides the Sculptris Pro button for the current brush. In other words, if En-
able is turned off then the brush will not tessimate the model even if Sculptris Pro mode
is turned on.
As an example, you might decide that you never want a special hPolish brush that
will never tessimate your model, even when Sculptris Pro is turned on. In that case, sim-
ply turn Brush >> Sculptris Pro >> Enable off and save the brush as a new one.
Use Global
When enabled, Use Global tells the brush to use the Sculptris Pro settings from the
Stroke palette. When disabled, the Adaptive Size, Combined, SubDivide Size and UnDi-
vide Ratio settings in the Brush >> Sculptris Pro sub-palette will become available to you
and will affect only the current brush.
For all brushes, Use Global is turned on by default. However, the option is available
to you in case you want to customize a brush to act in a unique way by having stronger
decimation or less tessellation than what is provided by the global settings.
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Adaptive Size, Combined, SubDivide Size and UnDivide Ratio

These settings are exactly the same as those found in the Stroke >> Sculptris Pro
sub-palette (explained above in this chapter). The difference is that here they are applied
only to the current brush. When Use Global is disabled, these settings will override the
global Sculptris Pro mode settings.
VII Performance
Sculptris Pro has been optimized for performance and reactivity. However, unlike
with traditional subdivision surfaces, ZBrush must fully analyze your surface with ever
brush stroke. This means that the more polygons you have, the less responsive your
brush strokes will be.
CPU performance has the greatest impact on this. Depending on your computer you
may start noticing a reduction in performance anywhere from as few as 200,000 triangles
to as many as 4 million.
If you want to increase your performance you can disable Combine mode in the
Sculptris Pro settings. Since ZBrush will now only need to perform tessellation rather
than tessimation you will see a performance boost. Removing the decimation part of the
operation won’t have a high impact on the visual appearance of your model. Just keep
in mind that you will want to Smooth the surface every so often in order to clean up the
mesh by removing unnecessary polygons (which also boosts performance).
Don’t forget that you can always work with multiple SubTools. And if you are simply
refining your shapes you can disable Sculptris Pro altogether. Use it when you need it
and turn it off when it doesn’t enhance your work.
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VIII Optimization with Decimation Master
Because Sculptris Pro produces triangles and can modify topology on the fly, using
the Decimation Master plugin can be very helpful to drastically reduce the polygon count
of your model while keeping details where needed.
If you feel that your brush strokes feel less reactive because of the polygon count,
you can try to decimate to approximately 20%. Visually, you should see little if any change
in the appearance of your model. But since your polygon count is now 20% of what it had
been before decimation you will get a significant boost in performance as you continue
to sculpt.
Reminders Concerning the Decimation Master Process
• It is accessed through the ZPlugin >> Decimation Master sub-palette.

• Click the PreProcess Current button. This creates a temporary file, which may
take anywhere from seconds to a few minutes.
• Set the decimation value using the % of Decimation slider. A value of 20 in-
structs ZBrush to reduce the total polygon count by 80%, keeping the remaining
20%.
• Press the Decimate Current button. At this point your model will be decimated
and you should see the point count at the top of your UI drop dramatically. For
most models, 20% will not produce any visual change in your model.
• You can try different decimation values if you wish, without having to do a new
PreProcess. This allows you to try different values until you are happy with the
decimation.
• After you have sculpted some more, it will be necessary to PreProcess again.
Decimation Master also includes some presets for one-click decimation. If you press
the 20k button, ZBrush will automatically pre-process the model and then apply whatever
decimation is necessary to reach the target count.
If you see unwanted visual changes in your model, click a different preset. ZBrush
will then use the current pre-process data and adjust the polygon count accordingly. In
other words, Decimation Master only performs a pre-process calculation when neces-
sary, even when using the preset buttons. It is well worth exploring this feature!
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IX Sculptris Pro Brushes
As explained above, most of the sculpting brushes included with ZBrush are compat-
ible with Sculptris Pro. That being said, some brushes are at their most useful when using
Sculptris Pro, such as the Snake Hook brushes.
When Sculptris Pro is turned off, the Snake Hook brushes produce badly stretched
polygons and often a lot of unwanted deformation. With the Sculptris Pro turned on,
ZBrush can adapt the topology of the model during the brush stroke, making these brush-
es perfect for growing parts out from a surface.
ZBrush includes two SnakeHook brushes. The original one functions relative to the
camera working plane (the canvas) while the Snake Hook 2 brush operates relative to
the surface normal.
Don’t forget that brush settings can be altered to change their behavior. As an ex-
ample, Brush >> Curve >> Edit Curve will affect the pinch effect of these brushes while
Brush >> Modifiers >> Brush Modifier will affect how much the stroke aligns to either the
surface normal or the canvas.
The Snake Hook Sphere brush designed specifically for Sculptris Pro. This brush
creates a tube with a spherical base along your brush stroke. By default its direction is
based on the surface normal, but changing its Brush Modifier setting can make it function
relative to the canvas instead.
Finally, some brushes like hPolish can work with Sculptris Pro, but won’t have an
effect that’s much different than what you would get normally. Since that would be a
case where you are taking an unnecessary performance hit, such brushes might be good
candidates for you to experiment with turning off the Brush >> Sculptris Pro >> Enable
setting as explained above.
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ZBrush User Guide - ClayPolish
CLAYPOLISH
Polish surfaces and sharpen edges in a single click.
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ClayPolish is a post-process operation which alters the topological structure of your

model and moves its edges based on various settings. It has the effect of polishing the
surface while sharping and cleaning the angles. It can also create special effects on the
model edges.
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.
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.
The Polish settings, located in the Tool >> Geometry sub-palette.
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I ClayPolish Overview
Using ClayPolish is simple: enter your desired settings and then apply ClayPolish to
your model. The feature works with both PolyMesh3D and DynaMesh surfaces but not
the primitives which must be converted first.
This function doesn’t change the topology of your model, but simply move more or
less the vertices to produce this new visual aspect. It means that you can apply it at all
levels of subdivisions. Also, you can reapply several time the ClayPolish on your model
to increase the result of this function.
Like most ZBrush features, you can apply first a mask on your model to protect it of
the ClayPolish effect.
II Clay Polish Mask creation
When applied on the model, the ClayPolish function is creating a mask correspond-
ing to the location of the crisp areas. This new mask is very subtle and also ZBrush isn’t
displaying it.
To view this mask, you can simply inverse it twice or press the Tool >> Masking >>
View Mask mode.
Then don’t forget to clear the mask even if its not visible after using the Clay Polish
function by pressing the Tool >> Masking >> Clear.
This mask is created only when using the ClayPolish function and noth through the
DynaMesh Polish mode.
III ClayPolish within the DynaMesh
The ClayPolish function has been introduced at the same time and because of the
DynaMesh. The original goal was to create smoother and nicer surfaces than the rough
DynaMesh ones or recreate a more traditional clay sculpting surface when using various
tools.
In the DynaMesh settings, you can enable at anytime the Polish mode: each time
you will update your DynaMesh, the ClayPolish function will be applied on your model.
When the ClayPolish is used in combinaison with the DynaMesh “Polish” mode, the
mask created when using manually the ClayPolish function isn’t applied.
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Please refer to the DynaMesh documentation for more information about the Dy-
naMesh.
IV ClayPolish Functions
These settings will affect the result of the ClayPolish functions by creating very sharp
areas or even rough borders. As ClayPolish is a applied very quickly on your model you
can very easily experiment them.
Maximum Angle slider

The Max Angle slider defines the surface angle at which ZBrush will apply polish. For
example, the default angle is set at 25. This means that any portion of a mesh that has
an angle higher than 25 degrees will be smoothed.
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
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.
Repeat Sharpness and Softness sliders

These sliders specify the number of times to repeat the sharpening or softening ef-
fects defined by the Sharpness and Softness settings. For example, a lower softness
effect applied multiple times will have a different result than you’d get with a single soft-
ness application at high strength.
Edge Contrast slider

The Edge Contrast slider can be given positive or negative values. Positive settings
will inflate the polygons along the edges of the model while a negative setting will deflate
these polygons.
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The model on the right has Edge Contrast set to 15 compared to a model without. It gives a more
traditional sculpting aspect.
Surface Contrast slider

Surface Contrast behaves in a manner similar to Edge Contrast but affects the sur-
faces between the edges. Positive values inflate these surfaces while negative values
deflate them.
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ZBrush User Guide - ZSphere
ZSPHERE
‘Sketching out’ a 3D model.
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ZSpheres are an advanced ZBrush primitive (Tool) that permits ‘sketching out’ a 3D
model (particularly an organic one) quickly and easily. Once the shape has been formed
using ZSpheres, it can be “skinned” through the Adaptive Skin function – taking it from
an object generator to a fully polygonal mesh with cleanly structured polygons for further
sculpting.
Think of the process like creating a stick figure which ZBrush then fleshes out. With
ZSpheres, you can quickly build a simple or complex hierarchy structure composed of
spheres and the connectors between them (also called links). This is easily refined by
adding or removing ZSpheres as well as moving/scaling/rotating parts of the model.
ZSpheres can also be used to create a bone-like system when rigged with an exist-
ing model. This can be used to set different poses that can even be animated through the
TimeLine or used to create new topology for your model. (The rig cannot be exported for
use in another software, however.)
ZSphere is the Tool of choice when you need to quickly block out of your model’s
shape before switching to another sculpting technology such as DynaMesh or ZSketch.
Illustration of a ZSphere model with the ZSphere and its Connector displayed.
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I ZSpheres and ZSpheres II
People who first started using ZBrush 3 or later will only be familiar with ZSpheres
II, which is the default. Older users of ZBrush may be familiar with what is now called
ZSpheres I. The difference between the two may not be readily apparent since the pro-
cess of creating and manipulating a ZSpheres model is the same. The change between
the two versions is based around the way the polygons are generated by ZBrush using
the Adaptive Skin process (this will be described in greater detail below). The end result
is different between the two and the ZSpheres II will produce a better topology with
greater ease, especially when used with complex ZSphere structures.
Some functions are different between I and II, but for most usages, ZSpheres II will
produce the best results.
For legacy and compatibility purposes, you can switch to the ZSpheres I algorithm
by activating the “use Classic Skinning” mode, located in the Tool >> Adaptive Skin sub-
palette. (This option will only be available when a ZSphere is in Edit mode.)
On the left, the original ZSpheres. In the center, the new Adaptive Skin. On the right, the Classic
Adaptive Skin.
Note:
ZSpheres II are not ZSketches. This mistake is common on forums and in user minds.
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II ZSPheres Basic
This chapter describes the basic principles of ZSphere operations in order to provide
you with an overview of this fantastic creation tool. Other chapters will go into greater
depth with advanced functions or complementary features like the Adaptive Skin, which
creates the polygons from the ZSphere models.
The ZSpheres II are a great support for the ZSketch. Image by Joseph Drust
1. Creating the Root ZSphere
To start a ZSphere model, select the ZSphere primitive from the Tool palette. You
can recognize it easily as it’s the two toned ball, which is of course different from a
Sphere 3D primitive.
• If a Tool is currently loaded and in Edit mode, the ZSphere will replace it.
• If no Tool is currently loaded and in Edit mode, click and drag on the Document
to draw it, then switch in Edit mode by clicking the corresponding button or
pressing the T hotkey.
Note:
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Like all other Tools, the first ZSphere drawn on the document may not look well oriented.
You don’t need to press the Shift key to have it well oriented because as soon as you turn on Edit
mode, you will be able to see the Grid, with which the ZSphere will be properly aligned.
The ZSphere is two-toned because with the earlier ZSpheres I it was easy to twist
the ZSpheres, resulting in unexpected results when the model was skinned with poly-
gons. With ZSpheres II, this two-toned representation is just a visual indicator that you
are indeed working with ZSpheres rather than another type of sphere.
This first ZSphere is called the Root. It has no geometry of its own is only a place-
holder. If all children that are added to the model are on the same side of the Root (such
as if your Root is used as the bottom end of a tree trunk), the skinned model will have an
open end where the Root had been. In order to create a closed model you must add a
child on both sides of the Root to “cap off” the geometry.
You cannot delete the Root ZSphere -- only its children.
Note:
The Draw Size value has no impact when creating the ZSpheres. It does influence selecting
ZSpheres to manipulate them after they have been drawn. For this reason, it is usually recom-
mended to keep your Draw Size at 1 when working with ZSpheres.
2. Adding more ZSpheres
Adding new ZSpheres to the Root or another existing ZSphere is a simple process.
First, verify that ZBrush is in Draw mode (not in Move, Scale, or Rotate mode.) Then sim-
ply click and drag on the ZSphere where you wish to add a child to it. Move your cursor
until the child is at the size which suits your needs. Then release your mouse.
You will notice that a visible red line will connect the center of the first ZSphere to the
newly created ZSphere: this is the representation of the connection between these two
ZSpheres. As soon as you release your cursor, a white circle appears at the center of the
original ZSphere, with two lines connecting the center of the new ZSphere. This is the
connection between the ZSpheres and it gives you a visual display of the link direction
with the circle being the parent and its children. This link is important because it will help
you understand the ZSphere hierarchy as you build your figure as well as when selecting
ZSpheres later for various manipulations.
You can repeat this operation as often as you need, creating new ZSpheres ones
after another. Just remember that adding ZSpheres this way requires that you start on
another ZSphere and not on a connector sphere. We will explain later how you can insert
a ZSphere between two other ones.
You will also see intermediate spheres that connect the parent to its child. If the child
is moved away from the parent, these will extend to form a chain that connects the two.
Those connecting spheres are referred to as connectors. They are not ZSpheres, them-
selves and do not directly contribute to the geometry of the final Adaptive Skin. They
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simply help you see and understand the structure of your ZSpheres stick figure.
3. ZSphere Red and Green Circles
When editing the ZSpheres (in Draw or manipulation modes), you will notice your
cursor change color when over the surface of a ZSphere. Whether the cursor is red or
green will depend on your cursor position.
The cursor turns green it is close to a working plane (one of the model’s primary
axes). This is important when you are using symmetry or trying to create the best poly-
gon topology (see Symmetry, Structure and Adaptive Skin chapters for more information).
The red circle is the default circle color when your cursor isn’t located closed to
a working plane position. It will typically be a less ideal place at which to add a child
ZSphere.
4. Inserting ZSpheres
If you wish to refine your ZSphere structure, you can insert a ZSphere between
two existing ZSpheres by simply clicking on any connector between them while in Draw
mode. The inserted ZSphere will be located along the connector at the click position.
The inserted ZSphere will keep the original alignment of the existing ZSpheres. You
are free to manipulate them after the insertion using move, scale, or rotate.
When inserting ZSpheres, try to avoid creating them too close to each other as later
manipulation could move some of them to a point that they could be at almost the same
location or even inside a bigger ZSphere. If this happens the result be unexpected topol-
ogy in the Adaptive Skin.
Warning:
Take care to avoid short and fast clicks -- especially when you are a beginner with
your pen tablet. It can be easy to click accidentally, without even realizing it. That can
result in unintended ZSphere insertions. Don’t forget to undo if you think you generated
extra clicks.
Tip:
When you wish to add a limb to a body, add a child directly to the body and move it
down to the end position. Once you have a good length, simply insert ZSpheres for the
joints or to refine the silhouette. This allows you to work much more quickly as you create
complex shapes without spending as much time switching between Draw and the Move/
Rotate/Scale modes.
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5. Deleting ZSpheres
To delete a ZSphere, hold the ALT key and click on the ZSphere that you wish to
remove. ZBrush will delete that ZSphere and will automatically reconnect those which
are above and below the deleted one in the hierarchy. If the ZSphere is located at the end
of a hierarchy, the connector with its parent will be deleted too.
The only ZSphere which can never be deleted is the Root. If you wish to completely
delete your model, simply load another Tool or click Tool >> SubTool >> Delete.
Note:
Deleting the Root ZSphere through the Tool >> SubTool >> Delete button will replace it with
the default PolyMesh3D primitive. This behavior is the same with all Tools which are completely
deleted as ZBrush can’t stay in Edit mode with no Tool selected.
6. Previewing the Polygonal Topology: Adaptive Skin
Click Tool >> Adaptive Skin >> Preview (hotkey A) to temporarily view your ZSphere
hierarchy as a polygonal model. This shows exactly what your model would be if you
were to convert it to a real PolyMesh3D object by pressing the Make Adaptive Skin but-
ton. Clicking the Preview button again will quit the Preview mode and return display of
the ZSpheres.
For more information about this process, please refer to the Adaptive Skin chapter
below.
Note:
The Root ZSphere alone will only be partially skinned unless it has child ZSpheres at both
ends.
7. Manipulating the ZSpheres
To improve your ZSphere creation, you can manipulate them to change the shape of
your structure and therefore the result of your Adaptive Skin.
Because the new polygons will be close to the shape of your ZSpheres, it is im-
portant to try to have a skeleton that as closely as possible matches the silhouette of
the model you want to create. Move, Scale, and Rotate will allow you to manipulate the
model into any pose you desire. Pease carefully read the descriptions since they include
advanced options through different modifier keys.
It is also very important to consider that clicking the ZSphere or the connector be-
tween two ZSpheres will not result in the same operation.
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It is also advised to click first on the ZSphere or the connector you wish to manipu-
late and then switch to Move/Rotate/Scale mode to perform the operation. The ZSphere
color will slightly change and the connector widget will be visible, ensuring that your
transformations affect the desired part of your figure.
7.1 Move
Switching to Move mode (Hotkey W) will allow you to freely move the ZSphere
that is clicked. This movement will take place parallel to the screen. As when inserting
ZSpheres, take care not to move one ZSphere inside of another. This could result in a
transparent display of one or more links, representing potential topology issues when
the mesh is Previewed or converted to an Adaptive Skin/PolyMesh3D object. If this hap-
pens, slightly move the ZSpheres to correct the problem. Please refer to the Preview of
Inconsistent Structure chapter.
If while in Move mode you click and drag the link between two ZSpheres, you will
move all the ZSpheres located below the clicked point in the hierarchy. This is similar to
Inverse Kinematics. If you press the ALT Key while performing the same operation, you
will move all the following ZSpheres without deforming those ZSpheres further down the
chain.
The default mode is convenient when deforming a skeleton to set a pose while the
ALT variant is more convenient when refining a shape to find good proportions.
Moving the entire ZSphere structure:

If you wish to move the entire ZSphere structure, simply be in Move mode use ALT
to drag one of the connectors attached to the Root ZSphere.
Draw Size Influence:

The manipulation of your ZSpheres in Move mode can be influenced by the Draw
Size value. If the radius of the cursor includes several ZSpheres, they will be all manipu-
lated with an attenuation defined by the Focal Shift value. The picked ZSphere will be
moved at 100% strength while the others will be influenced less.
If you wish to move each ZSphere independently, set a low Draw Size value.
7.2 Scale
Switching to Scale mode (Hotkey E) will scale the ZSphere you click and drag. Per-
form the drag motion from top to bottom or vice versa. Dragging your mouse horizontally
does not have any impact on scaling.
By pressing the ALT key while clicking and dragging the ZSphere you will scale the
selected ZSphere and any ZSpheres located below in the hierarchy. The same behavior
happens if you do same operation on the connector.
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Scaling the entire ZSphere structure:

If you wish to scale your entire ZSphere structure, simply perform this operation on
the Root ZSphere while using the ALT modifier. This operation will scale all the ZSpheres
without affecting the distances between them.
7.3 Rotate
Switching to Rotate mode (hotkey R) will rotate the ZSphere you are click dragging
around the axis connecting it to its parent. All ZSpheres farther down the hierarchy will
move to follow this change in orientation.
If you click on a connector, it will rotate around the parent ZSphere while all the
following ZSpheres and connectors will follow the operation. It is similar to when using
Move mode on the connector except that in Rotate mode all the following hierarchy ro-
tates, while in move mode only the current connector does so. This rotation is similar to
inverse kinematics.
8. Working with the Symmetry
ZSpheres are optimized to work with symmetry enabled, including radial symmetry.
If your model needs to be symmetrical, it is strongly advised to enable Symmetry mode
(hotkey X), located in the Transform palette.
Of course, building a ZSphere structure on one side of the model will be mirrored
on the other side. More important, the cursor will snap to the center of the symmetry
plane to create only one ZSphere structure and will keep it aligned to this plane as long
as the symmetry mode is enabled. The mirrored cursors will be green when you are on
the working plane axis. They will snap together whenever they come close to each other.
Note:
With Radial Symmetry, the color of the circle may vary from green to red, when some of the
circles are located on one of the working planes. This is especially visible when moving the cursor
along the center of the radial symmetry axis.
9. Sculpting on the Adaptive Skin preview
ZBrush offers the ability to sculpt with almost all the ZBrush features while the
ZSpheres are in the Adaptive Skin Preview mode. You can also refine your ZSphere
model without losing your sculpting by the Preview mode on and off. The sculpting on
your model will be safe as long as you don’t change the flow of your Adaptive Skin poly-
gons when updating your ZSphere shape. (For example, as long as you don’t add or
remove any ZSpheres.)
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Even though ZBrush has this ability, it is strongly advised to not use the Adaptive
Skin Preivew for sculpting or painting. Any significant change to the ZSpheres can cause
the model’s topology to change, at which point you will lose all your sculpting.
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III ZSphere Structure and Organization
ZSphere creation is flexible, but keeping the following information in mind will help
you create a better polygon skin and understand situations where the topology might be
different from what you were expecting.
1. ZSpheres are “Cubes”!
ZSpheres look round, but for purposes of skinning they are actually treated as cubes.
To help you understand the best strategy for your ZSpheres creations, imagine that
each sphere is a cube and each face of the cube can be extruded only once. (Adding a
child will extrude the side that the child is attached to.) This results in the ability to ex-
trude a maximum of 6 faces. The construction structure is close to a polygonal modeling
technique known as box modeling.
By working this way, the resulting topology of the Adaptive Skin will produce the best
organization of polygons. Of course, ZSpheres do allow you to work with more extrusions
but the more you add, the less organized the topology will be. Nothing prevents you to
create an Octopus with 26 tentacles, but the resulting topology may limit your ability to
cleanly sculpting in these areas.
By using the DynaMesh mode when creating an Adaptive Skin, you will produce
a result which is able to be sculpted. However, it will contain a lot more polygons than
a regular Adaptive Skin. The DynaMesh option is ideal for times when you are using
ZSpheres as a way to quickly sketch out a shape that will be further explored after skin-
ning.
On the left, the original ZSphere model. On the right, the Adaptive Skin previewed as a DynaMesh
model.
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Note:
It is not possible to change the shape of a ZSphere to another one, like having the ZSphere
be star-tube shapes. You can, however replace the ZSphere or the Connector with a PolyMesh3D
object, which will then become part of the Adaptive Skin. Please refer to the Classic Skinning sec-
tion for more information.
2. Final Purpose of ZSpheres: Strategy Choices
It is important to consider the final purpose of your ZSphere structure. Depending

on whether it is for creating clean topology to sculpt on, for ZSketch support or just as a
mass of material which will become a DynaMesh, your creation process will vary.
• For creating the nicest and cleanest topology, try to have the most “box model-
ing” strategy when adding your ZSpheres and try to keep to a limit of one “extru-
sion” per “face.” (Limit of 6 Connectors per ZSphere.)
• For ZSketch support or for a model to later use with DynaMesh you aren’t really
going to care about the topology created by the Adaptive Skin and so can can
be more loose with ZSphere placement. This is mainly because the generated
topology will be based around the ZSketch, or evenly distributed when you ac-
tivate DynaMesh mode.
3. Preview of Inconsistent Structure
To prevent incoherence in your ZSpheres creation, ZBrush will display any potential
problem areas as transparent – both ZSpheres and connectors. If you create an Adap-
tive Skin while any portion of your structure is transparent you may find that there are
topological errors in the generated mesh.
These inconsistent structures most often happen when two ZSpheres are too close
to each other or when a ZSphere is sharing multiple connectors.
To correct this topology issue, slightly move your ZSpheres until the transparen-
cy goes away. On more complex ZSphere structures, you may have to delete some
ZSpheres or try another construction scheme to prevent an inconsistent structure.
With this warning system, you should be able to avoid any topology surprises when
generating your Adaptive Skin.
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On the left, the original shape. On the right, the top ZSphere has been moved and the link is trans-
parent, indicating an error.
4. Advanced Operations in ZSphere Creation
You can improve your creative experience when working with ZSphere by using the
following modifier hotkeys:
4.1 Create ZSphere of the same size as its parent
While drawing to create a new ZSphere, hold the Shift key. The child ZSphere will
be created at exactly the same as its parent. You must start dragging first, then press
and hold the Shift key. Pressing the Shift key before the insertion of the ZSphere will not
generate the effect.
4.2 Moving a ZSphere During its Creation
While drawing a new ZSphere, press and hold the CTRL key while you continue
moving the cursor. You will be able to move the ZSphere along the axis perpendicular to
its insertion point (the surface normal) until you release the CTRL key.
After releasing the CTRL key (but not the cursor click!), you will be able to move the
ZSphere across the screen working plane. If you press the CTRL key again, you will have
the ability to Scale the ZSphere.
Warning:
Take care to not tap the CTRL key or you may instead trigger Free Draw mode (see
below).
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4.3 Free Draw Mode
When drawing to create a new ZSphere, tap the CTRL key twice and continue mov-
ing the cursor. New ZSpheres will be added as you move your cursor across the drawing
plane, with the insertions being based on your cursor movements. Just release the cursor
click to finalize your ZSphere drawing.
If you already used the CTRL key once or twice to move the ZSphere during its cre-
ation (see above), you may only need to tap once on the CTRL key to activate Free Draw.
4.4 ZSpheres with SubTools
Similar to a PolyMesh3D, you can create a ZSphere structure as the SubTool of

another model. This offers two main benefits:
• You can build your ZSphere model relative to other SubTools, helping you in
respecting proportions and shapes. You will notice that the ZSpheres will au-
tomatically snap to the underlying surfaces when building your hierarchy. This
function is a great help if you wish to construct props for other models. When
done, simply generate your Adaptive Skin model and append it to your SubTool
before deleting the ZSpheres SubTool. (The Make Adaptive Skin function cre-
ates a new Tool and does not replace the current SubTool.)
Note:
If Transparency is enabled, the ZSpheres won’t snap to the underlying surfaces.
• It is possible to use the ZSphere retopology function when loaded as a SubTool.

This will let you snap to the surface of the model that you wish to retopologize.
This snapping will work across all visible SubTools, which is not possible using
the Rigging topology function. Please, refer to the Retopology section of the
ZSphere documentation for more information on Rigging.
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IV Adaptive Skinning: Creating Polygons from ZSpheres
Adaptive skinning is the method by which ZSphere models can be converted to edit-
able polygons. It analyzes the structure of the ZSphere model, i.e. how child branches
are formed from parent branches, and builds a low-resolution mesh based on that analy-
sis. With adaptive skinning, each ZSphere is treated as a cube or rectangular solid, with
the number of polygons along each edge of the cube determined by the Adaptive Skin
Resolution setting.
Adaptive skinning is probably the most commonly used skinning method with
ZSpheres and allows a good deal of control over the final topology if you take the time to
plan ahead as explained in the previous chapters.
The Adaptive Skin functions are visible only if a ZSphere is currently in Edit mode.
They are located in the Tool >> Adaptive Skin sub-palette.
Note:
The Tool >> Unified Skin function can also be used for ZSpheres. It produces a mesh simply
by merging all ZSpheres and covering the resulting surface with a (usually high-resolution) mesh.
Various settings control how tightly the mesh will follow the contours of the spheres, smoothing,
and final mesh density. Unified skinning makes it easy to produce models of arbitrary structure for
which you do not need tight control of topology, or which will serve as a prototype for later models.
1. Adaptive Skin in Action
The workflow to create Adaptive Skin for ZSpheres is simple and can be summa-
rized in few steps:
1. Build your ZSphere structure.

2. When you wish to visualize the corresponding polygons, activate the Tool >>
Adaptive Skin >> Preview button (Hotkey A). Your ZSphere model will be im-
mediately swapped with the corresponding 3D mesh.
3. Quit the Preview mode (or press the A hotkey) to go back to your ZSphere
model, which you can continue building or tweaking.
4. Press the A hotkey to Preview the Adaptive Skin again. If you wish to modify the
Adaptive Skin settings, turn the Preview mode off and change them as describe
below, then press the A hotkey again. These settings can’t be changed while in
Preview mode.
5. As soon as you are satisfied with your model, you can validate your Adaptive
Skin by clicking Tool >> Adaptive Skin >> Make Adaptive Skin. This will create
a new model in the Tool palette named, “Skin_your_ZSphere_model_name.”
Select it to work on it rather than the ZSphere model. (Your ZSphere model
remains as a separate entity in case you wish to continue modifying it to create
other models.)
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2. Adaptive Skin Functions
This section describes the various functions which affect generation of the Adaptive
Skin. They are located in the Tool >> Adaptive Skin sub-palette. You must set these val-
ues before using Preview mode or creating an Adaptive Skin.
Preview
Preview mode analyzes the ZSphere structure and combines the various settings to
generate a mesh with clean topology, composed only of quadrangle polygons.
This structure is temporary and may change each time you switch to Preview mode.
However, such changes will only happen if you significantly move your ZSpheres, add or
remove ZSpheres, or change some of the Adaptive Skin settings.
Density
The Density slider sets the number of subdivision levels which will be calculated for
your model and so affects how smooth the surface will be. A low value will create a low
polygon model while a high value will create a very dense mesh.
This setting is important when combined with the ZSphere functions for Topology
and Projection.
DynaMesh Resolution
DynaMesh Resolution must be set to greater than 0 in order to generate a Dy-
naMesh skin. If the setting is 0 it will instead create a classic Adaptive skin.
Internally, ZBrush creates the default Adaptive Skin preview and then converts it to
a DynaMesh. If you want smoother surfaces even if your DynaMesh Resolution is high,
increase the Adaptive Skin slider.
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G Radial (Global Radial Density)

The Global Radial Density slider defines the number of edge loops created between
any two ZSpheres.
Note:
G Radial is not like the Density slider. G Radial will increase just the number of edge loops
while the Density slider will multiply by 4 the number of polygons in the Adaptive Skin. Increasing
the G Radial slider will make the Adaptive Skin surface closer to the ZSphere shapes.
Max Twist (Max Twist Tolerance)

The Max Twist Tolerance slider defines how much a child ZSphere can be twisted
relative to its parent. You must first click on the ZSphere you wish to rotate and then
change the Max Twist value before using the Preview mode.
Proximity
The Proximity Tolerance slider value adjusts the geometry where several ZSpheres
intersect each other to create a more topology-friendly mesh.
Use Classic Skinning

This deactivates the ZSpheres II skinning algorithm and uses the original ZSphere
skinning method. Please refer to the dedicated chapter below.
Make Adaptive Skin

The Make Adaptive Skin button creates a new mesh from your ZSphere structure
by stretching a ‘skin’ around its surface, and making a number of decisions based on the
various settings.
The Adaptive Skin can produce low to high polygons versions of the model, all with
clean and well organized topology. This geometry results in a mesh that is ready to be
sculpted and further subdivided as desired.
When pressing the button, a new Tool is created by ZBrush and automatically added
to the Tool palette. If you wish to switch to it and begin sculpting, you must select it first.
Its name will be “Skin_your_zsphere_model_name”.
Tip:
Make Adaptive Skin versus Make PolyMesh 3D: Both operations do the same thing:
create a new Tool that is ready to be edited and sculpted. The difference is that the Make
Adaptive Skin function will convert the Density slider value to Subdivision levels (Tool >>
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Geometry >> Subdivision Level slider) -- an important function when working with the
Projection settings. The Tool >> Make PolyMesh3D function will only use the Density
setting to determine the number of polygons, with no subdivision levels. Also, the newly
created Tool will be selected.
Compared to Unified Skins (which can be generated from any 3D object), Adaptive
Skins are better for models with fewer polygons, and can create cleaner meshes.
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V Classic Skinning
This Classic Skinning mode, located in the Adaptive Skin palette, swaps the default
mesh generation algorithm to the older ZSpheres I version. In general, this algorithm isn’t
as accurate but it offers interesting functions which are not accessible in ZSpheres II.
For some specific needs, long term ZBrush users still use ZSpheres I, and for more
than simply loading legacy files. Also, the ZBrush mannequin sample projects use Clas-
sic Skinning because these mannequins are composed only of ZSpheres!
1. Magnets
It is possible to distort the shape of a ZSphere Adaptive Skin mesh by using Mag-
nets. This technique can be very useful for creating wings and similar shapes or adding
bulk where it’s needed.
To add a magnet:
1. In Draw mode, add a regular ZSphere at the place where you want the magnet
to have an effect on the mesh.
2. In Move and Scale mode, adjust position and size of the ZSphere.
• The farther the ZSphere is from its parent, the more strongly the magnet
will pull the mesh.
• The larger the ZSphere is, the more surface will be affect by the magnet.
3. In Draw mode, hold ALT while clicking the connector, which will cause the con-
nector disappear and the magnet ZSphere change to become a flat transparent
disk.
4. Press the A hotkey to Preview the mesh. You can refine the magnet’s effects
by quitting Preview mode and adjusting the position or scale of the magnet as
necessary.
To change a magnet back to a regular ZSphere:
1. In Move mode, click on the magnet to select it. This will make its connecting
lines appear.
2. Switch to Draw mode and hold ALT while clicking the white ZSphere link. The
connector will reappear and the ZSphere will change to normal.
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2. Invisible Connectors - Disconnecting Parts of the Model
ZSpheres in Classic Skinning mode offer the ability to create disconnected areas
even though the internal hierarchy of the ZSpheres is connected.
The process to disconnect parts of the ZSpheres is the same as creating a Magnet
except that the ZSphere which would otherwise become a magnet is simply given one or
more children before ALT+clicking on the connector.
See the Magnets section for more information about the process.
3. Edgeloop Sockets
Edgeloops can be formed by adding smaller ZSpheres to the model. If these

ZSpheres are moved inwards they will form a socket, suitable for sculpting eyes and
similar shapes.
To add an edgeloop socket:
1. In Draw mode, add a ZSphere where you want the socket.

2. In Move mode, move the new ZSphere inwards until it appears to turn inside
out.
3. The edgeloop socket will be visible when turning on Preview.
To remove the socket, simply move the ZSphere outward from its parent.
Tip:
In some circumstances, adding two small ZSpheres one on top of the other can
produce a better result. The second ZSphere, which is the one pushed inwards, should
be slightly smaller than the first.
4. Classic Skinning Functions
When using Classic Skinning mode, different settings to generate the Adaptive Skin
are available, offering new possibilities.
Ires (Intersection Resolution)

The Intersection Resolution slider affects the way Adaptive Skins are made. When
creating an Adaptive Skin, each ZSphere is either converted to a low- or high-resolution
portion of the model. The Intersection Resolution determines how many child spheres
can sprout from a particular ZSphere before it is converted to a high-resolution portion.
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You may have to adjust the Intersection Resolution if certain ZSpheres with many
child spheres don’t convert properly when creating an Adaptive Skin.
Mbr (Membrane Curvature)

The Membrane Curvature slider affects the way webbing (a membrane) is created
when making an Adaptive Skin. Membranes can be generated at ‘L’ or ‘T’-shaped inter-
sections of ZSphere models. This slider determines the size of the membrane. 0 means
no membrane while 100 is the maximum.
Mc (Minimal Skin to Child)

The Minimal Skin to Child mode affects the way adaptive skins are generated at in-
tersections where ZSpheres have multiple children connected to them. At such intersec-
tions, the first child ZSphere in each limb determines the connecting points for the mesh,
but does not contribute additional polygons as it would ordinarily.
This enables you the ablity to generate V-shaped intersections with clean meshes
and results in more continuous curves. It’s also helpful in skinning multiple poses which
might otherwise generate meshes of unequal polygon counts.
Mp (Minimal Skin to Parent)

The Minimal Skin to Parent mode affects the way adaptive skins are generated at
intersections where ZSpheres have multiple child connectors connected to them. At such
intersections, the parent ZSphere preceding the intersection determines the connecting
points for the mesh but does not contribute additional polygons as it would ordinarily. This
results in more continuous curves and it’s also helpful in skinning multiple poses which
might otherwise generate meshes of unequal polygon counts.
Pd (Pre Divide)
The Pre Divide slider adjusts the density of the lowest resolution for this ZSphere
object. If set higher than 1, the density is increased.
This slider is active only when a Local Mesh or Connector Mesh has been inserted
into this ZSphere object. The lowest-resolution density can be adjusted to match the
starting resolution of the imported mesh; thereafter both can be subdivided into higher-
resolution levels.
Insert Local Mesh

The Insert Local Mesh button enables you to select a 3D object from the Tool pal-
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ette. It then inserts that model into the active ZSphere that you clicked on prior to the
operation. If Symmetry is active, copies of the object are placed in symmetrically-located
ZSpheres as well.
The object’s dimensions are adjusted to fit within the ZSphere’s radius and the
ZSphere is effectively converted to a magnet sphere. The inserted mesh can be moved
and resized in the same ways as any other ZSpheres are transformed.
Insert Connector Mesh

The Insert Connector Mesh button enables you to select a 3D object from the Tool
palette which is then inserted into the Connector between the active ZSphere and its
parent. If Symmetry is active, copies of the object are placed in symmetrically-located
connector links as well.
The object is inserted so its Z axis lies along the connector line between the active
ZSphere and its parent. Its ends extend from the center of the ZSphere to the center of
its parent.
Furthermore, an inserted Connector Mesh can extend across multiple ZSpheres,

with evenly-divided segments bending at each position. This is done by moving up the
ZSphere chain and ALT-clicking links to convert/include each successive parent.
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VI ZSphere Rigging
ZSpheres can be use to deform a 3D model which is bound to the ZSphere structure
by simply manipulating the connectors or the ZSpheres themselves like you would ma-
nipulate bones in another 3D package. In this way, you have the ability to quickly pose
your character. When using ZSpheres to rig, try to only use Rotate. Using Move during
rigging can generate unwanted deformations to your mesh.
Last but not last, you can save your poses through the ZBrush timeline. Combined
with 3D Layers and other deformation functions, this can be used to create an animation
for export as a movie.
1. Binding a Model to a ZSphere Model
Before doing the bind action, it is important to prepare your content:
• You must have your 3D model ready to be use. It is advised to avoid high resolu-
tion models with millions of polygons or your future deformations may be slow,
depending on your computer performance. Then switch to the lowest level of
resolution in the Tool >> Geometry sub-palette.
• Your ZSphere skeleton must approximately fit your polygonal model like a real
skeleton in a body. You can add extra ZSpheres/bones to improve the defor-
mations, especially on locations where the ZSphere structure is far from the
surface of the 3D model.
Note:
The positions of the ZSpheres are important but are not the only determiner for the effect
on your skinning. Make sure that the Root ZSphere is somewhere that doesn’t bend sharply
itself, usually near to the center of gravity for the model. For a typical humanoid, you will want a
ZSphere below the Root for the hip and a ZSphere above it for the ribcage.
Tip:
Create your ZSphere skeleton as a SubTool of your model. By default, the ZSpheres
will snap to the polygonal surface which could make this particular ZSphere process te-
dious. To avoid this side effect, simply switch to Ghost Transparency mode. When done,
clone the skeleton and use it to bind your PolyMesh model.
1. Create a ZSphere skeleton that fits the model to be rigged.

2. In the Tool >> Rigging sub-palette, click the Select mesh button and in the float-
ing window, select the mesh to Rig.
3. Click the Bind Mesh button to automatically create the Skinning.
4. Your mesh is ready to be deformed by manipulating the ZSpheres.
An alternative is to start with a single ZSphere and then Select the mesh. Before
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clicking on the Bind button, add and edit your ZSphere model to fit your needs. When
ready, press the Bind button.
If you switch to PolyFrame view mode (hotkey Shift+F or located in the Transform
palette), ZBrush will create temporary polygroups which will display the deformation ar-
eas affected by each ZSphere. These polygroups are not exported or saved with the
posed model.
Note:
The scale of ZSpheres does not affect how they bind to the mesh.
2. Previewing and saving the deformed pose
After a few deformations, you may need to see your model without the ZSphere rig.
Simple press the A hotkey or switch to the Preview mode located in the Tool >> Adaptive
Skin sub-palette. The ZSpheres will temporary disappear, leaving only the geometry.
If your model seems to be more subdivided than it should be, simply modify the Tool
>> Adaptive Skin >> Density slider.
When you are satisfied with the pose generated for the model and wish to save it as
a new Tool, press the Tool >> Adaptive Skin >> Make Adaptive Skin button.
If your model has sculpting details and you bound a low polygon version by first
defining a low level of subdivision, you can Preview the detail projection. However, you
must follow some steps before creating your pose:
1. Load a model which has (as an example) 3 subdivision levels.

2. Create your ZSphere rig and bind your model to it.
3. Before you make a pose set the Tool >> Adaptive Skin >> Density slider to
match the model’s subdivisions levels. (In this example, set it to 3.)
4. Click Tool >> Adaptive Skin >> Preview. Your model should be displayed.
5. Now click somewhere on the mesh or make a small stroke. This operation will
alter the mesh and force the projection of details.
6. Turn the Preview off.
7. Create your pose by manipulating your ZSpheres.
8. To Preview your details, simply hold the Shift key when clicking the Tool >>
Adaptive Skin >> Preview button. You should see the detail on the new pose.
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3. Rigging with Mannequins
It is possible to use Mannequins as rigs but you need to remove the connector
meshes before the rig will bind:
1. Turn PolyFrame display on (Hotkey Shift + F) so you can see the mesh and
PolyFrame colors. This will help in locating the Connector meshes.
2. Make sure Draw mode is active and then position your cursor over a Connector.
3. If you see a little square (which may be green), you are in the right place. Hold
ALT and click to delete the Connector mesh. If you see a red circle do NOT click
- you are over a ZSphere and it will be deleted. If you make a mistake, press
CTRL+Z to undo.
4. Continue Alt+clicking to remove all the Connector Meshes. When all are gone,
you will be ready.
5. You can now scale and position the ZSpheres so that they fit into the mesh you
are rigging.
6. Finally press Tool >> Rigging >> Bind Mesh. You can now begin posing!
4. Rigging Tips
Below are some useful tips and tricks to keep in mind when working with the ZBrush
rigging function:
• Arms should be around 45 degrees or more away from the body. Otherwise they
can get caught up in the ZSpheres for the spine.
• If the weighting is not right, unbind the mesh by pressing Bind Mesh again to
turn it off. (The button should no longer be orange.) Now try to reposition some
of your ZSpheres. Press Bind Mesh once you are ready to test the weighting
again.
• When you turn Bind Mesh off, your mesh returns to your bind pose.
5. Rigging functions
Bind Mesh
The Bind Mesh button allows you to bind the mesh previously chosen using the Se-
lect Mesh button. The button is greyed out until you select a Tool to rig.
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Select Mesh
The Select Mesh button selects the polymesh that you wish to rig (or retopologize)
using ZSpheres. If you want to retopologize a model, use Select Mesh and then instead
of choosing Bind Mesh you would turn on Tool >> Topology >> Edit Topology.
Delete Mesh
Press Delete Mesh to delete the mesh from the Rigging sub-palette.
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VII Retopologizing with ZSpheres
The ZSphere retopologize feature lets you create a new mesh over a selected model
appended ZSphere. This allows you to not only create new topology but also has the
capacity to “shrink wrap” the new geometry over your existing model. This mesh can be
created for an entire model or just a single area, allowing you to create quick accessories
for your model.
For more information about retopology and the other dedicated functions found in
ZBrush, please refer to the Retopologizing in ZBrush part of the documentation.
1. Overview of Creating New Topology
To create new topology you will have to use two sub-palettes: Rigging and Topology.
When creating topology in ZBrush you do not have to close all polygon faces. ZBrush
will automatically close many of these polygon faces for you. The setting that determines
how many unconnected vertices that ZBrush will close is Tool >> Topology >> Max Strip
Length. If ZBrush is closing holes that you do not want it to close, set this number to 4.
Just create the topology and press Make Adaptive Skin. You can then import this into
your original model as a SubTool. You could also keep it as a ZSphere model if you want
to edit the topology later. If you plan on doing this it may be good to delete the mesh from
the rigging palette (Press Tool >> Rigging >> Delete).
When working with the topology, you will see a different representation of your
ZSpheres, with just small dots on the point positions, and the connection between them
replacing the connector. Unlike a classic ZSphere rig, you can of course close your edges
to create your polygons.
When you prepare to create a point, you will notice extra indicators:
• The red circle represents the active vertex. When you close a poly face, ZBrush
keeps the previous vertices active, which allows you to more quickly build up
poly faces on your model.
• The green circle represents the highlighted vertex or connector. It is only visible
when holding the Shift key while hovering over an active point or selector.
If you want to connect another vertex than the one active to yet another vertex, press
Shift while clicking on the vertex you want to connect and then simply click on that other
vertex.
Note:
This vertex selection operation can also be done with the CTRL key. But this operation could
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create a mask on the clicked vertex, resulting in a point which will be unmovable until you clear the
mask. That’s why the Shift key is advised.
2. Steps to Create the New Topology
Follow these simple steps to start creating new Topology with ZSpheres:
1. First, draw a ZSphere on the canvas and go into Edit mode (Hotkey T).
2. Go to the Tool >> Rigging sub-palette and press Select. Choose from the popup
window the model that you want to retopologize. If it is not found in the Tool
palette you can press the Load button at this time.
3. Click Tool >> Topology >> Edit Topology.
4. Turn Transform >> Symmetry on (if needed – Hotkey X) and click on the model
to begin creating new geometry.
• Create quadrangles by connecting the vertices to each other.
• Click on mid segments to insert extra vertices.
5. Press A on the keyboard or Tool >> Adaptive Skin >> Preview to see the new
mesh. When done, toggle the Preview mode again to continue editing the topol-
ogy.
6. If you wish to project the details from your original model to the new topology,
first increase the Tool >> Adaptive Skin >> Density value to reach the original
mesh polygon count. Then enable the Tool >> Projection >> Projection mode.
Each time you Preview the Adaptive Skin, ZBrush will project the details onto it.
7. When you are done, press Tool >> Adaptive Skin >> Make Adaptive Skin.
8. If you are creating armor or helmets you may want to use the Skin Thickness
slider to give your new mesh some depth.
3. Importing Topology
You can also bring topology into ZBrush as an OBJ. The steps for this are below:
1. Import your model in ZBrush using the Tool >> Import function.
2. Select the old model you want to retopologize.
3. Press Tool >> SubTool >> Append and select the newly imported model that
represents new topology
4. Make sure they line up correctly.
5. Select a ZSphere primitive and draw it on the canvas.
6. Press Tool >> Rigging >> Select and select the design sculpt from the pop up
window. This is the Tool with the geometry you want to change.
7. In the Tool Palette select the model that has the design sculpt and new topology
sculpt as SubTools of each other
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8. Make the new topology sculpt the active SubTool by selecting it in the list.
9. Select the ZSphere you used earlier
10. Press Tool >> Topology >> Select and select the previous tool. Since the new
topology is the active SubTool it will bring that in instead. (Note that there is a
25,000 poly limit on the base mesh.)
11. Press Edit Topology.
12. A mask will have been created automatically. If you want to push or pull points
you must clear the mask by pressing Tool >> Masking >> Clear.
13. Press Tool >> Rigging >> Projection
14. Press Tool >> Adaptive Skin >> Preview
15. Adjust Tool >> Adaptive Skin >> Density to a higher level so as to have more
polygons in your new mesh.
4. ZSphere Topology Functions
This is the description of the different functions related to the retopology process.
Edit Topology
This Edit Topology mode switches the ZSphere functionality to creating new topology
for an existing model by placing points on the surface of your model to create polygons.
Select Topo
The Select Topo button prompts you to select a model for which you want to edit
topology directly. This allows you to edit an existing model’s topology to do things like add
or remove points, connecting vertices with new edges, and so on.
Warning:
This is NOT the same as Tool >> Rigging >> Select.
Delete Topology Mesh

The Delete Topology Mesh button deletes all the topology lines that you created or
imported through the Select Topo feature.
PreSubdiv
The PreSubdiv slider, when set to values above 1, causes a mesh generated from
new topology to be subdivided 1 or more times. This is intended for use when the Tool >>
Rigging >> Project switch is on. The subdivision is performed before details are projected
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onto the new mesh, and as a result, a higher value for Subdiv will allow more details to
be captured by the new mesh.
TopoSmooth
The TopoSmooth slider determines how the ZSpheres will control the falloff of the
ZSphere binding when posing the mesh.
Max Strip Length

As you add lines and vertices when retopologizing a model, ZBrush looks for op-
portunities to automatically add connecting lines where you are likely to want them. Max
Strip Length controls how aggressively ZBrush will attempt to auto-insert connecting
lines.
To turn off this feature entirely, set the slider to its minimum value.
Note:
Depending on your workflow, you may find that ZBrush doesn’t auto-insert lines or inserts
them at places you don’t want them. This is a reflection of the fact that each user will do things in
a particular way and ZBrush’s insertion algorithm functions better with some workflows than with
others.
Skin Thickness
You can create a solid (double-sided) model from single-sided topology using Tool
>> Adaptive Skin >> Make Adaptive Skin. For example, you could create topology for a
shoe using a foot as the underlying topology guide. When creating a model in this way,
Skin Thickness sets the thickness of the generated double-sided model.
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VIII Projection with ZSpheres
The Adaptive Skin created from your ZSphere can be projected on the bound model,
only. As a result, this function can’t be used in conjunction with SubTools.
Through this process, your new model with its own topology will have the same
visual details are your source model. This step is the final one after creating retopology
from another model.
1. Projection Steps
Follow these steps to project the original details onto your new model:
1. After you have laid out the topology, press Tool >> Projection >> Projection.
2. Set the Tool >> Adaptive Skin >> Density slider high enough to capture all the
detail of your reference mesh. The goal is to have approximately the same num-
ber of polygons on the new topology that it was on the original mesh.
3. Press “A” on your keyboard to Preview the adaptive skin with the projected
details.
4. Press Tool >> Adaptive Skin >> Make Adaptive Skin when you are ready to con-
vert your topology to a polymesh object for sculpting and exporting. By pressing
the Make Adaptive Skin button, you will keep the number of subdivision levels
that the Tool >> Adaptive Skin >> Density slider is set to. This will give you a
better sculpting experience than with a single-level mesh.
2. Improving the Projection
Depending on your original model and how you built its new topology, you may en-
counter some projection artifacts.
• If your model explodes when you press the “A” hotkey to Preview your model,
try changing the Tool >> Projection >> Projection Strength to -1. It happens be-
cause the projection is searching for the surface in the wrong direction. Setting
a negative value should solve the problem.
• If there are flat spots in your projection increase the Tool >> Projection >> Pro-
jectRange slider.
3. Projection Functions
This is a description of the Projection functions and how they combine with the Adap-
tive Skin functions.
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Note:
These functions are not available when the Adaptive Skin is in Preview mode.
Projection
When the Projection switch is on, the new mesh created from retopology will have
details from the underlying mesh projected onto it. This is intended to allow transfer of
sculpting from an original mesh to a retopologized version of that mesh. This is affected
by other controls in the Rigging and Topology sub-palettes, so reading the descriptions
for the controls in those sub-palettes is a good idea before using projection.
PMulti
The Project Multiple mode projects multiple SubTools during the Projection opera-
tion.
Projection Strength
The primary purpose of Projection Strength is to adjust flipped normals. If you find
your vertices are being projected extremely inaccurately when a new mesh is created
with projection on, you may have a flipped normals problem, in which case setting Projec-
tion Strength to -1 before projecting will fix it. In addition, you can use this setting to create
projected details that are more or less amplified as compared to the original details.
ProjectRange
When mesh details are projected, only details within a certain distance of the new
mesh’s surface are copied onto it. You can adjust this range upwards to project detail
onto parts of your new mesh that have ended up farther away from the surface of the
original model. If set too high, you may get details from other areas of the original model
projected onto the new mesh.
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IX Display Properties
The Tool >> Display Properties sub-palette offers specific options dedicated to the
ZSpheres. You must have a ZSphere loaded as a Tool and not in Preview mode to have
access to these options.
Density
The Density slider determines how many gray connector spheres are drawn be-
tween parent ZSpheres when editing.
Color Int
The Color Intensity slider affects the way connectors are displayed in a ZSphere
object. Normally they are displayed darker than the parent ZSpheres. This slider deter-
mines the percentage intensity of the parents’ colors to use. If this slider is set to 100%,
they are displayed at full color intensity.
Size
The Display Size slider is helpful when editing a densely-packed ZSphere model. It
determines the relative display size of each ZSphere; changing this slider to a smaller
value enables you to gain better access to individual ZSpheres.
This slider does not impact the model’s geometry or its generated mesh.
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ZBrush User Guide - ZSketch
ZSKETCH
Quick 3D Sketching within ZBrush and ZSpheres.
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ZBrush Artist: Mia Lee
ZSketch is a technology based on ZSpheres, modified to let you create models by

layering strips of material. The process is designed to be very similar to clay sculpting
where one would add clay to a wire armature to create shape and form.
Because it is based on ZSpheres and the technology is hierarchal, it’s important to

create strings of ZSpheres like you would apply strips of clay onto a real-world model.
Avoid going forward and backward in the same brush stroke.
Creation of these strips of ZSpheres can also be combined with smoothing. ZBrush
provides several different Smooth brushes for sketching that will have different effects
on your mesh.
ZSketch can be used in three different ways:

• By using a standard ZSphere skeleton which will become an armature for the
ZSketch ZSpheres.
• By using just a single ZSphere like a lump of clay and then building your model
up in the 3D workspace.
• By adding a ZSphere as a SubTool to any mesh before entering ZSketch mode
and drawing directly onto the other SubTool.
Each technique has its own advantages and which method to choose will depend
upon your needs or personal preferences.
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I ZSketch Basics
This first section will cover the basic information to know about ZSketch and how to
use it. Please refer to the later sections for more detailed information.
1. How to Access ZSketch
ZSketch is based on ZSpheres. You can only access ZSketch if you have a ZSphere
Tool (a single ZSphere or a hierarchy of ZSpheres) loaded and the ZSphere is in Edit
mode in your Document.
At this stage, you will have access to the Tool >> ZSketch SubPalette and its various
functions. You need only turn on EditSketch mode to then use the dedicated ZSketch
brushes found in the Brush palette.
Note:
While you have a ZSphere Tool in Edit mode with the mesh Preview turned off, the Brush
palette changes to only contain dedicated ZSketch brushes. Additional suitable brushes may be
loaded using the Brush tab in LightBox, where you will find a ZSketch folder.
2. ZSketching
The process of ZSketching is simple and intuitive but some general rules must be
kept in mind to produce better models.
By default, ZSketch needs a support to be attached to. If no support mesh/ZSphere

is found (such as if your brush stroke moves off the support mesh and onto empty can-
vas) the ZSketch will be drawn on the document working plane. In this case, you can edit
the created shape with the various modification tools.
It is advised to first create a ZSphere armature that has roughly the shape of your
final model. You can then draw your ZSketch on top of that by turning on Tool >> ZS-
ketch >> EditSketch (Shift+A). From this point you can apply individual strokes which
build strips of ZSpheres, with the results being specific to the current brush presets.
These dedicated ZSketch brushes are different from ZBrush’s standard geometry sculpt-
ing brushes. Please refer to the ZSketch Brushes section, below.
Working this way will also give you new editing capabilities by editing your base
ZSphere model and then propagating these changes to the ZSketch model. Please refer
to the “Deformation of a ZSketch” chapter below.
Control both the size of the brush that you are using and the speed of your stroke.
These affect the volume of the inserted strips of spheres and the distance between them
(creating more or fewer spheres). Too many spheres can slow down performance without
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contributing meaningfully to the generated mesh.
To improve your process, try to:
• Draw strips of spheres in a nice and constant curve. Avoid creating complex
paths in one stroke.
• Start with a large brush size to block out your mass and then reduce the brush
size when starting to work on smaller details.
• Use the Smooth brushes to clean your strokes and avoid bumpy effects.
Don’t forget to use the Move/Scale/Rotate modes. Combined with Masks, these
let you rework your strips of spheres. Remember ZSketch spheres are like geometry
in many ways and most ZBrush functions will work on them, such as the AutoMasking
PolyGroup functions.
3. How to Generate the Mesh
Because ZSketch is an extension of ZSphere technology, it is a mesh generator

comprised of mathematical processes. These spheres are not sculptable polygons like
PolyMesh3D meshes are. Before you can use standard sculpting brushes rather than the
dedicated ZSketch brushes, you must either create a temporary preview mesh by using
the Unified Skin feature, or covert the model to final geometry. Any operation that affects
a model at the polygonal level is similarly restricted.
Simply use Tool >> Unified Skin >> Preview button to generate the temporary mesh.
(Shortcut A) This will use the current Unified Skin settings. Bear in mind that while you
can sculpt and even PolyPaint a preview mesh, there are still advanced geometry editing
features that remain unavailable as long as the model remains connected to the underly-
ing ZSpheres. Also, any edits made in Preview mode will be lost the instant you turn the
Preview off.
To have full freedom to edit your mesh you must generate a final PolyMesh3D mod-
el. Do this by pressing Tool >> Unified Skin >> Make Unified Skin, which will create a
new Tool using your current Unified Skin settings. You can then select that new figure and
start sculpting like you would any other geometry-based model.
Please refer to the “Create a 3D Model from a ZSketch” section for more information.
4. Accessing the Brushes
The ZSketch brushes are not listed in the default Brush pop-up. To see them at all
you must first switch turn on Tool >> ZSketch >> Edit ZSketch while a ZSphere model
is in Edit mode. Even then, the ZSketch brushes will be replaced by normal sculpting
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brushes if you turn on Preview mode. This behavior serves several purposes: It reduces
interface clutter, serves as an indicator of which mode you are currently in and also pre-
vents you from accidentally trying to use brushes that are incompatible with your current
mode.
Extra ZSketch brushes can be found in the ZSketch folder located in the Brushes tab
of LightBox. Simply double click on any desired brush to load it.
Like other ZBrush brushes, you can alter a ZSketch brush with new settings. If you
find a combination that you especially like you can save it using the Brush >> Save As
command.
Please refer to the ZSketch Brushes section for more information about these brush-
es’ behaviors and functions.
5. Smoothing
As with the standard geometry smoothing brushes, your ZSketch Smooth brush is
activated by holding down the Shift key. You can switch to a different ZSketch Smooth
brush by holding Shift and selecting the one of your choice. For example, if you hold
down shift and click on Smooth1 then this brush will become the current Smooth brush
for the remainder of the session or until changed by holding Shift and selecting a new
Smooth brush.
The properties (such as Z Intensity or the Smoothing Curve) of the currently selected
Smooth brush can be changed on the fly. Simply hold down Shift to activate the Smooth
brush and adjust the desired settings.
A common workflow is to draw you ZSketch stroke and then smooth it to refine the
shape. By using this approach you can generate a better visual result with clean tube-like
forms.
The Smooth brushes differ in how they affect the extremities of the ZSketch strokes
that they are used upon. Some of the smooth brushes will change the scale to produce
a clean transition between all the strokes while others will simple reduce the thickness.
Please read the ZSketch brush descriptions below.
While smoothing, press the Alt key to smooth a straight line from the first clicked
point. This point can be in the middle of a ZSphere strip or at the root of a ZSphere strip.
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ZBrush Artist: Joseph Drust
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II ZSketch with a ZSphere structure
This method of working is based on a ZSphere skeleton which serves as the ar-
mature for your sketching. The first step will be to create a traditional ZSphere model.
When this structure is finished, you can then lay down strips of clay-like ZSpheres using
ZSketch techniques.
ZBrush Artist: Ryan Kinglsien
1. Create your ZSphere skeleton.

2. Turn on Tool >> ZSketch >> EditSketch (Shift+A). Your ZSphere will change
color to indicate that you are now in ZSketch mode.
3. Be sure to have Edit >> Draw active.
4. In the Brush palette, the traditional sculpting brushes will have been replaced
by a selection of dedicated ZSketch brushes. Descriptions of these brushes
are available below. Pick the one of your choice and start sculpting by creating
simple straight strokes. Avoid “S” or “Z” shaped strokes.
5. Using the Alt key while in Edit mode will delete the clicked ZSpheres. The num-
ber of deleted ZSpheres will depend on the Brush Size. ZBrush will also remem-
ber the order of your strokes. If you hold the Alt key and click on the highest
stroke first it will only delete that stroke as you move up and down.
6. Press the “A” key or use Tool >> Unified Skin >> Preview to see your figure as
geometry. Due to its freeform nature, ZSketch cannot normally use Adaptive
Skin to generate the model. (The exception to this rule is explained in a sec-
tion below.) Remember that you can adjust the Tool >> Unified Skin settings
as desired.
7. Press the “A” Key again to go back to the EditSketch mode and continue your
3D sketch.
8. If needed, press the Tool >> ZSketch >> Optimize button. This will remove any
unnecessary ZSpheres, such as those that might now be ones inside the model
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due to build-up over them.

9. Repeat any of these steps as desired until your model is done.
10. When you are finished sketching press the “A” key to preview your mesh and
perform limited sculpting/painting or click Tool >> Unified Skin >> Make Unified
Skin to create a fully editable mesh, which will be placed in the Tool palette.
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III Free 3D Sketching with ZSketch
This method will give you the traditional feeling of building up from a lump of clay.
When you are starting with nothing you will build up a surface by adding strips of clay on
top of each other. This sketching method is the same as with a ZSphere structure (above)
except that with this method you will create freely in 3D space.
As in traditional sculpting, try to build up the main mass first and then refine with
thin strips of ZSpheres. This is not actually required, though, since ZSketch is powerful
enough to let you create your models as you wish!
ZBrush Artist: Damien Canderle
1. Create a single ZSphere

6. Press the “A” key or use Tool >> Unified Skin >> Preview to see your figure
as geometry. Due to its freeform nature, ZSketch cannot use Adaptive Skin to
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generate the model. Remember that you can adjust the Tool >> Unified Skin
settings as desired.
3D sketch.
10. 1When you are finished sketching press the “A” key to preview your mesh and
Tip:
To create a floating and rounded strip of ZSpheres in the 3D space, create a single ZSphere
with ZSketch, scale it if needed and then create a rounded strip around this single ZSphere.
Smooth and modify it as desired. When your rounded strip is done you can delete the support
ZSphere by Alt+clicking on it.
A hand sculpture, using only ZSketch. Model by Meats Meier.
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IV 3D Sketching on a SubTool
This method lets you use any object as a support mesh, like how a makeup artist
uses a life cast as the base for his sculpting. It will sculpt on any SubTool that is append-
ed with the ZSphere. This is a great workflow for adding form and shape to SubTools.
This process will use the SubTool surface to align the ZSketch strokes. It is best to first
scale down the initial ZSphere to be inside the other SubTools.
1. Append a single ZSphere to any SubTool.

2. Scale the ZSphere down to be inside the SubTools so that you cannot see the
appended ZSphere.
7. Press the “A” key or use Tool >> Unified Skin >> Preview to see your figure
as geometry. Due to its freeform nature, ZSketch cannot use Adaptive Skin to
generate the model. Remember that you can adjust the Tool >> Unified Skin
settings as desired.
3D sketch.
11. When you are finished sketching press the “A” key to preview your mesh and
12. Delete or hide the ZSketch SubTool, then Append the new Tool to the one
that was used to sketch on. The new Unified Skin will be positioned where the
sketch was applied.
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Muscle flow sketched as a SubTool over a skull.
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V Create a 3D model from a ZSketch
When your ZSketch model is done, you can generate the final mesh, which becomes
fully editable with all of ZBrush’s sculpting tools. This model is generated as a Unified
Skin, using voxel technology or you can use Adaptive Skin technology.
1. Unified Skin Method
The ZSketch Unified Skin options. These are different from the Polymesh 3D Unified Skin options.
1. Open the Tool >> Unified Skin SubPalette.

2. Set the Resolution of the final model. Increasing the value (128 by default) will
give more final polygons and more precise duplication of the ZSketch mass but
comes with a price of increased processing time. (Higher resolution settings
are usually only needed if your model has very small ZSpheres that are not
being included correctly in the skinning calculation. If your preview skin simply
doesn’t have enough polygons for the detail that you’ve created, use a higher
SDiv setting instead.)
3. You can add up to 4 additional subdivision levels to the Unified Skin mesh via
the SDiv slider. This setting must be set before turning on the Preview button.
These are extra levels beyond the current one, so if the setting is at 4 then there
will be 5 levels to your Unified Skin when created. Important: SDiv is ONLY
used to set the number of levels that the model will have. While the preview is
active you then use the Tool >> Geometry menu to move between these levels.
4. Change the Smooth slider to give a cube effect to the Unified Skin (0 value) or
apply smoothing to the resulting voxels.
5. Change the Polish slider to polish the resulting model. This option will remove
fine details made on your Sketch model but will also create cleaner topology
and add PolyGroups where the topology indicates that they would be useful.
This option provides good results for a large base mesh which doesn’t have
very thin ZSketch strokes.
6. Change the Sphere Density slider (Sdns) to increase the density of the
ZSphere strokes on the Unified Skin generation, reducing the ring effect.
In essence this will add ZSpheres between any two ZSpheres when the mesh
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is previewed. For example, if you change this setting to 50 then when the mesh
is created there will be 50 ZSpheres added between each ZSphere to create a
smoother mesh while maintaining the silhouette of your sketch.
7. Change the Border slider to add loops of polygons around the PolyGroups gen-
erated by the Unified Skin. This option is available only when the Polish Surface
slider is at a value of at least 1. Use the Allow Triangles option if you don’t mind
having triangles on the edges of loops generated by the Border option.
Note
You can easily change the PolyGroups of your ZSketch easily by using
PolypPaint and Tool >> Polypaint >> Polypaint from Polygroups. Al-
ternatively you can use default functions found in Tool >> Polygroups.
8. Click the Make Unified Skin button to create a new ZTool, which will be added
in the Tool palette.
Note:
As with an Adaptive Skin, when previewing a Unified Skin you can
sculpt with and paint with all the default ZBrush sculpting brushes and
tools. But unlike with an Adaptive Skin, if you turn the preview off, all
edits will immediately be lost.
2. Adaptive Skin method
If you have created a ZSphere armature tool with the intent to ZSketch on top of it
then an Adaptive Skin can be used. The projection of the sketch details onto the Adaptive
Skin is done locally based on each armature ZSphere’s radius. The quality of the Adap-
tive Skin will therefore depend on each ZSphere in the underlying armature.
1. First, create a simple ZSphere figure like normal to serve as the armature. A
basic stick figure, for example.
2. Turn on Tool >> ZSketch >> EditSketch. (Shift+A)
3. Draw your ZSketch directly on the underlying ZSphere armature.
4. Click EditSketch again to leave sketch mode. You will notice that the options at
the bottom of the ZSketch SubPalette will now become available.
5. Click Show Sketch or click Bind. This displays the sketch ZSpheres using Ghost
transparency.
6. When you can see both the ZSketch and the underlying ZSphere armature you
can press ‘A’ to create an Adaptive Skin and project the sketch onto it.
7. The projection quality is determined by the radius of each individual ZSphere in
the armature. If you get unsatisfactory results in parts of your mesh then the un-
derlying ZSpheres in that area should be enlarged to better capture the sketch.
8. You can turn the preview off and modify the Tool >> Adaptive Skin settings as
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desired.
9. When happy with your Adaptive Skin, click Tool >> Adaptive Skin >> Make
Adaptive Skin to create a new ZTool, which will be added to the Tool palette.
VI Unified Skin Modifiers
Unified Skin has come a long way since its earliest incarnation. It gives the capabil-
ity to create smooth polygroups with edge looping around designated parts of your mesh.
The Tool >> Unified Skin SubPalette contains features and settings will improve the result
of your ZSketch models. With the Polish and Border features you can sketch out anything
imaginable and have a smooth PolyGrouped mesh after.
Polish Surface, Border, and Allow Tri will only be available when using ZSpheres,
such as when in ZSketch mode.
• Polish Surface: This will apply an overall smooth polish to the entire surface.
Bear in mind that this can cause small details to be lost. As with the other Pol-
ish sliders found in ZBrush, you can modify the way that the polishing effect is
applied by clicking the circle at the far right of the slider.
• Border: This will add border edges around each PolyGroup. If the setting is set
to 6 then there will be 6 border rings around each PolyGroup. Border has no
effect if Polish Surface is set to 0.
• Allow Tri: When turned off, ZBrush will never use triangles when transitioning
between the Border edge loops and the rest of the mesh.
Concept car with its base mesh generated by a new Unified Skin and refined with the new sculpt-
ing brushes. Image by Ofer Alon.
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VII Deformation of a ZSketch
ZSketches can be freely deformed in four different ways:
• By using one of the sliders found in the Tool >> Deformation SubPalette.
• By using deformation brushes like Flush, Bulge, etc.
• By using Edit >> Move, Scale, or Rotate.
• By adjusting the ZSphere skeleton if your ZSketch has been built on such an
armature.
The first option allows you to perform global deformations to your ZSketch.
The second and third options let you perform local deformations, depending on the
tool you are using.
For the final method, this process will let you use your skeleton to change the pose
of your ZSketch and create global deformations. Do this by leaving EditSketch mode
(Shift+A) and then clicking on the Bind button, located in the same menu. This lets you
see your ZSketch with Ghost transparency while you move, scale or rotate your skeleton
ZSpheres to deform the ZSketch.
A ZSketch and its internal ZSphere skeleton with the Ghost transparency display.
Manipulate the
ZSpheres to apply a deformation to the ZSketch.
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VIII ZSketch Brushes
ZBrush offers several brushes which are dedicated to ZSketch and designed to pro-
duce specific results while you create. Some of them are basically the same but have
different settings, such as the Sketch 1, 2 and 3 which all give the same result but with
different embed depths.
You will find these brushes in the Brush palette whenever EditSketch is enabled and
no preview is active.
Extra brushes can be found in the ZSketch folder located in the Brush tab of Light-
Box. Simply double-click on any of these to load it.
Armature
This brush allows you to create ZSphere strips freely in space. This is
the best way to create floating strips for major parts like a figure’s arms,
legs, etc.
This brush won’t snap your strokes to existing spheres. Instead, the strip is created
in the screen working plane.
Sketch 1, 2 and 3
These three brushes allow you to create ZSphere strips, but they will snap to any
underlying surface.
These brushes are only different from each other in how deeply their ZSpheres are
embedded within the surface that they’re laid down on: Sketch1 will create a strip which
is almost inside the underlying surface while Sketch 3 will be mostly above the surface.
The Sketch 1, 2 and 3 Brushes
Sketch A, B and C
These three brushes are identical to Sketch 1, 2 and 3, except that they use Picker
>> Orientation >> Once rather than Continuous.
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Smooth 1, 2, 3 and 4
The Smooth brushes operate on the ZSketch ZSpheres in the same way as the de-
fault Smooth brush affects traditional sculpting, smoothing the ZSphere strip. These four
brushes differ in how they affect the beginning and end of the strip:
The Smooth 1, 2, 3 and 4 Brushes
• Smooth 1 will enlarge the end of the strip and move it inside the underlying
ZSphere or strip of ZSpheres.
• Smooth 2 will move the end of the strip inside of the underlying ZSphere or strip
of ZSpheres without changing size.
• Smooth 3 will only smooth the strip without changing the depth or size of the
ending ZSpheres.
• Smooth 4. will shrink the end of the strip and move it inside of the underlying
ZSphere or strip of ZSpheres.
On the top, the original ZSketch. Below, the result of the Smooth 1, 2, 3 and 4.
There are three controls in the Brush Palette >> Smooth Brush Modifiers that will
change the Smoothing result.
• Coverage Position will change how far the sketch stroke will embed into the
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underlying ZSpheres when smoothing is applied. If this setting is set to 100

then the sketch will be eventually be embedded completely into the underlying
mesh/sketch.
• Converge Radius will change the size of the end strip to match that of the inter-
secting mesh/sketch. If this is set to 50 then the radius will be adjusted to 50%
of the size of the connected mesh/sketch.
• Converge Color will adjust the color of the end strip to transition into the color
of the connected sketch.
When choosing a Smooth brush, it becomes the default Smooth brush and will be
used whenever holding down the Shift key. To return to the original Smooth method you
must hold Shift and re-select that Smooth brush.
Note:
When smoothing a ZSphere strip, unpress the Shift key without releasing the tip of your pen /
mouse click to fuse the stroke with the existing ones. Please, read the Fuse brush section below.
Flush
The Flush brush changes the radius and the position of the strip of
ZSpheres, aligning the strip of ZSpheres to the screen working plane. If
modified with the ALT key, the brush will push inside the model instead.
FlushDynamic
The FlushDynamic brush has the same effect as the Flush brush, except
that the strip of ZSpheres will be flattened and aligned to the brush stroke
rather than the screen working plane.
FlushResize
The FlushResize brush has the same effect as the Flush brush, except
that size of all affected ZSpheres will be unified.
Note:
The effect of this brush may be more visible if you first apply Flush before using FlushResize.
Bulge
The Bulge brush changes the radius of a strip, giving an inflate effect to the
strip of ZSpheres. You can modify it by holding the Alt key, causing the
brush will give a shrink effect to your strip.
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Bulge&Flush
The Bulge&Flush brush is a mix of the Bulge brush and the Flush brush:
The strip of ZSpheres will be flattened and resized at the same time.
Note:
The effect of this brush may be more visible if you first apply Flush before using the
Bulge&Flush brush.
Float
The Float brush moves the ZSphere strip fully outside the underlying sur-
face.
PushPull
The PushPull brush moves the ZSphere strips partially outside of the un-
derlying surface. Holding the Alt key reverses this to push the ZSpheres
into underlying sketch/mesh.
Fuse
The Fuse brush will merge the clicked ZSphere with the closest strip of
existing ZSpheres. This allows you to have a better continuation of existing
strokes.
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IX ZSketch Tips and Tricks
This is a list of tips and tricks which may be useful when doing a ZSketch:
Using the ALT key while in Edit mode will delete the clicked ZSpheres. The number
of deleted ZSpheres will depend on the size of the brush radius. ZBrush will also remem-
ber the order of your strokes. If you click on the highest stroke first while holding down
the ALT key it will only delete that stroke as you move up and down.
While smoothing, press the ALT key to smooth a straight line from the first clicked
point. It can be in the middle of a ZSphere strip or at the root of a ZSphere strip.
To create a floating and rounded strip of ZSpheres in the 3D space, create a single
ZSphere with ZSketch, scale it if needed and then create a rounded strip around this
single ZSphere. Smooth it, modify it and when your rounded strip is done, delete the sup-
port ZSphere by clicking on it in Edit mode with the Alt Key
• • Like in traditional sculpting, try to put the main mass first and then refine with
thin strips of ZSpheres. But this is not a tip to always keep in mind since ZSketch
is powerful enough to let you create your model as you wish!
• • When doing a polymesh preview by pressing the “A” key, ZBrush will create a
Unified Skin. Like an Adaptive Skin, you can sculpt on this preview mesh with
all the traditional sculpting tools. But note that unlike an Adaptive Skin, toggling
the preview (press “A” again) will make your sculpting disappear.
From concept to final sculpting, with the help of ZSpheres II, ZSketch and a mix of organic and
mechanical sculpting brushes and tools. Image by Jeff Feligno.
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ZBrush User Guide - Mannequin
ZBRUSH MANNEQUIN
Explore poses the easy way.
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ZBrush provides artists with faster ways to realize their ideas and one of the best is
the Mannequin system.
Mannequins are essentially ZSphere armatures. The way that you interact with them
allows for easy posing so that you can quickly explore an individual character’s pose or
put together multi-character scenes. The great thing about using Mannequins is that you
don’t have to model anything. You already have the model set up and ready to go. Later
on, you can skin the Mannequin if you need to make a mesh that you can sculpt.
Several Mannequin Scenes are included in the Projects folder within Lightbox.
A scene composed of different Mannequins.
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I The Basics of Posing Mannequins
Follow these steps to understand how to set a pose for a Mannequin:
1. If you can see a quad mesh over the Mannequin then you are in Adaptive Skin
Preview mode. Press A on the keyboard to turn the Preview off.
2. Turn on Transform >> Move. This can also be activated on the top shelf or by
pressing the W hotkey.
3. Set the Draw Size to a low value - about 10. If you use a large draw size while
posing you may move parts of the Mannequin that you wanted to stay put.
4. Click and drag on the Mannequin’s Connector links - the bone parts of the fig-
ure. This will move the bone using forward kinematics. If you continue dragging
in a straight line the limb will straighten in the direction of the cursor.
5. Press Ctrl and click drag on one of the Mannequin’s ZSpheres - the joints within
the figure. This will move it in the same way as for a Connector, using forward
kinematics.
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II Adjusting Mannequins
You can adjust Mannequins in just about any way you wish. You can change the
proportions, scale or even add new body parts to create unique characters!
1. Adjusting Bone Position and Length
Switch to Move mode on the top shelf (W hotkey), then:
• Hold Alt and click drag on a Connector to stretch or shorten the bone.
• Click and drag on a Connector to reposition the joint relative to the bones.
• Press Alt and click drag on a Connector to reposition the entire body part.
2. To move the entire Mannequin:
• Make sure that Draw Size is set quite small.

• Hold Ctrl and click+drag on the Root ZSphere. You can recognize the Root
ZSphere as it will always be two-toned, even when it is not selected.
3. Adding or Removing Joints
To add or remove joints on a Mannequin, switch to Draw mode on the top shelf (Q
hotkey), then:
• Click on the Connector between two joints to add a new joint.

• Alt+click on a joint to remove it.
4. Changing the Size of a Mannequin
To change the size of the whole Mannequin:
• Adjust the Tool >> Deformation >> Size slider.
To change the size of part of the Mannequin:
• Activate Scale mode (E hotkey) on the top shelf.

• Click and drag up or down on the joint or bone.
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5. Rotating the Whole Mannequin
Before rotating a Mannequin you may want to position the figure at the canvas ori-
gin. When the Floor is visible (press Shift+P) the origin is shown by the intersection of the
red, green and blue axes.
• Make sure the Y axis is selected for the Tool >> Deformation >> Rotate slider.
Do this by turning off the Z axis by clicking on the little Z and turning on the Y
axis by clicking on the little Y.
• Adjust the Rotate slider’s value.
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III Making Your Own Mannequin
It’s not difficult to create your own Mannequins. Just follow these next steps to start
building the model which will become your next sculpting base mesh.
1. A Basic Mannequin Creation
1. Make a ZSphere model of the character you want. When moving Connector
spheres to lengthen the links between ZSpheres you need to hold the Alt key.
2. You’ll need two meshes to create the Mannequin. They can be any shape but to
start with select the Sphere3D and the Sphereinder3D and make each a Poly-
Mesh by pressing the Tool >> Make PolyMesh3D button.
3. Reselect the ZSphere model and open the Tool >> Adaptive Skin menu. You
might want to open the Tool palette in the Right tray or move it to the Left tray
for easy access.
4. Activate Tool >> Adaptive Skin >> Use Classic Skinning. (The Mannequin cre-
ation system is not compatible with ZSpheres II.)
5. Switch to Move mode by pressing ‘W’. This will allow you to select ZSpheres
without adding new ones.
6. If you used symmetry while creating the ZSphere model, make sure it is on now
as well.
7. Click on a Connector (between two ZSpheres) to select it. Then press Tool
>> Adaptive Skin >> Insert Connector Mesh and choose the PM3D_Spherein-
der3D from the pop-up. The link will be replaced by the Sphereinder polymesh.
8. Click on all the other Connectors in turn and insert the PM3D_Sphereinder3D.
Don’t worry if the ZSpheres disappear.
9. When all the Connectors are replaced click on the Root ZSphere to select it.
You can recognize the Root ZSphere because it is always two-toned, whether
selected or not.
10. Press the Insert Local Mesh button and choose the PM3D_Sphere3D from the
pop-up.
Your Mannequin should now be complete. If you wish, you can fill it with a color by
pressing Color >> Fill Object.
2. Using Different Meshes
You can use any PolyMesh3D object to replace either a ZSphere or a Connector, al-
though for best results use simple meshes with relatively few polygons. Simply select the
ZSphere by clicking on it in Move mode, press the Insert Local Mesh button (for joints)
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or Insert Connector Mesh (for bones) and then select the mesh from the pop-up. In this
way you can change single ZSpheres or Connectors anywhere within the Mannequin.
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IV Sculpting Mannequins
You can create sculptable meshes from Mannequins:
1. Preview the mesh by pressing A on the keyboard. In Classic Skinning mode the
Mannequin will keep its shape but the joints and bones are all separate meshes.
You can see this if you turn on the PolyFrame display (Shift + F). Although you
could create a mesh like this it would not sculpt very well.
2. Turn Tool >> Adaptive Skin >> Use Classic Skinning off. (This switch can only
be pressed in ZSphere mode, so if the Preview is active you will need to press
‘A’ again to turn it off.) Now if you preview the mesh you will see that there is a
single unified mesh. This will sculpt well but it has lost the shape of the Man-
nequin.
3. With Use Classic Skinning turned off, press Tool >> Adaptive Skin >> Make
Adaptive Skin. This will create a new mesh in the Tool palette.
4. Turn the Use Classic Skinning mode back on and then turn the Preview on
again as well. Press Tool >> SubTool >> Append and choose the mesh you cre-
ated in step 3. This will be added as a new SubTool.
5. Select the new SubTool and adjust the Tool >> SubTool >> Projection Shell
slider (it’s at the bottom of the sub-palette) until the mesh completely covers the
Mannequin.
6. Press Tool >> SubTool >> Project All. The unified mesh will now closely resem-
ble the Mannequin. (You can turn on Solo mode at the bottom right of the UI to
see the mesh on its own.) You can now sculpt this mesh further.
An alternative, if you wish to use DynaMesh as you continue working on the model:
1. With Use Classic Skinning active, Preview the mesh by pressing A on the key-
board.
2. Press Tool >> Adaptive Skin >> Make Adaptive Skin. This will create a new
mesh in the Tool palette. (An alternative is to press Tool >> Make PolyMesh3D.)
3. In the Tool palette, select the created mesh. Its name should start with “Skin_”
or “PM3D_” depending the method by which you created your model (Adaptive
Skin or Make PolyMesh3D respectively.)
4. Enable Tool >> Geometry >> DynaMesh >> ReProject. Set the Resolution slid-
er to the value of your choice.
5. Turn on the Tool >> Geometry >> DynaMesh mode. Your Mannequin will be
converted to a single mesh without interconnections and with the help of the
ReProject mode, you should keep a Mannequin shape close to the original. If
your mesh lacks the resolution you desire, undo this step, increase the Resolu-
tion slider and start again.
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V Sculpting Using Poseable Symmetry
You can use posed Mannequins to create a mesh that can be sculpted using Pose-
able Symmetry. This does require that the Mannequin was created using symmetry. Now
follow these steps:
1. After posing the Mannequin, turn off the Tool >> Adaptive Skin >> Use Classic
Skinning button.
2. Set the Tool >> Adaptive Skin >> Density slider to 2.
3. Press the Tool >> Adaptive Skin >> Make Adaptive Skin button.
4. Select the new mesh in the Tool palette. Switch on both Transform >> Activate
Symmetry and Use Posable Symmetry.
VI Rigging with Mannequins
It is possible to use Mannequins as rigs but you need to remove the connector
meshes before the rig will bind.
1. Switch on PolyFrame display (Shift + F) so you can see the mesh and Poly-
Frame colors. This will help you.
2. Make sure Draw mode is active and then position your cursor over a Connector
Mesh. This is the mesh between two ZSphere joints.
3. If you see a little square (which may be green) then you are in the right place.
Hold down Alt and click.
4. If you see a red circle do NOT click - you are over a ZSphere, which would end
up being deleted. (If you make a mistake, press Ctrl+Z to undo.)
5. Continue Alt+clicking to remove all Connector Meshes. Their wireframes will
disappear. When all are gone, you have finished.
6. You can now scale and position the ZSpheres so that they fit into the mesh you
are rigging.
Note:
The scale of ZSpheres does not affect how they bind to the mesh.
Finally press Tool >> Rigging >> Bind to bind the mesh. You can now begin posing!
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ZBrush User Guide - QuickMesh
QUICKMESH
Polygonal Primitives for the ZModeler.
267
To more readily jump right into your creation process, ZBrush offers the Tool >> Ini-
tialize sub-palette, with settings that can be applied to any PolyMesh3D object.
Named Quick Meshes, these primitives convert the currently selected Tool or Sub-
Tool to a PolyMesh3D cube, Sphere or Cylinder which is optimized for usage with the
ZModeler brush. The topology generated is composed only of quadrangles (four sided
polygons) and comes with a predefined set of PolyGroups to make your initial modeling
steps easier.
Each polygonal primitive is bound to X, Y and Z values that set the number of poly-
gons for each axis. This value must be set prior to creation of the mesh.
These Quick Meshes do not have UV’s. Also, no matter what values are set in the X,
Y and Z axis, the mesh will always fit in a 1x1x1 QCube size.
The Quick Mesh primitive has primarily been designed to provide optimized primi-
tives for the ZModeler brush but because it generates a Polymesh3D object it can also
be used in association with nearly all other ZBrush sculpting features.
Note:
The active object must not have subdivision levels in order for Quick Mesh to function. If your
selected model has subdivision levels, you must either delete them before using Quick Mesh or
select a different model such as the PolyMesh3D primitive.
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I Quick Mesh Functions
Quick Mesh primitives are based on the selected X, Y and Z values. Changing these
settings will have an impact on the shape. The settings are described below to help you
create these primitives quickly.
QCube
The Tool >> Initialize >> QCube button creates a cube-based shape, using the val-
ues defined by the X, Y and Z resolution sliders.
Performing this action will replace the current mesh with a QCube mesh.
QSphere
The Tool >> Initialize >> QSphere button creates a spherical shape as defined by the
X, Y and Z resolution sliders.
To create a perfect sphere, you need to have the same value for all three sliders.
Performing this action will replace the current mesh with a QSphere mesh.
QGrid
The Tool >> Initialize >> QGrid button creates a surface grid defined by the X and Y
Resolution sliders.
Because the generated model will be a grid, the Z slider value is not taken into ac-
count by the QGrid function.
QCyl X, Y and Z (Quick Cylinder)

The Tool >> Initialize >> QCyl X, Y and Z buttons create a cylindrical shape as de-
fined by the X, Y and Z resolution sliders. The primary axis of the cylinder is determined
by which QCyl X, Y or Z button you click.
By modifying the X, Y and Z resolution sliders, it is possible to create a variety of

shapes. For example, to create a circle-based cylinder, you can start with the same value
for the X, Y, and Z resolution sliders and then increase or decrease the resolution of the
slider corresponding to the axis of creation, generating the shape’s length.
Performing this action will replace the current mesh with a QCyl mesh.
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X, Y and Z Res (Resolution)

The Tool >> Initialize >> X, Y and Z Resolution sliders define the number of subdivi-
sions along the corresponding axis of the mesh. This value must be set before pressing
the Quick Mesh button of your choice.
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ZBrush User Guide - ZModeler
ZMODELER
Subdivision Surface Modeling in ZBrush
271
The ZModeler is a new brush containing a set of polygonal modeling functions that
will allow you to quickly generate a wide variety of shapes -- from environmental assets
to parts for your next IMM brush. This new brush is for extremely low resolution model-
ing and will give you the control to build just about any base mesh or object with as few
polygons as possible. With its unique snapping ability you will also now find it even easier
than ever to create holes, add edge loops, or maybe even create your very own robot.
The workflow is quite simple and is based on two main principles: Targets and Ac-
tions.
The ZModeler brush has a set of Smart Targets, such as a “Single Polygon”, “Poly-
Group,” or “PolyGroup Border.” These Targets remove the need to manually perform
selections before performing a modeling Action.
The ZModeler Brush contains most of the common functions found in 3D-modeling
packages but also has a few smarter ones like the QMesh Action. Not only does this of-
fer you the ability to extrude but also to fuse the extrusion with any adjacent or crossed
polygons. The QMesh Action also allows you to quickly remove blocks of polygons, move
pieces of geometry or extract parts of your mesh to create new polygonal islands. You
will find that QMesh will become your primary poly Action.
The ZModeler brush contains thousands of Action and Target combinations, putting
astonishing power behind something that is so easy to learn and use. With just a little
practice, ZModeler and QMesh will undoubtedly become a new favorite in your arsenal
for creating low res geometry assets in ZBrush.
I ZClassRoom Videos
To help you master ZModeler, you will find numerous videos dedicated to its usage in
our ZClassroom. These do not cover all the various options and combinations of Actions
possible but rather provide a solid overview of the ZModeler toolset. This will help you
create your models in a very efficient way.
Visit the ZClassRoom: http://pixologic.com/zclassroom/homeroom/lesson/zmodeler/
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II Introduction to the ZModeler
To access the ZModeler toolset, you need to first select the ZModeler brush in the
Brush palette (or pop-up). You can do this quickly by typing the letter B on your keyboard,
followed then Z then M. (You can also assign a hotkey to the ZModeler brush.)
The ZModeler functions are controlled via a dedicated pop-up window. You can ac-
cess this menu in two different ways. Hover over the 3D model before:
• Pressing the space bar (advised).

• Right-clicking.
Note:
Right-clicking or pressing the space bar while the cursor is over empty canvas or a non-
selected SubTool will trigger the default pop-up menu with its sliders/selectors.
The Point, Edge and Polygon pop-up windows for ZModeler. Notice the differents sections (espe-
cially for Polygon), with Actions at the top, then Targets, followed by Options and finally Modifiers.
The ZModeler popup is composed of 4 areas. Some of these are only visible when
specific items are selected.
• Action: This is where you select the function to be performed on the 3D Model.
• Target: This tells ZModeler how to interpret your click on the model when apply-
ing an Action. For example, do you wish to affect a single polygon or an entire
flat surface?
• Options: Parameters which change how the Target or Action behaves. Not all
the Targets or Actions have options.
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• Modifiers: Operators which alter interaction while doing the operation. Not all
the Targets or Actions have modifiers.
Note:
Options and Modifiers are very similar. They have been split mainly to make the operations
easier to understand. An example is the Bridge Action which has different presets of curves for the
options (like circle, curve or small rounded corners). Modifiers then refine this to define if the shape
creation is interactive or predefined with parameters (which can be set).
Select an Action and a Target, then adjust any options or modifiers as necessary.
Now click on the model to perform the Action.
Each Action is performed by clicking on a point, edge or polygon to begin the Action
and then dragging continue it. Depending on the Action, you will get different results by
dragging the mouse left/right or up/down.
The ZModeler brush also has a Replay function allows you to apply a duplicate Ac-
tion with a single click. Please refer to the Replay the Action chapter for more information.
Because ZModeler is a brush rather than a special mode you at any time switch
between it and other sculpting features. As a polygon-based brush, it is compatible with
all the PolyMesh3D compatible features.
1. Context-Based Actions: Points, Edges, Polygons and Curves
The ZModeler set of Actions are context-sensitive. When positioning your cursor
over a point, edge, polygon or compatible curve, specific ZModeler Actions will be acces-
sible. The content of the ZModeler menu will also differ depending on what your cursor
is hovering over.
It is very important to highlight specific topology elements to have access to the Ac-
tions that can be performed on it. Some Actions may have similar functions for points,
edges and polygons but their behavior can be totally different. As an example, the Edge
Bridge Action can create very powerful connections between two openings while the
Point Bridge will create an edge between two clicked points. Please refer to the chapters
explaining Actions to learn these various functions.
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From top left to bottom right: Point, Edge, Polygon and Curve highlighted, before opening the
ZModeler menu.
2. Restrictions
ZModeler only works with PolyMesh3D objects. You need to convert your primitives
(via Make Polymesh3D) or ZSpheres (via Unified Skin or Adaptive Skin) to PolyMesh3D
before using the ZModeler.
If you are using ZModeler on an existing model, you also need to consider its poly-
gon count. ZModeler works in a different way from other brushes in that it’s not designed
275
for models with millions of polygons. It is designed specifically for direct editing down to
the individual polygon.
ZModeler is mean to work on models which have no subdivision levels. It is possible

to work on a model with subdivisions, but you will need to use the Tool >> Geometry >>
Freeze Subdivision Levels first or delete the other levels.
To allow you to see how your model will appear with more subdivision levels, use
the Dynamic Subdivision system. This system was specifically designed to work with the
ZModeler brush, providing real-time high resolution display while you work directly on the
base level. Please refer to the Dynamic Subdivision chapter for more information.
ZModeler only functions with quadrangles and triangles; it does not support n-gons.
When an Action would create topology with possible n-gons, ZBrush automatically cre-
ates extra edges to produce topology with only quads and tris.
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III The ZModeler Brush: Actions and Targets
The ZModeler brush is a whole modeling universe by itself. It contains a vast array
of functions that can be applied to multiple Targets, resulting in hundreds of combinations
of modeling possibilities within ZBrush.
To make the process easier to understand and not create a restricted set of tools,
the ZModeler functions are split into two different elements: the Action and the Target.
Top: the Polygon Actions with QMesh selected. Bottom: the corresponding Target of the QMesh
Action.
• The Action is the function itself, such as Extrude Move, Bridge or Split.
• The Target is the element to which the Action will be applied. This can be indi-
vidual points, edges or polygon as well as smart compound selections such as
borders, PolyGroups, edge loops and more.
Taking the Poly Move Action as an example: The Action contains Targets such as
Move Poly, Move All Mesh, Move Brush Radius, Move Curved Island, Move Flat Island,
Move Island, Move PolyGroup All, Move PolyGroup Island, etc. (More may also be added
in the future.) The same Move Action when applied to points or edges is associated with
different Targets, offering even more tools for your modeling process.
It is up to you to define the tool you need for your modeling at the moment by com-
bining the desired Action with the best Target.
To display the list of Actions and Targets, you must have the ZModeler brush se-
lected and hover over a point, edge, or polygon of a Polymesh 3D model. By right-clicking
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or pressing the space bar, the ZModeler context pop-up menu will appear, displaying
Actions with Targets beneath them.
The displayed Actions and Target will depend upon exactly what the cursor is hover-
ing over, with different items being show for points, edges or polygons. If you are looking
for a function that you can’t find, it may be because you were not hovering over the cor-
rect part of the mesh before opening the ZModeler pop-up menu.
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IV Options and Modifiers
In association with the Actions and Targets there are additional options and modifiers
able to be applied to the selected Action. Not all Actions have options and/or modifiers.
Also, the selection of a specific Target can enable or disable what is available.
A good example is the Bridge Action for polygons. It has two Targets: Connected
Polys and Two Polys:
• When selecting Connected Polys, the ZModeler context menu displays two new
sections just below the Target. The first of these is a list of options and below
that, a list of modifiers.
• Now if you switch the Target to Two Polys, the previous options and modifiers
for Connected Polys disappear and the area where they had been will be blank.
This is because Two Polys is very straightforward and has no need for addi-
tional settings.
The Polygon Bridge with Connected Polys target: Options to define the shape of the bridge and
Modifiers to define how the bridge is built.
For each Action, the corresponding options and modifiers will be explained in their
dedicated sections of this documentation.
The default settings for the options and modifiers are always displayed first. If you
need to reset the options and/or modifiers, simply select the left-most one in each line.
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V Edge Selector Widget
Some Actions require directional information to guide ZBrush to results you are look-
ing for. When hovering over the polygons or points of your model you will notice visual
widgets that represent directional information.
ZBrush’s selection system has a priority order: Each time that an element is high-
lighted, ZBrush considers its position relative to the surrounding geometry. When high-
lighting a vertex, ZBrush also looks at the adjacent edges and faces while doing any
calculations. Some Targets (like Polyloop when used for a Poly Action) rely detection of
the adjacent edges to determine in which direction the Action will function. The Edge
Selector Widget simply makes this “sub-element detection” visible.
1. Highlighting a Point
An orange line extending from the point indicates the direction of the Action opera-
tion. Along with this point, some Actions will also look at the face that is highlighted when
hovering over the point. If the selected Action needs directional information it will refer to
these two widgets. Simply move the cursor around the point to change the direction of
the widget and thus, the Action.
The orange widget when highlighting a point.
280
2. Highlighting an Edge
There is no indication of direction needed when working with edges as the edge by
itself gives the direction. However, hovering over an edge will highlight faces as well.
Some Actions also use the edge’s midpoint to determine their direction.
3. Highlighting a Polygon
An orange line located between the highlighted polygon’s center and edge closest
to the cursor indicates the direction of the Action operation. Moving around the poly will
change which edge this line points to.
The orange widget when highlighting a polygon. The cursor position defines the direction of the
widget.
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VI The Do Nothing Action
Each point, edge, polygon and curve menu has a Do Nothing Action. This Action
prevents use of its associated element when hovering over the mesh. This is helpful if
you want to only preform certain Actions by blocking mis-clicks.
For example, if you enable the Do Nothing action for points then clicking on a point
will result in the Action being applied to the associated edges instead. If you also enable
Do Nothing for edges then you will only be able to affect polygons even if you click on a
point or edge by mistake.
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VII Working With PolyGroups
PolyGroups (which are groups of polygons identified by a specific color) are an es-
sential part of the creation process with ZModeler.
ZModeler has an extended toolset of functions to create and manipulate PolyGroups,

such as using them as a Target so that an Action will affect all polygons belonging to the
same PolyGroup, no matter where they appear in the mesh. PolyGroups can also be
modified in the in the Tool >> Polygroups sub-palette.
1. Propagation of PolyGroups
The current PolyGroup remain the same until you decide to assign a new PolyGroup
after an Action. Several Targets specifically use the PolyGroups while most Actions will
either create or propagate PolyGroups. Depending on your needs, you can use the Poly-
Group Action to create new PolyGroups before applying another Action.
An example of this: Using the Extrusion Action will maintain the existing PolyGroup
for the top part of the extrusion while creating a new PolyGroup for the sides. Continuing
this Action elsewhere on the model will continue produce identical PolyGroups unless
you instruct ZBrush otherwise.
2. Temporary PolyGroup
When modeling there may be times when no specific Target fits the selection you
are looking for. Or perhaps you may simply want to extend an existing Target with extra
polygons from another location. For this purpose, ZModeler has an integrated Tempo-
rary PolyGroup which is always displayed as white.
To apply the Temporary PolyGroup, you must be working with a polygon Action. If
so, simply Alt+click the desired polygons. These polygons will turn white to indicate that
they are part of the Temporary PolyGroup. You can also click and drag to paint this Tem-
porary PolyGroup.
Alt+clicking a white polygon will remove it from the Temporary PolyGroup selection.
You are free to continue editing this Temporary PolyGroup until you execute an Ac-
tion.
The Temporary PolyGroup always adds to the current Target. As an example, if you
are selecting an Extrude Action with a Polyloop Target and create a Temporary PolyGroup
out of polygons not belonging to the poly loop you are looking for, the Action will extrude
both the poly loop itself and any polygons belonging to the Temporary PolyGroup.
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At the bottom, a few polygons have been selected to form a temporary PolyGroup. This selection
doesn’t correspond to any existing Target.
3. Changing of PolyGroups During an Action
While editing your model, it may happen that you would need a different PolyGroup
from what is being created by the Action. While still applying the Action, simply tap the
Alt key once to change the PolyGroup to another one.
The actual color of a PolyGroup is irrelevant to any Actions or Targets but sometimes
PolyGroup colors might be too similar for you to be able to easily tell the groups apart.
If you don’t like the color that ZBrush gives you, tap Alt again and repeat until you find
something that you’re satisfied with.
Not all Actions permit you to use Alt to change the PolyGroup color. This is because
they use the Alt key as a modifier.
Note:
Be careful to not tap the Alt key until after you have started executing the Action. Otherwise
you could end up changing the Target instead or even add polygons to the Temporary PolyGroup.
4. Copying an Existing PolyGroup
The Temporary PolyGroup is useful for one-off selections but you will sometimes
want to keep coming back to the same Targeted polygons. In this case, you can apply an
existing PolyGroup to another location. With the PolyGroup Action, it is possible to pick a
PolyGroup identifier and color, then copy and store it for the next Action.
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To do this, follow these steps:
1. Select the PolyGroup Action

2. Select the A Single Poly Target
3. Hover over a polygon belonging to the desired PolyGroup.
4. While clicking and holding on this polygon, press (or tap) the Shift key. ZBrush
will copy the clicked polygon’s PolyGroup. Release the click.
5. Now click on another polygon to paste the PolyGroup.
You can do this on multiple locations. Try it also with other Targets, like Polyloop to
apply the same strips of PolyGroups on multiple polygons.
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VIII Replay the Action
Because some polygonal modeling Actions are repetitive by nature, the ZModeler
brush stores all settings and values used in your last Action. You can then simply click
once on another part of the model or choose another Target to instantly reproduce that
last operation.
During the modeling session, each Action stores all the parameters or settings, el-
evation and values. You can perform an Action, switch to another Action to perform its
operation, then switch back to the previous one and with a single click replay the same
operation. The Replay Last Action feature works for all ZModeler Actions.
To demonstrate:
1. On a simple plane, use the Polygon Extrude on a single face to extrude a col-
umn.
2. Click other polygons on the grid to create additional columns at those locations.
They will all have the same elevation.
3. Now choose the Polygon Delete Action and delete the top polygon from each
column.
4. Select the Edge Bridge Action with the Two Holes modifier. Click on a first hole,
then click and drag on a second hole to produce a bride with a specific elevation
and tessellation.
5. To reproduce this same bridge with the same settings, just click the holes at the
top of another couple of columns.
6. Select Polygon Extrude again and click another polygon on the grid. You will
get a column that is identical to the first ones you created, even though you used
different Actions and adjusted their settings since creating the first columns.
Replay Last in action: On the left, a bevel has been applied to an extrusion. On the right, the same
bevel with identical settings has been applied to the remaining extrusions.
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IX ZModeler and Masking
Like all other ZBrush functions, the ZModeler brush is affected by any masks on your
model. Additionally, you can temporarily change to the current Mask brush by using the
standard hotkey. (Ctrl)
The default masking behavior will prevent Actions from affecting the masked points,
edges and/or polygons.
A Masking Action is available in the ZModeler brush to produce quick masks based
on Targeted points, edges and/or polygons. Once masked using these Actions, the model
can be manipulated with TransPose for accurate transformation.
There is also a TransPose Action that masks the entire model except where Tar-
geted, then automatically switches to TransPose mode.
When working with a mask, keep in mind that its representation is based on the
points of the topology (just like Colorize PolyPainting). With very low resolution models it
can be difficult to visualize the mask.
All the masking functions found in the Tool >> Masking sub-palette work with ZMod-
eler.
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X Point Actions
In this section we will cover the different Actions that can be applied to the points of
a model. To access the point menu when using the ZModeler brush, hover over a point
and right-click the mouse or press space bar.
Some Actions operate in a specific direction. In this case, pay attention to the Edge
Indicator so that you can control how the Action will be applied.
Targets are described in later sections of this documentation.
Bridge
The Bridge Action connects two selected points and establishes an edge between
them. To perform this operation, the two points must share the same polygon. Since
ZBrush is based on triangles and quads the Point Bridge function cannot be used to cre-
ate an edge or set of edges which connect two distant points.
The different Targets associated with the Bridge Action define how this point Action
will be applied to the model. The Ring Target connects the clicked point to all the points
of the shared polygons it is attached to, while the Two Points Target connects two points
by clicking them in succession.
On the left, a bridge between two points. On the right, a ring bridge which connects the clicked
point to all points of the shared polygons.
Modifiers (only with Ring Target)

• Crease Ring, Do Not Crease: Opt to apply creasing to the edges created by the
Bridge Action.
• Regroup Ring, Do Not Regroup: Opt to change the created edges to a new
PolyGroup.
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Crease
The Crease Action applies edge creasing to the edges connected to the clicked point
Alternative Operations
• Alt+click: Uncrease an already creased edge and vice versa.
Delete
The Delete Action removes the clicked point, creating a hole in the model. By de-
fault, ZBrush creates triangles around the deleted point, deleting half of them.
Do Nothing
The Do Nothing Action is an empty Action. When this is active it will prevent the pos-
sibility of accidentally performing a Point Action while using the ZModeler Brush. If you
know that you only want to use Poly or Edge Actions, having this active and hovering
over a point will instead result in a Poly Action.
Extrude
The Extrude Action creates an extrusion from the targeted point by clicking and
dragging. This Action will create a pyramidal shape perpendicular to the extruded point.
The position of the cursor around the point defines which of the connected edges will
be transformed during the extrude Action. To see this, move your cursor slightly around
the point; you should notice the highlighted connected polys change to show the direction
of the extrusion.
The extruded polygons will receive two PolyGroups: One for the extruded face and
another for the polygons connected to the extrusion. Performing additional extrusions will
keep the same PolyGroups until another type of Action is performed.
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Extrude Point in action. Notice how the position of the cursor defines the selection of the extru-
sion. On the top and bottom the same point is clicked but the cursor position sets which polygon is
affected by the extrusion.
• Ctrl: Stop the extrusion process and switch to a Move Action.
• Shift: Move the point along its normal.
• Alt: Change the PolyGroup of the extruded part.
Make Curve
The Make Curve Action creates a curve point-by-point, corresponding to the points
clicked on the 3D mesh. This created curve can be used by other Brushes, such as the
Curve Tube brush or ZRemesher Guides brush. It can also be used by ZModeler’s Curve
Actions.
Click on the model’s points to create a curve. Each new click adds a new segment
connected to the previous point. Select another Action or press the spacebar to quit the
curve creation mode.
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The Make Curve Action lets your create point-to-point curves which can be used within ZModeler
or with any other type of curve-based ZBrush tool.
Mask
The Mask Action applies a mask to the clicked point (or corresponding auto-mask-
ing), preventing that point from being manipulated until the mask has been cleared.
Clicking on multiple points is possible and will let you protect multiple points as
needed.
Move
The Move Action lets you freely move the selected point relative to the screen’s
working plane.
• Shift: Constrains the Move Action along the closest X, Y or Z working plane.
It is important to move your camera to an aligned angle before using the Shift
modifier with a Move Action.
QMesh
The QMesh Action creates an extrusion of targeted point by clicking and dragging.
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This Action will produce a pyramidal shape perpendicular to the extruded point.
The position of the cursor around the point will define which of the connected edges
are to be transformed during the QMesh Action. To see this, move your cursor slightly
around the point; you should notice the highlighted connected polys change to show the
direction of the QMesh extrusion.
By default, the QMesh operation is exactly the same as the Extrude Point Action,
except that:
• The created mesh will attempt to fuse with the adjacent polygons, including
merging with any polygons that are crossed during the operation.
• The created mesh can be completely deleted when performing an extrusion that
crosses an existing polygon that is connected to the extruded polygons.
Draw Size impacts the detection of the fusing operation: A small Draw Size gener-
ates a stronger fusion attraction while a larger Draw Size generates a lower fusion at-
traction.
On the left, a point is extruded in a similar way to the Extrude Point Action. Continuing QMesh on
this same point will fuse the polygons adjacent to the extrusion.
Options
• Full, Half, Quarter Step: Define the number of steps that the QMesh extrusion
will have between the clicked points and the maximum height, when it’s connected to an
adjacent polygon. These modifiers have no effect when the extruded point is not able to
fuse with adjacent polygons.
• Ctrl: Stop the extrusion process and switch to a Move Action.
Slide
The Slide Action shifts the clicked point along the path of its connected edges. The
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direction of the cursor drag defines which edge the point slides along.
On the left, the point before sliding it. In the middle and on the right, the point has been slid along
its connected edges.
Note:
The Edge Selector widget indications have no impact on a Slide operation. The point will
freely move along all connected edges.
Alternative Operation
• Alt: Performs an Inflate action, moving the point along its normal.
• Shift: Slides the point along its connected polygons.
Split
The Split Action creates a circle shape with its center on the clicked point position.
This Action is very handy when creating tube-like shapes starting from existing geometry.
Point Target Modifiers

• Keep Quad Center, Triangulate Center: This modifier toggles whether to allow
the generation of triangles when creating the split shape.
• Crease Ring, Do Not Crease: Toggles whether to apply creasing to the created
edges.
• Regroup Ring, Do Not Regroup: Toggles whether to generate a new PolyGroup
for the created polygons.
Ring Target Modifiers

• Crease Ring, Do Not Crease: Toggles whether to crease the created edges.
• Regroup Ring, Do Not Regroup: Toggles whether to generate a new PolyGroup
for the created polygons.
• Equalize Radius, Do Not Equalize: Toggles whether to modify the created points
so that they fit a circle.
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On the left, the point before the Split Action. In the center, the point has been split by clicking and
dragging, creating a circle shape. On the right, another point has been split: Notice that ZBrush
automatically adapts the circle to the existing topology.
Stitch
The Stitch Action allows you to weld adjacent points on your model together. You
must first click one point, then the one to be welded to it.
Point Target Modifier

• To End Point, To Mid Point, To Start point: Define in which direction the points
will be welded together: at the second point’s position, at a location exactly be-
tween both points, or at first point’s position.
TransPose
The TransPose Action automatically masks all points except the clicked one and
switches to TransPose mode. You are then able to perform all the usual TransPose op-
erations on the clicked point.
Please keep in mind that while using TransPose, you are no longer in Edit >> Draw
mode. This means that the ZModeler brush will be deselected. To continue using ZMod-
eler, return to Draw mode.
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TransPose Action automatically masks everything except the clicked point and sets the action line
to the location of the point while orienting the line along the point’s surface normal.
Note:
Don’t forget to remove your mask before attempting other operations.
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XI Edge Actions
This section explains the different ZModeler Actions that can be applied to the edges
of a model. To access the Edge menu, simply hover over an edge and either right-click
or press the space bar.
Edge Actions may generate different results depending on which Target option is
chosen. The descriptions of the Targets are available in later chapters of this document.
Add to Curve
The Add to Curve Action will generate a curve corresponding to the selected Target.
The created curves can later be used with Curve Actions or other Curve brushes.
Note:
Curve Actions are only available when a Curve exists on the model.
Align
The Align Action will take a series of edges in continuous order and unifies their posi-
tions based on the selected modifier.
Before using the Action you must establish the first and last edges of the poly loop
you want to affect. After clicking the last edge you will be able to align the edges in vari-
ous ways such as a straight line or a partial circle.
Click the first edge, then click and drag the second one. The edges between the two will be
aligned. Depending on the modifier, you can interactively change the shape of the alignment.
Modifiers
• Bezier Curve, Spline, Circle, Arcs, Arcs and Line, Round Corners, Small Round
Corners, Tight Round Corners: Define the shape of the edges aligned between
the two clicked one.
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• One Line: Produces a flattened strip of polygons between the two clicked edges.
Options
• Interactive, Specified Curvature: Defines the curvature of the alignment, either
interactively or through a numerical value.
• Align to Normal, Tangent: Defines how the alignment will initially be calculated,
based on surface normal. This option is not used when the One Line modifier
is selected.
• Overwrite, Additive Position: Defines if the curvature that is generated by the
alignment is replacing the existing edge position or is added to the existing posi-
tion, creating an offset in the alignment.
• Variable, Constant Width:
Bevel
The Bevel Action generates a new planar surface along the edges corresponding to
the selected Target. The width of the bevel is determined by clicking and dragging.
Modifiers
• Single, Two, Four, Eight Row(s): Define the number of edges inserted in the
bevel topology.
• Linear, Sharp, Soft Edge: Define the shape of the bevel. Not only is the visible
roundness of the bevel affected but also the distance between the edges. This
allows the bevel to look correct when using Dynamic Subdivision.
Bridge
The Bridge Action connects one or more edges with polygons. This Action makes it
possible for you to connect two edges or two edge borders together.
With Edges Target, the Bridge Action connects two edges together with a single
polygon. When hovering over and edge with this Action selected, a widget with “Click
first edge” and “Click second edge” will be visible. Upon clicking the second edge, the
polygon will be created.
When using the Bridge Two Edges function, use caution. It can be easy to create
invalid topology by clicking two edges which are not connected.
Note:
Because polygons are single-sided, it can be hard to see their edges from certain angles.
Enabling Tool >> Display Properties >> Double makes the borders of polygons more visible.
With Two Holes Target, the Bridge Action connects the edge borders of two holes
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together to create a tube-like shape between them. The shape of the Bridge can be dras-
tically impacted by the different options and modifiers explained below.
When hovering over and edge with this Action selected, a widget with “Click first
edge” and “Click second edge” will be visible. It is important to continue holding the
second click to enable the interactive part of this Action. This allows you to reshape the
bridge in accordance with the selected modifiers.
On the left: One edge has been clicked for each hole’s boundary. On the right: The bridge has
been created by dragging when clicking on the second hole’s boundary.
Note:
Because polygons are single-sided, it can be hard to see their edges from certain angles.
Enabling Tool >> Display Properties >> Double makes the borders of polygons more visible.
Modifiers (Two Holes Only)

While continuing to hold the second click, dragging the mouse vertically and horizon-
tally will reshape the bridge. Horizontal movement increases or decreases the curvature
while vertical movement controls tessellation of the spans.
Pressing the Shift Key will snap to the optimal curvature depending on the modifier
that is selected.
• Interactive Curvature, Optimal Curvature, Half Curvature: Define the curvature

of the bridge, allowing it to be interactive or automatically optimized.
• Interactive Resolution, Optimal Resolution, Minimum Resolution: Define the
resolution (tessellation) of the bridge, either interactively or automatically.
• PolyGroup Columns, PolyGroup Rows, PolyGroup Flat: defines how the Poly-
Groups are created along the bridge.
• Pivot on Hole Center, Pivot on Clicked Edge: Defines the pivot point to define
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how the curvature of the tube will be created. Clicking two edges of a larger dis-
tance will generate a longer curve, while clicking two edges of shorter distance
will generate a shorter curve.
• Auto Align Edges, Align Clicked Edges: These are similar to the Pivot modifiers
and define which edges will be used when aligning the edges.
Options (Two Holes Only)

• Circle, The Spline, Arcs, Arcs and Line, Round Corners, Small Round Corners,
Tight Round Corners and Straight Lines: Define the shape of the tube between
the two holes, based upon any Action modifiers.
• One Line: Produces a straight bridge between the two clicked holes.
The same holes have been selected for each bridge but with different shape options selected,
creating different results for the same action.
Alternative Operations (Two Holes Only)

• Shift: Press this modifier while doing a click and drag to automatically create the
shape selected in the Bridge options. (For example, the Circle type of bridge
produce a clean partial circle.)
Close Hole
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The Close Hole Action fills openings in the model. This process contains two Targets.
Close Concave Hole fills the hole using the same algorithm used in the Tool >>
Geometry >> Modify Topology >> Close Hole function. It simply closes the hole of the
clicked open edge loop.
Note:
A hole can be filled only if the topology allows it.
When associated with the Convex Target, the Close Hole Action uses a different al-
gorithm to fills the space. The shape of this fill can be drastically impacted by the options
and modifiers described below.
It is important to continue holding the click after selecting the edge of the hole. This
enables interaction for you to reshape the created surface.
Modifiers (Convex Hole Only)

While continuing to hold your click open edge loop, moving the cursor horizontally or
vertically modifies the shape of the surface being created. Horizontal movement chang-
es the curvature and elevation. Vertical movment affects the amount of tessellation that
is applied.
• Converge to Center, Converge to Edge, Converge to Point: Define how the

shape of the structure is created and which direction the center point moves in
during creation. The direction of your stroke also determines where the new
topology converges to.
• Interactive Curvature, Optimal Curvature, Curvature Value: Define the curvature
of the created geometry to be either interactive or automatically optimized.
• Interactive Resolution, Optimal Resolution, Resolution Value: Define the resolu-
tion (tessellation) of the geometry, with it either being interactive or automati-
cally controlled by ZBrush.
• No Twist, 360 Degrees Twist, Twist Value: Define the behavior of the generated
geometry. This function can be used to generate helix-shaped surfaces.
• PolyGroup columns, PolyGroup Rows, PolyGroup Flat: Define how the Poly-
Groups are created along the bridge.
Options (Convex Hole Only)

• Circle, The Spline, Arcs, Arcs and Line, Round Corners, Small Round Corners,
Tight Round Corners and Straight Lines: Define the shape of the geometry clos-
ing the hole.
• One Line: Produces a flat hole with no elevation. With this option selected, only
tessellation can be changed.
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At the top, the model with two holes. On the right and bottom, three different ways to close the
holes as set by the different Close Convex Holes options.
Alternative Operation (Convex Hole Only)

• Shift: Press this modifier during the click and drag to let ZBrush use the optimal
shape.
Collapse
The Collapse Action will remove the selected edge, fusing the connected vertices
together.
When used with:

• Edge Target: The edge point closest to the cursor is fused with the second edge
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point.
• Hole Target: All the vertices along the boundary of the hole merge together at
the center of the hole.
• PolyLoop: All the vertices of the loop closest to the clicked edge are fused with
the polyloop that is opposite the clicked edge.
Crease
The Crease Action applies edge creasing to the Targeted edges.
• Alt: Uncrease an already creased edge and vice versa.
Delete
The Delete Action deletes the edge(s) corresponding to the selected Target.
The operation is possible only if deleting the edge(s) will not create a topology issue.
If clicking on an edge doesn’t produce a result, it is because the action would result in
topology issues such as creation of n-gons and so was forbidden by ZBrush.
When deleting edges – especially when part of an edge loop -- ZBrush will not only
delete the edges but also the points along these edges.j This avoids extra cleaning
steps.
Do Nothing
The Do Nothing Action is an empty Action. When this is active it will prevent the pos-
sibility of accidentally performing an Edge Action by mistake while using the ZModeler
brush. If you know that you only want to use Poly or Point Actions, having this active and
hovering over a point will default to a Poly Action instead.
Extrude
The Extrude Action will extrude a selected edge on a model. The extrude edge Ac-
tion creates a polygon between the clicked edge and the opposite edge. When using this
Action, triangles will be created on the extruded part.
The position of the cursor when clicking on the Target edge defines the direction of
the extrusion.
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• Ctrl: Stop the extrusion process and switch to an Edge Move Action.
• Shift: Disconnect the polygons adjacent to the extrusion.
Modifiers
• Straight, Rotate to 15 Degrees, Custom Rotation: Define the steps the extruded
edge. Straight provides no constraints while 15 Degrees add steps of 15 de-
grees. Custom rotation allows you to add a custom constraint by the value set
in this slider.
Insert
The Insert Action creates an edge loop along the clicked ring of edges. The insert
Action will continue across the entire edge loop.
If you want the Inserted edge to only be generated through part of an edge loop, you
can use a mask to protect the portions of the model where you do not want the Inserted
edge to be generated.
The Insert Action uses two Targets: Multiple EdgeLoops and Single EdgeLoop. If
using the Multiple EdgeLoops Target you will have access to modifiers that help generate
advanced shapes.
Modifiers
• Interactive Resolution, Specified Resolution: Define the number of inserted
edges. You can move the cursor up and down interactively or enter a numerical
value.
• Specified Resolution, Interactive Elevation: Defines the elevation of the inserted
edge(s). When set to Interactive Elevation, moving the cursor left and right will
change the elevation.
• Spline, Radial, Linear, Flat: Define the shape of the elevation.
• Per Polygon Normal, Clicked Normal, Average Normals: Define the direction of
the Elevation modifier.
• Alt: Remove the clicked edge loop.
• Shift: When used with the Single EdgeLoop Target, this will move the inserted
edge proportionally to the cursor.
Inset
The Inset Action inserts a new polygon within the selected face or group of faces.
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The different modifiers not only change the shape of the inserted polygon(s) but also
allow for control over how these new polys are connected to the original surface.
Modifiers
• Center and Border, Border Only, Center Only: Define how the new polygons
are created. Center and Border will create all the polygons. Border Only will not
create the center polygon. Center Only will create the center polygon(s) without
any border polygons.
• Inset Each Poly, Inset Region: Define whether the inserted polygons are cre-
ated individually or connected all together as a region.
• Alt: Change the PolyGroup of the inserted part.
• Shift: Change the shape of the inserted polygon(s) to be square rather than
matching the original polygon.
Mask
The Mask Action applies a protective mask to the clicked edge, preserving it from
manipulation until the mask has been cleared.
It is possible to click on multiple items, masking all of them if needed.
• Alt: Unmask the clicked Target. Like the Mask Action; click unprotect as many
edges as needed.
Move
The Move Action lets you freely relocate the selected edge relative to the screen’s
working plane.
• Shift: Constrains the Move Action along the closest X, Y, or Z working (canvas)
plane. It is important to adjust your camera angle before using this modifier with
the Move Action.
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Move Auto Radius

Move Infinite Radius shifts the whole edgeloop by slowing decreasing the strength
of the move.
• Alt: Moves the edges like they were inflated.
• Shift: Slides all Targeted edges along the adjacent polygons.
Move Brush Radius

Move Brush Radius moves the edges based on the Draw Size.
Move Infinite Radius

Move Infinite Radius shifts the whole edgeloop based on depth of the camera view.
PolyGroup
The PolyGroup Action sets a new PolyGroup for the Targeted edge. The modifiers
below define how these PolyGroups are created.
Modifiers
• Overwrite, Additive: Define how the new PolyGroups are created. Overwrite will
apply a new PolyGroup with the first click and reuses it for each subsequent click while
the Additive modifier will create a different PolyGroup with each click.
Note:
Unlike other Actions where the Alt key can change the PolyGroup, this operation isn’t pos-
sible for the PolyGroup Action when Overwrite is active. You need to switch to the Additive modifier
instead.
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QMesh
The QMesh Action creates an extrusion of the edges corresponding to the selected
Target. This extruded edge creates a polygon between the clicked edge and the opposite
edge, creating a triangle shape on the side of the extruded part.
By default, the QMesh operation is exactly the same as Extrude Edge, except that:
• The created mesh will fuse to the adjacent polygons when possible.
• The created mesh can be completely deleted when performing a negative extru-
sion.
The Draw Size has impacts the attraction of the fusing operation: a small Draw Size
will trigger a strong fuse operation while a larger Draw Size will apply weaker fusing.
The position of the cursor when clicking on the Target edge affects the direction of
the extrusion. It is important to carefully position your cursor before executing the Action.
Options
• Full, Half, Quarter Step: Define the number of steps that the QMesh extrusion
will have between the clicked edges and its maximum height. These options
have no effect when the extruded edge isn’t in contact with adjacent polygons.
Modifiers
• Straight, Rotate to 15 Degrees, Custom Rotate Angle: Define the value of the
steps when extruding the edge. Straight provides no constraints while 15 De-
grees add steps of 15 degrees. The custom rotation adds a custom constraint
determined by the slider value.
• Normal Attraction, Weak Attraction, No Attraction: Define the sensitivity of the
fusing detection.
• Ctrl: Stops the extrusion process and switches to a Move Action.
• Shift: Disconnects the extrusion’s adjacent polygons.
• Alt: Changes the PolyGroup of the extrusion.
Scale
The Scale Action resizes the Targeted edges. When scaling a single edge its two
points will be affected. While scaling a polyloop, a larger part of the model may be scaled
depending its path.
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Slide
The Slide Action shifts the Targeted edges along their connected polygons.
Spin
The Spin Action rotates the clicked edge counter-clockwise around the two adjacent
polygons. This Action is very convenient when you wish to change the model’s topology.
• Alt: Produces a clockwise spin.
Split
The Split Action inserts a point on the clicked edge and connects it to all adjacent
edges. Dragging the point during the Split Action allows you to move it along the edge.
• Alt: Collapse the edge by welding its two points together at the location of the
one closest to the click.
Stitch (Hole)
The Stitch Action closes the edges of a hole, welding them together. Since the two
clicked edges are welded together, the alignment of the clicked edges will define the
resulting topology.
The Stitch Action produces better results when the hole has constant and uniform
topology, such as with a poly loop shape.
Swivel
The Swivel Action rotates the clicked edge or edge loop around the polygon’s op-
posite edge. The Action is performed by clicking the edge and dragging.
TransPose
The TransPose Action automatically masks all edges except the clicked edge and
switches to TransPose Move mode. At this stage, you can perform all the usual Trans-
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Pose operations.
Please keep in mind that while you are in TransPose, you are no longer in Draw
mode and so the ZModeler brush will no longer be active. To switch back to it, return to
Draw mode.
Note:
Don’t forget to clear your mask before performing other operations.
Unweld
The Unweld Action disconnects the clicked edges corresponding to the Target and
creates creasing on the border edges. Extruded polygons are created to keep the original
shape visually separate when Dynamic Subdivision is enabled.
The Unweld Action doesn’t split the model in multiple SubTools; it just disconnects
the topology.
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XII Polygon Actions
You will find below the different Actions that can be applied to the polygons of a mod-
el using the ZModeler brush. The ZModeler brush is context sensitive. To access its Poly
menu you need to hover over a polygon before right-clicking or pressing the space bar.
Some Actions have behaviors that will be totally different depending on the selected
Target. Also take note of the Edge Indicator widget when hovering over a polygon. This
widget provides important directional information that may be used by the selected Ac-
tion.
The descriptions of the available Targets are found after the Actions sections of this
document.
Add to Curve
The Add to Curve Action generates curves along the edges of the Targeted poly-
gons. The created curves can be used in later stages with the Curve Actions or various
Curve brushes.
Note:
The Curve actions are only available when a Curve exists on the model.
Bevel
The Bevel Action slices off the edges of the corresponding Target, creating new
edges with angled planes between them. The dimension of the generated bevel is deter-
mined interactively by dragging your stroke following the initial click.
Modifiers
bevel topology.
• Linear, Sharp, Soft Edge, Edge Sharpness: Define the shape of the bevel. Not
only is the visible roundness of the bevel affected but also the distance between
the edges, allowing for the bevel to look correct when using Dynamic Subdivi-
sion.
Bridge
The Bridge Action creates geometry between two polygons. The Bridge function can
generated rounded surfaces when used with connected polys.
With the Two Polys Target, the Bridge Action connects the clicked polygons via a
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tube-like bridge. When using this Action a widget will prompt you to ‘Click 1st Poly’ then
‘Click 2nd Poly.’ With the 2nd click, the bridge will be created. When using this Action
and Target; it can be easy to create a bridge that crosses existing polygons, resulting in
irregular undesired topology.
With the Connected Polys Target, the Bridge Action connects two adjacent polygons
and creates a new shape. The shape of the Bridge is drastically impacted by the different
options and modifiers. To use the Target, hover over a poly and take note of the edge
indicator. The edge indicator will point to the direction in which the Bridge will be created.
Modifiers (Connected Polys)

Dragging vertically and horizontally while clicking and dragging will allow you to dy-
namically reshape the bridge. Horizontal movement adjusts the curvature that is applied
to the bridge. Vertical movement changes the amount of tessellation that is applied. Only
the Interactive modifiers can by dynamically updated.
Pressing the Shift key while clicking and dragging will instruct ZBrush to automati-
cally generate the optimal shape as specified by the modifier
• Interactive Curvature, Specified Curvature: Define the curvature of the bridge.

This can be interactively controlled or set with a predefined value.
• Interactive Resolution, Specified Resolution: Define the resolution (number of
tessellations) of the bridge. This can be interactively controlled or set with a
predefined value.
• Align to Tangent, Normal: Define the direction in which the bridge is computed.
Using Normal alignment is generally preferred when the adjacent polygons
have a low angle between them.
• Variable, Constant Width: Allows the rows of the geometry being created to
have a variation in width. This is most noticeable when one polygon’s edge
width not shared by both polygon faces is wider compared to the adjacent poly-
gon being bridged.
• Non Symmetrical, Symmetrical: Maintains an average width to the rows of ge-
ometry being created when bridging between two polygon faces with variable
edge lengths on the none shared edge between the two polygons.
• Polygroup Rows, Flat: Determine what PolyGroups will be created for the new
topology.
• Triangle & Quadrangles Sides Loop, Triangle Sides, Quad Sides: Define the
topology of the side of the bridge. Extra edge loops can be created around the
pivot edge and the topology can a mix of triangles and/or quadrangles.
Options (Connected Polys)

• The Bezier, Spline, Circle, Arcs, Arcs and Line, Round Corners, Small Rond
Corners, Tight Round Corners, and Straight Lines: Define the shape of the ge-
ometry generated between the two polygons, based upon the selected modi-
fiers.
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• One Line: Produces a straight tube between the two clicked holes.
Alternative Operations (Connected Polys)

• Shift: Pressing this modifier while performing the click and drag allows ZBrush
create the optimal shape based on the selected modifier.
Crease
The Crease Action applies edge creasing to the Targeted edges.
Modifiers
• All Sides, Long, Short Sides: Define which edges of the polygons will have edge
creasing applied.
• All Faces, Polygroup Border, Polygroup Inner: Define the behavior of the
creased edge, based on the existing PolyGroups for the selected Target.
• All transitions, Shallow, Sharp Transition: Define the behavior of the creased
edge based on the topology of the model in the Targeted region. Shallow Tran-
sition will apply creasing where there are low angles between each polygon.
Sharp Transition will apply creasing only on edges which form a sharp angle
between polygons.
• All, Outer, Inner Targets: Specify whether to apply creases to all edges within
the Target area, to boundaries only or to all edges except boundaries.
• All, Outer, Inner Edges: Specify whether to apply creases to all edges within the
Target area or only to those at the boundaries of an opening.
• Alt: Uncrease already creased edges and vice-versa. Important: you must press
the Alt key after clicking on the Target, without releasing the click. Pressing the
Alt key before clicking will switch to the Temporary PolyGroup selection mode.
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Delete
The Delete Action removes the Targeted polygons, creating a hole in the model.
Do Nothing
The Do Nothing Action is an empty action. When active, prevents performing any
Poly Actions. This is useful when you know that you only want to use Point or Edge Ac-
tions, letting you work faster by eliminating the need to be as precise in your clicks. While
active, any click on a polygon will be treated as an Edge click instead.
Equalize
The Equalize Action tries to slide the Target edges to unify their lengths, changing
the effected polygons to squares. The results greatly depend on the existing topology
and the complexity of the Target. This process may need to be applied multiple times to
achieve the desired effect.
Extrude
With the Extrude Action, click and drag to create an extrusion of the Targeted poly-
gons.
• Shift: Disconnects the extrusion from its adjacent polygons.
• Alt: Changes the PolyGroup of the extruded part.
• Modifiers
• One Side Poly, No Sides Polys: Determine whether sides will be created to con-
nect the extruded polygons with adjacent polygons.
• Step by Brush, Step Size: Edge loops generated along the length of the extru-
sion are based either on the Draw Size or a defined value.
Flip Faces
The Flip Faces Action changes the surface normal orientation of the Target poly-
gons. Be careful when using this option because flipped faces can generate the appear-
ance of holes in the mesh.
Note:
You may wish to turn Tool >> Display Properties >> Double on to ensure that you don’t mis-
take flipped faces for holes.
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Inflate
The Inflate Action applies a spherical effect to the Target polygons, like they’re the
surface of a balloon as it’s being blown up. Modifiers define the direction of the deforma-
tion and its shape.
Modifiers
• By Face, Edge, Point Normal: Define the direction of the Inflate deformation,
based on the normal direction of the specified element. If the Target polygons
are a flat surface, the Face Normal modifier will produces perpendicular move-
ment of the polygons because all the normals are going the same direction.
Insert NanoMesh
Use the Insert NanoMesh Action to insert meshes on the Targeted polygons. This
is done using a NanoMesh brush – a special brush that is an Insert Mesh or IMM brush
which has then been converted specifically for this Action.
After the action has been applied to the surface, the NanoMeshes can be further
edited through the Tool >> NanoMesh parameters and settings.
To create an Insert NanoMesh brush for this purpose, you must first load or create
an InsertMesh or Insert MultiMesh Brush (IMM) and then click Brush >> Convert to Na-
noMesh Brush.
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Each PolyGroup of the model received a NanoMesh. All of them are based on the same object,
but with a different distribution, scale and orientation settings.
Please refer to the NanoMesh documentation for more information.
Insert Point
The InsertPoint Action creates a single point in the middle of the clicked polygon and
then connects it to the points of the polygon that it’s being inserted into. This Action is
handy when wanting to quickly divide faces or find the exact middle of a polygon.
Insert Polyloops
The Insert Polyloops Action creates single or multiple edge loops following the topol-
ogy of the Target region. The topology along the edge of the Target region may be altered
to connect the existing points to the inserted edge loops.
If you want extra control over propagation of the inserted edge loop, use a mask to
protect an area of the model. The edge loop will not cross masked polygons.
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Modifiers
• Interactive Split, Even Splits, Specified Splits Count: Define the number of in-
serted edges, either by interactively moving the cursor up and down or by enter-
ing a numerical value.
• Loops mode, Grid Mode, SunBurst Mode: Define the pattern of the inserted
edge loops. Some patterns will work only on specific Targets. For example, Grid
Mode requires a flat island with no poly loops.
• Alternate Polygroup, Same Polygroup: Control whether to create new Poly-
Groups for the edge loops.
Inset
The Inset Action inserts one or more polygons within the Target polygons and con-
nected to them.
The modifiers can change the shape of the inserted polygons as well as whether or
not they are connected to the original polygons.
In the middle, each individual polygon of the PolyGroup receive the Inset Action while on the right,
the whole PolyGroup receive the Inset action because of the Inset Region Modifier.
Modifiers
• Center and Border, Border Only, Center Only: Define how the new polygons are
created. Center and Border will generate the inset polygons plus any polygons
that are needed to connect them to the original edges. Border Only will not cre-
ate the center polygon, while Center Only will not create border polygons.
• Inset Each Poly, Inset Region: Define whether every polygon within the Target
receives its own inset or if the Target polygons are treated as an entire region
with a shared inset. (This latter option effectively results in an edge loop.)
• Alt: Change the PolyGroup of the inserted part.
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• Shift: Change the shape of the inserted polygon(s) to be square rather than
proportional to the original polygon/region.
Mask
The Mask Action simply masks the clicked polygon or selected Target, preserving it
from manipulation until the mask is cleared.
Clicking on multiple items is possible, letting you protect as many polys as needed.
Mesh to Brush
The Mesh to Brush Action converts the Target geometry to a NanoMesh brush,
ready for applying later as a NanoMesh.
Note:
This Action can only create NanoMesh brushes. To create an Insert Mesh or IMM brush you
would instead need to use Tool >> Geometry >> Modify Topology >> Mesh from Brush and then
create your desired brush.
Modifiers
• Align to Mesh Orientation, Align to Clicked Face Normal: Define the orientation
of the mesh when it is stored within the brush. When working with the Align to
Clicked Face Normal modifier, it is advised to switch to orthogonal view and
carefully select the camera position.
Move
The Move Action lets you manipulate the Targeted polygons as specified by the
two modifiers. All polygons are moved the same distance, without any falloff effect,
deformation,or snapping.
Note:
TransPose can be also used with the Mask Action to do a similar operation.
Modifiers
• Align to Normal: Sets the Target to move along the normal of the clicked polygon
(perpendicular to the surface).
• Align to Axis: Sets the Target to move based on the nearest world axis with the
screen working plane (user point of view).
Polygroup
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The Polygroup Action generates new PolyGroups for the Targeted polygons. Be-
cause ZModeler makes extensive use of PolyGroups for Targets, this Action can quickly
becoming one of go-to items for creating a faster workflow.
This Action has no impact on your mesh’s topology; it only changes the existing
PolyGroup(s).
Don’t forget to refer to the Working with PolyGroups chapter of the ZModeler docu-
mentation for more information about how to use PolyGroups, including how to work with
ZModeler’s Temporary PolyGroup feature.
Options
• One GroupID: Creates a unique PolyGroup.
• Three Sides: Creates different PolyGroups for each world working plane. (X,
Y, Z)
• Six Sides: Creates different PolyGroups corresponding to each side of the
world’s working planes. (+X, -X, +Y, -Y, +Z, -Z)
• Topological: Creates gradient PolyGroups that follow the mesh topology, based
on the initial click location.
• Poly Order: Creates PolyGroups based on the polygon order.
• Point Order: Creates PolyGroups based on the point order.
• Relative Plus, Minus One: Replace the existing PolyGroup with a slightly differ-
ent hue.
• Checker: Create two PolyGroups with a checker pattern.
Modifiers
• Overwrite, Additive: Define how new PolyGroups are created. Overwrite applies
a new PolyGroup and uses it for each subsequent click while the Additive modi-
fier creates a different PolyGroup with each click.
• Pick Existing: Copies the PolyGroup of the clicked face and stores it for use with
the next PolyGroup creation process.
• Full, Random Coverage: Apply the PolyGroup to either the entire Target region
to a fraction of it.
QMesh
The QMesh Action lets you click and drag to extrude the Target polygons.
By default, the QMesh operation is exactly the same as the Extrude Edge Action,
except that:
• The created mesh will attempt to fuse to the adjacent polygons.
• The created mesh can be completely deleted by performing a negative extru-
sion.
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The attraction of the fusing operation depends upon the Draw Size: a small brush
size will trigger a strong fuse operation while a larger brush size will apply weaker fusing.
The position of the cursor when clicking on the Target edge will define the direction of
the extrusion. It is important to carefully position your cursor before executing the Action.
Options
• Align tenth, Quarter, Third, Half, Full Step, No Alignment: Define the number of
steps that the QMesh extrusion will have between the clicked polygon and its
maximum height. These Modifiers have no effect when the extruded polygon
doesn’t come in contact with adjacent polygons.
Modifiers
• One Side Poly, Multi Sides By Brush, Step Size: One Side Poly is the default
fuse function of QMesh. The Step Size Modifier will allow you to perform a con-
tinuous Qmesh of the clicked polygons, generating edge loops along the length
equal to the Draw Size or a defined value.
• Normal Attraction, Weak Attraction, No Attraction: Define the sensitivity of the
fusing detection.
• Disable and Enable Triangle Snap: When enabled, QMesh will allow the fusing
operation to create triangles.
• Disable and Enable Extended Snap: When enabled, snapping continues be-
yond the full step of the extrusion. If the Step is set to quarter, then it will con-
tinue to add a step equal to a quarter of the distance beyond a full step. When
disabled, ZBrush will snap to the maximum distance of the surrounding poly-
gons without needing to evaluate height.
• Shift: Disconnects the polygons adjacent to the extrusion.
• Alt: Changes the PolyGroup of the extruded part.
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Scale
The Scale Action scales the Target polygons. When scaling a single polygon, ZBrush
will simply move its points in or out relative to the anchor point defined by the options.
When scaling a poly loop, ZBrush may scale a larger part of the model as determined by
the path of the poly loop.
Options
• Mesh Center, Axis Center, Local Symmetry, Click Center, Polygon Center: De-
fine the location of the anchor point for the scaling operation, with all affected
points moving relative to it.
Spherize
The Spherize Action forces the Target polygons toward a spherical shape. Moving
the stroke in different directions while clicking and dragging generates different results.
• Shift: Spherize by moving all affected vertices at the same time.
Spin
The Spin Action rotates the Target polygons around a point defined by the selected
option.
Options
• Mesh, Axis, Polygon, Clicked Center, Local Symmetry, Clicked Polygon Corner:
Define which point the polygon(s) will spin around. Some rotation centers are
defined by the topology while others are determined by the click position.
Modifiers
• No Alignment, Align to 15 Degrees, Custom Alignment: Set a constraint value
that affects the rotation of the spin Action.
• Align Rotation to Axis: The rotation is done along the closest world axis.
Spin Edges
The Spin Edges Action changes the point order within the clicked Target. The usage
is specific to those functions in ZBrush which make use of point order, such as Micro-
Mesh and NanoMesh.
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Because this only affects point order rather than position, you won’t see any ap-
parent effect unless you have applied a NanoMesh or MicroMesh to the surface. With
one of these functions applied, performing the Action will change the orientation of the
NanoMesh or MicroMesh.
Options
• Clockwise, Counter Clockwise: Define the rotation direction.
Split
The Split Action inserts a point in the clicked polygon and connects it to middle of
each surrounding edge. This Action is similar to Insert Point but maintains a quad sur-
face.
TransPose
The Transpose Action automatically masks everything except the selected Target
and then switches to TransPose Move mode to manipulate the surface standard Trans-
Pose operations.
Please keep in mind that while using TransPose, you are no longer in Draw mode.
You have to switch back to Draw mode if you want to continue using ZModeler.
Note:
Don’t forget to remove your mask before performing other operations.
Unweld
The Unweld Action disconnects the Target polygons creases the border edges so
that they maintain their shape when smoothed. Extruded polygons are created to keep
the original shape visually unwelded when using Dynamic Subdivision mode.
The Unweld Action doesn’t split the model in multiple SubTools; it just disconnects
the topology.
ZModeler Modifiers
There are a few settings which are universal ZModeler’s Actions and Targets. Modi-
fying these are only necessary for very specific purposes.
• Default Flatness and Flat Targets Tolerance: Define the accuracy of flat surface
detection performed by some targets. Increasing the value can allow Actions to
affect slightly irregular areas and larger surfaces.
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XIII CURVE ACTIONS
Listed here are Actions that affect curves which have been created on a model. The
ZModeler brush is context sensitive: Hovering over a curve and either pressing the space
bar or right-clicking will bring up the ZModeler Curve menu.
Curve Actions are of course only available when a curve or set of curves has been
generated on a model. Curves can be created using point, edge, and/or polygon actions.
The descriptions of the Targets are available after the Actions sections of this docu-
ment.
Bevel
The Bevel Action creates beveled topology on the edges corresponding to the se-
lected Curves. The distance dragged while clicking defines the radius of the bevel.
Modifiers
bevel topology.
• Linear, Sharp, Soft Edge: Define the shape of the bevel when Dynamic Sub-
division is applied to the model. Not only is the visible roundness of the bevel
affected but also the distance between the edges, allowing for the bevel to look
correct when using Dynamic Subdivision.
Delete
The Delete Action suppresses the Target curve(s).
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XIV ZModeler Brush Targets
The ZModeler brush operates by performing Actions on Target polygons, points,

edges or curves in a PolyMesh3D such object. In other words, the Action tells ZBrush
what to do but the Target specifies exactly what part of the mesh to perform the Action on.
The most basic Targets such as a single vertex, edge or polygon will affect small
areas of your mesh. However when working on your models you may need to affect a
larger area such as groups of polygons or multiple edges.
As an example, by selecting the “Extrude” Action and setting the “PolyGroup” Target
you can click and drag on a single polygon in your mesh to affect all polygons sharing the
same PolyGroup – even if those polygons are scattered throughout your model. Now
change the Target from “PolyGroup” to “A Single Poly.” If you click and drag that same
polygon, it will now be the only part of the model that is altered.
With this system it is important not only to specify which Action that you want to
use but also the Target area you want to effect. Of course, some actions only have one
Target due to the nature of their effect. For example, the Point Stitch Action only has the
Two Points Target since stitching can only generate an effect across this specific area.
Because the Target system is so versatile the ZModeler brush seamlessly adapts to
virtually any of your low resolution sculpting needs. The better you understand the vari-
ous Targets available to you, the more you will get from ZModeler. This section of the
documentation will give you that knowledge.
Below is the list of the different targets. Depending of the Action selected some of
these targets may not be available.
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1. EdgeLoop Versus PolyLoop
This documentation will often refer to poly loops and edgeloops. While the descrip-
tions of these structures are similar, they are not exactly the same and as a result you can
get very different topology results depending upon which Target type you have selected.
An edgeloop ends when it reaches a vertex that connects and odd number of edges.
A polyloop continues no matter how many edges connect to the vertex.
See the illustration below to understand how this distinction can affect your topology.
This is an example of the difference between an EdgeLoop Target and a PolyLoop Target, com-
bined with the Bevel Action. On the left, the original mesh. In the center, the Bevel EdgeLoop is
stopped when it reaches an extraordinary point (point with three connected edges). On the right,
the Bevel PolyLoop uses the boundary of the polygonal loop and so isn’t affected by the extraordi-
nary point. It creates a bevel around the whole model.
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2. Point Targets
Below is a list of Targets which are specifically available to Actions that affect the
points of your model.
By Brush Radius
The By Brush Radius Target simply uses the Draw Size setting to define the influ-
ence area of the Action. As an example, selecting this Target with the Point Move Action
will generate an effect similar to that of the Move brush.
Point(s)
The Point (or Points) Target looks at the edges of your model and zeroes in on their
endpoints. The Action applied to this Target will affect only the clicked point.
Note:
Some Actions depend upon the edges connected to this point, which means that if you chose
the Extrude Action with Point Target, the exact position of your cursor will determine which of the
polygons attached to this point will be extruded.
Two Points
The Two Points Target is specific to an Action that needs two points to be performed,
such as Stitch which will move and weld the two clicked points.
The Two Points Target is done in two steps; clicking a first point, followed by a sec-
ond point. With each click, the ZModeler brush widget will instruct you to ‘Click 1st point’
or ‘Click 2nd point.’
Note:
You can change your point of view while selecting the two points. This Target only evaluates
clicks on points and ignores all others, such as to rotate the model.
Infinite Depth
The Infinite Depth Target automatically selects all points in line with your click, no
matter how deep they might be relative to the camera. Only the vertices that are perfectly
aligned will received the Action.
In less technical words, all the points that are visually overlapped by the clicked one
will be manipulated by the Action. This is very convenient when working in orthographic
views with models composed of simple extruded elements where you need to move all
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the aligned points. With this Target you will have the freedom to refine your shape without
resorting to TransPose and/or masks.
The infinite Depth Target only affects points that are perfectly aligned or almost per-
fectly aligned.
Infinite X, Y or Z
The Infinite X, Y or Z Target is automatically selecting the points which are aligned
with the cursor and located on the working plane of the selected axis (X, Y, or Z).
The infinite X, Y, or Z Target is only affecting the points that are perfectly aligned or
almost perfectly aligned.
Infinite XYZ
The Infinite XYZ Target is similar to the Infinite X, Y or Z Action except that it auto-
matically selects the working plane that is closest to the current camera point of view.
Once the plane is determined, the Target then automatically selects the points on that
plane that are aligned with the cursor.
The infinite XYZ Target only affects points which are perfectly aligned or almost
perfectly aligned.
Ring
The Ring Target selects the surrounding points which are connected to the clicked
point by edges.
3. Edge Targets
edges of your model. An edge is the line between two connected points on your model’s
surface.
Edge
The Edge Target will only ever select the single clicked edge.
EdgeLoop Complete
The EdgeLoop Target identifies a ring of edges which connect end to end, returning
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to the start point. The points passed through cannot have an odd number of connected
edges.
EdgeLoop Partial
The EdgeLoop Target is similar to EdgeLoop Complete except that the selection
will stop at the first extraordinary point that it encounters. (A point with an odd number of
edges connected to it.)
Multiple EdgeLoop
The Multiple EdgeLoop Target is associated with advanced modifiers that produce
multiple edge loops across the surface of the model.
Single EdgeLoop
This Single EdgeLoop Target is an alternative to the Multiple EdgeLoop Target and
will only select a single edge loop as the Target.
Edge Strip
The Edge Strip Target corresponds to a set of edges that are located in the same
poly loop (meaning that extraordinary points with an odd number of edges are permitted).
The first click defines the beginning of the strip and a second click defines its end.
PolyLoop
The PolyLoop Target identifies a ring of edges which connect end to end, returning to
the start point. The points passed through can have an odd number of connected edges.
The PolyLoop Target applies the Action to the entire set of polygons within the loop
or (for some Actions) it may affect the poly loop’s border edges. For example, the Trans-
Pose Action with PolyLoop Target will modify all polygons within the loop while the Bevel
Action with PolyLoop Target will apply a bevel only to the edges that make up the poly
loop border.
Note:
For edge Actions, the affected edges of the Targeted poly loop will be the perpendicular ones
since they correspond to the boundary of the poly loop.
Two Edges
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The Two Edges Target is specific to any Action that needs to have two edges se-
lected in order to be performed. As an example, the Edge Bridge Action will create a
polygon between two clicked edges.
The Two Edges Target is done in two steps by clicking a first edge, then a second
edge. For each click, the ZModeler brush widget will instruct you to ‘Click 1st Edge’ or
‘Click 2nd Edge.’
Note:
You can change your point of view while selecting the two edges. This Target only evaluates
clicks on edges and ignores all others, such as to rotate the model.
PolyGroup Island
The PolyGroup Island Target selects all polygons connected to the clicked edge
which share the same PolyGroup and continues to expand the selection until encounter-
ing edges of a different PolyGroup.
For example, if your model is a face and the two eyes share the same PolyGroup,
using this Target would let you select only one eye. Even though the other eye has the
same group it is not contiguously connected to the clicked eye and so will not be affected
by the Action.
Hole
The Hole Target corresponds to an area within your model with no polygons on. This
area is defined by a loop of edges that surround the border of the hole. The selection is
done by clicking on one of these bordering edges.
Note:
The hole must be completely surrounded by connected polygons.
Concave Hole
The Concave Hole Target is equivalent to the Hole Target except that it is designed
to work on holes that have a concave angle in their outline. A concave hole with at least
one internal angle with a value higher than 180°.
The selection is done by clicking on one of the edges of the hole.
Convex Hole
The Convex Hole Target is equivalent to the Hole Target except that it is designed to
work on holes which have a convex angle in its outline. A convex hole only has internal
angles between each edge which are less than 180°.
The selection is done by clicking on one of the edges of the hole.
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Two Holes
The Two Holes Target is specific to an Action that needs to have two holes selected
to be performed. For example, the Edge Bridge Action will generate bridging topology
across the distance between two clicked holes.
The Two Holes Target is done in two steps by clicking an edge of the first hole, then
an edge of the second hole. For each click, the ZModeler brush widget will instruct you to
‘Click 1st Edge’ or ‘Click 2nd Edge.’
Note:
You can change your point of view while selecting the two holes. This Target only evaluates
clicks on hole edges and ignores all others, such as to rotate the model.
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4. Polygon Targets
polygons of your model. Polygons are the planes between points which are connected
by edges.
A Single Poly (Polygon)
The A Single Poly Target selects only the clicked polygon, which must be composed
of 3 of 4 points (either a triangle or quadrangle.)
On the left, the original model. On the right, a Single Poly has been affected.
Note:
N-gons are not supported.
All Polygons
The All Polygons Target selects the entire clicked mesh. It will ignore PolyGroups,
geometry islands and specific quadrangle or triangle areas on the mesh.
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At the left, the original model. For each click, a different Option has been used: Topologyical,
Checker, Point Order.
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All Quads (Quadrangles)

The All Quads Target selects all quadrangle (four-sided) polygons that are contained
within the clicked mesh, ignoring triangles and n-gons.
On the left, the original model. On the right, all the quadrangles have been affected by the Action.
All Triangles
The All Triangles Target selects all the triangles within the clicked mesh, ignoring all
polygons with more than three sides.
When used with the PolyGroup Action, this lets you quickly isolate all triangles within
your model to make topology clean up easier.
On the left, the original model. On the right, all the triangles have been affected by the Action.
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Behind
The Behind Target corresponds to all the polygons which are located behind the
clicked polygon, as determined by its surface normal.
On the left, the original model. On the right, all the polygones behind the clicked polygons have
been affected by the Action.
Note:
Viewing angle is irrelevant to this Target.
Behind & Polygroup

The Behind & Polygroup Target is similar to Behind except that it will only select
polygons which are both behind the clicked polygon and sharing the same PolyGroup as
the clicked polygon.
On the left, the original model. On the right, all the polygons of the same PolyGroup behind the
clicked polygons have been affected by the Action.
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Brush Radius
The Brush Radius Target uses the current Draw Size to select polygons to be af-
fected by the Action. Focal Shift is not taken into consideration, meaning that all polygons
will be uniformly affected by the Action, wherever they are located within the brush radius.
On the left, the original model. On the right, all the polygons corresponding to the brush radius
have been affected by the Action.
Connected Polys (Polygons)

The Connected Polygons Target identifies two polygons that are connected to each
other.
The position of the cursor over the polygons determines the direction in which the
Action will be applied. For this reason, the edge selector widget informs you of the loca-
tion of the edge that is sharing the connected polygon.
On the left, the original model with the edge selector indicating the position of the connected poly-
gon. On the right, the connected polygons have been affected by the Polygon Bridge Action.
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Curved Island
The Curved Island Target selects polygons which are adjacent to the clicked poly-
gon but not forming a flat surface. The selection will expand until encountering adjacent
polygons that are at a 0° angle relative to the previous one.
For more information about the concept of islands, please refer to the Island Target.
On the left, the original model. On the right, all the polygons connected to the clicked one and
which are not forming a flat surface have been affected by the Action.
Facing Front All

The Facing Front Target allows you to apply Actions to Polys that are directly facing
the camera plane. By switching to Orthographic view and rotating your model to a certain
angle you can control which polygons will be affected by the Action.
On the left, the original model. On the right, all the polygons facing the camera working plane have
been affected by the Action, including the non-connected objects.
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Facing Front Island

The Facing Front Island Target allows you to apply Actions to polygons that are both
directly facing the camera plane and part of the same geometry island. By switching
to Orthographic view and rotating your model to a certain angle you can control which
polygons will be affected by the Action. Unlike with Facing Front All, polygons that face
the camera plane will be ignored if they are part of a different geometry island from that
of the clicked polygon.
On the left, the original model. On the right, all the polygons facing the camera working plane have
Flat & PolyGroup

The Flat & PolyGroup Target selects an island of connected polygons which have no
angle differentiation between them and are part of the same PolyGroup.
See the Island Target for more information about the concept of islands.
On the left, the original model. On the right, all the connected polygons which are flat and of the
same PolyGroup have been affected by the Action.
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Flat Border
The Flat Border Target looks for a flat island and then selects the polygons that make
up its border. The flat detection threshold can be modified by changing the Flat Targets
Tolerance value in the universal ZModeler modifiers.
Flat Border is gives results which are opposite that of the Flat Inner Target.
On the left, the original model. On the right, all the polygons located on the border of the flat sur-
face have been affected by the Action.
Flat Inner
The Flat Inner Target looks for a flat island and then discards its border polygons,
causing the Action to only affect the center region.
Flat Inner gives results which are the opposed of the Flat Border Target.
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Flat Island
The Flat Island Target selects a group of connected polygons which make up a to-
tally flat surface. These polygons do not need to all share the same PolyGroup.
On the left, the original model. On the right, all the polygons of the flat surface have been affected
by the Action.
Infront
The Infront Target corresponds to all the polygons which are located in front of the
click polygon as determined by its surface normal.
On the left, the original model. On the right, all the polygons in front of the clicked polygons have
Note:
Viewing angle is irrelevant to this Target.
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Infront & Polygroup

The Infront & Polygroup Target is similar to the Infront Target except that polygons
which are in front of the clicked polygon’s normal will be ignored unless they share the
same PolyGroup as the clicked polygon.
On the left, the original model. On the right, all the polygons located in front of the cursor and from
the same PolyGroup have been affected by the Action.
Island
The Island Target selects a single geometry island within your model. Islands are
created when SubTools are merged together into a single SubTool, such as in the De-
moHead.ztl where the “eyes” SubTool has both eyes, the teeth and the tongue to create
four separate islands. Each Island has its topology which is totally independent from the
others.
Islands can intersect with each other, but so long as they aren’t welded together they
are considered separate entities for Target purposes.
On the left, the original model. On the right, all the polygons of the model which are not connected
to another part of the model have been affected by the Action.
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Poly (Polygon)
Similar to the A Single Poly Target, the Poly Target selects a clicked three or four-
sided polygon. (A triangle or quadrangle.)
Poly Corners (Polygon Corners)

The Poly Corners Target selects the points which make up the clicked polygon.
PolyCenter (Polygon Center)
The PolyCenter Target aims the associated Action at the center of the clicked poly-
gon.
PolyGroup All
The PolyGroup All Target selects all polygons that share the same PolyGroup as the
clicked polygon, no matter where those polygons might be within the model. This Target
ignores geometry islands.
On the left, the original model. On the right, all the polygons of the model which are part of the
same PolyGroup have been affected by the Action.
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Polygroup Border
The PolyGroup Border Target is similar to PolyGroup All except that after selecting
the polygons which share the same PolyGroup it then refines that selection to include
only those polygons which connect (share an edge) with other PolyGroups.
Put another way, the refinement is opposite that of Polygroup Inner.
On the left, the original model. On the right, all the polygons located on the border of the clicked
PolyGroup of the model have been affected by the Action.
Polygroup Inner
The PolyGroup Inner Target is similar to PolyGroup All except that after selecting the
polygons which share the same PolyGroup it then refines that selection to include those
polygons which DO NOT connect (share an edge) with other PolyGroups.
Put another way, the refinement is opposite that of Polygroup Border.
Polygroup Island
If your model has a PolyGroup that is found on multiple islands, the PolyGroup
Island Target will select all polygons belonging to the clicked polygon’s group and then
refine that selection by discarding those polygons which are part of the same island.
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On the left, the original model. On the right, all the polygons of the clicked PolyGroup and only this
one have been affected by the Action.
Polyloop
The Polyloop Target selects a loop of polygons. This is a group of polygons that
are connected to each other as a strip of geometry. A poly loop can be closed or open,
depending on the topology.
When hovering over a polygon, the edge selector widget informs you of the direction
in which the poly loop Action will be applied.
On the left, the original model. On the right, all the polygons corresponding of a Polyloop have
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Polyloop & Flat

The Polyloop & Flat Target selects a poly loop as defined above but detection ends
as soon as ZBrush detects an angle between polygons.
For more information about the poly loop concept, please refer to the Polyloop Tar-
get.
On the left, the original model. On the right, all the polygons corresponding of a Polyloop located
on the same flat area have been affected by the Action.
Polyloop & Polygroup

The Polyloop & Polygroup Target selects a poly loop as defined above but detection
ends as soon as another PolyGroup is encountered.
For more information about the poly loop concept, please refer to the Polyloop Tar-
get.
On the left, the original model. On the right, all the polygons corresponding of a Polyloop located
on the same Polygroup have been affected by the Action.
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Two Polys (Two Polygons)

The Two Polys Target is specific to Actions that need to have two polygons to be
performed. For example, the Poly Bridge Action creates bridged geometry between two
clicked polygons.
The Two Polys Target is done in two steps by clicking a first Poly and then a second
Poly. For each click, the ZModeler brush widget will instruct you to ‘Click 1st Poly’ or ‘Click
2nd Poly.’
Note:
This Target only considers clicks on polygons. This allows you to rotate your model as nec-
essary while making the selection.
5. Curve Targets
curves of your model..
All Curves
The All Curves Target directs the Action to affect all curves drawn on the model.
Curves
The Curves Target selects a single segment of the clicked curve. A segment is the
section between any two circles along the length of the curve.
All other segments of the curve, if existing, will be ignored.
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ZBrush User Guide - Dynamic Subdivision
DYNAMIC SUBDIVISION
Subdivision Surfaces for Low Polygon Models
344
The Dynamic Subdivision system contains alternative functions to ZBrush’s Classic

Subdivision Surface mode, allowing you to apply dynamic smoothing to your models
without actually dividing the polygons. This feature is mainly designed to work in associa-
tion with the ZModeler brush and low polygonal models.
The default Dynamic Subdivision mode is similar to the classic subdivision surfaces
previously used by ZBrush. Applying a single subdivision level with Dynamic Smooth
Subdivision mode active gives the same result as simply subdividing the model once in
previous ZBrush versions.
The main difference between the two systems is simple: Dynamic Subdivision mode
is used to represent the result of a smoothing your base mesh, letting you see what the
divided model would look like even while you actually edit and sculpt the lower resolution
mesh.
While working with Dynamic Subdivision active, you see the higher resolution sur-
face while your brushes operate on the lower resolution base mesh.
As wtih the classic Subdivision system, Dynamic Subdivision surfaces can be al-
tered with creased edges. However, this new mode also offers a wide range of other
options that drastically change the visual results of smoothing: chamfered edges, non-
smoothed subdivisions and more.
Dynamic Subdivision is applied to the model in real-time. While the function is active,
any changes in the base mesh topology will show an immediate result in the displayed
smooth surface. Using functions like QGrid and its options (Bevel or Chamfer) will allow
you to model objects while having real-time dynamic chamfers or bevels applied to them.
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I Dynamic Subdivision Blended with Classic Subdivision
Using Dynamic Smooth Subdivision mode will generate a visual result that is exactly
the same as a classically subdivided mesh, except that only the base mesh is editable.
You can’t sculpt the displayed higher resolution surface.
Also, options like chamfering require angles in your surface to achieve the best
results. Since Classic Subdivision smooths the surface, those angles will be lost and
features that depend upon them won’t work as well.
While it is possible to combine Dynamic Subdivision with Classic Subdivision smooth-

ing, it is generally advised not to. If you must combine modes, only do so at low levels.
Put another way, use Dynamic Subdivision while building your base mesh, prior to
detailing. Once you have completed base mesh modeling, turn Dynamic Subdivision
off and subdivide like normal for the rest of your sculpting. (Or use the Apply feature
explained below.)
Note:
Because Dynamic Subdivision operates in real-time, it will max out when reaching high
polygon counts. If ZBrush determines that real-time feedback will be compromised it will no longer
allow additional polygons.
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II Dynamic Subdivision Workflow
To enable Dynamic Subdivision on a model, you need to press the Tool >> Geometry
>> Dynamic Subdiv >> Dynamic button. You will not immediately see a visual change on
your model. Next, specify which type of subdivision you wish to use: QGrid (QuickGrid),
Flat Subdivision or Smooth Subdivision. ZBrush will now display that type of Dynamic
Subdivision on your mesh.
Each option smooths the model using its own algorithms and so will generate a dif-
ferent appearance in the smoothed surface. It is possible to mix the three sliders’ values,
creating your own smoothing style. When doing this, keep in mind that the values in each
slider individually multiply the displayed polygon count by 4, so mixing all three Dynamic
Subdivision types with a value of 1 is the same as subdividing the model three times: 64
times as many polygons!
The polygon count of the working/editable topology remains exactly the same but
you need to keep in mind that ZBrush is still processing the visual quality of these subdivi-
sions. Using multiple Dynamic Subdivision types could slow down your computer.
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III Dynamic Subdivision HotKeys
Dynamic Subdivision and Classic Subdivision share some common hotkeys. These
can be a huge time saver when disabling and enabling Subdivisions. Remember that
ZBrush Hotkeys can also be customized to your liking.
By default, ZBrush uses “D” and “Shift+D” for these hotkeys.
When working with Classic Subdivision, these hotkeys will navigate up and down
between any existing subdivision levels.
With the Dynamic Subdivision (and only when the model has Dynamic Subdivision
with no Classic Subdivision levels) the same hotkeys are used to enable or disable the
display mode. They becomes a simple on/off toggle.
If Classic Subdivision is used in addition to Dynamic Subdivision, the hotkeys stop
toggling Dynamic Subdivision and instead revert to navigating between the Classic Sub-
division levels.
There are no default hotkeys for the three separate Dynamic Subdivision modes.
You must navigate to those sliders, although you can certainly assign hotkeys of your
choice if you prefer.
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IV Dynamic Subdivision and Saved Projects/Tools
Any Dynamic Subdivision settings applied to the current Tool or SubTool will be
saved within either Project (ZPR) or Tool (ZTL) files. After saving and reopening a file, the
current Dynamic Subdivision settings will remain the same.
Unlike Classic Subdivision which actually changes the model’s geometry, Dynamic
Subdivision is a render effect being performed in real-time. As such, Dynamic Subdivi-
sion has no effect upon file size. ZBrush is simply storing a few settings rather than extra
polygons.
V Priority Order of the different Dynamic Subdivision sliders
Because it is possible to combine Dynamic Subdivision modes, it is important to

keep in mind that ZBrush has a specific order in which it stacks them, regardless of the
order in which they were enabled by you.
The first subdivision applied is always QGrid, followed by Flat Subdivision and fi-
nally, Smooth Subdivision.
If you turned Smooth Subdivision on first then added Flat Subdivision, the visual
result would be the same as if they’d been turned on in the reverse order.
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VI Dynamic Subdivision Functions
Changing the different parameters for Dynamic Subdivision can drastically change
both the visual appearance of your model and the performance of ZBrush itself. The
settings below will help you fine tune your use of Dynamic Subdivision to get the most
out of the feature.
All of these functions are found in Tool >> Geometry >> Dynamic Subdivision.
Dynamic
The Tool >> Geometry >> Dynamic Subdivision >> Dynamic mode enables Dynamic
Subdivision mode for the current Tool or SubTool.
Remember that when first enabling this mode for a model it will not have any ap-
parent effect until you adjust the QGrid, Flat Subdiv and/or Smooth Subdiv sliders to tell
ZBrush which mode(s) you wish to use and how strongly.
Hotkey: D or Shift+D as a toggle.

Note:
As specified above, any Classic Subdivision levels override the use of these hotkeys for
Dynamic Subdivision.
Apply
The Tool >> Geometry >> Dynamic Subdivision >> Apply function converts the mod-
el’s Dynamic Subdivision to Classic Subdivision.
This only generates multiple subdivision levels with Flat and/or Smooth modes, due
to the fact that those algorithms are based on quadrangle. With QGrid (Quick Grid), using
Apply will generate the appropriate geometry as Subdivision Level 1 with no additional
levels.
These modes do work together, however, with QGrid being applied first and then
followed by the other two. So if your model has settings of 1 QGrid, 1 Flat Subdivision
and 3 Smooth Subdivision, using the Apply function will create a model with 5 subdivision
levels. QGrid is created as the first subdivision level, followed by a level of Flat Subdivi-
sion and three more levels of Smooth Subdivision.
After clicking the Apply function, your model will appear to be unchanged due to the
fact that Dynamic Subdivision is a WYSIWYG system. However, you will now have real
high-resolution polygons with which to further refine and detail your mesh.
Note:
The values of the Dynamic Subdivision mode sliders are not reset by pressing the Apply but-
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ton.
QGrid (Quick Grid)

The Tool >> Geometry >> Dynamic Subdivision >> QGrid (QuickGrid) slider defines
the number of grid-style subdivisions applied to the model. By default, it applies a uniform
grid over the entire model. Each increment in the slider’s value quadruples the number
of displayed polygons.
The QGrid function works in collaboration with the Coverage, Constant, Bevel and
Chamfer options.
When Transform >> PolyFrame is enabled, the QGrid topology is visible but with
less intensity than the base mesh topology.
Flat Subdivision and the QGrid Subdivision are based on the same algorithm except
that QGrid can use extra options:
QGrid Coverage
The Tool >> Geometry >> Dynamic Subdivision >> Coverage slider defines how the
grid pattern subdivision is distributed across the surface:
• With a value of 1, the distribution is uniform across the surface.

• Lower values slide the highest subdivision toward the edges of your mesh.
While QGrid is active you can see the effect of the Coverage slider in real-time.
To observe an example of this, simply load a Tool >> Initialize >> QuickCube mesh,
then set the QGrid slider to 1, the SmoothSubdivision slider to one and change the Cov-
erage slider values. At 1, you will have a very rounded cube because the entire surface
is being divided uniformly. As the value approaches 0 you will get sharper edges due to
the fact that most of the polygons will be pushed to those areas. (The main surfaces of
the cube will have fewer polygons, resulting in less smoothing and flatter sides.)
QGrid Constant
The Tool >> Geometry >> Dynamic Subdivision >> Constant mode, when enabled,
keeps the QGrid subdivision at a constant distance from the base mesh edges, providing
uniform topology along these edges.
This setting is enabled by default as it is important to keep a constant radius along

the edges when the QGrid Bevel and/or Chamfer modes are active.
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QGrid Bevel
The Tool >> Geometry >> Dynamic Subdivision >> Bevel mode moves the edges of
the QGrid subdivision to produce a flat angle along the mesh’s edges.
The Coverage slider as well as the QGrid slider values impact the size and accuracy
of this bevel.
QGrid Chamfer
The Tool >> Geometry >> Dynamic Subdivision >> Chamfer is similar to Bevel in that
it operates along the mesh’s edges. However, the edges will be more rounded.
The Coverage slider as well as the QGrid slider values will have an impact on the
size and accuracy of the Chamfer.
Flat Subdivision
The Tool >> Geometry >> Dynamic Subdivision >> Flat Subdivision slider defines
the number of grid-style subdivisions applied to the model. It creates a uniform grid
across the model’s surface. Each increment in the slider value multiplies the number of
rendered polygons by four but no actual smoothing is applied to the surface.
(This is similar to turning off Smt before using Divide with Classic Subdivision.)
Because Flat subdivision does not smooth the surface, it doesn’t make use of the
QGrid options described above. The subdivided shape is almost identical to using QGrid
with Constant, Bevel and Chamfer all set to 0, except that the polygons will be distributed
uniformly.
Smooth Subdivision
The Tool >> Geometry >> Dynamic Subdivision >> Smooth Subdivision slider de-
fines the number of standard subdivisions being dynamically applied to the model. It
applies the same Catmull-Clark subdivision smoothing over the model that you would
get using Tool >> Geometry >> Divide. However, these subdivisions are dynamic and
display virtual geometry rather than actually creating new sculptable polygons. Each
increment in the slider’s value by one will divide the number of polygons by four.
For tech buffs, Catmull-Clark Subdivision splits each quadrangle into four new poly-
gons and uniformly smooths the resulting surface. Triangles are split into three quads
and the surface is not smoothed. A model with both tris and quads will be partially
smoothed with the first subdivision (wherever the original quads are to be found) and fully
smoothed with the second subdivision.
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ZBrush User Guide - Array Mesh
ARRAY MESH
Dynamically Instanced Array Generation
353
Array Mesh is an advanced array system in ZBrush that will allow you to create
duplicate instances of geometry in varying patterns and shapes. This feature operates in
real-time as you edit the structure of the original mesh or adjust the modifiers of the array.
Using the sliders located in the Array Mesh sub-palette or simply using Array Mesh with
TransPose can quickly generate complex instanced geometry.
The Array Mesh system also incorporates a multi-stage approach that allows you to
nest multiple arrays within each other. With this system you can easily create Instanced
shapes such as tank treads or full buildings!
Because the Array Mesh is instanced geometry you can at any time modify the origi-
nal model and see all changes propagate across the entire Array. If you created an Array
of windows for a building façade and you now want to add curtains to all the windows,
simply modify the original model and the curtains will be applied to all the instances.
354
I Array Mesh Stages
An Array Mesh can be generated as a single operation or as multiple operations

combined together. Each stage that is applied to the array can either reuse the content of
the previous stage or just the location of the last copy as a start of a new stage.
Each Array Mesh stage is independent. This provides a way to have different pa-
rameters for each stage. An example is tank track treads where:
• The first stage defines the top flat part.

• The second stage defines one of the rounded parts.
• The third stage defines the bottom flat part.
• The fourth stage defines the other rounded part and connects it to the beginning
of the first stage copy.
• The fifth stage defines a mirrored version of the whole track to generate two full
treads.
Now by editing the original source mesh, the tracks can be automatically updated
in real-time!
On the top, the final model. Below, the multiple stages. You can find this model in LightBox >>
Project >> ArrayMeshes.
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II Working with TransPose
Array Mesh is a function that relies heavily on parameters and sliders to generate the
desired results. This process is not always artist-friendly, so ZBrush also allows control
over these parameters using the TransPose line.
• Location of the Pivot Point: the little yellow circle defines the center of the trans-
formations.
• Offset between the source model and its duplicates, with Move.
• Scale factor between the source model and its duplicates, with Scale.
• Rotation between the source model and its duplicates, with Rotate.
• Number of instanced copies.
• Selection of the current stage.
Any changes that you generate with TransPose are automatically applied to the Ar-
ray Mesh modifiers in the Array Mesh sub-palette.
To use TransPose with Array Mesh, you need to first enable the Tool >> Array Mesh
>> TransPose mode switch. After enabling this feature you can freely manipulate Trans-
Pose as usual and switch to the different TransPose modes to affect the Offset, Scale,
Rotate and Pivot of the Array. The behaviors of TransPose are exactly the same as the
ones that are used when manipulating 3D models.
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III Pivot Point
The Pivot Point is a key item in Array Mesh creation because it sets the center of the
operation, thus impacting how the rotation and offset values work to place the instances.
You can define the position of the pivot point by using the X, Y and Z Amount slid-
ers while in Pivot mode. For more interactive manipulation, use TransPose. In this latter
case, a little yellow circle will appear at the TransPose line’s starting point. This is the
pivot point.
The pivot point is manipulated by clicking and dragging the circle. Because its posi-
tion is set in the camera working plane, it is advised to switch to an orthographic view and
carefully select your point of view before manipulating.
The pivot point is only visible when TransPose mode is enabled. When disabled, the
yellow circle will not be seen.
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IV Array Mesh and NanoMesh
Array Mesh and NanoMesh are two functions that can work together in two different
ways: Duplicating a NanoMesh with an Array Mesh or using an Array Mesh as placement
polygons for Nanos.
1. Duplicating a NanoMesh with an Array Mesh
A NanoMesh is considered by ZBrush to be true geometry. This means that it can

become the source of an Array Mesh, without the need to first convert the NanoMesh
instances to geometry.
Because both NanoMesh and Array Mesh are based on the principle of instanced
geometry, editing the source object of the NanoMesh will modify the result of the Nano-
Mesh and then copy that result across the Array Mesh.
2. Converting an Array Mesh to a NanoMesh
An Array Mesh is a fantastic tool when it comes to generating parametric shapes

based on instanced copies of the initial object. However since an Array Mesh generates
exact copies of the source object, the resulting figure will look very uniform. By converting
each copy of the Array Mesh to a NanoMesh, you can capitalize on the variation param-
eters within the NanoMesh system to break the design up and make it look more natural.
When converting an Array Mesh to a NanoMesh, each array instance is isolated and
applied to a single placement polygon. Once the Array Mesh is converted to a NanoMesh
it can use any of the NanoMesh features -- from replacing it with another NanoMesh to
editing the original model or applying randomizations.
A simple workflow could be:

• Create an Array Mesh, in either single or multiple stages.
• Convert it to NanoMesh. After conversion you will not be able to change the
number of instances or use any other Array Mesh modifiers.
• Select an Insert brush, Insert Multi Mesh brush (IMM) or NanoMesh brush.
(When using an IMM brush or a NanoMesh created from an IMM brush.) Press
the M key to select the 3D model of your choice.
• Click Tool >> NanoMesh >> Inventory >> Replace NanoMesh from Brush. The
3D model associated with the placement polygons will be replaced.
• Use all the NanoMesh settings to interactively refine the results.
Please refer to the NanoMesh documentation for more information about NanoMesh
creation and manipulation.
358
V Working with Presets
The Array Mesh settings can be saved as a file on your computer to reuse at a later
date or share with other artists. You can also save these files in the dedicated ZArray
Mesh folder. Storing the Array Meshes in this folder (found in the main ZBrush directory,
in the same folder as the ZBrush application itself) will make them available through the
Array tab in LightBox.
To apply an Array Mesh preset from LightBox, simply double-click its thumbnail.
ZBrush will automatically take your currently selected Tool (model), enable the Array
Mesh function and apply the Array Mesh settings from the preset.
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VI Array Mesh Functions
Below is a list of the Array Mesh settings that can be modified for greater control over
the duplication process.
Most of these settings are fully interactive, letting you freely experiment with ad-
vanced multiple stage creations.
The ArrayMesh sub-palette.
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LightBox > Array Mesh Presets

The Tool >> Array Mesh >> Array Mesh Presets button opens LightBox to the Array
Mesh tab. You can then double-click on a saved Array Mesh preset file to apply the set-
tings to your current mesh.
Open and Save

Tool >> Array Mesh >> Save allows you to save the current Array Mesh settings in
a file.
Tool >> Array Mesh >> Open command of course loads any previously saved Array
Mesh file and applies the corresponding settings to the current model.
Note:
An Array Mesh file does not contain the geometry that is being instanced, but rather the set-
tings for the array itself.
Array Mesh
Tool >> Array Mesh >> Array Mesh enables or disables Array Mesh mode for the
current Tool or SubTool.
When Array Mesh mode is first enabled, it creates a copy of the current model. This
copy is positioned in the same location as the original model.
If an Array Mesh already exists, disabling and enabling Array Mesh mode will simply
hide/unhide any transformations that have been applied without changing any settings.
This function allows you to temporally turn off the array so as to make isolated modifica-
tions to the original Mesh.
TransPose
The Tool >> Array Mesh >> TransPose switch allows you to use the TransPose sys-
tem to manipulate your Array Mesh interactively.
When TransPose is enabled, switching to Move, Scale or Rotate will turn on the
TransPose Action Line and let you use it to modify the Offset, Scale and Rotate values
for the Array Mesh. (The X, Y, and Z Amount sliders.)
TransPose mode with an Array Mesh also lets you interactively set the pivot point for
the transformations. To change the pivot, simply click and drag the yellow circle located
at the start of the TransPose line. The pivot is always freely manipulated relative to the
camera working plane. For accurate placement, it is advised to switch to an orthographic
view and carefully choose the desired point of view before moving the pivot indicator.
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Upon changing the pivot point, the Action Line will automatically be repositioned to
fit the new pivot location.
Lock Position, Lock Size

Tool >> Array Mesh >> Lock Position and Tool >> Array Mesh >> Lock Size prevent
the position and/or size of the existing Array Mesh instances from being changed.
By default, transformations are applied to the initial model and the instances then
move or scale accordingly. By activating these locks, the size and position of the existing
instances won’t change.
These locks affect all stages associated with the array.
Switch XY, Switch XZ, Switch YZ

Tool >> Array Mesh >> Switch XY, Switch XZ and Switch YZ transform the current
axis orientation, based upon the current working plane from which you are viewing the
model.
These functions are useful when you want to apply transformations that may not be
in the desired direction relative to the world axis.
Transform Stage
The Tool >> Array Mesh >> Transform Stage slider lets you navigate between the
different Array Mesh stages. To create a new stage, use the Append New or Insert New
functions.
When an Array Mesh is first created, this slider will be greyed out because there are
no additional stages to choose from.
Please refer to the Array Mesh Stages section below for more information about
stages.
Append New
Tool >> Array Mesh >> Append New creates a new stage after all existing stages in
the list. So if you have four stages and are currently at the first, this button will create a
5th stage.
Insert New
Tool >> Array Mesh >> Insert New creates a new stage immediately after the cur-
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rently selected stage. So if you have four stages and are currently at the first, this button
will create a new stage 2 with the remaining stages each incrementing by one number.
With this function, you can insert a new stage in between two existing stages.
Reset
Tool >> Array Mesh >> Reset sets all parameters for the currently selected stage
back to their default values.
Delete
Tool >> Array Mesh >> Delete removes the currently selected stage. If that is the
only existing stage then the Array Mesh is deleted and all the settings are returned to
their default values.
Copy, Past
The Tool >> Array Mesh >> Copy and Paste functions let you copy the settings from
the current Array Mesh stage and paste them into another stage or even to another Array
Mesh.
Repeat
The Tool >> Array Mesh >> Repeat slider defines the number of instance that will
be created from the current model. This value always includes the original model, so to
create a single copy the slider must be set to 2.
Chain
Tool >> Array Mesh >> Chain makes the next stage start at the end of the previous
one. This allows you to generate advanced curve structures using a single instanced
mesh across multiple stages.
When enabled, the Chain function turns off the Alignment and Pattern functions.
Smooth
The Tool >> Array Mesh >> Smooth slider applies a smooth transition between each
stage.
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Align to Path
Tool >> Array Mesh >> Align to Path changes the orientation of all instances to follow
the array path.
To change the orientation of each instanced mesh along the path, you can change
the axis orientation modifier in the Align to Path button.
Align to Axis
Tool >> Array Mesh >> Align to Axis orients each instance with the world axis rather
than along the array path.
To change the orientation of the instanced meshes to use another axis, click the
desired modifier in the Align to Axis button
Pattern Start, Pattern Length, Pattern On, Pattern Off

The Tool >> Array Mesh >> Pattern Start, Pattern Length, Pattern On and Pattern
Off sliders define when each instance of the Array Mesh starts and how many are visible
(On) or invisible (Off).
The first object is always visible, even if you set Pattern Start to a value other than
1. However, in this case selecting another SubTool will cause the first instance of the
previous SubTool to disappear since it’s no longer the active instance. This is similar to
how SubTool visibility works, where the selected SubTool must always be displayed even
if it is set to “Off”.
X Mirror, Y Mirror, Z Mirror

Tool >> Array Mesh >> X Mirror, Y Mirror and Z Mirror apply a mirror transformation
to the Array Mesh, based on the chosen axis.
Mirroring can be individually set for each Stage.

X Align, Y Align, Z Align
Tool >> Array Mesh >> X Align, Y Align and Z Align apply a positive or negative offset
to the axis of transformation, making the various alignments easier.
Offset
The Tool >> Array Mesh >> Offset mode works in association with the X, Y and Z
Amount sliders and curves. When enabled, modifying the sliders will increase the dis-
tance of the copies from the source. The Offset value is the distance between the source
and the final instance generated by the current stage.
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Modifying the curve will affect the acceleration or deceleration of distance between
copies along the length of the array. The curve is interactive and any manipulation will
provide real-time visual feedback.
When the Tool >> Array Mesh >> TransPose mode is enabled, manipulating the
TransPose line in Move mode will interactively change the Offset values.
Scale
The Tool >> Array Mesh >> Scale mode works in association with the X, Y and Z
Amount sliders and curves. When enabled, modifying the sliders will increase the scale
of the copies relative to the source. The Scale value is the size of the source relative to
the final copy being generated by the current stage.
Modifying the curve will affect the acceleration or deceleration of the scale between
copies along the length of the array. The curve is interactive and any manipulation will
provide real-time visual feedback.
TransPose line in Scale mode will interactively change the Scale values.
Rotate
The Tool >> Array Mesh >> Rotate mode works in association with the X, Y, and Z
Amount slider and curves. When enabled, modifying the sliders will adjust the orientation
of the copies relative to the source. The Rotate value is the angle of the source relative
to the final copy being generated by the current stage.
Modifying the curve will affect the acceleration or deceleration of the rotation be-
tween copies along the length of the array. The curve is interactive and any manipulation
will provide real-time visual feedback.
TransPose line in Rotate mode will interactively change the Scale values.
Pivot
Tool >> Array Mesh >> Pivot mode works in association with the X, Y and Z Amount
slider and curves. When enabled, modifying the sliders will change the position of the
pivot point used by the different transformations (Offset, Scale, Rotate).
Modifying the curve has no impact on the pivot location.
When the Tool >> Array Mesh >> TransPose mode is enabled, being in TransPose
Move mode and dragging the yellow circle found at the source position will interactively
change the Pivot values.
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Please refer to the TransPose and Pivot section of the documentation (above) for
more information about the pivot.
X, Y, Z Amount and X, Y, Z Profile

These sliders and profile curves work in conjunction with the Offset, Rotate, Scale
and Pivot modes. Please refer to these sections just above for more information.
Convert to NanoMesh
Tool >> Array Mesh >> Convert to NanoMesh transforms each Array Mesh to a Na-
noMesh structure, creating a separate placement polygon for each instance.
Please refer to the Array Mesh with NanoMesh section above and to the NanoMesh
documentation for more information about NanoMesh manipulation and creation.
Make Mesh
Tool >> Array Mesh >> Make Mesh converts the Array Mesh into real (non-instanced)
geometry. After conversion, the resulting model can be freely edited with any ZBrush
sculpting and modeling tools.
Extrude
Tool >> Array Mesh >> Extrude converts the actual Array Mesh results to a new
mesh and generates between each former instance, based upon its PolyGroups.
In order to perform this function, the Array Mesh objects must share PolyGrouping
on their opposite sides. When Extrude is turned on, the Make Mesh function will look at
this PolyGrouping and create bridges between the same PolyGrouped areas. This func-
tion is useful when creating environment items like stairs or organic models like snakes
where you want the gaps generated in between the repeats to be filled.
If your instance repeats are close to each other, ZBrush will fuse them. If this is an
undesired result, change the Repeat Value of the array to add more space between each
instance and then click Make Mesh again.
Close
When using cylindrical arrays, the Close function will attempt to fuse the final in-
stance of the array to the start, creating a contiguous circle.
Angle
The Angle slider works with Extrude when it generates bridging geometry on the Ar-
ray. This slider will look at the surface normal of the corresponding PolyGrouped faces.
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Changing the Angle slider may fix bridging problems but can also generate undesirable
results. Adjust this setting only if the default values don’t work well.
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ZBrush Documentation Guide - NanoMesh
NANOMESH
Real Geometry Details Through Instancing
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ZBrush Documentation Guide- NanoMesh
A feature of the ZModeler brush, the NanoMesh system takes the process of using
ZBrush’s InsertMesh and MicroMesh features to a whole new level. The NanoMesh sys-
tem allows you to populate areas of a model with instanced geometry. These instances
can then be modified in real-time to generate different scale, offset and angle for each
instance.
If the default variations are not enough; the NanoMesh system has a random distri-
bution mode that will allow you to create purely random surfaces across a model.
Since the NanoMesh system generates instanced geometry based on an original

mesh, you can edit the original mesh at any time to make changes that instantly update
across all its instances. These edits can be done using any of the ZBrush sculpting tools,
including the ZModeler Brush. During editing you can also apply UV mapping and texture
maps.
NanoMesh also gives you the ability to layer multiple NanoMeshes across the same
surface to give even greater variety and creative freedom!
With NanoMesh, you can quickly experiment with shape and form as well as add
tremendous detail in a few clicks!
Cubes!
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I NanoMesh Components
The NanoMesh system is devised from instanced geometry (called “Nanos”) that are
linked to placement polygons. In order for a NanoMesh to be applied to a mesh it must be
Targeted to the desired polygon(s) by using the dedicated ZModeler Action.
1. The Placement Mesh
The placement mesh can be composed of anything from a single polygon (triangle
or quadrangle) to the entire 3D model. Any of a model’s polygons can be Targeted as the
placement polygons.
Because ZModeler can Target PolyGroups, a NanoMesh can have its instance
placement determined by the model’s PolyGroups. This will allow different Nanos to be
placed on different parts of the model’s surface.
Editing the placement polygons and/or PolyGroups will have a direct impact on the
instanced NanoMeshes. If you have a NanoMesh applied to one PolyGroup then you
change or remove that PolyGroup the Nanos that were linked to that PolyGroup will be
removed.
Placement polygons can be also edited without applied NanoMesh instances getting
in the way. Simply enable the Edit Placement option, which temporarily hides the Nanos
while you freely modify the placement polys.
2. The Instanced Geometry (Nanos)
The instanced geometry (Nanos) created by NanoMesh are PolyMesh 3D geometry

that has been linked to placement polygons with the ZModeler brush’s Insert NanoMesh
Action. The NanoMesh process takes this single original Nano and applies it to the model
as instanced geometry across whatever placement polygons have been set by the Tar-
get. This Nano index can then be manipulated through multiple options to give random
size, rotation and offset variations.
At any time you can edit the original NanoMesh model using ZBrush’s standard
Edit mode features. You can use any of the ZBrush modeling and sculpting tools, even
creating UV’s and applying textures. When done, your changes will be applied to all the
instances.
Please refer to the ZModeler documentation for more information about the Insert
NanoMesh Action.
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3. The NanoMesh Brush
The NanoMesh brush is a special brush type that is similar to an Insert MultiMesh
brush except that it is created specifically to store various Nanos for use with ZModeler
brush.
The default ZModeler Brush contains a Nano that is a single cube. To use other
types of 3D models as NanoMeshes, you need to create your own NanoMesh brush. The
NanoMesh brush is simply a ZModeler Brush with custom 3D models stored in it. This
brush will have all standard ZModeler functions with the exception of the stored Nanos.
To create this NanoMesh brush, you need to:

1. Select an Insert Mesh or Insert Multi Mesh Brush of your choice.
2. Click Brush >> Create NanoMesh Brush.
3. The NanoMesh brush will be created and automatically selected.
4. If the NanoMesh Brush has been created from an IMM brush, press the “M” key
at any time to display the 3D models to use as a NanoMesh. The next time you
use Insert NanoMesh polygon Action, this model which will be selected. (If you
converted an InsertMesh then only the one Nano will be available.)
5. Optionally, save your brush for later use.
Please refer to the ZModeler documentation for more information about the Insert
NanoMesh Action.
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II NanoMesh Demonstration
With your NanoMesh brush created, the workflow is quite simple:
1. Load a PolyMesh 3D. Meshes with classic subdivision levels will use the cur-
rently selected level.
2. Select the ZModeler or NanoMesh brush of your choice and select the “Insert
NanoMesh” Action. (Access the ZModeler pop-up menu hovering over a poly-
gon in your model and either pressing the space bar or right-clicking.)
3. If the NanoMesh brush has been built from an IMM brush, press the “M” key to
display the list of available models and select the one of your choice.
4. Still in the ZModeler pop-up, select the Target of your choice. For an initial test
use “All Polygons” to populate the whole model.
5. While a polygon is highlighted, click and drag. The placement polys as deter-
mined by your Target will be covered by NanoMesh Nanos. The movement of
the mouse or pen while you drag the stroke will define the size of the inserted
model.
6. You can now edit the various Tool >> NanoMesh settings to fine tune the in-
stances. You can change the size, width, length and offset as well using the
Variance sliders to apply variations to the instances.
7. Use the Random Distribution slider to change the way that the NanoMesh popu-
lates the model.
8. Now select another NanoMesh brush or press the “M” key to select a different
Nano to insert. Click and drag on a polygon of the model which already has a
Nano on it. This replaces the previous Nano with your new one.
9. If you want to replace the instances without losing the current settings applied
to it, simply select change Nanos and then instead of a new click-and-drag, use
the Tool >> NanoMesh >> Inventory >> Replace NanoMesh from Brush feature.
10. Finally, if you want to convert all the instances to real geometry, press Tool >>
NanoMesh >> Inventory >> One To Mesh. This change the Nanos from instanc-
es to regular geometry just as if they’d been placed using a normal InsertMesh.
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III Working with Multuiple NanoMeshes
To produce even more variation in your creations, you can combine multiple Nanos
on the same placement polygons.
1. Multiple NanoMeshes
Each time you add a Nano to a placement polygon that doesn’t already have one,
you are simply linking the new NanoMesh to this area. Repeating this operation will cre-
ate even more NanoMesh indexes across your model.
Each NanoMesh index that is created is totally independent from those that have
come before except that it may share the same placement polygons. If you want to edit
the settings for a previous NanoMesh index, simply use the Tool >> NanoMesh >> Index
slider or the “<<” and “>>” functions.
An alternative is to click on the NanoMesh thumbnail in the NanoMesh sub-palette to

display a pop-up of your current NanoMesh indexes and choose the one you wish. Once
selected, you can then edit its settings.
2. Polygons with Multiple NanoMeshes
Creating a NanoMesh on a placement polygon that already has one or more Nanos
applied to it will typically replace the Nano. (See the example, above.) If you want to ap-
ply multiple Nanos to the same placement polygon(s), you need to follow this process:
1. Create a first NanoMesh and modify its settings as needed.

2. Select a different Nano and start to draw it.
3. Without ending the click, press and hold the Shift key. You will see the previous
Nano reappear, with the new one added as well.
4. Release your click to finalize the insertion.
5. This new NanoMesh will have a unique index and can be now edited in the Tool
>> NanoMesh settings.
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IV NanoMesh Functions
The NanoMesh sub-palette.
Even though a single NanoMesh index results in repeating the same piece of geom-
etry multiple times across the surface of the model, there are an abundance of settings
that can be applied to give great visual variation to each Nano, hiding the repetition. All
the settings below are dynamic so you can edit them and see the results in real-time.
1. Main settings
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The Main settings control the aspect, orientation and duplication of the Nanos.
NanoMesh Selector
The small preview in the Tool >> NanoMesh menu is a selector. Not only does it
display the existing NanoMesh Index that is applied to the current model, clicking on one
of the preview icons will select the corresponding NanoMesh index.
NanoMesh On
Tool >> NanoMesh >> NanoMesh On mode enables or disables all NanoMeshes
applied to the model.
Hide Others
Tool >> NanoMesh >> Hide Others hides all the NanoMeshes applied on the model
except for the currently selected one.
If you keep this mode on while switching to another NanoMesh, their visibility on the
model will be swapped. This mode is similar to Solo Mode when working with SubTools.
<< and >>

The Tools >> NanoMesh >> “>>”and “<<” buttons let you cycle through the various
existing NanoMesh indexes. These buttons are greyed out when you only have one Na-
noMesh applied to the model.
Index
The Tool >> NanoMesh >> Index slider lets you select a specific NanoMesh index
from those currently applied to the model. As with the “>>” and “<<” buttons, the slider is
greyed out when you only have one NanoMesh applied to the model.
Copy and Paste

The Tool >> NanoMesh >> Copy and Paste functions let you copy the settings from
one NanoMesh index and duplicate them on another.
Edit Mesh
The Tool >> NanoMesh >> Edit Mesh button switches to isolate the current Nano-
Mesh index’s source model, letting you modify it. It operates similarly to Solo mode when
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working with SubTools, hiding the placement polygons.
While in this mode, you can edit the model with the various ZBrush sculpting and
modeling tools. When you are satisfied with the changes, simply press the Edit Mesh but-
ton again to return to NanoMesh mode. All instances will be updated with the changes
you did while in Edit Mesh mode.
As mentioned previously, another interesting thing that you can do with the Edit
Mesh function is to create UV’s on the Nano mesh and apply textures. If you add a dis-
placement map, this will be used during the BPR render or by an external render.
When editing a Nano, keep in mind that there can be thousands of instances of it de-
pending on the various duplication settings. Increasing the polygon count of the original
model can exponentially increase the total polygon count of your scene.
Edit Placement
The Tool >> NanoMesh >> Edit Placement mode is the reverse of Edit Mesh be-
cause it temporarily isolates the NanoMesh placement polygons. All Nanos will be hidden
and you can freely edit the placement polygons themselves, similar to how Solo mode
works with SubTools.
While in this mode, you can edit the NanoMesh placement polygons using the vari-
ous ZBrush sculpting and modeling tools. Changing the shape of the placement poly-
gons determines how the Nano are distributed over the model.
When satisfied with the changes, simply press the Edit Placement button again to
quit the mode. The NanoMeshes applied to the placement polygons will have their posi-
tions updated to reflect the changes made to the placement polygons.
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On the top, the original mesh and the Placement polygons. On the bottom, the resulting Nano-
Mesh after editing the Placement polygons.
Proportional
The Tool >> NanoMesh >> Proportional mode keeps the shape of the inserted
meshes proportional rather than being dependant on the shape of the underlying place-
ment polygons.
To determine the reference size, ZBrush uses the bottom part of the Nano as seen
in the mesh selector preview.
Fit
The Tool >> NanoMesh >> Fit mode keeps the size of the inserted mesh proportional
with the placement polygons. The shape of the Nano is not changed and so will not be
distorted.
Note:
The NanoMesh fits the polygon source when the Size slider value is set to 1
Fill
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The Tool >> NanoMesh >> Fill mode resizes the inserted Nano in such a way as to
completely fill the placement polygons. This result in non-uniform scaling and will distort
the shape of the Nano.
Note:
Fill mode and the Fit mode can be identical if the bounding box of the inserted model is cubi-
cal in shape.
Constant
The Tool >> NanoMesh >> Constant mode, when enabled, keeps a constant height
for the NanoMesh, regardless of the size of the placement polygons.
Clip
The Tool >> NanoMesh >> Clip mode prevents the topology of the insert mesh from
going outside the placement polygons. It does this by trimming off any parts that would
extend past the edges.
Note:
Clip mode may result in topology issues if the Nano has a low polygon count or a shape
which may result in flat parts. This is similar to what can happen with the Clip brushes.
Size
The Tool >> NanoMesh >> Size slider changes the size of the NanoMesh. The origi-
nal value is set by your drag motion when inserting the NanoMesh on the placement
polygons through the ZModeler brush.
Width, Length and Height

The Tool >> NanoMesh >> Width, Length and Height sliders change the proportions
of the NanoMesh. A value of 1 represents 100% of the original size.
These slider values are affected by the Wvar, Lvar and Hvar variation sliders.
XOffset, YOffset and ZOffset

The Tool >> NanoMesh >> XOffset, YOffset and ZOffset sliders change the default
positions of the Nano by adjusting how it sits relative to its usual centered position on the
placement polygon.
The default value for the X and YOffsets is 0 while the ZOffset value defaults to 1.
This is simply because the Nano’s default position is to lay on top of the surface rather
than being embedded within it.
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These slider values are affected by the XOvar, YOvar and ZOvar variation sliders.
XRotation, YRotation and ZRotation

The Tool >> NanoMesh >> XRotation, YRotation and ZRotation sliders apply a rota-
tion value to the Nano’s default orientation.
These slider values are affected by the XRvar, YRvar and ZYvar variation sliders.
xVar - Variation (W, L, H, I R Var, etc)

The Tool >> NanoMesh >> “Var” sliders (located to the right of the size, offset and
rotation sliders) apply a random variation to their corresponding attributes. Each variation
can be from -100% up to 100%.
As an example, the WVar slider adds a variation to the Width slider, with a result that
the associated Nanos will no longer be uniform in width.
Flip H and Flip V (Flip Horizontal and Flip Vertical)

Tool >> NanoMesh >> Flip H and Flip V mirror the inserted NanoMesh either hori-
zontally or vertically.
H Tile and V Tile (Horizontal Tile and Vertical Tile)

The Tool >> NanoMesh >> HTile and VTile sliders duplicate the inserted NanoMesh
within the boundaries of each placement polygon.
By default, this is done in a grid pattern. The replication pattern can be changed with
the Tool >> NanoMesh >> Pattern setting (see below).
When applying tiling to the NanoMesh, its orientation may be different from one
polygon to another. ZBrush uses the vertex order of each placement polygon to define
Nano orientation. Unfortunately, the point order may be different between two adjacent
polygons or multiple polygons, resulting in NanoMeshes not tiling in the same direc-
tion. To change a single polygon’s orientation (or that of multiple polygons) you can use
the polygon Spin Edge Action associated with the A Single Poly Target of the ZModeler
brush. With this Action and Target selected, simply clicking on the problem polygons will
rotate the tiling.
Pattern (and Pattern Selector Pop-up)

The Tool >> NanoMesh >> Pattern slider and its associated pop-up selector alters
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the distribution of the NanoMesh inside the placement polygons when a pattern is cre-
ated by the H Tile and V Tile sliders.
The default pattern is a grid. To change the distribution pattern, simple change the
Pattern slider value. You can also click the Pattern Selector pop-up to select a new one
by name.
Some pattern types may produce the same result as others, depending upon the
value of the H and V Tile sliders. If you are not noticing a difference, attempt to increase
the Tile values.
IMAGE
An example showing the impact of the H and V Tile values on the different pattern types: on the
left are Grid Inset and Border Inset with a value of 4 for the H and V Tile sliders, producing the
exact same result. On the right, H and V Tile have been set to 8. Notice the difference between the
two types of insets.
The Pattern and the Pattern Selector pop-up only work the H and/or V Tile slider has
a value other than 1.
Random Distribution
When enabled, the Tool >> NanoMesh >> Random Distribution slider overwrites the
existing NanoMesh distribution with random placement across all placement polygons.
By increasing the slider value, you will increase Naon density as well as changing the
distribution.
The Random Distribution slider is the perfect function to create a natural look for du-
plicated objects because instantly hides the fact that the Nanos are all the same object.
Each NanoMesh can have the orientation, size and scale of its Nanos modified by the
variation sliders.
Random Distribution is also applied to the H and V Tile values and its Pattern distri-
bution, creating clusters of random meshes.
Random Seed
The Tool >> NanoMesh >> Random Seed slider modifies the Random Distribution
slider’s result without affecting the distribution of the NanoMesh. To put in simple words;
it changes the base randomization variables, resulting in different randomization values.
This function is useful when low values for the Random Distribution slider produce
placement which may not fit your design. By changing the Random Seed value, you may
generate a more appropriate result.
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2. Alignment
NanoMesh uses an Insert Mesh to populate the regions of the model in which it is
applied, with the orientation of each Nano being determined by the point order of the
placement polygons. Depending on how the model has been constructed, this order may
not be uniform across the polygons. As a result, the initial appearance of your NanoMesh
can be disorganized and seemingly random.
One solution to align the NanoMeshes is to edit all the placement polygons one by
one to change the vertex order. This would be time consuming, however. To resolve
this, you will find the following alignment functions in the Tool >> NanoMesh sub-palette.
These alignments make use of topology information to change the direction of the Nanos.
To define the orientation of each instance, ZBrush uses the base (bottom) of the
master model when it was created. All alignments refer to this original orientation.
Align to Normal
Tool >> NanoMesh >> Alignment >> Align to Normal aligns each Nano based on the
model’s surface normals.
This alignment produces the best results in most cases.
Align to Short Edge

Tool >> NanoMesh >> Alignment >> Align to Short Edge aligns each Nano to the
shortest edge of the placement polygon.
If a polygon has two or more edges of equal length, the point order will still be used
to select the “shortest” one. It also uses the point order to determine the direction of
alignment along the shortest edge.
Align to Long Edge

Tool >> NanoMesh >> Alignment >> Align to Long Edge aligns each Nano with the
longest edge of the placement polygon.
If a polygon has two or more edges of equal length, the point order will still be used
to select the “longest” one. It also uses the point order to determine the direction of align-
ment along the longest edge.
Align to Near Edge

Tool >> NanoMesh >> Alignment >> Align to Near Edge is a modifier for the Align to
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Long Edge option.
Align to Point Order

Tool >> NanoMesh >> Alignment >> Align to Point Order orients the Nano based on
the position of the first vertex position in the placement polygon.
Note:
The vertex order is a structural information within the polygon, with no visual influence on the
polygon’s appearance. It is not possible to visualize the order of the vertices.
Align to Random Edge

Tool >> NanoMesh >> Alignment >> Align to Random Edge aligns the Nano ran-
domly.
No Alignment
Tool >> NanoMesh >> Alignment >> No Alignment uses the default alignment based
on the placement polygon’s point order.
3. Colorize
As with all 3D models in ZBrush, you can apply colors to a NanoMesh. These func-
tions let you manipulate how the coloring is applied.
This is color being added to the Nanos rather than the master mesh. For instructions
on texture manipulation, please refer to the UV section below.
Restore NanoMesh MRGB

Tool >> NanoMesh >> Colorize >> Restore NanoMesh MRGB reverts the Nanos
to the color and material of the original master mesh. This only has any effect if that
information has been changed using the other functions within the Colorize menu. (See
below.)
Mesh MRGB
Tool >> NanoMesh >> Colorize >> Mesh MRGB matches the color and material of
each Nano to that of its placement polygon’s PolyPaint.
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Mesh Color
Tool >> NanoMesh >> Colorize >> Mesh Color matches the color of each Nano to
that of its placement polygon’s PolyPaint.
Mesh Material
The Tool >> NanoMesh >> Colorize >> Mesh Material matches the material of each
Nano to that of its placement polygon’s PolyPaint.
UI MRGB
Tool >> NanoMesh >> Colorize >> UI MRGB sets the color and material of each
Nano using the Color >> Main Color setting and the currently selected material from the
ZBrush interface.
UI Color
Tool >> NanoMesh >> Colorize >> UI Color sets the color of each Nano using the
Color >> Main Color setting in the ZBrush interface.
UI Material
Tool >> NanoMesh >> Colorize >> UI Material sets the material of each Nano using
the currently selected material from the ZBrush interface.
Adjust Hue, Saturation and Intensity

The Tool >> NanoMesh >> Colorize >> Adjust Hue, Saturation and Intensity sliders
modify the colors currently being displayed on each Nano.
These sliders will have no effect if the Nanos have no color applied to them.
Adjust Variations
Tool >> NanoMesh >> Colorize >> Adjust Variations apply a variation factor to the
Hue, Saturation and Intensity values, assuming that any have been set.
This function is very useful when wanting to add some slight differences in the color
of each Nano so that they look less like instances of the same object.
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4. UV
Not only can Nanos receive color and material from the placement polygons, the
master copy of the mesh can also have a texture applied. This texture will then appear
on all instances of the mesh.
To have a texture applied, it is of course important to have UV’s. ZBrush includes

functions to automatically produce UV’s for each Nano based on the placement poly-
gons. This means that the applied texture will look different for every instance!
Note:
It is possible to create custom UV’s for a NanoMesh through its Edit mode. This applies the
UV’s and texture to the master model, so all instances of it will then have the same UV’s.
Use Base Mesh UVs

Tool >> NanoMesh >> Use Base Mesh UVs mode tells ZBrush to match the UV’s of
each Nano with that of its placement polygons. This is accomplished by projecting from
the placement.
Use Base Mesh Texture

Tool >> NanoMesh >> Use Base Mesh Texture mode projects the texture of the
placement polygons onto the Nanos.
Note:
As with other places in ZBrush, texture always has priority over the NanoMesh colors, over-
riding any settings in the Colorize menu.
5. Inventory
The Inventory functions are dedicated to manipulation and conversion of the Nano-
Mesh itself, such as the conversion from instances to real geometry or replacement of
one NanoMesh with another.
One to Mesh
Tool >> NanoMesh >> One to Mesh converts the current NanoMesh index to real
geometry. This result can then be further edited with the various ZBrush sculpting and
modeling tools.
If your model has multiple NanoMeshes applied, use the Index slider or “<<” ”>>”
buttons to first select the specific NanoMesh that you wish to convert.
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6. All to Brush
Tool >> NanoMesh >> All to Brush creates a new ZModeler brush from all current
NanoMeshes applied to your model.
By pressing the M key, you should see all of these meshes as available objects for
use with other models.
Note:
The All to Brush function is available only if the model has a NanoMesh on it. It is not possible
to perform this action on a model which only has inserted meshes.
Replace NanoMesh from Current Brush

Tool >> NanoMesh >> Replace NanoMesh from Current Brush replaces the current
NanoMesh index with a different mesh, using your currently selected ZModeler, Insert-
Mesh or IMM brush.
This function simply replaces the inserted mesh. It won’t affect the various settings
currently applied to the NanoMesh index.
Note:
If your currently selected brush is an IMM brush or ZModeler brush with multiple meshes, you
can choose the InsertMesh of your choice by pressing the M hotkey or by clicking the Brush >>
Modifiers MeshInsert Preview button.
This function is really convenient to replace a placeholder Nano with another model
or simply to try out different NanoMeshes on a model.
Delete One
Tool >> NanoMesh >> Delete One removes the currently selected NanoMesh by de-
leting its index. If your model has multiple NanoMeshes applied, you must of course first
use the Index slider or “<<” ”>>” buttons to select the NanoMesh that you wish to delete.
Delete All
Tool >> NanoMesh >> Delete All function removes all NanoMeshes applied to the
current model, deleting every NanoMesh index.
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ZBrush User Guide - Micro Mesh
MICROMESH
Thousands and thousands of replicated meshes on render time.
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MicroMesh is a BPR render feature which allows you to replace a FiberMesh™

object’s fibers or the individual polygons of an object with another 3D model. In other
words, a model’s Fibers or separate polygons are rendered as if they were actually in-
stances of the selected 3D model.
This solution is a great way to create rich renders with more details very quickly and
easily. For example, you could put individual feathers on a bird or scales on a lizard.
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I About MicroMesh
MicroMesh replaces geometry on a predefined PolyMesh3D model at render time

through the BPR render. The predefined PolyMesh3D will replace all single polygons with
itself when a BPR render is executed. To do this you need to select a model to use as
your MicroMesh by clicking Tool >> Geometry >> Modify Topology >> MicroMesh.
The MicroMesh selector, located in the Tool >> Geometry >> Modify Topology sub-palette.
As soon as the MicroMesh is selected, a preview will appear on each polygon of your
current SubTool. This MicroMesh will replace all polygons at render time. The preview
will allow you to have an idea of how your MicroMesh will render before doing your BPR
render.
The orientation of the MicroMesh is defined by the pivot point position and orientation
defined for the inserted model in the Tool >> Preview sub-palette. The size and orien-
tation relative to the support surface are then modulated by the support mesh polygon
size and orientation. If your support mesh polygons are stretched or deformed, then the
resulting Micro mesh will receive the same deformation.
1. Use the Tool palette to select the model that will be inserted as a MicroMesh.
2. Use the Tool >> Preview to set the model’s pivot point and orientation.
3. Use the Tool palette to select the model that will receive the MicroMesh.
4. Use Tool >> Geometry >> Modify Topology >> MicroMesh to choose the model
from step 1.
To get an understanding of how your MicroMesh will be viewed relative to a polygon

we recommend temporarily appending the Plane3D to your defined MicroMesh in Step
1 above. Use this to evaluate if the MicroMesh will be clipped by any one polygon. You
can then delete the Plane3D SubTool so that you’re ready to move to step 2.
The MicroMesh feature will replace every polygon of any standard mesh. However,
when using MicroMesh with a FiberMesh object, the MicroMesh will be stretched along
the individual fiber regardless of the number of segments that are in each fiber.
To protect portions of your model from the MicroMesh you will need to split the object
into separate SubTools.
To instruct BPR to render your MicroMesh you must enable the Draw MicroMesh op-
tion, located in the Render >> Render Properties sub-palette.
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II MicroMesh and Millions of Polygons
It is important to keep in mind that a MicroMesh can be instanced hundreds or thou-

sands of times on your surface. Depending on the polycount of the support mesh and
the number of polygons in the MicroMesh, rendering can take some time. For example, if
you apply a MicroMesh with just 1,000 polygons on a FiberMesh containing only 10,000
fibers the rendered result will be 10 million polygons! Be mindful of this as is quite easy to
reach billons of polygons at render time when using the MicroMesh feature!
On a non-FiberMesh, as mentioned above, an instance of the MicroMesh will replace

every single polygon in the selected mesh. If you load the default Cube project, the base
mesh is already 24,500 polygons. That means that a MicroMesh would be applied to the
cube 24,500 times. Multiply this by the number of polygons in the selected MicroMesh
to determine the final number of polygons ZBrush will need to render. In this case, that
same MicroMesh with just 1,000 polygons would result in a render of over 24 million
polygons.
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III MicroMesh Workflow
The first step before using the MicroMesh is to have two 3D objects: the MicroMesh it-
self, and the mesh that will its polys replaced by the MicroMesh. Both items must be Poly-
Mesh 3D objects. (You cannot use parametric objects, DynaMesh, ZSpheres or other
object generators as a MicroMesh, although you can convert such objects to PolyMesh
3D and then use them as a MicroMesh.)
Note:
ZBrush will automatically convert a Primitive 3D to a Polymesh3D when selected as the Micro-
Mesh.
The MicroMesh support object can be a single model or one of its SubTools. Mul-
tiple support SubTools can have MicroMesh replace their polys however, the MicroMesh
object itself cannot have multiple SubTools. If you wish to use a model with multiple
SubTools as a MicroMesh you will need to first merge its SubTools.
1. Select the support SubTool which will have its polygons replaced by a Micro-
Mesh at render time.
2. Go to Tool >> Geometry >> Modify Topology and click on the MicroMesh button.
A selection window will appear, allowing you to select the 3D object that will
become the MicroMesh.
3. ZBrush displays a preview of the MicroMesh on the selected SubTool. This al-
lows you to evaluate if any changes need to be made to the MicroMesh (such
as proportion or shape) so that it will fit the result you are looking for.
4. Before rendering, you must enable the MicroMesh feature by activating the
Render >> Render Properties >> Draw MicroMesh option.
5. Do your BPR render by clicking the Render >> BPR Render button or using the
Shift+R hotkey.
6. When render computation is complete, your support mesh will be replaced by
the FiberMesh model.
Note:
The MicroMesh model can be saved in the ZBrush Project (ZPR) or the ZTool (ZTL) file.
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In the left image you can see that any polygon can be substituted with another mesh (MicroMesh).
The image on the right shows how you can use FiberMesh with a MicroMesh and how the Micro-
Mesh is then stretched along the individual fibers.
On the left, the support mesh for the MicroMesh, where all polygons will be replaced by the
selected model (shown in the middle). The figure on the right shows the resulting render with the
duplicated model.
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IV Converting a MicroMesh to a Real Geometry
MicroMesh isn’t processed as real geometry by default. It is only visible at

render time through BPR. This is because the total polygon count from converting a
MicroMesh into actual geometry could easily exceed what ZBrush or your computer is
capable of handling.

If you really need to convert a MicroMesh to a real geometry, use the Convert
BPR to Geo function located in the Tool >> Geometry sub-palette. This will generate a
new SubTool based on the geometry which is generated by the BRP. Use caution when
converting to a real geometry version of the MicroMesh since the polygon count could be
higher than expected. Please, refer to the BPR to Geometry section, in the Tool palette
section.
The converted MicroMesh with edited geometry and PolyPaint.
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ZBrush User Guide - FiberMesh
FIBERMESH
The art of sculpting hairs, furs and fibers in realtime
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In the addition of the Fiber Material, ZBrush have a specialized mesh generation
tool: FiberMesh™ which is different because it is not a render process. Instead, Fiber-
Mesh™ creates real geometry on the fly which is added to the existing model as a new
SubTool. In opposition to traditional fur and hair systems, FiberMesh is not relying on
spline guides, but creates by default all the fibers on the fly, creating a WYSIWYG fiber
manipulation and grooming process.
You will find FiberMesh™ in the Tool >> FiberMesh sub-palette.
Depending on your settings within the Fibers sub-palette, you can generate totally
different shapes for fibers, hair, fur and even vegetation. Thanks to these fibers being
a real geometry, you then have the ability to sculpt your hairs with ZBrush®’s powerful
feature set. This includes the default sculpting brushes, Masks, TransPose, etc. as well
as being able to paint them through the PolyPaint system. ZBrush® also introduces a
number of “Groom” brushes designed specifically for use with the FiberMesh™ feature.
Of course, because these fibers are real geometry, they are also able to be exported
to your application of your choice. Export the fiber geometry with or without UVs where
each fiber will allow a texture to be applied to the individual fibers.
FiberMesh™ geometry is optimized for performance which includes specific attri-

butes that allows the ZBrush® groom sculpting brushes know that they are being used on
a FiberMesh™. Any 3D brush can be adjusted to edit fibers with new settings available in
the Brush Palette. However, if you do something that changes the topology - like slicing
the fibers or adding subdivision levels - ZBrush® converts the FiberMesh™ into a classic
PolyMesh3D. From that point forward, the sculpting brushes will behave exactly like they
would for any normal mesh object
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I Fiber Workflow
An example of using a texture-based Mask a PolyPaint to generate colorful fibers.
Fibers must be generated on a mesh surface. They cannot simply be created out of
empty space. Before generating your fibers, you must prepare the model that the fibers
will be grown from. There are two main elements to this and of course, the Fibers set-
tings:
• To color your fibers either use the Tip and Root color selection in the Fiber-
Mesh sub-palette or apply PolyPaint to the source model with the colors of your
choice. When the fibers are generated, they will (depending on the Fibers set-
tings) draw their coloration from that of the underlying surface. Even after fibers
have been created you can continue to use PolyPaint to adjust your colors.
With a combination of the new fiber masking options in the Tool >> Masking
sub-palette you will have complete control to apply color anywhere on the fiber
geometry. (See the New Masking section of this document.)
Note:
The fibers can only use PolyPaint information. They cannot use the color information from a
texture. You would need to convert your texture to PolyPaint to use it for FiberMesh color informa-
tion.
• Draw a Mask to define where you wish to have your fibers grow from on the
model. The intensity of the Mask will modulate the density and the length of the
fibers. It is advised to change the Mask intensity by modifying the RGB Intensity
of the Mask brush and/or by blurring your Mask after it has been drawn. Lower
intensity will create a less dense area of fibers with a short length. At full Mask
intensity the fibers will take on the full attributes defined in the Tool >> Fibers
sub-palette.
Note:
When modifying a Mask brush setting, you must hold down the CTRL key while changing its
setting. Otherwise, you will affect the current sculpting brush settings instead of the Mask brush.
For better fibers distribution and overall best results, it is recommended to generate your
model’s fibers in several passes. This will allow you have better control over the results rather
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then generating all your fibers at once.
• Once the surface’s PolyPaint and Mask have been defined, modify the Fibers
settings according to the style you are looking for. Now press the Preview but-
ton. Your fibers will appear as a non-editable preview. At this stage, if you move
your point of view or orientation of the model, the fibers will disappear until you
release your mouse cursor. While in Preview mode, changing any of the Fibers
settings will instantaneously update the fibers on your model without the need
to cancel your operation and start from scratch.
• To evaluate your Fiber with complete shading, press the BPR button at the top
right of the interface or use the Shift+R hotkey. This will render your FiberMesh
so that you can be sure you’re happy with the results before proceeding to the
sculpting and styling phase. Picking the right Material is also a key factor in your
FiberMesh render, we recommend starting with one of the new Hair Materials
that is included in ZBrush.
• Once you are satisfied with your results, press the Accept button to generate
your FiberMesh as a new SubTool.
• You may now repeat the above steps with a different Masked area or different
settings. In this way, a single surface can have many different types of Fibers
effects.
Note
3D brushes cannot be used on the preview fibers. You must click the Accept button, then
select the new Fiber SubTool that is created in order to use any 3D brush with the FiberMesh
feature. When Accept is pressed ZBrush will create a new FiberMesh SubTool that is ready for
sculpting and detailing.
• Once your fibers have been generated, select the resulting SubTool in the Tool
>> SubTool sub-palette. You may now start using the different sculpting brush-
es to alter the fibers, including their colors.
• ZBrush includes a wide variety of predefined Groom brushes dedicated to Fi-
berMesh sculpting. These allow you to style the FiberMesh to the exact form
and aspect that you wish. New settings have also been added to the Brush
Palette for these brushes. (See the New Brushes section of this document.)
• In addition, all traditional sculpting brushes like Inflate, Pinch, Soft Concrete,
Nudge (with the Picker set to Once Origin) and Move can be used to produce
interesting results. Be aware that as these brushes were not designed specifi-
cally for use with Fibers, they can affect the shape of the fibers and the defor-
mation can become extreme. In order to maintain fiber length when editing with
none Groom brushes the new Preserve Length in the Brush>FiberMesh sub-
palette must be turned up all the way. Learn more about the FiberMesh brush
settings Brush FiberMesh Settings of this document.
• To restore your fibers to their default width or length (but not position) you can
use the new Tool >> Morph Target >> Morph width slider and Tool >> Morph
Target >> Morph length slider. Please refer to this document’s Morph Target
section for more information.
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• As with a traditional PolyMesh 3D, you can use the Mask brushes to protect
certain fibers. A unique feature when masking fibers is that when the mask is
painted on any portion of a fiber, ZBrush will mask the entire fiber.
1. Simple or Double side
The fiberMesh are by default created on the front face of the surface and not it back-
space. It means that all your fibers will grow “outside” of your model surface.
But if you enable the Tool >> Display Properties >> Double mode which display
both side of your mdoel polygons, then your fibers will grow in both direction, inside and
outside of your model.
Having this option enable will have an impact on your fiber count because you will
need the double number of fibers to recreate the same density.
This mode, which you can enable while sculpting your model, remains active when
you are saving your Tool or Project. It means that it can be still enable when you will start
creating your fibers and then, in consequence, creating fibers inside your model without
noticing it, or thinking that some fibers have a strange behavior when sculpting/grooming
them. Don’t forget about this Double side mode!
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II FiberMesh™ Presets
By clicking the Save button located at the top of the FiberMesh sub-palette, you can
save all the current settings for your FiberMesh Preview so that they can be reused later.
Saved presets make an excellent starting point for any new model, saving you time by
duplicating a specific “look” that you really liked on an earlier model.
To save your current settings, simply click the Save button and select a location of
your choice. It is advised to save them in the ZFibersPresets folder located at the root of
the ZBrush folder. This allows you to browse through and select from them quickly using
LightBox, which now has a FiberMesh section.
The FiberMesh presets in LightBox.
Instead of LightBox you can of course use the Tool >> FiberMesh >> Open button.
Several Fibers generated with the new settings.
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III FiberMesh ™ MAIN Settings
FibersMesh fibers are composed of several settings which affect their shape, form
and distribution.
The FiberMesh sub-palette settings.
1. Working with Curves Profiles
To provide more control over your settings and more variant possibilities, several
FiberMesh parameters now have a curve editor. This editor operates in exactly the same
manner as for all other curves in ZBrush.
When used with Fibers, all curve profiles correspond with the root at the left side and
the tip at the right side. Strength goes from 0 at the bottom to 100% at the top.
2. Variation Sliders
Most settings have an additional “variation” slider which will add some randomness
to the corresponding setting in order to avoid a “too perfect” look in your fibers.
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These sliders will have the suffix “V”, just near the main setting: Length slider will
have the corresponding LeV slider to give a variation to the length of the curve.
Preview
By clicking on the Preview button, ZBrush will generate a temporary FiberMesh
based on the current settings, explained below. While in this state you can change your
Fibers settings and see the results updated in real-time.
You may also generate a render with BPR to evaluate your final result. While Pre-
view is active, rotating or moving the model will temporarily hide the fibers until you
release the mouse button.
Changing your support model’s topology, Masking or PolyPainting information will

disable the Preview. The fibers will disappear until you press Preview again.
To completely turn off the fibers that are being displayed click on Preview again.
Accept
By clicking on the Accept button, ZBrush will generate the FiberMesh as a SubTool
to the support mesh. At this stage, the fibers will become a SubTool which may now be
sculpted, styled and painted. Except for the BPR render options for fibers all other Fibers
sub-palette settings will not affect a FiberMesh once it has been converted to a SubTool.
These settings only work in Preview mode.
Max Fibers
The Max Fibers defines the maximum number of fibers generated. ZBrush will popu-
late your model based on the other settings below. Values are in thousands of fibers.
Note:
A human head typically has between 80,000 and 140,000 hairs, depending on hair color,
thickness and baldness.
By Mask
The ByMask slider defines how strongly the Mask influences where fibers are to be
created. The higher this slider, the more ZBrush will use the Mask as a guide to populate
fibers. If there is a less intense Mask on your surface then ZBrush will populate fewer
fibers with a shorter length. This slider’s effect is also calculated with the By Area slider
so that the two sliders complement each other.
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By Area
The By Area slider defines the fibers based on the underlining mesh topology. Fibers
on large polygons will be longer and thicker than fibers on smaller polygons. This feature
is important because it also considers the shape of the FiberMesh support surface and
produces more natural fibers on models with orientation variations and breaks in the
shape.
Imbed
the Imbed slider defines if the root of the fiber will be directly on the underlying sur-
face, hovering right above the underlying surface or imbedded deeper into the surface.
This latter result is useful if you create your fibers on a low resolution surface and later
will be subdividing the support mesh (causing it to contract slightly). Imbedding the fibers
will ensure that they remain “attached” to the surface rather than end up floating above it.
Length Profile
This curve affects how the segments along the fibers will be propagated. The default
curve will generate a constant length for each segment. Modifying the curve can do such
things as concentrating the segments at the Fiber’s root or tip.
This setting can affect the result of other settings. For example, if you wish to have
a Revolve setting concentrated at the tip of your Fibers, you would want to have more
segments there than at the root.
Length
the Length slider defines the overall length of the fibers. The individual length of
each fiber is then modulated by the Mask intensity and the By Area slider settings.
Width Profile
This curve affects the width along your curve, letting you creating custom profiles.
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An example of how Width Curve affects Fibers.

Note:
Because of this addition, the Root/Tip Scale and Flare settings are redundant and have been
removed.
Coverage
The Coverage slider increases or decreases the width of the Fibers.
Scale Root and Scale Tip

The Scale Root and Scale Tip slider adjust the scale of the corresponding part of
the fiber. These settings can be combined with the Flare settings above, giving you more
control over the shape of the fibers.
Slim
The Slim slider defines the ratio between the width and height of the fiber section.
Negative values flatten the fiber’s width while positive values flatten its depth.
Revolve Radius
This setting allows you to create curling Fibers in just a few clicks with high control
over their shape.
The Revolve Radius curve defines where the rotation effect will be applied. A linear
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curve from the bottom left to the top right will create a Fiber where the revolve effect is
applied most strongly at the tip and not at all at the root.
The Revolve Curve in action.
Revolve Rate
The Revolve Rate slider defines the amount of rotation applied to the Fiber.
Twist
The Twist slider applies a twist effect to each individual fiber.
The Twist setting gives a better specular look when combined with the Anisotropic
settings. When using Fibers to create hair, it’s advised to use a little bit of Twist when
possible to improve the visual appearance.
Gravity Profile
This curve controls how the gravity will impact the Fiber along its length.
Gravity
The Gravity slider causes the ends of the fibers to droop. The direction of the gravity
is controlled by position of the model relative to the canvas’ working plane. For example,
if you loaded the DemoHead.ZTL facing down with the top of his toward the camera the
fibers direction will be dropping toward the front of the face.
Note:
It’s important to first set your model’s orientation before setting or updating the Gravity value.
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Horizontal and Vertical Tangent

The Horizontal and Vertical Tangent sliders alter the direction of the fiber by chang-
ing the Normal value of the support mesh in a vertical or horizontal direction. These set-
tings are primarily used for generating fibers on top of a FiberMesh SubTool.
Both settings can be helpful to create feather-like fibers by combining a fiber on the
top of an existing FiberMesh.
As this setting uses the polygon and the vertex order of the support mesh, it works
better with FiberMesh objects than on normal meshes.
Clumps
The Clumps slider attracts the tips of fibers together when grown from the same
support polygon. Moving this slider to a negative value will separate the tips more such
as with hair plugs.
Color Profile, base Color, Tip Color and Texturing
For the settings affecting the color aspect of the fibers like Color Profile, base Color
and Tip Color, please refer to the Fibermesh Coloring, Texturing and UVs section of Fi-
berMesh documentation.
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IV Geometry of the FiberMesh ™
These parameters define the topology aspect of the fibers. It is important to remem-
ber that these values can have a high impact on your final polygon count.
Profile
The Profile slider defines the number of sides for each fiber. The default value is 1
which will create a strip of one sided flat polygon(s). Increasing the value to 3 or 4 will
create a fiber that is capped off at the end. Increasing this value to higher numbers will
create rounded fiber sections, but it will also drastically increase the FiberMesh polygon
count.
When the value is adjusted higher than 1, ZBrush will warn you that you can alter-
nately use the BPR Sides setting located in the Fibers sub-palette to increase the num-
ber of sides at render time rather than having to work with a high number of polygons dur-
ing sculpting. We recommend keeping this value at 1 and use the BPR Render options
when creating fibers that are intended for hair, fur, fabrics for clothing, and etc. Only use
Profile when you’re going to be exporting your FiberMesh.
Segments
The Segments slider defines the number of segments along each fiber’s length.
(Number of polygons per fiber per side.) A high value will create smoother angles but will
also increase the total polygon count.
Morph Target Guided

Generates Fibers by comparing the current state of your tool to a previously stored
morph target.
1. Select your Tool or SubTool.
2. Store the Morph Target by clicking on Tool >> Morph Target >> StoreMT.
3. Create sculptural change.
4. Click Tool >> Morph Target >> Switch.
5. Activate the FiberMesh Preview using Tool >> FiberMesh >> Preview.
6. Click the Morph Target Guided button. ZBrush will generate Fibers by calculating
the difference between your model’s current state and the Morph Target.
405
The Morph Target Guided function in action.
406
V FiberMesh ™ RealTime Display
These settings affect the way your FiberMesh will be displayed in the ZBrush view-
port. Their purpose is mainly to reduce the displayed polygon count, making manipula-
tion of your 3D model easier.
Changing the value of these settings won’t affect the actual rendered fibers.
Fast Preview
This allows you to modify and sculpt the fibers with more ease as ZBrush will only
display the overall shape of the each fiber.
Note:
Some settings like Flaring are not visible when in Fast Preview mode.
The Fast preview mode isn’t restricted to the current Fiber preview, but to the selected Fiber-
Mesh SubTool after its creation.
Preview Fiber Visibility (PRE Vis)

Defines the percentage of fibers to display when the Fast Preview mode is enabled.
This can be used to speed up performance while working with your FiberMesh. Fibers
that are invisible due to the Pre Vis value will still be affected by sculpting and painting.
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VI FiberMesh BPR Settings
The following settings only affect your fibers when ZBrush is instructed to render
them as a final image or animation using the BPR renderer. (Or when sent to KeyShot
via the ZBrush to KeyShot Bridge.)
Note:
At render time it is possible to convert some of the generated fibers to real geometry using
the Convert BPR to Geo function. Please see the Exporting FiberMesh Geometry section below
for more information.
Root and Tip Anisotropic

The Anisotropic value affects the surface normal of the root of the fiber or of its tip.
Increasing these values will produce more natural-looking fibers. When these values are
increased, the normals of the fiber will follow a path that allows them to lay flat on top of
each other.
Note:
These settings are different than the material Anisotropic settings as they affect the geometry
surface aspect itself. As a result, you don’t need to change this setting in the Material settings. It is
important to consider this point as some materials like MatCaps don’t have Anisotropic settings.
Subdivision
Defines the number of times each fiber should be subdivided at render time. This
operation subdivides the fiber in the same manner as traditional subdivision smoothing
and makes the fibers look more natural.
Sides
Defines the number of sides that each fiber will have when rendered. This setting is
only available when the Profile slider value was set to 1 at the time the fibers were cre-
ated.
Radius
Increases the radius of the fibers when they are rendered, giving them volume with-
out needing to increase the amount of actual geometry.
408
Some examples of a FiberMesh created with the default settings and then sculpted using different
Groom Brushes.
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VII Fibermesh Coloring, Texturing and UVs
The fibers can be manually PolyPainted with various brushes, but it is also possible
to apply different colors to them when they are generated. This includes applying a
texture (including with transparency). Doing so will create more natural fibers than what
you’d get with a constant color.
1. FiberMesh™ UV’s
Once your Fibers have been generated as a FiberMesh it is possible to generate

UV’s. The same UV map will be assigned to each individual Fiber, allowing you applying
a texture to all of them. This provides additional possibilities for the look and style of your
Fibers, especially when using them to create complex plants.
Due to the large amount of memory required for these UV’s, this feature isn’t auto-
matic. Even though it’s the same map for all Fibers, these UV’s must still be associated
with the individual vertices. When you have hundreds of thousands of Fibers (usually
with many polygons each), that can become an exponentially large amount of data!
On the left, the original fibers. In the middle, creating the Fibers UV’s and selecting a texture. On
the right, the final result.
Follow these steps to create UV’s for your Fibers and apply a texture to them:
1. Create your Fibers. For the memory reasons explained above, try to use a low
Max Fiber setting.
2. By default, ZBrush will advise you to use Preview mode. In order to preview
textures, however, it is not recommended to use this mode.
3. Once your FiberMesh has been created, select its SubTool.
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4. Go to the Tool >> UV Map sub-palette and click on FiberUV to generate the
mapping. Your UV’s will automatically be “per Fiber” which means that all Fi-
bers will share the same UV’s. This button is enabled only when a SubTool
composed of Fibers is selected.
Note:
If the button is grayed out while having a SubTool composed of Fibers selected in the
SubTool sub-palette, it’s because you have modified the Fibers topology and transformed
them to a default Polymesh3D. Operations like Slice Curve or applying a subdivision-level
transformation to the FiberMesh topology will cause this to happen.
5. In the Tool >> Texture Map sub-palette, select the texture of your choice.
Note:
You can use a texture with pure black color to define transparency. The Fibers will be
rendered corresponding to this transparency information. Keep in mind, however, that the
transparent portions of the Fibers will still cast shadows just as if they didn’t have transpar-
ency.
Color Profile
This curve defines where the root and tip colors will be applied along the Fiber
length.
Base Color
Colors the base of the fibers using the color selected in the corresponding color
patch to the slider’s left.
Tip Color
Colors the tip of the fibers using the color selected in the corresponding color patch
to the slider’s left.
Note:
Setting this value to 0 will use the support mesh’s PolyPainted color for the entire length of
the fiber. See the Using Mesh PolyPaint to Create Colored Fibers section for more information.
Texture Selector
In addition to the textures which can be applied manually through the Tool >> Texture
Map sub-palette, you can now directly apply a texture in preview mode. This allows you
to see how the Fibers will look with your texture even before you’ve converted them to a
FiberMesh object.
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Frenchy Pilou like texture applied on the fibers.
There are several parameters associated with this feature as described below.
Max Size:
Defines the maximum width and height of your texture in pixels. If you select a
texture with a higher value, ZBrush will warn you and ask if you wish to proceed. You
may cancel by pressing No. If you say Yes, ZBrush will automatically resize the texture
before applying it to the Fibers. For memory management and faster processing, it is
recommended to use the smallest possible texture size that will still retain an acceptable
level of detail.
Horizontal Tile
This slider sets how many times the texture will be repeated across the width of the
Fibers.
Vertical Tile
This slider sets how many times the texture will be repeated along the length of the
Fibers.
Transparent Mode
When enabled, pure black pixels within the texture will become transparent.
Note:
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Only pure black (0,0,0) is seen as transparent. Anything even slightly different from that
(such as 0,1,0) will be rendered as color. For this reason, it is recommended to not use antialias-
ing in your image editor when creating textures that will have transparent regions. ZBrush can
then antialias the edges for you at render time. See Antialiased Mode, below.
Antialiased Mode
This option helps remove “jaggies” from edges within the texture. It is especially
useful in conjunction with Transparent mode (above), since it will result in clean edges
on the visible surfaces.
2. Using the Mesh Polypainting to Create Colored Fibers
On the preview time, ZBrush can use the PolyPainting color from the support model
to generate the fibers colors. The fibers can only use PolyPaint information. They can-
not use the color information from a texture. You would need to convert your texture to
PolyPaint to use it for FiberMesh color information.
As soon as you click on the Preview button, the Fibers will appears, but it is possible
that your fibers won’t be affected by the PolyPainting, depending of the Base and Tip
Color settings.
If your Tip Color slider is at 1, its default value, then the color from the color selec-
tor on its left will be fully used. You simply need to put this value at 0 to use the model
PolyPainting color to apply the corresponding color to your fibers.
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VIII Exporting the FiberMesh
Because FiberMesh produce a real geometry, it is possible to export the fibers to

other 3D applications, through a classic OBJ file format, or through GoZ.
But exporting thousands of fibers can be troublesome for the other 3D packages,
ZBrush can convert these fibers as a guide, needed for other Hair and Fur plugins, or as
a Vector Displacement map.
1. Exporting FiberMesh™ as Guides
ZBrush can now export your sculpted FiberMesh object as guide curves to be used
with the Hair and Fur system in the software of your choice.
ZBrush can export native modo, Maya and LightWave files, OBJ files with curves
for applications which support them, as well as FMG (FiberMeshGuide; a dedicated file
format for the developers who would like to create an importer).
Before exporting, it is important to set the PRE Visualization slider to the percentage
of Fibers that you will need as guides. When you click the Export Curve button, ZBrush
will display statistics about the number of exported guides.
The PRE Viz slider, which defines the number of exported curves and the Export Curves button.
For optimum results, it is advised to switch to Fast Preview mode and set the PRE
Visualization slider value before exporting your guides.
2. Exporting FiberMesh™ as Vector Displacement
Instead of exporting your Fibers as guides, an alternative is to export your Fibers

as a vector displacement map. This is especially useful when your Fibers have settings
affecting their width and form, as those values cannot be exported with guides and so
would need to be reconstructed in your other application.
When exporting your fibers as a vector displacement map, ZBrush will export an
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OBJ file and a vector displacement map corresponding to the extrusion of the Fibers.
The OBJ file is composed of one polygon per Fiber root. The texture file then has the
information needed to give the Fibers their correct shape when rendered in a program
that supports vector displacement maps.
Please read the Vector Displacement Map chapter of this document to learn more
about the Tangent and 32-bit modes.
3. Converting as a Geometry
Because the Fibermesh geometry is changed on the render time through to fit the
FiberMesh BPR Settings values, you can ask ZBrush to convert your current FiberMesh
SubTool to what ZBrush is generating when performing the BPR render.
Then if you change the number of sudivisions and segments, your converted Sub-
Tool will have a smoother surface than the FiberMesh which were originally displayed in
ZBrush.
To perform this conversion, you must use the Convert BPR to Geo function, located
in the Tool >> Geometry sub-palette.
Note:
Please, keep in mind that using this Convert BPR to Geo can create a large amount of
polygons, far more that ZBrush can handle: If you have 10 000 fibers with 4 sides and 4 segments,
it represents 200 000 polygons. Now, if your BPR settings slider is set to 2, the Convert to BPR to
Geo will generate 3 200 000 raw polygons.Then consider the number of fibers and render settings
before using this function!
For more information, please refer to the Convert BPR to Geo function description,
in the Tool palette documentation.
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IX FiberMesh Groom brushes
To complement the new FiberMesh feature, ZBrush introduces a series of Groom

brushes. These brushes are dedicated to the sculpting of FiberMesh objects.
These brushes are derived from traditional sculpting brushes and have their behav-
ior optimized to avoid unexpected results when working with Fibers.
You will find these brushes in the default Brush popup, but also in LightBox >>
Brushes >> Groom
Below is a list of some new Groom brushes but ZBrush includes many more.
Note about the Groom Brushes:

Some brushes such as Groom Spike work best by using a large Draw size brush and first ac-
cumulating fiber within the brush before moving it in the desired direction. This allows you to more
readily groom the fibers in the desired direction.
Groom Hairtoss
Most useful for moving long hair with a smooth sweeping. This brush is taking ad-
vantage of the new Brush >>Modifiers >> Strength Multiplier which is multiplying the
brush strength by what is set in this slider.
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Groomer Strong
A standard groom brush with no forward or inverse propagation. This brush will influ-
ence most of the fiber to be implemented with only the root to be protected.
Groom Blower
Simulates a hair dryer on the fibers by separating the fibers as if they were being
blown around by wind.
Groom Clumps
This brush will clump the tips of the fibers together or cause the tips to flare out,
depending on the brush modifiers.
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Groom Turbulence
Deforms the fibers to have a slight turmoil. This is great to put a little of bit mess to
hair.
Groom Fast Lengthen

Deforms and moves your fibers in the direction of your stroke. This brush also
changes the length of your fibers without increasing the number of segments. Use this
for “quick and dirty” shaping.
Groom Root Colorize

This brush will only Polypaint the roots of the selected fibers.
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Groomer Magnet
Deforms the tip of fibers to assimilate together.
Groomer Twist
Rotates the fibers around the brush, exactly like twisting a lock of hair.
Groom Twist Slow

Similar to the Groomer Twist brush except that it operates more slowly. It is best
with low speed strokes.
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Groom Hair Ball

Creates a ball-like clump at the tips of the fibers.
Groom Hair Ball Strong
Similar to the Groom Hair Ball, but with a stronger effect.
Groom Spike
Squeezes the majority of the affected fibers’ lengths together to create spikes.
Groom Spin Knot

Similar to Groom Spike except that the Twist settings in the Brush palette are set to
a low rate to create a smoother effect. Great for creating sweeps in the fibers.
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Groom Spin Knot Strong

Similar to the Groom Spin Knot brush, but with a stronger effect.
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X Brush Fiber Mesh™ Settings
All sculpting brushes can be made “Fiber Aware” so that the fiber attributes that
were originally set are maintained. To make any brush “Fiber Aware”, modify the settings
described below. These settings are found in the Brush >> FiberMesh sub-palette. These
settings also make it possible to only affect the roots or the tips of the fibers.
Preserve Length
This setting preserves the length of your fibers during styling. A value of 100 fully
preserves the fiber length while a lower value allows the fibers to become longer as
they’re styled.
Forward Propagation
Affects the fiber root and propagates any adjustment along the fiber without affecting
the tip.
Inverse Propagation
Affects the fiber tip and propagates any adjustment backwards along the fiber with-
out affecting the root
Stiffness
Tries to keep the fibers from breaking up in order to maintain straightness. Higher
settings will be more resistant to fiber bending.
Springiness
Subtly tries to bring the fiber back to its original position while maintaining stiffness.
Only active when Stiffness is turned on.
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Front Collision Tolerance

Helps prevent fibers from breaking through the visible SubTools during sculpting.
Imagine it as a force field that surrounds the visible SubTools. The slider value defines
how many screen pixels thick this force field will be. So a value of 10 would allow you to
come quite close to the surface if zoomed in close to the model but will keep the fibers
progressively farther away the more you zoom out.
This setting is enabled by default with all the brushes. It is a global setting, which
means that turning it off for one brush turns it off for all.
Front Collision Variations

Will maintain a variation in the fibers when being edited to have less of an overlap-
ping of the fibers. This will work in conjunction with the Front Collision Tolerance.
Note:
It is important to remember that this setting is FRONT collision detection, only. In other
words, the fibers can only sense the portion of your surface that is visible to the camera. As a
result, this feature does not support symmetry.
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XI Masking and Visibility of the FiberMesh™
The Brush >> Auto Masking >> AutoMask FiberMesh button allows your brush to
control a specific segment of each fiber that will be affected by the brush as you sculpt or
paint. The curve below this button allows you to control how the Auto Mask will be applied
to the individual fibers.
Bottom to top represents Mask intensity. Left to right is the span of the fiber from root
(at left) to tip (at right). There is no end to the control you have by using this curve with
Groom Brushes to work with your fibers.
Note:
Auto Masking does not actually paint a Mask on your model. Instead, it treats the mesh
within your brush radius as if it has already been Masked based upon the Auto Masking settings.
1. Fiber Mask
When a FiberMesh is created ZBrush will automatically assign Masking to the root of
each fiber. This automatic Masking is controlled by the Brush >> Auto Masking >> Auto
Mask FiberMesh button discussed earlier in the documentation.
This new Tool >> Masking >> FiberMask will allow you to use the curve seen in the
image below to Mask off any part of the fibers. With the curve representing the root to tip
from left to right, you can create any combination of Masking on the fibers.
Once the curve is set, click the FiberMask button for ZBrush to apply the Mask.
The FiberUnmask button will unmask already masked fibers based on the curve.
The benefit to this is allow you to mask out sections of fibers and then still apply a gradi-
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ent mask based on the curve.
On the left, some fibers have been masked. On the right, they have then been locally UnMasked
based on the Curve setting.
Use the FiberUnmask to specify central soft masking of the fibers.
Note:
Remember that when you make a mask on fibers the entire fiber is masked out.
Below are examples of Masks you can generate based on the curve.
Masking Curve allows you to control how the Fibers are masked. From left to right: Mask every-
thing but the Fiber root, Mask only the middle of the Fiber, Mask only the tip of the Fiber.
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2. Masking with a Mask Brush
In addition to the FiberMask and the Auto masking functions, you can use the Mask
Brushes of ZBrush when pressing the CTRL key. The Mask brushes work on the full
Fiber and propagate along it. It’s helpful to protect groups of Fibers to shape them more
accurately or even simply PolyPainting them.
As soon as your Mask is applied, you can modify it with the FiberMask/FiberUnMask
functions as described above or easily create a specific polygroup.
3. Hidding and Unhidding the FiberMesh
Similar to the Mask brushes, the Selection brushes (SelectLasso and SelectRect)
called with the CTRL+Shift keys will hide or unhide all the fibers included in the selection
and not only a part of them.
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XII Additional Information About FiberMesh™
Several brushes are “fiber aware”, which means that they have a dedicated default
behavior when used on a FiberMesh. By using a fiber aware brush you ensure that the
attributes your Fiber was originally created with will be maintained. The exception is
if you use a Groom brush that is designed to alter Fiber parameters such as how the
Groom Length brush is meant to lengthen the Fibers.
• The Smooth Brush will reduce Fiber size, only affecting its thickness.
• Each “classic” sculpting brush can become “fiber aware” by enabling the set-
tings located in the Brush >> FiberMesh sub-palette. Please refer to the corre-
sponding chapter for more information about these settings.
• For your most common needs when modifying Fibers, simply use the Groom
series of brushes as they were designed specifically to work with Fibers.
• When Fibers are created and accepted, ZBrush stores a Morph Target. This al-
lows you to use the various Morph settings to alter or revert your fibers. It also
allows you to use the Morph brush to selectively revert the sculpting on your
Fiber shapes.
• When Solo mode is enabled ZBrush will only display the FiberMesh together
with its underlying support surface.
• When a FiberMesh preview is accepted, the created SubTool will be inserted
just below the supported mesh SubTool rather than at the bottom of the SubTool
list.
• Several SubTool operations like Merging or Split Hidden or Group Split are Fiber
aware, but they may have restrictions in some scenarios, like the Merging of
SubTool remain Fiber-aware only if the fibers have the same number of vertices.
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ZBrush User Guide - Boolean Operations
BOOLEAN OPERATIONS
True geometry additions and substraction for complex creations
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An example of a complex model produced with the Boolean operations.

Model courtesy of Joseph Drust.
ZBrush includes a complete Boolean system in addition to its other Boolean-style

features like DynaMesh and Remesh All. These features all use the SubTool operators to
define if a SubTool will be used as an Addition, Subtraction or Intersection model.
This Boolean tool is composed of two main elements:
• The Live Boolean mode found in the Render >> Render Booleans sub-palette
lets you preview in real-time the results of Boolean operations on your SubTools. You
can move, scale, rotate, duplicate, change the operation mode and even sculpt in this
mode. In the default ZBrush UI, the Live Boolean switch is readily accessed to the left
of the Edit mode button.
• The Make Boolean Mesh function, found in the Tool >> SubTool >> Boolean sub-
palette converts all Boolean operations to a new Tool. These results can be reused for
further Boolean operations inside of ZBrush or exported to other 3D applications.
This Boolean tool has been optimized to be ultra-fast. A model composed of several
millions of polygons can be converted from the preview to real geometry in just a few
seconds, although highly complex models can take up to a few minutes.
The Boolean function will work with almost all ZBrush features, so long as the mod-
els are some form of PolyMesh 3D. DynaMesh models and those with multiple subdivi-
sion levels will work perfectly, as well as low polygon models created using the ZModeler
brush. Advanced features like ArrayMesh and NanoMesh are supported as well since the
resulting models are PolyMeshes.
3D Primitives, ZSpheres ZSketches, or other render-time effects (such as Micro-

Mesh) are not supported by the Boolean system until they are converted to PolyMeshes.
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I Important Notice about Boolean Operations
ZBrush is well known for its ability to work visually without considering the underlying
topology of 3D meshes. This is particularly true with core features like DynaMesh. The
way of working with Boolean operations is slightly different and you need to respect some
simple rules to ensure successful results. The Boolean real-time preview engine is not
impacted by these constraints.
Avoid coplanar faces

When you are building models, avoid polygon surfaces that are directly on top of
each other. A simple example would be two stacked cubes where the polygons in contact
between the two meshes are strictly on the same plane. To fix the coplanar faces, mov-
ing one of the cubes slightly will offset the two polygon surfaces so they are no longer
overlapping.
An example of coplanar faces: On the left, the two separated cubes. On the right, the two cubes
have been put on top of each other, creating coplanar faces (see the tip of the arrow).
Work with volumes

As with DynaMesh, the Boolean tool is designed to work with volumes rather than
single sided surfaces. When performing a Boolean operation, it is strongly advised to
work with watertight meshes to produce the results you are looking for.
Mesh density consistency

The Boolean system is only going to modify the topology of the meshes where the
Boolean processes happen. Try to avoid combining really dense models with low poly-
gon ones. The results from these two types of meshes can produce long and thin tri-
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angles which may be problematic if you attempt to perform another Boolean operation
on this model.
Notice the variation of density between the two models. Although the Boolean operation will be
performed without any errors, the result may be problematic if you perform extra Boolean opera-
tions on the resulting mesh.
Reduce Dynamic Subdivision levels

When working with the ZModeler brush and/or low polygon models, you may be
used to using Dynamic Subdivisions. It is very common to select high smoothing values
with Dynamic Subdivision as it doesn’t slow down ZBrush and it can increase the visual
quality of your models. However, the Boolean process will convert these Dynamic Subdi-
visions to real geometry before processing. This can produce elongated polygons on the
borders of the original topology after processing. These triangles may generate topology
issues if you attempt to perform another Boolean operation with the resulting mesh.
It is strongly advised to use lower Dynamic Subdivision levels when possible.
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On the left, the model with Dynamic Subdivision enabled. On the right, after being converted as
raw topology. Look closely at the very long and thin quadrangles which will become very thin
triangles when intersecting with other models during a Boolean operation. Reducing the resolution
of the Dynamic Subdivision is advised.
Non-manifold edges must be removed

Behind this barbaric name is a common 3D topology issue which consists of an edge
sharing more than two polygons. This issue can happen when importing models from
other software.
The Boolean engine includes a cleaning process which will try to fix these non-
manifold edges but in some scenarios, it won’t be possible. For best results stay away
from using meshes with non-manifold edges when using the Boolean system.
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II Boolean Process
The process of creating your model using Boolean operations is easy and works in
a similar way to the DynaMesh Boolean and Remesh All features. To determine if you
want to use an addition, subtraction, or intersection object you just need to activate the
corresponding operator on the SubTool. These are the small circle icons found on top of
each item in the SubTool list, to the left of the eye icon: Add, Subtract and Intersection,
plus a “Start” flag.
The SubTool operators, with from left to right: Start flag, Addition, Subtraction, Intersection.
Prepare your models and for each SubTool, set the operator. Then enable the Bool-
ean preview and when ready, produce the resulting mesh.
The Boolean settings and functions, found in the Render >> External Render sub-palette.
1. Linearity of the Boolean operations
The Boolean process is performed in a hierarchal fashion from the top to the bot-
tom of the SubTool list. The first SubTool will be in Addition or Start mode (read the next
section about Start groups) and the following SubTools will be added subtracted, or inter-
sected depending on the selected operator. Only the visible SubTools will be processed.
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In this screenshot, you can see the SubTool list. The top SubTool will be the starting point and then
each SubTool located below will be added or subtracted in this top to bottom order.
2. Start groups
To simplify the creation of complex model, you can specify a Start group of SubTools
which can be processed together and create a separate SubTool in the resulting Tool.
You can create as many Start groups as needed and for each group, the Boolean pro-
cess will generate as many SubTools as you have defined Start groups.
To create a Start group, you need to click on the arrow found on the right of the
SubTool preview icon. It will add a “Start” flag, defining this SubTool as the first one of
the group. The group will include all the SubTools found below until another SubTool is
set as a Start group.
The Start flag in the SubTool list, toggled on and off.
By clicking again on the Start flag, you will revert the Start group back to a regular
SubTool which will be processed like all others which are not part of a group.
The Tool >> SubTool >> Auto-Collapse function (located below the SubTool list) can
be enabled to keep only the current SubTool Start group open, collapsing all other groups
until you select a new Start group.
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III Data Support and Preservation
The Boolean operation can preserve some of the data included in the original Sub-
Tools and will propagate that to the resulting SubTool(s). Some data types are not sup-
ported and it is important to keep them in mind. Please check the list below.
Supported data:
• PolyMesh 3D and associated topologies: subdivision surfaces, ZModeler, Dy-

naMesh, etc.
• ZSphere models: only if they are in Preview mode, by pressing the Tool >>
Adaptive Skin >> Preview button (A hotkey). The Adaptive skin can be in Subdi-
vision mode or DynaMesh mode.
• ZSketch models: like ZSpheres, are only supported if they are in Preview mode.
• ArrayMesh, NanoMesh and other instance tools. ZBrush will convert them to a
mesh during the Boolean process.
• FiberMesh: Even if the FiberMesh in Preview mode it is not supported, it is
strongly advised to converted fibers to geometry and only use 3+ sided fibers.
Using 1 or 2 sided fibers will produce unexpected results.
Unsupported data:
• HD Geometry: This type of data is not supported and won’t be taken into con-
sideration by the Boolean process.
• 3D Primitive (parametric) models: All the 3D primitives found in the Tool >> Tool
Selector cannot be processed. You must convert them to a PolyMesh 3D before
being able to use them with Boolean operations.
• Render time objects: Any topology which is only generated during a BPR ren-
der, like MicroMesh and surface noise cannot be processed. All these process-
es need to be converted to real geometry first.
• Partially visible meshes: during the process, all openings created by the hidden
polygons will be considered as holes and will be removed using the Tool >>
Geometry >> Modify Topology >> Close Hole function. It is strongly advised to
make your polygons visible before using the Boolean operations.
Propagated datas:
• Original topology: Only the parts which are affected by the Boolean opera-
tion will be triangulated. All the other areas will keep their original topology. Of
course, subdivision levels will be collapsed to the current level and Dynamic
Subdivisions will be applied only if the Boolean DSubdiv mode is enabled.
• PolyGroups: Each PolyGroup in the original SubTools will be preserved in the
resulting SubTool(s), including at the areas where the Boolean operations took
place.
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• PolyPainting: The PolyPaint from each original SubTool will be preserved in the
resulting SubTool(s), however, some loss of quality may be visible in the area
where the Boolean operation connection took place. If a PolyPainted model with
a high density of polygons is connected to a low-resolution model, the difference
in resolution will produce a connected area which will lack enough resolution to
preserve the original PolyPaint quality. Subdividing the low-resolution models
before performing the Boolean operation will help prevent this.
The PolyPaint has been preserved on the left, but the difference in density didn’t produce a clean
result. On the right, the top part has been subdivided prior to the Boolean operation, producing a
better PolyPaint result.
Removed datas:
• UV’s: UV’s from each SubTool are completely removed by the Boolean opera-
tion process. Even SubTools without major modifications will have their UV’s
removed. This is because UV mapping depends on the model’s point list and
any Boolean operation automatically changes the number of points.
• Textures: Because UV’s are not propagated, texture will be removed.
• Subdivision levels: Because the Boolean operation only operates on the result-
ing SubTool geometry, the current subdivision level will be used for the process
and all other levels discarded.
Note:
Reconstructing Subdivision levels after a Boolean operation is impossible because of the
topology change.
Please keep in mind that applying smoothing/subdivision levels to the result of a Boolean
operation will produce visual artifacts where the meshes intersect. This is because the opera-
tion produces multiple triangles and topology that is not optimized for smoothing. It is advised to
smooth your model prior to performing the Boolean operation.
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• Creased edges: The creasing is removed during the Boolean operation.

• 3D Layers: Only the current topology of the model is processed by the Boolean
operation and so all other layers of the model will be removed.
• Masks: They have no effect on the Boolean operation process and are removed
after processing.
• Surface Noise preview: Because it is only a rendering effect, Surface Noise
won’t be taken into consideration by the Boolean operation. You must first apply
the Surface Noise if you want to keep it.
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IV Live Boolean Mode
Boolean operations are mostly composed of multiple models flagged for addition
or subtraction mode, stacked on top of each other in the SubTool list. Because of the
way they are used, it can become difficult to visually understand what the final model
will be like. To resolve this common problem, ZBrush includes a Live Boolean mode
which previews the result of the current Boolean commands as they would affect the final
processed model. You can even modify the models, duplicate them, change ArrayMesh
settings, sculpt and much more while still previewing the final Boolean result in real-time.
The Live Boolean process in action with (from left to right): the original model, the added joint
SubTools and the result. Model courtesy of Joseph Drust.
Another example of a Live Boolean mesh with the original SubTools on the left and the preview of
the Boolean process on the right. Model courtesy of Joseph Drust.
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1. Activation of the Live Boolean Mode
Click Render >> Render Booleans >> Live Boolean mode to enable it.
If none of your SubTools are set to subtraction or intersection mode, you shouldn’t
see any difference until you enable one of these modes.
2. Live Boolean Mode for Final Mesh Creation
Before processing the final model as a true 3D model, you must enable the Live
Boolean mode. Both operations are tied together since you must be able to anticipate the
resulting SubTool(s). When Live Boolean mode is on, the Tool >> SubTool >> Boolean >>
Make Boolean Mesh function will be available.
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V Basic Boolean Process in Action
This process will explain all the steps for a simple and basic creation using the Bool-
ean features.
1. Load the PolySphere.ZPR startup project which include only one SubTool.
2. Click Tool >> SubTool >> Duplicate (CTRL+Shift+D) to create a new SubTool
based on the original Sphere. You should have two spheres overlapping each
other.
3. With the Gizmo 3D, move and scale the second SubTool so that it intersects
with and is smaller than the first SubTool. The goal will be to subtract this sec-
ond SubTool from the first one.
The two SubTools next to each other.
4. In the SubTool list, click on the second Boolean operator: Subtraction, then turn
on Render >> Render Booleans >> Live Boolean. You should automatically see
the preview of the Boolean operation with the second SubTool subtracted from
the first one.
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The preview of the boolean operation
5. Feel free to move, scale and rotate the second SubTool to see in real-time the
result of the Boolean operation. Of course, you can pick a sculpting brush and
use it on the second SubTool, seeing the modification happen in real-time.
The second sphere has been scaled non-uniformly and rotated with the Gizmo 3D. You can see
the results of your operation in real time thanks to the Live Boolean mode.
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6. Click Tool >> SubTools >> Boolean >> Make Boolean Mesh. After a few sec-
onds, a new Tool will be created in the Tool palette, which will be the result of
the Boolean operation. Select it view the results. This model can be exported to
other software as needed.
Note:
If the Make Boolean Mesh function is not available, it is because the Live Boolean mode is
not enabled or because your Tool is composed only of one SubTool.
The result of the Boolean operation on the left, and on the right, the corresponding PolyFrame.
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VI Advanced Boolean Process in Action
This advanced process will be very like the basic one, except that it will introduce the
usage of Start groups. The goal is to generate multiple SubTools from a single Boolean
operation.
1. Load the NutAndBolt.ZPR project, located in the Project tab in LightBox. You
should see multiple cubes everywhere.
The project when loaded. It includes all the parts which will be added or removed during the next
steps.
2. Turn on Render >> Render Booleans >> Live Boolean so that you can preview
your future Boolean operations. Notice that most cubes are now hidden as they
are considered to be subtractive meshes.
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Now we see the preview of the Boolean operation
3. Look at the SubTools list in the Tool palette. Notice two points: Rode_bolt and
Bolt head have the Start operator enabled (the icon is an arrow going left then
down) and each of these SubTools are flagged as additive.
The Start flags, in the SubTool list.
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4. Play with the visibility of different SubTools to understand how each part is
made. Eventually, enable or disable PolyFrame mode to change the way that
the subtracted models are displayed.
5. Select the “ArrayMesh Negative Head” SubTool and with the Gizmo 3D or
TransPose enabled, change the position, scale or rotation of the ArrayMesh
source Cube. You will see in real-time the head of the thread being modified.
The source of the ArrayMesh has been edited: you can see in real time the modification applied to
the model.
6. When you are done with your modifications, press the Tool >> SubTools >>
Boolean >> DSdiv and then Make Boolean Mesh buttons. After a few seconds
of processing, a new Tool is created in the Tool palette with a name starting with
“UMesh_.” Select it.
Note:
If you have a warning message appear at the end of the mesh generation process, it may be
because of the modifications you did on the model, like making some parts coplanar to each other.
Please see the “Boolean Resulting Topology Issues and Errors” section below for more informa-
tion.
7. The resulting mesh is a new Tool composed of two SubTools. Each of them is
based on one of the Start Groups. Select this new Tool at the top of the Tool
palette.
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The result of the Boolean operation and the new SubTool list, after selecting the generated Tool.
8. Switch to PolyFrame mode (Transform >> PolyF) and look at the first SubTool.
Notice the variation of density between the head planar area and the ZBrush
logo. Variation in density may cause mesh issues. (See the “Important notice
about Boolean Operations” section of this chapter.)
The resulting topology with the PolyFrame visible.
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VII Performance
The Boolean operations are optimized to work on all types of model resolutions, from
low polygonal models to high density meshes. However, depending on your models you
can have quick or slow interactivity or computing.
1. Live Boolean Renderer
The Live Boolean render processes all SubTools in real-time, displaying what will be
the result of the whole Boolean operation on all your SubTools. Even though it is drasti-
cally optimized for performance, this mode will impact 3D display and navigation.
These are some key elements to keep in mind to increase 3D display performance:
• Avoid high Dynamic Subdivision level settings. Classic Subdivision levels have
lower impact.
• Avoid large document sizes. Try to keep your document at a reasonable size.
This can especially have an impact on Retina type monitors with very high reso-
lution.
• If not needed, turn off the Render >> Render Booleans >> Show Coplanar
mode.
Note:
The ZBrush 3D display is CPU based, not GPU based. That’s why a large document with a
high number of pixels will slow down the 3D display.
2. Producing the Final Model
Processing a model with millions of polygons can easily be done. However, you
need to keep in mind that the more polygons, the longer it will take and the more memory
ZBrush will need.
As an example, processing a total of 60 million polygons is possible with a computer

with 24+ GB of RAM and an Intel i7 type processor. The processing time would be around
4-5 min, depending on the generation of processor and number of cores.
Models with fewer polygons (around 1 million) will be processed in less than a min-
ute -- sometimes in just few seconds -- allowing you to do multiple iterations or variations
by editing the original SubTools. This means that if you don’t need high quality details,
reduce the number of subdivision levels or your DynaMesh resolution.

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VIII Boolean Resulting Topology Issues and Errors
When executing the Boolean operation through the Make Boolean Mesh command,
you may see warning or information messages at the end of the process.
As explained in the “Important Notice About Boolean Operations” section of this

chapter, the process is very sensitive to the topology of the input 3D models. Depending
on these meshes, the resulting SubTool(s) can have topology errors. They can even be
invisible, like small holes on hidden areas.
The most common message that you will see is:
Boolean operation succeeded but several warnings were reported during the pro-
cess.
The resulting SubTool(s) may or may not contain a few inaccuracies.
The first step is to carefully check your model and see if everything looks fine. If yes
and you are not going to be performing another Boolean operation on the output result,
then you can leave it as it is. But if you are going to perform new Boolean operations
based on the meshes that displayed this error, it is strongly advised to look for the cause
of the problems, fix them and then generate a new result.
Most of the time, the errors are from input meshes with facing coplanar parts or
meshes that are not watertight.
1. Checking for Coplanar Faces
Before executing the Boolean operation command, it is strongly advised to check for
existing coplanar faces.
Click the Render >> Render Booleans >> Show Coplanar button. If your SubTools
have coplanar faces between other SubTools or themselves, these coplanar faces will
be highlighted in red.
You then need to select the SubTool which produced coplanar faces. To fix them,
you will usually need to just slightly move and/or rotate your model or its topology until
the red area disappears.
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On the left, the model with the coplanar faces highlighted. On the right, one of the SubTool has
been slightly moved to remove the coplanar faces.
You can quickly switch between SubTools which have coplanar faces by using the
Next and Previous functions. These buttons will only cycle through the SubTools that are
reporting the coplanar issues, skipping the rest of the SubTool list.
2. Checking for Errors
If ZBrush displays a message after using the Make Union Mesh function, you will be
able to use the Render >> Render Booleans >> Show Issues function. This function can
be enabled only if you select the Tool which contains the errors.
After discarding the error message, select the generated Tool in the Tool list. You
can then enable this feature which will highlight all the parts of the model which have is-
sues. They can be tiny holes or large parts.
By analyzing where the errors are located, you should be able to find these causes
of these issues in the original model’s SubTools. Most of the time, the errors come from
coplanar faces or completely degenerated topology.
If you see unprocessed SubTools in your processed Boolean model, it is because

they generated an error that prevented the Boolean function from using them. Those
problems need to be fixed as well.
You can use the Next and Previous commands to switch between the SubTools that
show the errors.
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IX Main Boolean Functions
The creation of a Boolean operation is split in two parts, the Live Boolean mode and
the final result. Find below the list of functions used for these two parts.
Live Boolean
Render >> Render Booleans >> Live Boolean enables the real-time preview of the
Boolean operations between all the visible SubTools.
It will analyze the Boolean operators - Addition, Subtraction, and Intersection - and
will display the corresponding result.
This mode is only a preview and can be rendered, but not exported. To generate the
final model, you need to use the Make Boolean Mesh function.
Make Boolean Mesh

The Tool >> SubTools >> Boolean >> Make Boolean Mesh will perform the actual
Boolean operation on the visible SubTools, creating a new Tool in your Tool palette which
can then be exported or used in other ways.
This operation can take from a few seconds to several minutes, depending on the
number of SubTools and the density of your models.
DSDiv - Dynamic Subdivision

The Tool >> SubTools >> Boolean >> DSDiv mode will convert the Dynamic Subdivi-
sion applied to the SubTools to real geometry during the Boolean process.
Note:
Please reduce the number of your Dynamic Subdivision levels (especially the QGrid mode) if
you don’t need high details on the surfaces.
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X Geometry and Topology Analysis Functions
The functions below are dedicated to the analysis of your model prior the Boolean
operation (Show Coplanar) or if errors were found after the Boolean process (Show Is-
sues).
Show Coplanar
The Render >> Render Booleans >> Show Coplanar mode displays all faces which
are located on the same working plane. This is typically when you have two models which
have polygons that overlap with each other.
This is a problem that needs to be solved or the resulting Boolean operation may
produce results with missing areas or broken parts.
This mode will highlight in red all polygons which are found to be coplanar and may
produce errors.
Refer to the “Important Notice about Boolean Operations” and “Boolean Resulting
Topology Issues and Errors” sections of this chapter for more information.
Inside (Show Coplanar)

The Inside mode is associated with the Show Coplanar mode. When enabled, it
displays the coplanar faces which are inside the geometry. If the mode is disabled, only
the coplanar faces which are visible in front of the surface are highlighted.
Solo (Show Coplanar)

The Solo mode is associated with the Show Coplanar mode. When enabled, it dis-
plays only the coplanar faces of the current SubTool. If the mode is disabled, coplanar
faces are displayed on all visible SubTools that have such surfaces.
Previous / Next (Show Coplanar)

By pressing these buttons associated with the Show Coplanar mode, you will select
the previous or next SubTool which has coplanar faces. This process does not cycle
through the entire SubTool list but rather only the SubTools that contain the errors.
Show Issues
The Render >> Render Booleans >> Show Issues mode is only enabled when an
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output model from a Boolean operation is selected and that model includes errors. When
this happens, ZBrush will display an error message immediately after creating the mesh.
You should then select the resulting mesh and enable this mode in order to locate the
errors and see what needs fixing.
When enabling this mode, ZBrush will outline in red all which are in error. Most of
these errors are holes or degenerated surfaces produced by coplanar faces or non-
manifold edges (one polygon edge is connected to more than two polygons).
By looking at the error areas, you can find potential errors in the original SubTools
which have been used to produce these results. You can then attempt to fix those errors
and try the Boolean operation again.
Inside (Show Issues)

The Inside mode is associated with the Show Issues mode. When enabled, it dis-
plays the errors which are inside the geometry. If the mode is disabled, only the parts
which are visible on the surface area are highlighted.
Solo (Show Issues)

The Solo mode is associated with the Show Issues mode. When enabled, it displays
only the errors of the current SubTool. If the mode is disabled, errors are displayed on all
the SubTools which have issues.
Previous / Next (Show Issues)

By pressing these buttons associated with the Show Issues mode, you will select the
previous or next SubTool which has an error. This will only cycle between the SubTools
that are displaying the errors rather than the full SubTool List.
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XI Boolean Preferences
The Boolean preferences, found in Preferences >> Union Mesh are mainly settings
to improve the way that ZBrush cleans the meshes created by the Boolean process.
Changing them can have an impact on how successful your operations will be.
It is advised to keep them at their default settings for most purposes and only change
them on specific models which may have issues.
The Boolean preferences.
Coplanar Threshold
The Coplanar Threshold slider lets you change the detection of the depth of the co-
planar faces. If you have fixed the coplanar issues shown by the default values and are
still receiving an error message, increasing this slider will show more potential coplanar
areas on your model.
Clean Silvers
The Clean Slivers mode (enabled by default) is used to detect and remove tiny,
isolated triangles which can happen at some locations after the Boolean process. Even
though it is performed with the Boolean operation, it is considered to be a post-process.
Silvers Max Size

The Slivers Maximum Size slider defines the maximum size for the detection of sliver
triangles when the cleaning process is performed.
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ZBrush User Guide - ShadowBox
SHADOWBOX
From a shadow to a 3D model.
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ShadowBox is a tool which is able to create all kinds of 3D primitives based on

shadow projection using simple masking. Use masks to paint the front, side and bottom
shadows of a concept onto the dedicated cubic ShadowBox and your model will be dy-
namically generated inside it!
ShadowBox allows you to create advanced primitives quickly with very few strokes
and generates a model that is ready for further sculpting. It is not meant to sculpt and
refine models, or create finely detailed models but should rather be used to quickly gen-
erate base meshes.
ShadowBox is an extension of the Remesh All function and is resolution dependant:

A low resolution setting will create few polygons and a rough shape while a high resolu-
tion setting will create a lot of polygons and a more precise shape. It is strongly advised to
use a low resolution setting wherever possible and then later subdivide the model while
sculpting with ZBrush®’s many brushes rather than trying to use ShadowBox with a high
resolution to create overly detailed base meshes. In other words, use ShadowBox to cre-
ate the lowest resolution base mesh that can be used as a starting point for your sculpts!
This is an example of a primitive built with ShadowBox, using all three planes. A variation could
have been built without a mask for the bottom shadow.
It is strongly advised to work on a low resolution and then later subdivide the model
for use with all the sculpting brushes to further refine and detail the shape. This is greatly
preferable to working at a high resolution, trying to paint the most precise shadows pos-
sible. In other words, use ShadowBox to rough your ideas out before switching back to
traditional sculpting methods.
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I Entering Shadow Box Mode
ShadowBox is in fact an editing mode. You must first have a Polymesh3D object
selected before activating ShadowBox, which is located under the Tool >> Geometry >>
ShadowBox section. Your object will be converted to its shadow representation in which
the front, side, and bottom shadows of the loaded object are projected as masks onto the
corresponding planes. As you edit these masks, the mesh will then be reconstructed.
This process will display the original mesh with shadows cast on the three Shad-
owBox planes. In most cases you will find that your model changes to a rough approxi-
mation of its original shape. This is because upon initializing ShadowBox, the mesh is
automatically remeshed based upon whatever Resolution has been set before activating
ShadowBox mode.
Note:
As ShadowBox is an editing mode, your original 3D model will be lost. If you want to keep a
copy of it, be sure to create a clone before activating ShadowBox.
The Shadow Box button, located under the Tool >> Geometry sub-palette.
ShadowBox must always start with something, even if you want to create a com-
pletely new shape. To get to a “blank slate” you can then simply clear the masks that
have been projected onto the ShadowBox walls. This will erase the mesh in the middle
of the box, allowing you to proceed from scratch.
An alternative method is to load one of the ShadowBox projects found in Light Box.
Bear in mind that loading a project will delete all custom objects currently in the Tool pal-
ette, so be sure to save anything you wish to keep before proceeding.
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II Modify in ShadowBox
Upon entering ShadowBox you will see the three working planes which create the
mesh’s shadow. You can modify them by using ZBrush’s standard masking features to
add or remove parts of the shadows. Any edit to a shadow is instantly reflected in the
object at the center of the ShadowBox.
To clear the existing masks and erase everything, hold the Ctrl+Alt drag a selection
marquee across the entire ShadowBox.
When working with ShadowBox, here are some tips to keep in mind for best results:
• Switch your display mode from perspective to orthogonal view (P Hotkey).

• Turn on Ghost transparency (found on the right shelf or in the Transform pal-
ette). This will prevent the 3D object from obscuring the masks on the projection
planes.
• Set the resolution of ShadowBox (explained below) before starting to work on
your construction.
• Use ShadowBox as a starting point rather than a midpoint. Each time you turn
on ShadowBox, ZBrush will evaluate the projection shadow and rebuild your
mesh. This can destroy some changes that you’d made outside of ShadowBox.
ShadowBox in orthogonal view, with Ghost transparency enabled. For this screenshot the Shad-
owBox has been turned slightly but it’s strongly advised to draw the shadows with the working
plane square to the canvas
The Back working plane is the dominant one for mesh generation. The other planes
then refine its results. If you only need to create a kind of extrusion based on a single
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projection, it is advised to work in the Back plane to get the cleanest mesh.
With each new stroke, thin lines will be created on the three working planes to show
the bounding box of your model so far on all three views. This helps you to know where
you can safely continue masking within the other working planes: ZBrush will use sum
total of the current masks to build a model in the center of the box. If you create a mask
on one side and a second mask on another side which is not aligned with the existing
mask, only the part in common to both will be created.
Don’t forget that you can erase masked areas by holding the Ctrl+Alt key combina-
tion. You can also combine the mask with the Stroke types (Circle, Square, Curve) or use
the dedicated masking brushes (Mask Rectangle, Mask Circle, etc.).
ZBrush includes advanced Masking tools with specific strokes like Circle or Square
which can be combined with various alphas and other settings like Radial Symmetry
(located in the Transform palette) or the LazyMouse and Backtrack features to get crisp
lines for hard-edged meshes.
Note:
If your symmetry is off axis, don’t forget to enable the Local Symmetry option in the Transform
palette.
When you are satisfied with your ShadowBox model, just click the ShadowBox
switch to turn the editing mode off. Your new base mesh will now be ready for sculpting
with all the various ZBrush brushes.
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III Shadow Box Resolution
ShadowBox objects are based on ZBrush’s Unified Skin technology. This technology
uses Voxels: by changing the ShadowBox settings, you will affect the results and quality
of the ShadowBox object.
Different results by ShadowBox resolution: 1: 32, 2: 64, 3: 128, 4: 256. The difference is minimal
between 128 and 256, except for the sharper edge angles.
Use the Resolution slider to increase or decrease the polygon count of your
ShadowBox object. With a default resolution of 128, your ShadowBox object will be
described by a cube of 128x128x128. If you need to create accurate objects with no
subdivision levels directly in ShadowBox or if you only plan to add a couple subdivi-
sion levels while sculpting, increase this setting to a higher resolution. If you need to
create a rough base mesh which you will then do impactful sculpting on, keep the
default resolution or even lower it for a true primitive shape.
By increasing or decreasing the resolution, your masks will be more or less de-
tailed and precise.
Change the Resolution slider value before activating ShadowBox. If you need to
change it after initializing ShadowBox, turn it off, change the Resolution and activate
it again
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• Change the Polish slider to reflect whether you want to have sharp or soft edges
in the mesh.
• By clicking the circle, you will affect the type of Polish: an open circle will main-
tain the overall shape while a closed circle will smooth the edges.
Two PolyGroups have been created for this single-plane projection model: One for both faces and
another for the extruded sides.
ZBrush automatically creates PolyGroups based on the shape you are creating
within ShadowBox.
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IV Working with SubTools
ShadowBox can’t work with SubTools directly but you can use it to modify a SubTool
or load a ShadowBox model as a SubTool. With the Ghost Transparency mode activated,
you will be able to see all visible SubTools relative to the ShadowBox but will not be
able to edit any except the current SubTool. This is an easy way to create props or base
meshes with the help of other SubTools as a reference.
Two SubTools displayed with transparency while creating a new mesh In ShadowBox.
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V Using References on the Working Planes
The ShadowBox working planes are default 3D planes which include UV’s. This
means that you can load a texture and apply it to the planes directly so that the image
can be used as a reference.
Another solution is to use PolyPaint to paint directly on the planes. This can be done
via SpotLight or with the traditional method of PolyPainting.
The final option is to use the Grid feature located in the Draw palette, which can be
used in association with the background references. If you define different background
images prior entering in ShadowBox, they will display in your ShadowBox automatically.
A texture which displays a grid and the three working plans names, applied to the ShadowBox.
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VI Hiding Working planes
Each ShadowBox working plane has a different PolyGroup. This means that
you can hide any or all working planes (except for the active plane) at any time by
Ctrl+Shift+Clicking on the desired plane.
Each working plane has its own PolyGroup, ready to be hidden.
Using this workflow will allow you to focus on one plane at a time and then later bring
one or both of the other planes back as one ShadowBox.
It is also possible to use the Unwrap UV feature in the Tool >> UV Map menu to un-
fold ShadowBox for flat painting. When you click on Unwrap UV again ZBrush will create
a mesh where the masking on your three planes intersects.
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VII Key sculpting points for shadowbox
This is a list of important things to consider when working with Shadow Box:
• ShadowBox is designed to create base meshes rather than finely detailed mod-
els. Most of the time, it’s better to create a rough model with few polygons to
then subdivide and sculpt with traditional tools rather. It is rarely feasible to cre-
ate your object entirely using ShadowBox.
• If you need to create holes, do it directly in ShadowBox by using Ctrl+Alt to
erase part of the mask.
• ShadowBox can be a great addition to DynaMesh, creating complex primitives
which might take longer to create with traditional sculpting and clipping features.
• Don’t forget to use the new masking Brushes to create accurate shadows. They
can be combined with the new stroke functions to create perfect circles and
more.
• Shadow Box works fine with Symmetry, based on an axis or with the Radial
(R) option enabled. If your symmetry is off axis, don’t forget to enable the Local
Symmetry option located in the Transform palette.
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ZBrush User Guide - Remeshing
REMESHING
Boolean Style in a new 3D model.
465
To create a base mesh for your sculpting in ZBrush, you can use ZSpheres, ZS-
ketch, the built-in primitives or importing a model from another 3D package. Another solu-
tion is to do a remeshing of a model or a set of different objects. The Remeshing method
creates new geometry with a new topology, but which is based off an existing one.
ZBrush uses its Unified Skin technology (based on voxels) to create the model. The
purpose of these tools is to create a new base mesh rather than a high resolution mesh,
based on the combination of different high resolution models. We recommend you use
this only for the purpose of creating base meshes.
The Remesh function can use a symmetry option, associated with the Remesh All
option. It will create a symmetrical result based on the selected SubTool when clicking on
the Remesh all button. If you have a SubTool which is located on the right of the selected
SubTool, when remeshing the model, the final mesh will have the shape of this SubTool
on the right -and- left of the selected SubTool, the three of them combined in one and
unique mesh.
On the top, the original SubTools, below, the result of different Remeshes.
Note:
You can use remesh to combine different high resolution models and then use the Project All
function in the SubTool menu to reproject the details. Please keep in mind that some artifacts can
appear on the junction of certain models.
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I Remeshing One or More SubTools
To remesh one or more SubTools, go to the Tool >> SubTool menu and make visible
all SubTools which need to be remeshed. Invisible/hidden SubTools won’t be used for
this operation.
The Remesh All button and its options.
In the Remesh All section, change the options according to your needs and press
the Remesh All button to generate a new SubTool. This new SubTool will be appended
to your existing model.
1. Combining different SubTools with operators
To create a large amount of variation for your remeshing of models and create the
base mesh that you need, you will by default combine all SubTools to create the new
mesh. You can also subtract the Subtools of your choice, or request the computing of
an intersection.
ZBrush include these three Boolean operators for use when generating a remesh.
The generated model will be computed from the top SubTool to the bottom one, as listed
in the SubTool menu. To activate or change an operator, click on one of the three opera-
tors icons in the SubTool selector: Add (default), Subtract or Intersection.
These operators can be mixed with the symmetry option of the activated SubTool
before launching the Remeshing function.
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The new SubTool operators for the Remesh All tool.
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II Remesh All options
Remesh All offers different options which affect the quality or the shape of the result-
ing model. Change these options before pressing the Remesh All button.
Resolution slider
Increase or decrease the Resolution slider value to modify the resolution of the
remesh model. Increasing the value can create high resolution meshes, making final
sculpting more complex.
Remesh Polish slider

The Remesh Polish slider makes the resulting surface smooth or close to the original
Tools or SubTools. This function is combined with two options, represented by a square
or a rounded corner. The square will maintain the edges/volume of the mesh while the
round square will give a round smoothness to the edges.
PolyGroup
The PolyGroup mode creates automatic polygroups based on the combination of
the SubTools.
Symmetry axis
In the Remesh All button, click on the axis of your choice to create a symmetrical
result for your combination of SubTools. The symmetry axis of the selected SubTool will
be applied on all results. You don’t need to specify the Symmetry axis on non-selected
SubTools.
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ZBrush User Guide - Layers (3D)
LAYERS (3D)
Automatic retopology taken to a new level.
470
The Layers menu, located in the Tool palette.
(3D) Layers allow for a non-linear workflow. Artists are able to work with a model at
many different stages of development simultaneously. Artists can add details such as
a reptile’s skin scales then turn those details off and refine the major forms underlying
them.
Layers support geometry, PolyPainting, and Masking. Mix them and change their
opacity to create new results in a few clicks. You can also turn off a layer if it’s decided
that the details aren’t needed or change the strength of details sculpted on the layer.
Layers can be easily animated with the help of the Timeline, allowing you to create
and visualize the Morph target or Blend Shapes that you can create in ZBrush® for other
3D packages.
ZBrush® reads layers from the top of the list to the bottom. This information is impor-
tant for good layer management in your models.
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I Working with Layers
1. The Record mode
As with the layers in ZBrush 3, you must enable a layer in order to record changes
to sculpting, PolyPaint or masking. If layer only has the eye icon active there can be no
changes made to the layer. To make any changes to a layer you must first put the se-
lected layer in REC mode. Once complete the layer must be taken out of REC mode by
clicking on the REC incon.
Record mode is represented by a plain circle and the REC label,

on the right of each layer in the list.
Note:
If a layer is not in recording mode and you are trying to sculpt or paint on it, a note will be
displayed asking you to switch on record mode.
2. Layers at different levels of subdivision
Layers can now be transferred from a lower level of subdivision to a higher subdivi-
sion. Layers will also be available for adjustment at every subdivision level. Once a layer
has been transferred to the top subdivision level it may not be sent back to the original
creation level but the intensity and visibility can be adjusted on any level.
For example: If you create a layer on level 3 with sculpting, PolyPaint and/or mask-
ing changes you can later transfer the layer to the highest level by simply adjusting the
Intensity slider or by turning the eye icon off and then back on. Once the layer is at the
highest subdivision level its intensity can continue to be adjusted while at any subdivision
level. If you wish to add more detail to the layer you must be on the highest level in order
to put the layer in REC mode.
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3. Erasing the PolyPaint on a Layer
Any layer that has PolyPainti information can be erased locally with your current
brush by holding the ALT key while applying your stroke.
Note:
To locally erase the sculpted contents of a layer, hide it by clicking on its visibility icon and then
store a morph target. Unhide it and pick the Morph brush: while drawing your stroke, ZBrush will
erase the contents of your layer.
4. Baking sculpting from a single Layer
The sculpting from a single layer can be baked into the mesh this way:
1. At the highest subdivision level, make sure the layer is selected and the Inten-
sity set to the desired level.
2. Press Tool >> Morph Target >> Store MT.
3. Delete the layer.
4. Press Tool >> Morph Target >> Switch. The sculpting is restored.
Note:
Polypaint and masking will be lost with this method. Either split the layer first, so that the
polypaint/mask is not lost or use the texture map creation options to store the color.
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ZBrush Artist - Geert Melis
474
II Layer functions
Several new layer functions have been added. For this reason, the Layer palette and
its tools have been reorganized.
Layer list
Displays the name and active status of the layers: visible or not, in recording
mode or not and the layer intensity value.
Layer visibility
Toggles display of the layer’s content by clicking on the eye icon. Changing the
Intensity slider (see below) to 0 provides the same result.
Layer intensity slider

Lets you change the intensity of the layer’s content. The default value of 1 means
a 100% intensity of the layer content. It is possible to use negative values, which will
produce the opposite of the layer content or to use a value higher than 1, which will
magnify the layer contents.
Any slider within the Layer list is limited between -1 and 1. The slider located be-
neath the Layer list is limited between -5 and 5. Bother sliders have the same effect;
only the available intensity range differs.
New Layer
Creates a new layer and adds to the bottom of the existing list.
Select Up / Down
Selects the layer above or below the active one.
Move Up / Down
Moves the active layer up or down within the list.
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Rename Layer
Opens a dialog box to change the name of the active layer. Press Enter/Return to
validate the new name.
Duplicate Layer
Duplicates the selected layer and adds it down the Layer list..
Note:
The duplicate layer has the same name. It is advised to rename it after the operation.
Delete Layer
Deletes the selected layer.
Split Layer
If a layer has different types of information such as geometry, PolyPaint and/or
Masking, the Split command will separate these data types into individual layers.
Merge Down Layer

Merges the active layer with the one located below.
Invert Layer
Inverts the current intensity of the layer. If the layer has indentations, they become
bumps and vice versa. This operation also applies to PolyPaint. The Invert command
work only when the active layer is not in REC mode.
Bake All
Transfers the information of all visible layers directly to the 3D model. The visible
layers are then deleted from the list.
Import MDD
Import an MDD file (which contains a vertex animation) to the active layer. Please
read the Animation chapter for more information about MDD files.
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MDD Speed slider

Applies a speed factor the imported MDD animation file.
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ZBrush User Guide - Mesh Fusion
MESH FUSION
Fuse different parts together.
478
ZBrush is able to literally fuse different models together, creating clean topology to
connect them. This operation will only affect the polygons located at the connecting bor-
ders while the rest of the model will remain unchanged. The process can seem similar to
how DynaMesh can merge volumes, except that with this process your model will retain
as much of its original topology as possible.
It is important to note that while this process may look like a boolean operation, it
is not. It is simply a bridging operation and so it cannot be used to create differences
or negative insertions. For those effects, you must use the Remesh All function. The
process will also only work if the model contains no Subdivisions and does not have
DynaMesh active.
This feature allows you to quickly and easily create an advanced base mesh with
only a few clicks, simply by bridging various pre-existing mesh elements together.
Note:
If there is a significant difference in polygon density between the support mesh and the re-
placement mesh, ZBrush may subdivide as necessary to ensure a clean polygon structure.
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I Creating a Connection
The process to create a connection is simple and is based on polygroups:
1. Create a PolyGroup on the support model (the support model should not have
Subdivisions and should not have DynaMesh active), where you want to create
the connection. The fastest way to do this is to hold CTRL and paint a mask
on the area you wish to change into a new PolyGroup. Now click Tool >> Poly-
groups >> Group Masked Clear Mask or use its CTRL+W hotkey. ZBrush will
convert the masked area into a new PolyGroup. (To display the PolyGroups,
don’t forget to turn on PolyFrame (Shift+F hotkey).
The two PolyGroups which will receive an inserted mesh.
2. Select an InsertMesh brush with the geometry that you wish to insert. Click on
the new PolyGroup that you just created to add this new mesh to the model. It
is really important to do the insertion by clicking on the PolyGroup of the sup-
port which will be used to create the connection because this is used to define
the border of the polygon bridge. Please also remember that this new geometry
must have an open surface; the replacement feature cannot work with volumes.
CTRL+click+drag on any open area of the document.
480
The meshes have been inserted on top of the new PolyGroups.
3. ZBrush will now connect the two meshes and weld the difference with quad
geometry.
The bridging connection between the inserted meshes and the PolyGroups border.
An alternative is to tap first on an existing PolyGroup and then doing a CTRL+click+drag

on any open area of the document to create the bridge. This method allows you to do a
replacement part when working with PolyGroups which have been created previously.
Note:
If your Insert brush is composed of more than one part, you must create a PolyGroup which
will have the same number of parts. When inserting the mesh, you must click on the polygons of
one part of this split PolyGroup.
481
Instead of masking you can use ZBrush’s mesh visibility controls. Hide everything
except the polygons that will define the border of the bridge. Use InsertMesh on the
visible polygons. Upon restoring full mesh visibility, ZBrush will weld the two surfaces
together.
Notes:
In addition to preparing the support mesh, it is advised to prepare your inserted mesh (the
one that will be added via the MeshInsert brush) by creating a PolyGroup to define its connection
area.
The model must have open topology (unattached edges) at the bridge location. Otherwise
you will get topology problems such as non-manifold surfaces. Do not use mesh replacement to
insert a solid object!
As with the DynaMesh update operation, holding CTRL while clicking and dragging
on a portion of the empty document is what tells ZBrush to calculate the new mesh and
bridge between the PolyGroups.
If part of your model has been masked, you first need to clear the mask. In this case
you can CTRL+Click+Drag twice (once to clear the mask and a second time to complete
the mesh replacement) or by pressing CTRL+Shift+A before executing the remesh com-
mand.
If you used hidden polygons instead of PolyGroups, the model will be restored to full
visibility upon executing the remesh operation.
Mesh Fusion will not work if DynaMesh mode is active. If DynaMesh mode is active
ZBrush will re-DynaMesh the model instead of applying the Mesh Fusion process.
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II Replacement and Topology Brush
The replacement feature can also be combined with the Topology brush by creating
a new topology, then connecting it to the existing support mesh:
1. Make visible only the polygons which will be connected to the future new poly-
gons.
2. On the top of these visible polygons, select the Topology brush and create new
polygons as detailed in the Topology brush section of this document.
3. Click once on the support surface. ZBrush will replace the original PolyGroup or
visible polygons, connecting them with those you just created using the Topol-
ogy brush.
From left to right: The polygons which will be replaced. All other polygons hidden and a new sur-
face created using the Topology brush. The final result after creation of the bridging polygons.
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III Replacement Part Options
The replacing parts operation utilizes a few ZBrush options to modify the results:
• The inserted or replacement geometry does not need to be solely on the surface
of the support mesh. ZBrush will close any gaps with clean quad geometry.
• The Tool >> Geometry >> Smt (Smooth) option defines the method by which
the connection will be done. If Smt is on (the default setting), ZBrush will create
a smooth transition. When Smt is off, any sharp edges in the inserted/replace-
ment topology will be retained. Keep this in mind depending on whether you are
doing organic or hard surface sculpting.
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ZBrush User Guide - ZRemesher
ZREMESHER
Automatic retopology taken to a new level.
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On the left, the original Unified Skin generated from a ZSketch. On the right, the ZRemesher
retopology applied with default settings. In a single button press new topology is generated with a
more natural geometry flow!
ZRemesher is an automatic remeshing/retopologizing function that generates new

topology while taking the sculptural elements of the model into account. As with UV Mas-
ter (the automated UV mapping plugin for ZBrush), ZRemesher has a number of controls
to enhance the automated retopology system.
The ZRemesher function will create a new polygonal structure for your model with a
controlled edge flow and a global polycount value. In just a few seconds you can convert
a 200,000 polygon DynaMesh to a 10,000 poly retopologized model with polygons that
follow the surface sculpting in a natural way. From this you can then project all the fine
details from your original sculpture, easily generate UV’s with UV Master, and ultimately
create your Displacement, Normal, and Diffuse maps.
ZRemesher is a fully automatic solution which gives incredible results but there will
of course be times when you might want more control. For this reason, ZRemesher lets
you control local polygon directions by drawing control curves on your original model or
using PolyGroup boundaries to influence its polygon flow and edge loops.
ZRemesher can be found in the Tool >> Geometry sub-palette. It requires a Poly-
Mesh3D object such as an imported mesh, DynaMesh or ZSphere Adaptive Skin. If you
wish to use it on a parametric primitive you will first need to use the Make PolyMesh 3D
feature. If your model is a ZSphere or a ZSketch in Preview mode, you must first create
an Adaptive or Unified Skin before you can use ZRemesher.
ZRemesher creates new topology based on the existing model, converting the old
topology to a new optimized version. If you wish to keep your original model intact, you
will need to create a duplicate prior to using ZRemesher.
ZRemesher does for your topology what UV Master did for UV mapping; it removes
yet another creative barrier that often stands in the way of true artistic freedom. With
ZRemesher you can focus even more on the creative process of model creation and
leave the technical hurdles behind!
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I ZRemesher Highlights
This is a quick overview list of what ZRemesher offers:

• True one-button retopology: click the ZRemesher button without changing the
parameters for an automatic optimal retopology. The default topology generated
with ZRemesher offers a flow of polygons that is much closer to what a human
artist would produce manually.
• The flow of polygons is by default 100% automatic but can also be influenced
using curves created with the ZRemesher Guides brush.
• While more optimized for organic shapes ZRemesher is designed to also work
on mechanical (hard surface) objects.
• ZRemesher’s speed has been tested so it is as optimized as possible. It is able
to produce low polygon models from even high polygon sources in a fraction of
the time required by other retopology tools.
• ZRemesher offers more than one option for computing symmetrical meshes,
giving the user high level control.
• ZRemesher offers considerable polygon density control that can be used to
reduce polygon counts or even increase counts if you wish. This is all intuitively
accomplished through PolyPainting.
• The Freeze Border option can keep the exact polygon structure along open-
ings in your mesh while performing retopology on everything else. This means
that you can use ZRemesher on multi-part models where it’s important for their
edges to still line up.
• ZRemesher can work on local areas based on PolyGroups, as well as on only
visible parts of the model.
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II The Concept of Adaptive Size
The Adaptive Size slider is an important parameter for ZRemesher, even though its
default value is the best one to use in most scenarios. This setting defines the polygon
distribution for your model and can drastically increase the quality of the topology by giv-
ing more flexibility to the algorithm.
Adaptive size defines a vertex ratio based on the curvature of the mesh. To main-
tain the original mesh shape, ZRemesher may need to increase the topology density in
certain areas or produce triangles rather than quad polygons.
On the left, Adaptive Size is set to 0. On the right it’s at 50 (default) with a polygon count set to
5000. Notice the variation in polygons size and shape, making the right model more detailed even
though the polygon count is the same. For this illustration, Exact mode was enabled.
Model courtesy of David Richardson.
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A low Adaptive Size setting will result in:

• Polygons that are as square as possible.
• Polygons that are approximately the same size.
• A polygon count that better respects the set polygon target. The flip side is that
there’s a risk of topology irregularities where the polygon count is kept low in
areas with small extrusions.
Note:
Please refer to the Adaptive Density mode setting if you wish to force the number of polygon
to be close to the value you defined for the Target Polygon Count setting.
A high Adaptive Size setting will result in:

• Polygons that can be more or less rectangular in order to best fit the mesh’s
curvature.
• Polygon density that can vary throughout the model. ZRemesher will be allowed
to create smaller polygons where necessary (such as with fingers or toes) and
larger polygons where less detail is needed (like the top of a head).
• Less control over the polygon count, in order to better respect the mesh’s origi-
nal shape.
Note:
Please refer to the Adaptive Density mode setting if you wish to force the number of polygon
to be close to the value you defined for the Target Polygon Count setting.
To summarize: By increasing the value of the Adaptive Size slider, you will increase
the quality of your retopology. However, ZRemesher will need to be more flexible regard-
ing the target number of polygons.
The reason for this is simple: When targeting a specific polygon count ZRemesher
first distributes the polygons equally across the model. ZRemesher then analyzes the
mesh curvature and deforms and/or changes the polygon density to produce a result that
matches the model’s original shape.
To best respect the number of polygons defined by your Target setting, simply set
Adaptive Size to zero. Changing this setting to zero will result in a uniform distribution of
square polygons. If this produces undesirable results in areas such as fingers, disable
the Adaptive Density mode instead, forcing ZRemesher to get as close as possible to the
Target Polygon Count setting.
Note:
If the target polygon count is too low, the algorithm won’t be able to keep finer details or cur-
vature since it won’t be allowed to create smaller polygons or non-square polygons where needed.
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From left to right and top to bottom: The original model, retopology of 40K, 20K, 10K, 5K and 3K
polygons. Regardless of polygon count, using the Adaptive Size setting always provides good
results. Model courtesy of David Richardson.
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III Partial Mesh Retopology
ZRemesher has the ability to retopologize only the visible portion of a partially hid-
den model. In this case ZRemesher will automatically maintain integrity with the hidden
portions.
To accomplish this, ZRemesher can use two different connection algorithms. The
default is quite similar to ZBrush’s Mesh Fusion feature. ZRemesher will treat the new
topology as an inserted mesh and connect it to the hidden topology via a polygon bridge.
The second method uses the Tool >> Geometry >> ZRemesher Freeze Border option.
When this is enabled, ZRemesher will begin with the edges of the visible mesh and build
the new topology out from there to create a perfect connection.
Partial mesh retopology requires a few simple steps:
1. Use the Marquee or Lasso selection tool (Ctrl+Shift hotkey) to isolate the poly-
gons that you wish to retopologize. ZRemesher will ignore all hidden portions
of the model.
2. In the Tool >> Geometry >> ZRemesher sub-palette, set the desired ZRemesh-
er options and Target polygon count. This is especially necessary if you wish to
use the Freeze Border option to define the connection algorithm.
3. Click the ZRemesher button. When the computation completes, the entire mod-
el will be made visible with the new topology inserted.
It’s key to understand that when FreezeBorders is enabled, the first priority for the
ZRemesher is to create the vertex points along the border so as to ensure proper weld-
ing. With this in mind, the Target Polygon value will be less of a factor. If your mesh is
relatively high in polygon count then ZRemesher must match the borders with the hidden
portion of the mesh before finishing the inner topology.
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The orange circle shows the polygons which have been remeshed with Double on. Within the red
circle, Half was on.
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IV Symmetry
ZRemesher can evaluate your model’s volume and create its topology symmetri-
cally, even if the original topology is not symmetrical -- such as when using scan data.
This option uses ZBrush’s standard symmetry controls rather adding additional settings
to ZRemesher’s options.
If you want your retopology to be symmetrical across the model’s X axis, simply
make sure that Transform >> Symmetry is turned on, with the X axis active. If you need
different settings or even no symmetry, simply adjust the Transform >> Symmetry set-
tings accordingly.
ZRemesher includes two symmetry algorithms, which will alter the way the model is
analyzed and can have an impact on the topology result; in particular on the symmetry
working plane. If you wish to try the alternative symmetry algorithm, hold the Alt key while
clicking the ZRemesher button.
Note:
The alternative symmetry features only works across one axis. It won’t be taken into consid-
eration when multiple symmetry planes are enabled in the Transform palette.
On the left, the default symmetry algorithm and on the right the alternative one. The differences
across the symmetry plane are clearly visible. Model courtesy of David Richardson.
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V Working with Curves: the ZRemesher Guide brush
The topology produced by ZRemesher tries to respect your model’s shape as much
as possible. However, no program can have the same understanding of your model and
its needs as you, the user. For this reason you can help ZRemesher by drawing curves
on the model. These curves are used as guides to refine the natural flow of your model.
The result is that you can ensure that the new topology will have edges exactly where
they are needed.
The Tool >> ZRemesher >> Curve Strength slider lets you control how you wish your
curves to be used to more or less rigidly guide the flow of the polygons.
The lower the Curve Strength slider value, the more flexibility ZRemesher will have
when calculating the new topology. In this case, the curves serve as guides. The higher
the slider value, the more rigidly ZRemesher will adhere to the guide curves. At 100%,
the guides become rules, forcing the topology to have at least a partial edge loop follow-
ing the curve.
In ZRemesher, the automatic computing of natural polygon flow has a strong influ-
ence, even over the curves. This means that if you wish to really change the direction
of the flow of polygons in a way that ZRemesher would be unlikely to consider “natural”,
you need to define curves to force a less efficient flow of the polygons. The larger the
area where you wish to drastically change the flow of polygons, the more curves will be
needed.
On the left, guides created with the ZRemesher Guide brush and associated with a density varia-
tion. On the right, the resulting low polygon mesh with loops around the mouth and eyes.
To draw these curves on your model you must use the ZRemesher Guide brush.
This brush works similarly to other Curve brushes but has certain caveats:
• These curves cannot be edited except to extend them or to connect a new curve
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to the end point of an existing curve.

• The curves can however be deleted by holding the Alt key and drawing another
curve perpendicularly over the one you wish to remove.
• To produce a closed curve around a part of the model (like around a leg), press
the Shift key just after starting to draw the curve. ZBrush will automatically close
it.
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VI Spirals in the Retopology
Because ZRemesher is a 100% automatic algorithm, it can in some cases produce

a topology without edge loops in some places with tubular shapes such as legs, arms,
fingers. Instead, in rare cases it can create sprials. ZRemesher’s smart algorithms watch
for and do their best to avoid this topology issue because it can be problematic when try-
ing to break the model into clean PolyGroups.
If ZRemesher creates spiral topology in a place that you would like to avoid, then
use the ZRemesher Guide brush to create a curve at that location. It should be a closed
curve corresponding to a desired edge loop direction. Next, set Tool >> Geometry >>
ZRemesher >> Curve Strength to 100, forcing ZRemesher place an edge loop at that
location rather than a spiral.
It is important to consider that depending for some models it may be impossible to

have topology that is 100% free of spirals. This is because sometimes, avoiding a spiral
in one position may result in a spiral at another location that hadn’t had one previously.
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VII ZRemesher and Hard Surfaces
ZRemesher is optimized to work on all kinds of model structures and shapes but will
by default produce better results with organic shapes. However, with some extra effort on
your part retopology of hard surfaces and mechanical models can be greatly improved.
On the left, an object made with boolean operations and imported into ZBrush. On the right, the
automatic retopology produced by ZRemesher 2. Note that PolyGroups have been preserved as
well as the sharpness of the border edges.
1. Mesh Density
Unlike organic shapes, hard surface models generally have drastic changes in di-
rection along their surfaces and multiple topology variations in small areas. All these
topology changes put a lot of stress on the algorithms. With this in mind, requesting a low
value for the target polygon count can decrease the quality of the results.
To help ZRemesher, the first step to do is to avoid using a low polygon count and
allow a higher value. This gives ZRemesher the necessary freedom to manage these
topological changes.
2. Work with PolyGroups
ZRemesher has two different options dedicated to PolyGroups. One of them strictly
keeps the PolyGroup borders (using them as edge loops) while the other uses them as
references during the retopology. If your hard surface model is defined by PolyGroups,
turning these options on will improve the results. Depending on the model, it is advised
to test both options.
If your model doesn’t have PolyGroups, it is benifical to create them to assist

ZRemesher. When working with hard surface objects, Tool >> PolyGroups >> Group By
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Normal will quickly produce PolyGroups based on angles between edges.
Group by Normal creates accurate PolyGroups based on the surface curvature.
3. Use curves
At a value of 100, the Curve Strength setting forces ZRemesher to put partial or
complete edge loops at the curve positions. Making extensive use of this for hard surface
models can therefore increase the quality of edge surface topology. Unfortunately, it can
be difficult to accurately place a curve exactly along an edge.
There is, however, an easy way to produce an accurate set of curves based on the
angles and edges of your surface:
1. First create PolyGroups based on the model’s normals by using Tool >> Poly-
Groups >> Group By Normal and adjusting its Max Angle Tolerance slider as
needed.
2. Use those PolyGroup borders to create curves via the Stoke >> Curve Func-
tions >> Frame Mesh feature. Don’t overlook the usefulness of the Border and
Creased edges modes.
3. Set Tool >> Geometry >> ZRemesher >> Curve Strength to 100, along with any
other ZRemesher options that you need. (Like the Keep Groups option.)
4. Run ZRemesher.
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At the top left, a model created with ZModeler which includes PolyGroups and multiple creased
edges. At the Top right, the PolyGroups were created with the Group by Normal function. at the
bottom left, the curves were created with Frame Mesh, using the PolyGroup borders and creased
edges. At the bottom right, retopology has been created by ZRemesher. Notice that the topology
respects the model’s edges and that PolyGroups were preserved.
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VIII ZRemesher and High Polycount Models
ZRemesher is designed to create new topology over nearly any existing model. It
can be a model with subdivision levels, a scanned model consisting entirely of triangles
or even one that is a mix of quads and triangles (such as a DynaMesh model). ZRemesh-
er has a maximum limit to the number of polygons that it can process. Keep in mind that
ZRemesher uses complex mathematic formulas and the more polygons in your model
the more memory will be needed for computing.
If your computer has enough memory, ZRemesher can work with models up to 8 mil-
lion vertices. With an 8 million point model, ZRemesher requires 4 GB of memory (plus
additional memory for ZBrush, your operating system and any background applications).
Attempting to work with more polygons could affect the stability of both ZRemesher and
ZBrush.
If your model input has a polygon count higher than this limit (or if your computer
doesn’t have enough RAM), go to a lower subdivision level or decimate your model with
the Decimation Master plug-in before using ZRemesher.
Keep in mind that your ultimate goal with ZRemesher will usually be to retopologize
your model to a lower polygon count for exporting, creating a mesh for multiple subdivi-
sion levels or for cleaning up the model for better sculpting flow. We recommend that for
the sake of speed you reduce your polygon count to a manageable level before using
ZRemesher.
Please refer to the “Tips and Tricks” section below for more information.
Note:
ZRemesher is a 64-bit application.
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IX Transferring High Resolution Detail
There will be times that you wish to retopologize your model while keeping all the
detail that has been sculpted on the model. There are two approaches to achieve this.
Choose the one that best fits your model and needs:
1. Freeze Subdivision Levels
1. Select the SubTool you would like to retopologize with ZRemesher.

2. Click the Freeze Subdivision Level button located in the Tool >> Geometry sub-
palette (right below the SDiv slider). This will freeze all subdivision levels and
drop your selected SubTool to level one.
3. If level one doesn’t have enough polys to maintain the sculpt’s form, we encour-
age you to first choose the subdivision level with the desired silhouette and then
use the Del Lower button. This will make the selected level the lowest one, after
which you can return to the highest and Freeze Subdivision Levels.
4. Use ZRemesher with any desired settings.
5. Once the retopology is complete, click the Freeze Subdivison Level button
again. ZBrush will now recalculate your subdivision levels and project the de-
tails onto the new mesh topology.
Note:
The projection quality is controlled by the various settings in the Tool >> SubTool >> Project
All UI group.
Advantage with this technique:
You are able to retain your subdivision levels and details with just a couple mouse
clicks. This feature prioritizes your original polygon count over how many subdivision
levels your model originally had. If your new topology has a very different polygon count
compared to the original base subdivision level, your final model after using ZRemesher
may have more or fewer subdivision levels.
2. Duplicating your SubTool
1. Duplicate your selected SubTool by clicking Tool >> SubTool >> Duplicate.
2. Hide all other SubTools, including the duplicate. The only one that should be
visible is the one that you will use ZRemesher on.
3. Use ZRemesher with any desired settings.
4. Turn on the copy of the SubTool that has the sculpted details. Make sure that
this SubTool is at the highest subdivision level.
5. With the retopologized model still selected, click Tool >> SubTool >> Project All.
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The controls in the Project All UI group can be adjusted to refine the projection
as you work. The Dist slider is the one that you will most likely use the most.
6. Subdivide the retopologized model to create level 2. Project All again.
7. Repeat step 6 until you have the desired number of subdivision levels and all of
your sculpted detail.
8. You can now delete the original version of the SubTool.
Note:
It’s recommended that after each projection you hide the detailed SubTool and check to en-
sure that you are happy with the projected results. If you aren’t satisfied, press Ctrl+Z to undo and
then modify the Project All settings before projecting again.
Advantage with this technique:
By copying the detail one subdivision level at a time, you will have more control over
the projected results. This process can be faster than the Freeze Subdivision Levels
approach.
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X ZRemesher Functions
What follows is a list of the ZRemesher settings which can modified to more precise-
ly control the results of your retopology. All settings are found in the Tool >> Geometry
>> ZRemesher UI group.
ZRemesher can of course produce very high quality results with its default settings.
However, depending on the needs of your specific model, you may find that changing
these parameters can improve the results.
The ZRemesher functions.
ZRemesher
The ZRemesher button launches the retopology calculation for the visible portions
of the selected SubTool.
The generated retopology is modulated by the ZRemesher options, which can dras-
tically change the resulting mesh.
Freeze border
When enabled, Freeze Border mode forces ZRemesher to maintain the same vertex
numbers and their positions along mesh’s openings. If the model is partially visible, the
retopology will be done only on the visible polygons and this result will automatically be
connected to the rest of the mesh.
The polygon count may not precisely reach that defined by the Target Polygons
count slider. This is because the algorithm must respect both the exact edge vertices and
the setting for the Adaptive Size slider.
Note:
When Freeze Border is enabled, Adaptive Density mode will be enabled internally even if the
mode is currently disabled in the interface.
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On the left, the Freeze Border option has been disabled. On the right, it has been enabled. Notice
the increase in polygon density. The first loop of polygons at the neck has been subdivided locally
to preserve the original vertex positions.
Freeze Groups
Freeze Group mode retopologizes each PolyGroup independently, keeping their bor-
ders frozen and then welding the edge vertices together along each PolyGroup border.
This results in a model with the same PolyGroups, but with a different topology flow
within each group.
Keep Groups
The Tool >> Geometry >> ZRemesher >> Keep Group mode retains the existing
boundaries of each of the model’s PolyGroups to reproduce those groups in the reto-
pologized model.
Unlike Freeze Groups option (which retains the same topology along the PolyGroup
borders), the Keep Groups option alters the topology while keeping the boundary shape.
This results in a better topology flow.
Smooth Groups
The Tool >> Geometry >> ZRemesher >> Smooth Groups slider applies a smoothing
algorithm to the border edges of the model’s PolyGroups before executing ZRemesher.
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When ZRemeshing DynaMesh models it is advised to keep SmoothGroups turned

on. The DynaMesh function produces even topology across the entire surface but many
times this may generate jagged PolyGroup breakups. Turning the SmoothGroups op-
tion on will smooth these PolyGroup borders, allowing ZRemesher to generate cleaner
topology.
However if you are attempting to ZRemesh CAD data with PolyGroups, turning the
SmoothGroups option off will often generate better results with this type of mesh.
Adaptive Size
The Adaptive Size slider allows the creation of non-square polygons. It also factors
the size of the polygons, based upon the model’s curvature.
Put another way; the Adaptive Size slider tells ZRemesher to put greater emphasis
on the model’s overall shape rather than on rigidly uniform polygon size and distribution.
This provides a better polygon flow, especially in your model’s more tightly detailed areas
such as ears, fingers, etc.
This setting increases the number of polygons where necessary to maintain the
model’s original shape. As a result, the final number of polygons generated may not
match the Target Polygon Count value.
Please read the Adaptive Size section above for more information about this setting
and the impact it has on model quality.
Use PolyPaint
Use PolyPaint mode tells ZRemesher to pay attention to PolyPaint color when deter-
mining local polygon density as it creates the new topology.
How PolyPaint affects the density is determined by the specific color used:
• Pure blue specifies a higher polygon density within the painted area.
• Pure red means a lower polygon density within the painted area.
• White (no PolyPaint) gives ZRemesher total control over polygon density.
Of course, the opacity of the color has an impact of the density changes. A light blue
will slightly reduce the polygon density while a fully opaque blue will have a strong reduc-
tion in polygon density.
To paint these colors, simply use the Standard brush in RGB mode only. (Not Mrgb
and no Zadd/ZSub.)
To avoid visible steps in the density of the generated polygons, simply apply a
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smoothing on the PolyPainting by using the Smooth brush in RGB mode only. (Not Mrgb
and no ZAdd/ZSub.)
Note:
The ColorDensity slider (see below) automatically sets these colors for you. It is not neces-
sary to worry about what RGB values constitute “pure blue” or “pure red”.
The opacity of the color gives weight to the results. For example, a light blue will
slightly reduce the polygon density while 100% RGB Intensity will reduce polygon density
in the painted area by the maximum amount possible.
When painting these colors, simply use the Standard brush in RGB mode only. (No
ZAdd or ZSub.)
To smoothly transition between densities and avoid visible steps between densities,
simply blur the edges of the painted areas by using the Smooth brush in RGB mode only.
(No ZAdd or ZSub.)
Color Density
The Color Density slider sets the factor by which ZRemesher will adjust polygon
density when using PolyPaint.
If the slider is set to 4 then ZBrush will paint pure red and these areas will have four
times as many polygons as the unpainted portions of your mesh. If the slider is set to
0.25 then ZBrush will paint pure blue and these areas of the mesh would have a density
that is only ¼ that of the unpainted portions.
A setting of 2 doubles polygon density, while a setting of 0.50 halves the density.
Note:
This PolyPaint control method is exactly the same as that used by UV Master.
Target Polygons Count
The Tool >> Geometry >> ZRemesher >> Target Polygons Count slider defines the
number of polygons that you would like ZRemesher to produce. It called a target for a
reason: Sometimes conditions will not allow a “bulls eye” and the new topology will have
a number of polygons that is different from what was specified by this slider. The Adap-
tive Size can especially have an impact on this number.
If having a precise number of polygons is more important to you than polygon optimi-
zation, disable ZRemesher’s Adaptive Density mode as explained below.
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Half, Same, Double

The Tool >> Geometry >> ZRemesher >> Half, Same and Double buttons provide
an easy way to set the target polygon count relative to the number of polygons found in
the original model.
• Half sets a target that is equal to half the model’s original polygon count.
• Same sets the target to match the model’s original polygon count.
• Double will actually tell ZRemesher to create topology with twice as many poly-
gons as were found in the original model.
These values can be combined with the Adaptive Density mode (explained below).
Note:
As with the Target Polygon Count slider, the numbers of polygons that will actually be gener-
ated by ZRemesher can be different what’s specified. The only way to have an exact polygon
count is to disable the Adaptive Density mode.
Adaptive Density
ZRemesher typically gives the Adaptive Size setting higher priority than the Target
Polygon Count because the Adaptive Density setting is enabled by default. If you disable
this mode, ZRemesher will adjust its topology calculations to give equal weight to your
Target Polygon Count value.
Put another way, ZRemesher will normally try to hit the target count but only where
doing so will not compromise the topology quality dictated by the Adaptive Size slider’s
setting. Turning Adaptive Density mode off means that ZRemesher will come in very
close to the target polygon count, even if a different count would have produced a more
“ideal” mesh.
Curve Strength
The Curve Strength slider is used in collaboration with the Curves created by the
ZRemesher Guide brush to influence the edge loops that will be created by the plug-in.
A low value will attract your topology edges toward the curves, while a high value will
strongly guide the polygon flow. Please read the “Working with Curves” section above
for more details on how to use Curves in association with ZRemesher.
As a general rule, the higher you set this slider, the fewer Curves you should draw.
Otherwise you risk creating topology restrictions that are impossible to resolve.
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XI Tips and Tricks
Here are a number of Tips and Tricks to keep in mind when using ZRemesher:
• While ZRemesher can work with a very large number of polygons, it is recom-
mended to reduce your count before using ZRemesher, if possible. For ex-
ample, if you have 6 levels of subdivision, you might find that level 4 has enough
polygons to maintain the overall shape and the medium details. This will im-
prove ZRemesher’s speed without altering the retopology quality -- especially if
you are targeting a low polygon count.
• Dense meshes without much detail (such as imported scan data or a high reso-
lution DynaMesh) can benefit from using Decimation Master to reduce the num-
ber of polygons without altering the model’s visual quality. Do this before using
ZRemesher.
• It can also be helpful to minimize the variations of small details, peaks and val-
leys. This is easily done by using a Smooth or Polish deformation before using
ZRemesher. The result will be a better polygon flow in the retopologized mesh.
• You can run ZRemesher more than once on the same model. The second time
will have a better polygon flow even if the polycount remains exactly the same.
• A reminder about Symmetry: If you are using symmetry and are unhappy with
the resulting topology, use Undo and then try ZRemesher’s second symmetry
calculation method. Do this simply by holding the Alt key when clicking the
ZRemesher button.
• Try to avoid small holes in your mesh! Retopology will keep them and can
potentially increase the polygon count. Wherever possible, it is advised to do
retopology on a “watertight” mesh or a surface that is free from imperfections.
Since scan data and flat surface DynaMesh models can have small, hard to
see holes, using ZBrush’s Close Holes feature before running ZRemesher will
improve your results.
• When your model is in DynaMesh mode it can also be beneficial to run the Tool
>> Geometry >> Mesh Integrity >> Fix Mesh operation before using ZRemesh-
er.
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ZBrush User Guide - Surface Noise
SURFACE NOISE
How to add procedural fine details on your models.
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I About the Surfaces Noise
With the new Surface noise feature, you can apply procedural noise to your cre-
ations, driven by simple parameters and curves for easy customization. By default, the
noise is applied partially or globally to your object in a non-destructive way, allowing you
to change it at any time or even remove it. With a single click you can also apply it to your
model as geometry that can be sculpted. It can even be a mix of different noises, blended
together with the help of the powerful ZBrush® masks.
Noise is also available as a brush setting, BPR Filters, Mask or Alpha creation, which
means that you will be able to add this noise in multiple ways to your ZBrush® sculpts!
It can also be used in conjunction with DynaMesh to produce transparent noise on

your Geometry which can then be converted to real geometry, creating holes in your
model.
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II Apply Surface Noise Onto your 3D model
To edit the noise you wish to apply to your model, click the Noise mode switch lo-
cated in the Tool >> Surface sub-palette. If no noise has been dynamically applied to the
model, the NoiseMaker window will open with its dedicated interface.
By simply tweaking the Scale or Strength sliders and the Noise curve, you should be
able to create a large number of noise variations on your model.
Of course, it is possible to use the Noise Plugin, adding more advance features.
More information on this is described below..
At this first step, the noise is parametric and can be removed or changed at any time
by deactivating the Noise feature or adjusting the different parameters.
When done, simply press the OK button to close the Noise window. You have now
access to your model and can continue your sculpting. At this stage the noise is dynamic
and will be updated for each stroke you create on your model.
If you wish to convert the dynamic noise to real geometry, simply use the Apply to
Mesh function.
1. Noise Maker 3D Navigation
The standard ZBrush 3D navigation and right-click navigation options have been
added to the default Noise Maker interface. In addition to this, simple buttons have been
placed in the corners to help with 3D navigation if you are not used to ZBrush’s standard
3D navigation.
The Noise Maker window.
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III Surface Noise and Real Geometry
Surface Noise is a visual effect applied on top of the mesh and at this stage no real
deformation occurs. With this in mind, if you set a high value for Strength and then run
Apply to Mesh you may have unexpected results. When viewing the noise on the canvas
it is being displayed as a bump map but when Apply to Mesh is clicked it is like using the
noise as a displacement map on your mesh. If you have an extremely high scale and
strength then your mesh will be pushed to extreme points.
To reduce the effect, simply re-open the Noise button and adjust the Strength slider
before redoing the Apply to Mesh conversion.
The quality of the noise generated by the Apply to Mesh function will depend on the
resolution of your Polymesh. If your resolution is too low, you will not be able to support
high quality noise. If needed, subdivide the model further before applying the noise.
Example of noise applied on a low resolution mesh and with an extreme Strength value.
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IV Noise Maker in ZBrush Functions
The Noise Maker and its Noise Plugin can also be used inside of ZBrush as a brush
property. Others users include creating Alpha textures, for masking or to apply as a BPR
filter to your final render.
In all these locations where Noise can be used, the workflow is similar: the Noise
button will open the Noise Maker window to let you change the noise settings.
Please refer to the corresponding documentation to know more about Masks, Brush-
es or BPR filters.
V Noise in Transparency with DynaMesh
Noise being applied to your model using the Tool >> Surface >> Noise function can
use the pure black color to display partial mesh transparency. This transparency can then
be used by DynaMesh to subtract those areas from the mesh. Simply double-click the
Sub command.
In order to demonstrate this action, do the following:
1. Load the DynaMesh128.ZPR project from LightBox.

2. Open the Tool >> Surface menu and click on Noise. A window will appear.
3. Click on the Alpha On/Off text at the bottom left corner to load a texture. (Alter-
natively, the Noise Plug-In or the default Noise can be used instead of a texture.)
4. Load the checkered texture (Txtr03.PSD) from the ZBrush/ZData/Textures fold-
er.
5. Below the curve in the Noise window, move the Offset slider to a negative num-
ber.
6. The lower-left point in the graph will start to move up the curve. Move this point
back down to the bottom corner of the graph.
7. Any part of the sphere that is under a black square will now become transpar-
ent. This is just a visual representation; the points are still present in the actual
mesh.
8. If needed, change the Alpha Scale slider value to change the scale of the Alpha
applied to the model.
9. To convert this visual effect into actual geometry, double-click the Tool >> Geom-
etry >> DynaMesh >> Sub button, then disable the noise by clicking on the Tool
>> Surface >> Noise switch. The quality of the resulting mesh generated with
the DynaMesh Sub function is dependent on the resolution of the DynaMesh as
well as the Alpha applied to it.
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Note:
BPR can render 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.
When using an alpha image, a model with UV’s will produce better results than a model with-
out UV’s
Please read the DynaMesh section to learn more about this function.
An example of noise converted to geometry on a DynaMesh model. Image courtesy of Cyril

Cosentino.
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VI Noise Maker Mask Mixing
It is possible to mix two different scales and intensities of the same noise on an
object. This is done using the Mask capabilities of ZBrush by first painting a Mask area
where you wish to alter the scale of the noise. After opening the Noise Maker interface,
modify the two new settings:
• Magnify by Mask slider which changes the scale of the current noise within the
Mask area.
• Strength by Mask slider which changes the intensity of the current noise within
the Mask area.
By default, the result of these modifications won’t be visible until you change the
Strength by Mask setting. If you don’t wish to change the Strength value, revert it before
validating.
This capability is helpful when you wish to hide visible changes on your surface
when using the mesh UV’s or to simply add some variation across your model’s surface.
Different variations of the same noise type, defined by different Mask intensity values.
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VII Mixing Noises from multiple sources
ZBrush’s Surface Noise can be generated from three different sources: basic noise,
a loaded Alpha, and through the Noise Plugin. It is possible to combine the default Noise
with an Alpha or with the Noise Plugin but you cannot mix the Noise Plugin and an Alpha.
Each source (Noise, Alpha, and Plugin) have their own Scale value but the Strength
value is global across all noise types. By default, the two enabled noises are mixed with
a classic blending mode where both values are added. You can change this operator to
Multiply, compute the Difference or to insert using the Minimal or Maximal values of the
others.
The default Noise is always the primary noise plus the second noise of your choice
(loaded Alpha or through the Plugin.) The Mix Basic Noise slider lets you make one noise
source or the other dominant within the blend. The default value is 0.5 which will generate
a 50% blend between both noises.
An example of the same noise using Difference, Minimum and Maximum settings.
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VIII Using an Alpha in Noise Maker
You can replace the Noise Maker’s procedural noise with an Alpha. The main goal is
to benefit from the settings to control the noise Strength and Intensity, creating patterns
on your model with the help of UVW coordinates.
By default, the texture will be applied as noise within the 3D canvas space. (In other
words, relative to the camera.) Alternatively, you can enable the UV option to wrap the
alpha onto the SubTool using your model’s UV information. Once applied, many of the
surface noise settings can be used to adjust the alpha in exactly the same way as for
procedural noise. With this ability, you can fine tune things like scale or fabric patterns
before actually applying them to your mesh.
Also keep in mind that if an alpha is loaded at the same time that NoisePlug is acti-
vated, the alpha will not be visible. The NoisePlug button must be deactivated in order to
view the imported alpha.
To apply an alpha, follow these simple steps:
1. On your model, create your UV’s. (Optional)

2. Open the Noise Maker window.
3. On the bottom left of the 3D view, click the Alpha On/Off button. A system dia-
log box will open, allowing you to browse for your desired texture. To produce
details with an optimal quality, use high quality alphas. If possible, the alpha
should be able to be tiled seamlessly.
4. When validated, the Alpha thumbnail will appear at the bottom left of the 3D
view and noise corresponding to your alpha will appear on your model.
5. If the Projection mode is set to 3D, switch to UV. This will make the Alpha use
your model’s UVW mapping.
6. Adjust the Scale, Strength or Color Blending settings to create different unique
effects on your model. (The Scale, Offset and Angle setting at the bottom of the
window will not affect noise created using Alpha textures.)
7. When finished, you can quit the Noise Maker window or apply the noise to your
mesh.
Note:
For better results, it is strongly advised that a texture used for noise be tileable and in 16-bit
grayscale PSD format.
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A tile texture applied to the model with different scales. At any time, the result can be converted to
geometry, moving the model’s vertices as indicated by the noise.
Breakdown image of the use of textures combined with Noise Maker to create patterns. Image
courtesy of Maxence Fleuret.
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IX Using an Alpha in the Noise Editor
The Noise generators can blend your model’s PolyPaint with colors defined in the
NoiseMaker preview window. If you wish to mix two colors, you must first set the base
color on your model by filling it via the Color >> Fill Object command.
Note:
Make sure to have Colorize enabled in Tool >> PolyPaint or the little brush icon active on the
selected SubTool for the color information to be applied.
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X Surface Noise Functions
This is the description of the main components which compose the Surface sub-
palette, located in the Tool palette.
Noise
The Tool >> Surface >> Noise mode enables or disables the noise on the current
model. If the model has not previously had noise set, it will open the Noise Maker win-
dow to let you change the parameters.
Please refer to the next chapter of this documentation for more information about
the Noise Maker window and its associated functions.
Note:
If noise has been previously applied to the mesh (baked), it will no longer be possible to
modify or disable the noise. You can, however add new noise to the surface.
Edit
If you already have noise applied to the model, the Tool >> Surface >> Edit button
opens the Noise Maker window to change its settings.
Please refer to the next chapter of this documentation for more information about the
Noise Maker window and its associated functions.
Note:
If noise has been previously applied to the mesh (baked), it will no longer be possible to
modify or disable the noise. You can, however add new noise to the surface.
Delete (Del)
The Tool >> Surface >> Delete button completely removes the noise on the model
and returns the surface back to its original state (before you decided to display noise on
the mesh).
Lightbox > NoiseMakers

The Tool >> Surface >> LightBox >> NoiseMaker button opens LightBox and shows
the NoiseMaker presets. After LightBox is open, simply double-click on a preset noise to
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apply it to your current model. You can then open the Noise Maker window and change
the current settings to customize the noise to your liking.
Smooth Normals (SNorm)

The Tool >> Surface >> Smooth Normal slider modifies the Apply to Mesh function
by smoothing the normals of the mesh before the noise is applied. When using higher
Scale and Strength values it is advised to have this setting at 100.
Smooth UVs (Suv)

The Tool >> Surface >> Smooth UV mode modifies the Apply to Mesh function by
smoothing the model’s UV’s before applying the noise to the mesh. This option is effec-
tive only if the noise is projected based on the model UV’s.
Apply to Mesh
The Tool >> Surface >> Apply to Mesh button converts the procedural noise on the
model to real geometry deformation. The surface of the model’s points will be moved
based on the noise values.
Mask by Noise
The Tool >> Surface >> Mask by Noise applies a mask on the model based on the
current noise setting, even if the Noise is not currently visible on the model due to Noise
mode being turned off.
UnMask by Noise
Tool >> Surface >> The UnMask by Noise is most often used when the model al-
ready is already at least partially masked. It alters the current mask by subtracting from
it based upon the current noise. If the model is not masked, this will behave similarly to
Mask by Noise.
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XI Noise Maker Window
The Noise Maker is the window which displays all the main settings of the default
noise, next to a preview of the currently active SubTool. It’s in this window that you can
modify the basic noise settings or even call the Noise Plugin which can generate ad-
vanced noise though different algorithms.
1. Noise Maker settings
These are the main settings to alter noise either created using the default noise or
the Noise Plugin.
Open
The Open button opens a system window to select a previously saved Noise preset
file.
Save
The Save button opens a system window to save your current Noise setting as a
preset file.
Copy
The Copy button copies your current Noise settings into ZBrush Memory. See the
Paste button explanation for more information.
Past
The Paste button applies the Noise settings placed in memory by the Copy button.
This is really useful when you need to apply the same noise across different SubTools.
3D
The 3D mode defines a 3D cubic UV protection on your model, which is then used
to project your noise on the surface. This mode is the default for all noise types and can
be altered by the Offset, Angle and Scale sliders.
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UV
The UV mode defines the Noise projection to be based on the model’s UV mapping.
This mode is really important if you wish to have a noise which follow your model’s
shape -- in particular when used with an image that is being applied as an Alpha. (See
below for more information.)
Noise Plugin
The Noise Plugin mode opens the Noise Plugin editor, which includes a large num-
ber of different noise generators to produce various patterns. When using the Noise
Plugin the default noise of Noise Maker will be replaced by the one selected via the Noise
Plugin.
See the Noise Plugin chapter below for more information.
Edit
When you already have a noise applied through the Noise Plugin, the Edit button
launches the plugin so that you can edit its settings.
Noise Scale
The Noise Scale slider changes the size of the default noise. High values will create
a large noise pattern while small values create fine patterns. A high value will also deform
the mesh with an extreme displacement.
Plugin Scale
The Plugin Scale slider changes the scale of the noise created by the Noise Plugin.
High values will create a large noise while small values create a fine noise. A larger size
will also deform the mesh with an extreme displacement.
Note:
This slider is disabled if no noise has been created through the Noise Plugin.
Alpha Scale
The Alpha Scale slider changes the scale of the noise created by an Alpha (loaded
by clicking the Alpha On/Off button located in the bottom left of the Noise preview win-
dow). A high value will create a large noise pattern while low values create fine noise. A
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larger size will also deform the mesh with an extreme displacement.
Note:
This slider is disabled if no Alpha image has been loaded or if a noise from the Noise Plugin is
active.
Magnify by Mask
The Magnify by mask slider changes the scale of the current noise within the Mask
area. See the Noise Maker Mask Mixing section above for more information.
Strength
The Strength slider changes the intensity of the noise, without changing its scale.
At 0, the noise won’t be visible and at 1, the bump strength will be at its maximum. It is
recommended to keep this setting at a lower level.
Mix Basic Noise

The Mix Basic Noise slider defines how much you want each of the two noise sourc-
es (default noise and the Noise Plugin/Alpha image) to contribute to a blended effect.
At 0, only the basic noise will be visible while at 1, only the Noise Plugin noise or the
Alpha noise (depending on which one is enabled) will be visible.
This Mix Basic Noise value is modulated by the mixing mode (Mix, Multiply, Differ-
ence, Minimum, and Maximum) and the results generated by this slider may change
depending on which mode is enabled.
Strength by Mask
The Strength by Mask slider changes the intensity of the current noise within the
Mask area. See the Noise Maker Mask Mixing section above for more information.
Mix, Multiply, Difference, Minimum and Maximum

For these modes, you need to keep in mind that the noises are grayscale informa-
tion and each mode will perform its operation based on the corresponding grey levels
in the noise. Adding both maximum grey values together will only generate the same
grey (100% + 100% can only result in 100%) while adding two middle greys will create
a darker grey. Doing a difference will mainly generate the difference values between the
two noise types’ greyscale values while a Minimum or Maximum will keep only the cor-
responding values.
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These modes are really “visual” in nature, so it is strongly advised to try the differ-
ent modes while creating your noise. Some noises will provide totally different results
depending on the current mode. Additionally, the Noise curve can have a strong impact
on the minimum and maximum values of the grey levels in the noise.
Color Blending
The Color Blending sliders are associated with the two colors picker below it. The
cavities within the noise will take on either of the colors.
Curve editor
By changing the shape of the curve, you will drastically change the aspect of the
noise. The Curve editor functions in the same manner as all other ZBrush curve editors.
X, Y and Z Offset
The X, Y and Z Offset sliders slide/move the noise along the surface through the
corresponding axis.
X, Y and Z Angle
The X, Y and Z Angle sliders rotate the noise along the surface around the corre-
sponding axis.
X, Y and Z scale
The X, Y and Z Scale sliders change the size of the noise along the surface relative
to the corresponding axis.
Reset Offset, Angle and Scale

The Reset Offset, Angle and Scale buttons revert the corresponding sliders to their
default values.
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XII Noise Plugin Interface and Workflow
The Noise Maker Plugin adds a full set of powerful noise generators to the existing
Noise Maker functions. The key difference to the noise created by NoiseMaker is that it
is being generated in 3D instead of 2D.
Most of these generators have common and specific settings, which produce almost
instantaneous visual results.
Some Noise samples, generated through the Noise Maker plugin.
To open the Noise Plugin, open the NoiseMaker interface by clicking Tool >> Surface
>> Noise. Now click the NoisePlug-In button, which will open a new floating window.
The NoiseMaker Plugin is composed of three main elements:
• The list of Noise Generators, located on the left of the interface.

• The Noise Generator settings in the center of the interface.
• The common settings for each Noise Generator, at the bottom of the window.
The basic workflow is to select your desired Noise Generator from the list, then
modify the settings. The noise will be updated in real-time in the NoiseMaker preview
window. If needed, changing the common controls settings will globally affect the Noise
applied to your model.
Note:
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It’s recommended to turn up the Strength settings all the way to 0.5 or -0.5 before clicking on
the NoisePlug-In button. This will help you see the real-time interaction with the various noises.
After closing the Plugin window you can then adjust the Strength to finalize the noise effect.
The Noise maker plugin interface.
When done, close the NoiseMaker Plugin. You can now also use the various settings
in the NoiseMaker preview window to further adjust and refine the applied noise.
If you need to modify the Noise such as by switching to a different Generator or alter-
ing the common settings you will only need to click on the Edit button next to the Noise-
Plug button. This last operation won’t change the current settings; it will simply reopen
the plug-in interface so that you can modify those settings.
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XIII Noise Maker Plugin Common Controls
The common controls
Each Noise that is generated has common Offset, Angle and Scale settings along
the X, Y, and Z axis which affect how the noise will be applied to the model. Alter these
settings to change the scale, orientation and position of the noise relative to the model’s
surface.
Please remember that the selected projection method (defined in the ZBrush’s Noise-
Maker preview window as 3D or UV’s) can cause the same Noise type to produce very
different results.
The Interactive Update button (enabled by default) makes your changes visible in
real-time in the preview window. If a noise Generator requires too much computing time
you can disable this option to speed up your workflow.
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XIV Procedural Generator Description
This section provides a list of all 3D generators available in the plug-in, with a short
description and the overview of their main settings. Be aware that all generators have
common settings like Offset, Angle and Scale.
Brick
The Brick generator creates bricks by defining the size of a single brick (Width, Height
and Depth settings), combined with the distance between each brick (Mortar Thickness
setting).
Camouflage
The Camouflage generator creates a random pattern similar to military camouflage.

It does this by using a Frequency setting to change the random aspect, modulated by
a Threshold slider which changes the transition between the areas. (At Threshold 0, it
displays the Surface setting color and at 1, the ZBrush front color. The color settings are
based on a grey scale adjustment.)
The colors can be swapped or modulated by changing the base and the Layer 1 and
2 sliders.
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Checkerboard
The Checkboard generator creates a regular checker pattern. Each square can be
subdivided into smaller squares by modifying the Depth slider.
Enabling the Colors Randomize setting lets you apply a random color on each square
by using the ZBrush front color combined with the active color of the Surface settings.
This can be further refined by changing the Variability slider.
Cheetah
The Cheetah generator simulates the cheetah fur pattern with irregular spots. The
shapes of these spots can be altered through the Spot slider.
Corrugated
The Corrugated generator creates constant rings around the model with different
styles available, from smoothed borders to one-sided sharp borders.
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Dents
The Dents generator simulates a corrosion-like effect on the surface, perfect for old
metal surfaces.
Erosion
The Erosion generator produces a result which is close to the Dents generator except
that it focuses on edges rather than surfaces.
FBM
The FBM generator applies a global noise over the model. The Detail value affects
the density of the effect.
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Gradient
The Gradient generator creates a linear gradient over the mesh in the direction de-
fined by the X, Y and/or Z button.
Granite
The Granite generator simulates the real-world granite material. The effect is modu-
lated by the number of Octaves to create the amount of detail while the Frequency setting
defines detail density.
Grid
The Grid generator creates a grid on the top of the model where the Randomize but-
ton affects the intensity of the colors applied to the tiles.
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HexTile
HexTile creates hexagonal tiles. The Randomize, Minimum and Maximum settings
can affect the color of both the mortar and the tiles.
Houndstooth
The Houndstooth provides a set of different patterns like Chevron, Onyx or Sherlock.
To change the orientation of these patterns, use the Angle sliders located in the Common
Controls.
Nested Shapes
Similar to the Houndstooth generator, Nested Shapes applies large scale patterns
like Square, Tube, Cube or Sphere to your model, modulated by the Thickness slider.
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Perlin Noise
The Perlin Noise generator produces one of the most used and famous noise effects
for your model. It can be used to create a large array of results. Increasing the Octave
settings will produce high detail noise for your geometry’s deformations.
Plaid
The Plaid generator simulates the pattern of fabrics, composed mainly of a set of
vertical and horizontal lines. Their Frequency can be modified, as can their colors.
Psychedelic
The Psychedelic generator creates a random pattern similar to the metallic elements
found in some large floor plates.
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Scales
The Scales generator creates patterns based on scales and offers you a great control
over its color aspect.
Simple Marble
The Simplex generator creates a very basic noise with very few irregularities. It is
modulated by the Detail setting.
Simplex
The Simplex generator creates a very basic noise with very few irregularities. It is
modulated by the Detail setting.
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Snake Skin
Similar to the Scales generator, Snake Skin simulates the scales found on serpents.
It offers great control over the scales’ colors. To make the scales look natural, apply some
Scale Variability and especially some Amplitude.
Speckled Stone
The Speckled Stone generator simulates small flakes within polished rock. It will pro-
duce a low level noise which is perfect when you want an effect that is only slightly visible.
Spheres
The Spheres generator creates random circle dots on your model with the option to
Hollow them.
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Spiral
The Spiral generator applies stripes over your model in a spiral pattern. The Spiral
Rate setting controls the amount of bend in these stripes.
Stripes
The Stripes generator applies straight lines over your model. The effect can be mod-
ulated by different styles like a Perlin Noise, Triangle Shapes and more.
Turbulence
The Turbulence generator creates an irregular noise with an important depth for both
deformation and colors. This noise is perfect as a sculpting basis for wall details and
more.
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Voronoi
The Voronoi generator recreates a pattern similar to microscopic organic cells. The
style can be drastically changed through the Type and Method settings.
Voronoi Tiles
The Voronoi Tiles generator simulates irregular patterns based on the Voronoi algo-
rithm to produce effects like cracked and pitted pavement.
Weave
The Weave generator lets you use an over/under woven pattern. It is really use-
ful for fabrics, plastic items or specific materials like carbon fibers. The specific effect
is achieved by changing the Pattern style. It includes several color settings which give
control for fine tuning for your patterns, whether they will be used for texture or mesh
modification.
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Wood
The Wood generator recreates the grain of sliced wood. It can be modulated mainly
by the Amplitude slider which creates irregular rings.
ZigZag
The ZigZag generator creates an oblique set of rectangles for a zig-zag pattern. The
Randomize color mode adds extra rectangles between the main zig-zag patterns.
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ZBrush User Guide - Lazy Mouse 2
LAZY MOUSE 2
Advanced controls for your sculpting and painting brush strokes.
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The LazyMouse v2 is an enhanced version of the original LazyMouse, giving you

accurate control of your strokes. The updates bring new creative processes where you
can continue from your previous stroke, as well as allowing your strokes to cross over
each other without buildup.
I Stroke Continuity
The ability to chain strokes together is provided by the Stroke >> Lazy Mouse >>
LazySnap function. If your cursor is close to the end of your previous stroke, this feature
allows you continue that stroke. The LazySnap value defines the detection distance be-
tween the end of the previous stroke and the beginning of the new stroke. If your cursor
is within the detection range, you will notice that it will be relocated to the end of the previ-
ous stroke when clicking on the object surface.
If you intend to make multiple strokes that are close together and don’t want them to
be connected, you will likely need to change this setting to a lower value.
Another important factor to consider is pen pressure as this won’t transition between
strokes. Pressure variations between the two strokes can create a visual artifact at the
connection point. This will only be visible with some very accurate and sharp brushes.
In that case, if you want to produce clean strokes then an alternative is to work without
pressure. This can be disabled in the Brush >> Tablet Pressure sub-palette by setting
the Size and Z Intensity values to a horizontal curve at 100.
An alternative is to use a mouse for these strokes.
On the left, the first stroke. On the right, the stroke has been continued.
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II Non-Buildup of Overlapping Strokes
Some brushes, when combined with Lazy Mouse and a Morph Target can keep the
same depth when they cross. Without this functionality, creating complex shapes based
on strokes can become problematic whenever you cross over an existing stroke.
This functionality works well with Stroke Continuity (explained above) since you can
continue your strokes while keeping them at the same depth. As with Stroke Continuity,
it is advised to work with a constant pen pressure in order to produce perfect crossing
of strokes.
The are some easy, yet important rules for the Non-Buildup functionality:
• It works only with brushes based on the Chisel, and Layer brush types.
• It requires Lazy Mouse to be enabled.
• You must first store a Morph Target by pressing the Tool >> Morph Target >>
StoreMT button. This action will keep the current depth of the model in memory,
allowing ZBrush to ignore any changes made by brush strokes that come after
the morph target has been stored.
On the left, one stroke crosses another without using a stored Morph Target. On the right, the
same stroke but with a Morph Target stored prior to sculpting either stroke.
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III Click-to-Click Straight Lines
It can sometimes be necessary to create straight lines for your strokes. To make this
process easier, you can use the Stroke Line function:
1. Start your stroke as usual.

2. Without releasing the cursor, press and hold Shift. A line will appear between
the end of the stroke position and the current position of your cursor. An indica-
tor of angle will give you its value or indicate 45° increments.
3. Move your cursor to a new position.
4. Without releasing the click, let go of the Shift key. ZBrush will connect the two
points with a straight line, using your current brush.
Note:
To produce straight lines, you can also use the Stroke >> Lazy Mouse >> Backtrack function
and Line mode.
IV Stroke Pause
If you want to keep the current brush with its pressure and start another stroke at
another position, simply press and hold the Spacebar without releasing the click. Now
move the cursor, which will change to a cross to indicate that you can move the position
of the stroke to another location. When you arrive at the location of your choice, release
the Spacebar to continue your stroke.
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ZBrush User Guide - SpotLight
SPOTLIGHT
Direct Image Editing and Painting by Projection
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SpotLight is a projection texturing system which allows you to prepare your source
texture directly in ZBrush®, than paint your model with it in 3D. It is similar in some ways
to the ZBrush® Stencil feature.
You first need to load your textures using the Texture palette. You can then use Spot-
Light to change their scale, rotation and position; nudge them to match any sculpt; clone
parts of the texture; fill colors; change the hue to match another texture’s hue and more.
There is a tremendous amount of functionality packed in a simple interface. Your

painting productivity will increase more than you can imagine!
The SpotLight Widget
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I Working with SpotLight: Overview
The SpotLight workflow is very simple; knowledge of its various features will let you
unleash your painting abilities! To understand how the feature works, below is a basic
step by step that will help you understand in few minutes the power of this tool.
ZBrush Artist - Dave Wolf
1. Load a Project or a ZTL file.

2. SpotLight is based on PolyPaint technology, so make sure that your model has
enough polygons to support the resolution of what you wish to paint. (Divide the
model if you need more polygons.) You don’t need to have UVs and an associ-
ated diffuse texture to use SpotLight.
3. In the Texture palette, load or import a source texture with which you will paint
on the model. Be sure that this texture is selected.
4. Also in the Texture palette, click on the Add to SpotLight button. Your texture
will be displayed as an overlay on the document and the SpotLight widget will
appear. An alternative is to double click twice on a texture of your choice in Light
Box as soon as SpotLight is active.
Note:
To load from LightBox to Spotlight, you need to do a double click twice: the first double click
load the image in ZBrush, then the second double click load the image in Lightbox.
When clicking on a texture loaded in SpotLight, this texture will have a red outline to
indicate that SpotLight will operate on this texture. SpotLight is constructed around a wid-
get that is not only used as a manipulator, but also serves as a selector for 2D features
like Hue, Clone, Smudge and more.
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The SpotLight widget can be manipulated in different ways:
• Click on a texture or in the document to position the widget on your cursor click
position.
• Click and drag on the center circle/point of the widget, its pivot point, to change
the position of the SpotLight widget.
• Switch between loaded textures by clicking on any of the textures in the Spot-
Light overlay on the ZBrush Document. The active texture will have a red outline
to show that it’s ready to be modified using the SpotLight widget.
• Click and drag between the orange circle and the outer ring of the widget to
move the texture and the widget in unison. This will maintain the position of the
widget relative to the texture, which can be useful for some operations. If you
deselect the current image by clicking outside of the loaded image and redo the
same operation, all the loaded images in SpotLight will move at the same time.
• Click on a function icon located in the widget to activate or deactivate that fea-
ture. Some 2D func-tions use a click and drag operation which is initiated by
clicking on the feature’s icon or by using a brush to do the corresponding opera-
tion on the texture itself, like the Paint tool or the Restore Tool.
For some of these features (like rotation and scale), the center of SpotLight acts as
a pivot point. Manipulate the SpotLight widget to set this pivot point by clicking on the
desired center point.
5. Using the SpotLight widget, manipulate your texture as desired, using the con-
trols described below. The SpotLight wheel includes several features which can
be enabled by clicking on them or by doing click and drag of them. As an ex-
ample, if you want to rotate your texture, move the SpotLight widget by clicking
a point on the texture to define a rotation pivot point, then click and drag on
SpotLight’s rotation icon to rotate your texture around the selected point.
6. You can toggle SpotLight on and off by clicking the Turn On SpotLight button,
located in the Texture palette or by using the shortcut Shift+Z
7. To enter Paint mode so that you can begin painting, press Z on your keyboard.
Select a brush which will be used to project the texture to the underlying model.
SpotLight is designed to project by default the color, but if you brush have the
ZAdd or ZSub mode enabled, the model will be deformed according to the tex-
ture, converted as a grey scale image, similar to an alpha.
Note:
The only way to enter and exit the Paint mode is by pressing the Z key. No corresponding
button exists in the ZBrush interface.
8. Pressing Z again will bring SpotLight back, allowing you to edit the texture some
more.
9. When the SpotLight widget is visible you can load new textures as described in
steps 3 and 4 above.
10. To remove a texture from SpotLight, select it first and click on the Delete func-
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tion located on the bottom of the SpotLight widget.

11. When you have finished painting, turn off SpotLight in the Texture palette or
press Shift+Z.
To learn more about SpotLight functions and features, please, read the sections
below.
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II Organizing and Working with multiple textures
You can open as many textures as you need in SpotLight. This lets you combine
textures in many different ways before painting them onto your model.
Click on any texture to select it for manipulation: all the actions of the SpotLight wid-
get will be applied to this texture only, until you select another one by simply clicking on it.
Clicking in the empty space outside the textures to select them all. This will allow you
to manipulate all the textures at once.
It is possible to move a selected texture outside of the ZBrush document, making

it invisible. This function can be useful if you need to temporary hide a texture and not
all the texture when having on the screen multiple textures. To make the texture again
visible in the document, deselect all the texture and move the SpotLight widget in the op-
posite direction of the location of the hidden texture until it appears, or the alternative is to
click on one of the “Tile” function located on the bottom of the SpotLight widget.
Multiple textures loaded at the same time. Selected textures have a red outline.
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III Saving / Restoring SpotLight
Whatever textures you have loaded into SpotLight can be saved as a separate file.
The main purpose of this is to keep your best textures available for future production. You
can create texture sets, such as for skin, walls, concrete and more.
At any time, you can load your previously saved SpotLight set, which will replace
the current one.
For this purpose, you can find the Save SpotLight and Load SpotLight buttons in the
Texture palette.
IV Spotlight for Image References
SpotLight can be use for another purpose than its default one: using the loaded im-
ages as references images for your creation and not to paint your model.
Follow these steps to use SpotLight as an image reference tool:
1. Load your model.

2. Go in the Texture palette and click on Import to load your image references in
ZBrush.
3. Add them in SpotLight by clicking on the Texture >> Add to SpotLight and repeat
this step as need-ed.
4. Use the SpotLight widget to organize your images on the screen: position,
scale, opacity and eventually turn some areas to transparency (See the Spot-
Light paint tool for more information).
5. At this stage, if you switch to Paint mode (Hotkey Z), the images will be visible,
but you won’t be able to sculpt or paint on your model, except if it is located
under one of the image. By default, SpotLight is only projecting the texture only
on its own location and “mask” the other areas. To disable this mode, go in the
Brush >> Sample menu and disable the SpotLight Projection mode.
6. Sculpt as usual and turn off and on SpotLight if needed by clicking on the
Shift+Z hotkey.
For more information about how using images references with SpotLight, please
watch this ZClassroom video: http://pixologic.com/zclassroom/homeroom/lesson/hel-
met-design-with-joseph-drust/#reference-image-plane.
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V SpotLight Functions
The SpotLight ring contains a variety of functions to edit and change the selected
texture. Several of these functions offer multiple possibilities. The functions can be com-
bined together to let you customize your textures on the fly before projecting them.
Rotate
You can click on and drag the rotate icon in both a clockwise and counter-
clockwise direction in order to rotate an image. By holding the Shift key while
rotating you can snap your rotation to the notches seen on the inner part of
the SpotLight dial.
Scale
You can click on and drag the scale icon in both a clockwise and counter-
clockwise direction in order to scale an image. By default, the width and
height will remain proportional. Using Scale while holding the CTRL key will
scale the image non-proportionally.
Spot Radius
Spot Radius looks very much like the circular light you might see a flash light
make when shined on a wall. When in paint mode the Spot Radius will allow
you to see a certain portion of the image(s) your cursor is currently over.
• By default the Spot Radius is set to 0, which means when you enter paint mode
you will see all the images you currently have loaded in SpotLight.
• You can click on and drag the Spot Radius icon in a clockwise direction in order
to increase the size of the Spot Radius. By dragging in a counterclockwise di-
rection you can decrease the radius of the Spot back to 0.
• The Spot Radius does not control the amount of the image you paint and sculpt
on a model. Those continue to be controlled by your Draw Size, RGB Intensity,
and Z Intensity. SpotLight simply gives you a preview of what part of an image
you are about to paint and sculpt with.
Keep in mind that if you increase your Draw Size to be larger than the Spot Radius,
the Spot Radius will automatically increase to the size of your brush.
Spot Pin
Spot Pin allows you to choose and constrain what part of an image you want
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to use at the start of your stroke. The portion that will be used is located under the center
of the SpotLight dial. To put it simply, if you were to place your dial over the eye on a face
photograph, you could paint that eye over and over again in different locations of your
model.
Opacity
You can click on and drag the opacity icon in both a clockwise and counter-
clockwise direction in order to increase or decrease the opacity of all of im-
ages loaded within SpotLight.
Note
The amount of opacity applied to your images will not affect how much of the image is painted
and/or sculpted onto your model. This is instead controlled by the RGB Intensity and Z Intensity
sliders. To reduce an image’s effect relative to the Intensity settings, use the Fade feature instead.
Fade
In SpotLight you can layer images on top of one another in order to mix and
blend the images as you paint and/or sculpt them onto your model. Fade will
control how much influence a specific image will have in a stack of images.
By default, images in SpotLight have their Fade value set at 100% which means that
no fading has been applied. By decreasing the Fade amount you will see an image start
to dim. This means if it is placed on top of another image it will blend with the image below
as you paint and or sculpt.
You can click on and drag the Fade icon in both a clockwise and counterclockwise
direction in order to increase or decrease the amount of fading an image has applied to it.
Tile Proportional
Clicking on the Tile Proportional will tile the textures on the left side of the
document space, based on the pixel size of each texture. The largest pixel
texture will be identified by being at the top of the tile and will also be visually
larger.
When a texture is selected the actual pixel size will appear in the top left of the
ZBrush Interface.
Tile Selected
Clicking on the Tile Selected will keep the selected image large but tile all
other textures below the selected texture at a smaller size.
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Tile Unified
Clicking on the Tile Unified will tile all textures to the same size and position
them on the left of the document space.
Front
By clicking on the Front icon you will bring the active image to the front of all
the other images loaded into SpotLight.
Back
By clicking on the Back icon you will send the active image to the back of all
the other images loaded into SpotLight.
Delete
By clicking the Delete icon you will remove the active image from the Spot-
Light interface.
Note
Because the active image has been deleted the SpotLight dial will now control the movement,
rotation, and scale of all the remaining images as a group until a new active image is specified.
Flip H
By clicking the Flip H icon you will flip the active image horizontally.
Note:
By clicking on an empty area in the canvas you can temporarily group all of the images loaded
in SpotLight and flip them together.
Flip V
By clicking the Flip V icon you will flip the active image vertically.
Note
in SpotLight and flip them together.
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Tile H
You can click on and drag the Tile H icon in both a clockwise and counter-
clockwise direction in order to tile the active image horizontally. If you hold the
Shift key while dragging you will tile your image both horizontally and verti-
cally at the same time.
Note:
in SpotLight and tile them together.
Tile V
You can click on and drag the Tile V icon in both a clockwise and counter-
clockwise direction in order to tile an image vertically. If you hold the Shift key
while dragging you will tile your image both vertically and horizontally at the
same time.
Note
By clicking on an empty area in the canvas you can temporarily group all of the images you
have loaded in SpotLight and tile them together.
Grid
A checker pattern or grid lines can be used for measurements, alignment and
proportion.
You can click on and drag the grid icon in a clockwise direction in order to apply a
checker pattern to your image. You can click on and drag the grid icon in a counterclock-
wise direction in order to apply grid lines to your image.
The color of your grid or checker pattern is determined by ZBrush’s currently se-
lected main color, as specified by the Color palette. Additionally, by choosing pure black
for your grid or checker pattern you will make the lines and/or squares fully transparent.
Grid lines and a checker pattern can be applied to an image at the same time by
first clicking on and dragging the grid icon in a clockwise direction to apply the checker
pattern. Then click on and drag the grid icon once more in a counterclockwise direction
to apply grid lines on top of the checker pattern.
The Grid and or Checker pattern can be cleared by clicking on and dragging the
Restore icon in a Clockwise direction. (See Restore, below)
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Restore
Within SpotLight you have ability to apply many effects to your images like,
clone, smudge, saturation, hue, intensity, color and fill. These effects are non-
destructive and the original image can be restored at any time.
• You can restore an entire active image back to its original state by clicking on
and dragging the Restore icon in a clockwise direction.
• You can also use Restore as a brush and paint the areas of the image you want
to restore back to the original state. Simply click on the Restore icon in the Spot-
Light dial to activate the Restore brush. The amount of Restore strength that is
painted can be controlled by adjusting the RGB Intensity slider.
• You can replace the original state of an image with the edited version by first
holding the Alt key, then clicking on and dragging the Restore icon in a clock-
wise direction. Please note that this will permanently replace the original state
of your image with the current edited version.
While the Restore brush is selected you will be in brush mode. At this point you can
click and paint on any image loaded within SpotLight to begin restoring them back to their
original state.
While in brush mode you will not be able to move the SpotLight dial around by click-
ing on an image. Instead you will need to click and drag within the orange circle at the
center of the SpotLight dial in order to move the dial around the canvas.
To exit this brush mode, click on the Restore icon once more.
Restore will not undo any Nudging done to the texture. See Nudge below.
Nudge
The Nudge brush will allow you stretch, distort and move portions of images
loaded within SpotLight. To activate the Nudge brush, click on the Nudge icon
in the SpotLight dial. The strength of the Nudge brush is determined by the Z
Intensity slider. While using the Nudge brush you can hold the Shift key to smooth back
areas that have been nudged.
• While the Nudge brush is active you have 4 levels of nudge resolution you can
work with. To move up to a higher nudge resolution level press the “D” key. To
move to a lower nudge resolution level press shift+D.
• At higher nudge resolution levels you will have finer control over how you nudge
an image, while at lower nudge resolution levels, smoothing with the Shift key
will have a great effect.
• You can also reset an active image back to its original state before any distor-
tion has been applied by clicking on and dragging the Nudge icon in a clockwise
direction.
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• While the Nudge brush is selected you will be in brush mode. At this point you
can click and nudge portions of any image loaded within SpotLight.
• While in brush mode you will not be able to move the SpotLight dial around by
clicking on an image. Instead you will need to click and drag within the orange
circle at the center of the SpotLight dial in order to move the dial around the
canvas.
To exit this brush mode, click on the Nudge icon once more.
Any Nudge can be undone by clicking CTRL+Z. The Restore function will not undo
any nudge. Restore the image back to original state by clicking on the Nudge Icon and
dragging in a clockwise motion.
Clone
The Clone brush allows you to clone parts of an image onto its self or onto
any other images you have loaded in SpotLight.
• To activate the Clone brush click on the Clone icon in the SpotLight dial.
• The strength of the Clone brush is affected by the RGB Intensity slider. The cen-
ter of the source area that will be cloned from is located underneath the orange
circle within the SpotLight dial.
• While the Clone brush is selected you can click and paint on any image loaded
within SpotLight to begin cloning from the source location. To clone another
texture onto any other image in SpotLight click on the image you wish to edit,
click on the Clone Icon, use the orange circle to move the SpotLight dial over
the other texture that you wish to clone from (Do not click on the other texture
as this would select it), then move the brush back to the texture you wish to edit
and paint.
You can restore part of your image that you have cloned to with the Restore brush.
(See Restore brush)
To exit this brush mode, click on the Clone icon once more.
Smudge
The Smudge brush allows you to smudge portions of the images you have
loaded in SpotLight.
• To activate the Smudge brush click on the Smudge icon in the SpotLight dial.
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• The strength of the Smudge brush is affected by the RGB Intensity slider.
• While the Smudge brush is selected you will be in brush mode. At this point you
can click and paint on any images loaded within SpotLight to begin smudging
them.
You can also use the smudge brush to blur an entire image, all at once.
To blur an image, first make sure that the orange circle at the center of the SpotLight
dial is located over the correct image.
To create a box blur, click on and drag the Smudge icon in a clockwise direction the
complete length of the SpotLight dial.
To create more of a radial blur, click on and drag the Smudge icon in a clockwise di-
rection for only a small portion of the SpotLight dial before releasing. Repeat this process
several times until you have achieved the desired amount of blur.
You can restore parts of your smudged or blurred images by using the Restore
brush. (See Restore brush)
To exit this brush mode, click on the Smudge icon once more.
Contrast
The Contrast brush allows you to adjust the contrast of the images you have
• To activate the Contrast brush click on the Contrast icon in the SpotLight dial.
• The strength of the Contrast brush is affected by the RGB Intensity slider.
• While the Contrast brush is selected you will be in brush mode. At this point you
can click and paint on any image loaded within SpotLight to begin changing the
contrast.
• You can hold the Alt key while using the Contrast brush to reduce contrast in
an image.
You can also use the Contrast brush to increase or decreased the Contrast of an
entire image, all at once.
• To do so, first select the image you want to adjust contrast for by making sure
the orange circle in the center of the SpotLight dial is located over the correct
image.
• To increase the contrast for an entire image, click on and drag the Contrast icon
in a clockwise direction.
• To decrease contrast for an entire image, click on and drag the Contrast icon in
a counterclockwise direction.
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You can restore parts of your image that you have increased or decreased contrast
for by using the Restore brush. (See Restore brush).
To exit this brush mode, click on the Contrast icon once more.
Saturation
The Saturation brush allows you to add or remove saturation from parts of the
images you have loaded in SpotLight.
• To activate the Saturation brush click on the Saturation icon in the SpotLight
dial. The strength of the Saturation brush is affected by the RGB Intensity slider.
• While the Saturation brush is selected you will be in brush mode. At this point
you can click and paint on any image loaded within SpotLight to begin adding
more saturation.
• Hold the Alt key while using the Saturation brush to take away saturation from
an image.
You can also use the Saturation brush to add or take away saturation from an entire
image, all at once.
• First select the image you want to add or remove saturation from by making
sure the orange circle in the center of the SpotLight dial is located over the cor-
rect image.
• To add saturation to an entire image, click on and drag the Saturation icon in a
clockwise direction.
• To remove saturation from an image click on and drag the Saturation icon in a
counterclockwise direction.
You can restore part of the images that you have added to or removed saturation
from by using the Restore brush. (See Restore brush)
To exit this brush mode, click on the Saturation icon once more.
Hue
The Hue brush allows you to change the hue on parts of the images you have
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• To activate the Hue brush click on the Hue icon in the SpotLight dial.
• The strength of the saturation brush is affected by the RGB Intensity slider.
• While the Hue brush is selected you will be in brush mode. At this point you can
click and paint on any image loaded with in SpotLight to begin changing its hue.
• To change the Hue to an entire image click on and drag the Hue icon in a clock-
wise direction.
You can Restore part of your image that you have added or removed Hue from by
using the Restore brush (See Restore brush)
To exit this brush mode, click on the Saturation icon once more.
Intensity
The Intensity brush allows you to change the intensity on parts of the images
you have loaded in SpotLight.
• To activate the Intensity brush click on the Intensity icon in the SpotLight dial.
• The strength of the Intensity brush is affected by the RGB Intensity slider.
• While the Intensity brush is selected you will be in brush mode. At this point
you can click and paint on any image loaded within SpotLight to begin adding
Intensity.
• You can hold the Alt key while using the Intensity brush to take away intensity
from an image. (Note that when the intensity of a part of your image is lowered
to the point of pure black that portion will become transparent.)
You can also use the Intensity brush to increase or decreased the intensity of an
entire image, all at once.
• To do so, first select the image you want to add or remove Intensity from by
making sure the orange circle in the center of the SpotLight dial is located over
the correct image.
• To increase the intensity for an entire image, click on and drag the Intensity icon
in a clockwise direction.
• To remove intensity from an entire image, click on and drag the Intensity icon in
a counterclockwise direction.
• When the intensity of an entire image reaches pure black the image will become
completely transparent.
You can restore parts of your image that you have increased or decreased intensity
for by using the Restore brush. (See Restore brush).
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To exit this brush mode, click on the Intensity icon once more.
Paint
The Paint brush allows you to paint strokes of color, fill a portion of an image,
or fill the entire image with a selected color.
• To activate the Paint brush, click on the Paint icon in the SpotLight dial.
• Painting a stroke of color: While the Paint brush is selected you are now in brush
mode. At this point you can click and paint on any of the images loaded within
SpotLight. The color that you will be painting with will be the main color as set
by the Color palette. While painting, you can press the Alt key to switch to the
secondary color as set by the Color palette.
• The strength of the color that is painted is affected by the RGB Intensity slider.
• Filling the entire image with color: You can fill an entire image with either the
main color or the secondary color all at once.
• To fill the entire image, first select the image you want to fill by making sure the
orange circle in the center of the SpotLight dial is located over the correct im-
age.
• Now to fill an image with the main color click on and drag the paint icon in the
clockwise direction.
• To fill an image with the secondary color, click on and drag the paint icon in a
counterclockwise direction.
Fill portions of an image

When the Paint brush is selected you can fill a portion of and image with the main
color. This is done by first holding Ctrl key and clicking on and dragging on the portion of
the image where you want the fill to start. As you continue to drag away from the starting
point, the main color will begin to fill the image. You can continue this drag and fill action
until the color has filled the area of the image you want.
During this drag and fill process the color may spill into an area of the image you do
not want it to, in which case you can reverse the direction of the drag and start to move
back to the starting point. By dragging back to the start position you will see the color start
to recede back from the area you were filling.
Upon releasing the mouse button, the fill will stop. You can then repeat this drag and
fill in other areas of the image with any color you like.
Based on the image that you are trying to fill you may not be able to fill the area you
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want with a single stroke. Images that are more complex may require several short drag
and fill actions to completely fill the area you want.
There are several variables that effect how a color will fill across your image:
• Borders: A border in an image can be any major area of change. For example
in a picture with a red balloon set against the backdrop of a blue sky, the edge
where the balloon ends and the sky begins would be a strong border, which the
color fill action will attempt to respect.
• Sample area: The size of your brush when beginning the drag and fill action will
determine how intensely borders in your image are respected. The larger the
brush, the less borders will be respected, while a small Draw Size will pay more
attention to the borders in your image.
• Drag distance: As you drag across an image you are increasing the sample
area. As the sample area is increased, what is considered a border will de-
crease. This means that the farther you drag, the more color will spill into other
areas of you image.
Because of these variables it is a good idea to start your drag and fill actions near
clear and distinct borders.
While executing the drag and fill action you can hold Shift to slightly contract around
the perimeter of the area that is being filled. This can be used to more precisely control
how you fill an area. It can also be repeated with another color inside the first filled color
in order to create a small outline.
After you have filled an area of an image with a color you can replace that filled area
with any color you want. First place the orange circle at the center of the SpotLight dial
over the filled color you want to replace. Then while holding the CTRL key, click on and
drag the Paint icon in a clockwise direction to replace the filled color with the Color pal-
ette’s selected main color. By rotating in a counterclockwise direction you will replace the
filled color with the Color palette’s secondary color.
You can make any part of an image transparent by painting or filling it with pure
black. Note that even though transparent parts of images will not have any effect on your
model, the transparent area has not been deleted from the image. You can simply fill that
transparent area with a color to bring it out of transparency.
You can Restore any part of your image that you has been painted on by using the
Restore brush. (See Restore brush)
To exit this brush mode, click on the paint icon once more.
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ZBrush User Guide - TimeLine
TIMELINE
Enhance your presentations.
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In addition to its sculpting and painting features, ZBrush® adds a large number
of animation features to its toolset. Rather than attempting to provide a full animation
system, these new functions have been added to bring more power to the sculpting and
painting processes. The main purpose of the timeline system is to allow you to create bet-
ter presentations of your 3D models and also breathe life into these presentations using
animatable Morphs and Blend Shapes.
The Timeline also allows you to quickly save different points of view while sculpt-
ing. This allows you to save numerous camera positions of your model and easily switch
between them while sculpting.
The Timeline feature lets you animate several elements, from the camera position,
3D layers, ZSpheres and more.
ZBrush Artist - Dave Wolf
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I Enabling the Timeline: basic Key framing and Timeline options
Before working on an animation or just storing information through key frames, you
must enable the Timeline. To do so, go to the Movie Palette and in the Timeline menu
click on the Show button. The Timeline will appear at the top of your Document.
Now that the Timeline is displayed, discover its main elements:
• Two lines which have the same width of the document, one with graduation and
another one above it without. The one with graduation receives key frame ma-
nipulation points and can zoom in and out while the other one always displays
the animation’s whole Timeline.
• On the left, the name of the active track is displayed.
• Under the Timeline, you can find the time cursor (scrubber), which will let you
move forward and backward in time and which displays the number and time of
the current frame.
• To create a new key frame, simply click anywhere on the Timeline. The time
cursor will automatically be placed at this position.
• If you want to remove a key frame, click on it and drag it outside of the Timeline
before release the mouse button.
• You can also click and drag a key in the Timeline to change its time position,
making the event come sooner or later within your animation.
• Click and drag the time cursor to preview your animation.
Please, read the next chapters for additional control over your animation.
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II TimeLine Functions
The Timeline includes several options and controls, located in the Movie >> Timeline
menu:
Load
The Load button loads a previously saved Timeline.
Save
The Save button save the current Timeline. It can be useful when working with dif-
ferent iterations of an animation by avoiding the need to save extra data like all the 3D
models.
Note:
When saving a Project (see the project chapter), the Timeline is also saved.
Show
The Show mode shows or hides the Timeline on the top of the Document.
Note:
This option state is saved in a Project file.
Export Name (save as MDD)

When clicking on this button, a system window will appear for saving an MDD file.
This file saves all the vertex animation information that was created by recording a movie.
MDD files can be edited in other 3D software (some packages require a plugin) and can
also be reloaded by ZBrush in a new 3D layer to play the saved animation as a loop.
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Go Previous & Next

Press the Go Previous or Go Next buttons to move from one key to another. You
can also skip to the beginning or the end of the Timeline by double-clicking one of these
two buttons.
Hotkey: Arrow left and right.
Timeline Magnification slider

The Time Magnification slider sets the amount of magnification of the Timeline when
a selected key is clicked.
Auto mode
When the Auto mode is enabled, ZBrush will automatically set the optimum value for
the magnification of the Timeline and won’t use the Timeline magnification slider value
(see above).
Load Audio
The Load Audio function opens a system dialog box, asking you to select an audio
file. The mp3, aiff, sd2, amr, aac, 3gp m4a and wave file formats are supported.
The length of the Timeline will be resized to the length to the audio track.
Please refer to the Set/Remove audio beats section for more information.
Remove Audio
The Remove Audio function removes the existing audio track.
Start Playback Time

The Start Playback Time slider allows you to define the beginning of the playback
audio of the track you loaded.
Duration Slider
The Duration slider uses this slider to define the length of your animation in seconds.
If an audio file is loaded, the Timeline Duration value will be set to the length of your audio
track.
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III Working with the Tracks
1. Playing and saving an animation
At any time, you can play your animation by pressing Shift and clicking on the time
cursor. Based on the complexity of the scene, ZBrush will do its best to display all frames
but will skip frames if necessary.
The animation will loop until you stop it by clicking on an element of the Timeline or
in the Document.
Note:
To preview all movie frames you must do the record action (see below), which will always
play all frames of the animation without skipping any.
2. Navigation in the track
The Timeline has several controls to help you in navigating it to achieve accurate
control when creating your animation:
• Press Shift and move your mouse cursor over either end of the track to pan the
Timeline.
• Click on a selected key to magnify the Timeline. Click again on a selected key
to zoom out. The magnification factor is defined by the Timline Magnification slider
located in the Movie >> Timeline menu.
3. Working with Animation Tracks
When creating your animation, ZBrush will automatically select the Timeline track
corresponding to your action: if you are manipulating a layer setting, the Layer track cor-
responding to the active layer will be enabled. Whenever empty space in the canvas is
clicked the track will be switched to Camera.
If you want to manually select the track of your choice, go in the Movie >> Timeline
Tracks menu. In the Edit section, click on the track you want to choose. ZBrush will dis-
play this track’s content, letting you edit it as needed. Please read the Different Tracks of
ZBrush chapter for more information on these tracks and their purpose.
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ZBrush can only work with one active track at a time. When selecting a new track,
the previous track’s contents are displayed as light grey dots. This lets you see where the
key frames of the previous track are located.
The animation keys can be selected or not: The selected key is always plain orange
in color while the unselected keys are represented by an outlined orange circle.
Several animation controls are available, allowing you to create advanced anima-
tions:
4. Working with Keyframes
Several animation controls are available, allowing you to create advanced anima-
tions:
4.1 Creating keys
To create a new key, click in an empty part of the Timeline. The new key will be rep-
resented by an orange circle at the location of your click.
4.2 Selecting a single Key
To select a key, simply click on it. The outlined orange circle will switch to a plain
orange one.
4.3 Deleting keys
To delete a key or a selection of multiple keys, move the selected key off the track
with a simple click and drag.
4.4 Multiple selections
To select multiple keys, click on the first key to select it. With Shift pressed, click on
any other keys to select them. It is only possible to select the keys which are adjacent to
the current selection.
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To select a range of keys, select the first one, hold Shift and select the last one. All
the keys between these two selected keys will be selected as well.
4.5 Moving Keys
To move keys, first select the keys to move, then click and drag one of the keys along
the Timeline track. Moving keys can work with a single key or a selection of multiple keys.
4.6 Duplicate Keys
To duplicate a key or several keys, you must first select it/them. Move the Time cur-
sor to the location you want to copy the key(s), then hold the Shift key and click in the
Timeline. Validate to create the copy of the selected keys.
4.7 Replace Key information
To replace the content of a key frame (like a new position for the camera), first set
your new position then press CTRL+Shift and click on the key frame of your choice. The
previous information will be deleted and replaced by the new data.
4.8 Cut your animation
To create a cut in your animation, you can insert a specific Cut key which will, when
played, stop all animation in the selected track until the next key frame is reached. This
allows you to set a new behavior for your animation without the need for external video
editing software.
To create a Cut key, first create your animation by using standard keys. Then if you
need to do a cut, press Alt/Command Key and click on the key of your choice. Its appear-
ance will change from a circle to a square.
When your animation is played and the time cursor reaches this cut key, the animat-
ed actions will stop until the time cursor reaches the next key. Depending of the number
of frames before the next key, you can create long pauses or short ones.
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4.9 Add Ease In and Ease Out
To create an Ease In and Ease Out in the Timeline, you will need to create a key
frame between two existing Key frames. Ctrl+click on the new key frame to turn that into
a circular arrow icon. Add another key frame between this new circular key frame and
the next key frame. Ctrl+click on this new key frame so that you will have four key frames
total with the first and last keys solid orange and the two keys in between being circular.
Moving the first circular key frame closer to the solid key frame will create a slower
ease in and the second circular key frame distance from the fourth key frame will control
the ease out. The further you have the second circular key frame from the fourth key
frame, the faster the ease out will be.
Note:
If you only create one circular key frame between two solid key frames then ZBrush will
automatically use the location of the circular key frame as the end of the ease in and beginning of
the ease out.
5. Enabling / disabling tracks
To select and work on a track of your choice, go in the Movie >> Timeline Tracks
menu and while in Edit mode, activate the desired track. If you wish to protect a certain
track from editing, you can temporarily disable it by going in the Enable section of the
Timeline Tracks menu and disabling the track(s) of your choice.
6. Linking Tracks
Timeline tracks are linked together to be on the Camera Track. By default ZBrush
has Tool and Subtool linked to the Camera Track.
In this way, you can organize and work on several elements at the same time in one
track. This is useful when you need to create simple animations which include different
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elements.
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IV The different tracks of ZBrush
ZBrush automatically swaps from one track to another when the corresponding con-
tent is selected in ZBrush. For example, activating a layer will turn on and switch to the
Layer track.
The Camera track is the default track. Some tracks may be disabled in the list of
available tracks if the corresponding element doesn’t exist.
Camera
This track is dedicated to animation of Move, Scale and/or Rotate of the selected
Tool or SubTool, similar to a camera animation. Note that the Timeline does not create
cameras; just like with sculpting, you are moving the scene element in front of the camera
rather than moving the camera relative to the scene.
Color
This track is dedicated to animation of the color applied to the selected Tool or Sub-
Tool. Change the main color value in the Color palette and store it with key frames to cre-
ate a color animation. PolyPaint can’t be animated (although the visibility of PolyPainted
layers can be using a Layer track). The Color track only works with Tools or SubTools that
have not had PolyPaint applied to them.
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Material
This track is dedicated to animation of the selection of Material. The material modi-
fiers can’t be animated. No transition between two MatCaps is possible. Material can be
animated only through a transition type key frame.
Wireframes (Polyframe)
This track is dedicated to animation of the Polyframe of the selected Tool or SubTool,
through its visibility and its settings located in the Preferences >> Draw menu.
Transparent
This track is dedicated to animation of the Transparency of the selected Tool or
SubTool by toggling the Transparent mode and / or Ghost mode and the corresponding
settings located in the Preferences >> Draw menu.
SubTool
This track is dedicated to animation of SubTool visibility, by clicking on the eye icon
in the Tool >> Subtool menu.
ZSphere
This track is dedicated to the ZSphere animation of the Subdivision levels of the cur-
rent Tool or SubTool as set by the Subdivision level slider located in the Tool >> Geometry
menu.
Subdivision levels
This track is dedicated to animation of the Subdivision levels of the current Tool or
SubTool by changing the Subdivision level slider located in the Tool >> Geometry menu.
Layers
This track is dedicated to the simultaneous animation of all 3D layers at once for the
current Tool or SubTool, by changing their visibility and/or intensity. Changing the visibility
is done by setting the intensity slider to 0 (hidden) or 1 (fully visible).
Layer
Different from the Layers track, each Layer track is dedicated to animation of the
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selected layer of the current Tool or SubTool. In other words, each layer of the 3D model
can have its own animation track.
Changing the visibility is equivalent to setting the intensity slider to 0 (hidden) or 1
(fully visible).
Note:
Take the time to name your layers when creating them as the layer’s title will be displayed in
the Timeline, helping you to know which layer is currently animated.
Explode
This track is dedicated to animation of the Explode function and its Amount slider,
both found in the Transform Palette.
Note:
Depending on the number of SubTools and the total polygon count, the Explode animation
may not visible in real-time when playing an animation. It will normally only be fully visible with no
dropped frames when recording the animation.
Contacts
This track is dedicated to animation of the Contact function and its settings, found in
the Tool Palette. It allows you to change the contact information during your animation.
Background
This track is dedicated to animation of the canvas background settings, found in the
Document palette. You can change the gradient range, center, rate and color settings.
Adjustments
This track is dedicated to animation of the document Adjustments settings which are
available in the Render >> Adjustment menu.
Tool
This track is dedicated to animation of the loaded tools, like swapping from one tool
to another during the animation.
Solo
This track is dedicated to animation of the Solo mode, temporarily isolating the cur-
rent SubTool and hiding all other SubTools.
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Perspective
This track is dedicated to animation of perspective mode and its settings, located in
the Draw palette.
Floor
This track is dedicated to animation of the Floor settings.
The Floor can be hidden or shown by animating the Floor visibility mode. You can
also animate adjustments to the Floor settings located in the Draw palette: Elevation,
Grid Color, Opacity, Grid size, Tiles and Axis color order.
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V Working with Audio
While creating your ZBrush animation, you may need to work with an audio track. It
can help create a better presentation, or can be used to synchronize your animation with
your audio when working on lip-sync, checking morph targets/blend shapes and more.
ZBrush can recognize with these audio file formats: SD2, AMR, AAC, 3GP, AAC,
M4A, AIFF and WAV.
When loading an audio file, the Timeline duration is automatically synchronized to

correspond to the length of the audio track.
To add an audio file, do these simple steps:
• If the Timeline is not enabled, enabled it in the Movie >> Timeline menu by press-
ing the Show button.
• In this same palette, click on the Load Audio button. A system dialog box will ask
you to select an audio file. Don’t forget to first specify the desired audio format.
• When selected and validated, the audio track will be added to the Timeline
1. Working with Beats markers
When working with your animation and audio track, you can create audio beat marks
in your Timeline which will help you visualize the important parts of your animation and
ensure that your animation will be synchronized to the audio.
These marks can be created in any color, providing more flexibility in your marks
creation. Colored beats are an excellent way to separate different parts of your audio.
To create audio beats:
• Use the Color palette to select the color of your choice for the markers.
• Start playing your animation by Shift+clicking on the Timeline cursor.
• While listening the audio, hold Ctrl and click in the Timeline to create an audio
beat mark.
Note:
You don’t need to put your cursor on the location of the marker. You only need to Ctrl+click
anywhere within the Timeline when you hear a beat. The mark will automatically appear at the cor-
rect point along the Timeline that corresponds with the timing of your Ctrl+click.
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You can remove the created Audio Beat markers by clicking on the Clear Beat but-
ton, located in the Movie >> Tilmeline Tracks menu.
To the left of this button you have the Color Beat switch, which is turned on by de-
fault. Disable it to create Audio Beats markers without colors.
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VI Record and Preview the final Animation
To record an animation, Press Ctrl and Shift at the same time and click on the Time
cursor. ZBrush will play all animation frames, recording them as a movie stored in mem-
ory.
At any time, play the movie by clicking on the Play movie button, located at the top
of the Movie palette.
When playing a movie, ZBrush will use post-process compositing to add the Overlay
image and Title image according to the settings located in the Movie palette menus of
the same name. You don’t need to re-record the movie to change these settings. Instead,
you can adjust them and then visualize the result by clicking on the Play Movie button.
You can mix your animation with the original way of creating movies in ZBrush 3. So
Timeline animation can be combined with using the Turntable tools or just clicking the
Record button in the Movie palette and manipulating the canvas freely.
If you wish to record a movie in Best Render or with BPR you will need to render first
before Ctrl+Shift+clicking on the Time Cursor. Each frame will then be rendered until the
animation is complete. Please keep in mind that depending on your settings, hardware
and the complexity of the scene this can take quite a while.
1. Save and Export an animation

ZBrush lets you save and record a movie in its own format, the ZMovie (.zmv). You
can open a previously created movie at any time, even if the Tools used to create this
movie are not loaded.
After recording your animation you can also export it as a Quicktime movie. When
pressing the Export button, located in the Movie palette, a system dialog box will prompt
you to choose a filename. When done, a Quicktime dialog box will ask you for the com-
pression codec and quality. After a few seconds or minutes for conversion, your anima-
tion will be exported, ready to be played on your computer or uploaded online.
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ZBrush User Guide - History Movie
HISTORY MOVIE
CREATION
Use the power of your Undo History to create a ZBrush time-lapse movie.
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Due to their thousands of Undo levels, ZBrush Project (ZPR) files are able to follow
the entire process of creating your models from start to finish – even over multiple ses-
sions! One of the ways in which ZBrush leverages this information is by allowing you to
actually record a movie playback of your modeling work, ready to be shared with other
users.
While sculpting with ZBrush, you are always rotating your model, zooming in and out
or changing the model’s position to focus on a portion of it. Simply playing back a record-
ing of your sculpting session can be awkward to watch due to all these movements. The
Undo History feature has controls to overcome this and make your time-lapse recordings
more enjoyable for viewers.
I Overview of the History Movie
ZBrush has several actions and options located in the Movie palette and Movie >>
Modifiers SubPalette to alter movements during playback and create smooth movies.
Within the Movie >> Modifiers SubPalette, you will find options related to creating movies from
the Undo History. Notice that Spin Frames and Spin Cycles have an impact on the Undo History
movie.
As with the usual method for creating a movie in ZBrush, your history recording can
be combined with BPR rendering and even BPR filters. The process is easy. Simply do
a BPR render of your first frame, add your desired BPR filters, then launch the Forward
or Backward history command.
If you are using a background to illustrate your model creation, the Light >> Back-
ground >> Rotate with Object mode setting will synchronize the animation as well. If you
wish to have a static background, disable this mode.
Click the F/B History buttons located in the Movie palette to play the history in a
forward (FHistory) or backward (BHistory) direction from the current history point. This
action is similar to the Turntable function and will not only play the actions but will also
record them as a movie, ready to be replayed or exported.
Notes:
If you are already in a record mode, clicking the F or B History buttons will add the current
movie to the existing one. If you do not wish to have these several movies overlaying each other
you can click Delete to clear all previously created movies.
Press the Escape key to stop the F/B History recording.
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II Movie Creation Functions
These different functions (located in the Movie palette) will have an impact on movie
creation because they define how ZBrush creates the camera path of the animation, as
well as its speed and the interpolation between each undo step.
Of course, you need to combine them with the other Movie options found in the
Movie palette to define the size of your movie, whether it includes the whole interface or
only the document region, etc. Please refer to the Movie chapter of the user Guide for
more information about creating ZBrush movies.
Note:
You won’t find an option to render your movie using the BPR render. This is because by
default, movie creation will render what is displayed in the document. If you wish to render each
frame of the movie with the BPR render, then first do a render of your first frame, followed by start-
ing the movie recording. ZBrush will recognize that BPR is in use and will now render all frames
with it. As mentioned above, you can even apply filters to the first frame’s BPR render before you
start recording.
HFrames (History Frames)

The HFrames slider, located in the Movie >> Modifiers sub-palette defines the qual-
ity of the transition between each recorded history operation by specifying how many
animation frames to use between each undo step. A low value will create a movie with
no interpolation. A higher value will create a movie with better interpolation between the
operations, similar to a blending transition between your strokes or operations. Increas-
ing the HFrames setting will have require longer to render the movie and will also result
in slower overall playback.
HRecenter (History Recenter)

The HRecenter slider, located in the Movie >> Modifiers sub-palette defines how
strongly ZBrush will attempt to keep the mesh centered within the document. A high value
will keep the mesh positioned at the center of the document, while a low value will allow
the mesh to move across the canvas closer to what happened during its creation.
HOrientation (History Orientation)

The HOrientation slider, located in the Movie >> Modifiers sub-palette defines how
much the model should be allowed to tumble in front of the camera as it did during sculpt-
ing. A high value will keep the mesh orientation similar to what it was done during the
creation process while a low value will reduce the mesh spinning and create smoother
rotations during movie playback.
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HPosition (History Position)

The HPosition slider, located in the Movie >> Modifiers sub-palette defines how much
the mesh position will be maintained relative to how the model was moved and scaled
during sculpting. A high value will keep the mesh position similar to what it was during the
creation process, while a low value will minimize mesh movements and create smoother
playback.
History Camera Path Smoothness

The HSmoothness slider, located in the Movie >> Modifiers sub-palette defines how
smoothly the camera path will be interpolated. A higher setting will have a smoother in-
terpolation of the camera relative to the original movement during the creation process.
Note:
If you wish no camera movements for your recording put the HOrientation, HPosition and
HRencenter to 0. You must also set the Movie >> Modifiers >> Spin Cycles to 0 and Spin Frames
to 1.
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ZBrush User Guide - BPR Filters
BPR FILTERS
Post Process render filters.
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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 different types of filters which may be layered on top of each other
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 disable 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.
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-
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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 filter’s 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 sub-palette (located in the Render palette) is pictured on the left with its operators.
The picture on the right shows the list of Filter types.
The BPR Filters and their settings, located in the Render >> BPR Filters sub-palette.
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The evolution of a BPR Filters render, from top left to bottom right: The original render, a paint-over
modulated by a Fresnel setting, followed with Contrast by User Color, then Cavity detection and
finally, a Sharpen Filter. Image courtesy of Ryan Kingslien.
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I BPR Filters List
ZBrush provide different filters which can be combined and applied to your BPR
render. These can modulated by the filter settings and the masking settings.
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.
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.
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.
Orton
Produces a popular photographic effect that superimposes a blurred version of the
image with a sharpened version. The result is a soft and slightly blurry image that none-
theless has clear details and vibrant color
Fade
Applies transparency to the render. At 100%, the rendered colors become invisible.
Glow
Applies a glow effect to the render. The color of the Glow is based on the render
color.
Color
Applies a uniform color to the render which can be modulated by the Color setting
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located at the right of the Blend mode. This filter is applied using the Replace blending
mode.
Red
Applies a uniform red color to the render using the Screen blending mode. The Color
setting has no impact on this filter.
Green
Applies a uniform green color to the render using the Screen blending mode. The
Color setting has no impact on this filter.
Blue
Applies a uniform blue color to the render using the Screen blending mode. The
Color setting has no impact on this filter.
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.
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.
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.
Negative
With the color patch set to mid-grey and a strength setting close to 1, this filter ad-
justs your render to look more like a film negative.
Gamma
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Applies an exponential of the color intensity. It lightens the overall image without
washing out detail.
Additive
Offsets all colors in the image to be brighter or darker by an equal amount.
Paint
Applies the selected color from the patch over the BPR render. Combined with the
Mask and Fresnel settings, it can produce non-photorealistic rendering (NPR).
Contrast User Color

Allows you to modulate the contrast of the render using the Color information defined
with the color patch available below the Strength slider. This color will be added with the
colors from the final render. A darker color will create a much more contrasted render and
lighter color will provide less contrast.
For better results you can mix this contrast with the Mask modulator.
Contrast Auto Color

Similar to the Contrast User Color, but ZBrush will find the best color from the final
render.
Contrast Auto Gray

Similar to the Contrast User Color, but the contrast will use a neutral grey. This re-
sults in a neutral colored contrast.
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II BPR Filter Settings
Each filter creates its own unique effect but all filters share the same common set-
tings. However, with some filters there are settings that will not affect the result.
Filter activation and selection:

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.
Filter Selector
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.
Blend mode
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.
Color picker
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.
Strength slider
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 filter’s effect (such as turning the Blur filter into a Sharpen filter).
Radius slider
Alters the current filter by increasing its spread. This setting is modulated by the
Strength slider
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Filter Blur type

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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III BPR Filters Modulators
When a filter is applied to your render its effect and corresponding settings can be
modulated by maps derived from the render information. These settings can be used
to define where you want to have this effect (like only on shadowed surfaces) or how
strongly the effect should be applied in any area (such as applied more strongly where
shadows are darkest).
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.
The Filters Modulators, located in the BPR Filters sub-palette.
Depth
Modulates the filter based upon the depth information in the scene. This information
is always available and doesn’t need to be enabled in the Render settings to be applied
to the image.
Fresnel
Modulates the filter based upon surface orientation. By adjusting the modulator’s
value 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 doesn’t need to be en-
abled in the Render settings to be applied to the image.
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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 doesn’t need to be enabled in the Render settings to
be applied to the image.
Ambient Occlusion
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.
Sub Surface Scattering

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.
Mask
Modulates the filter by the model’s 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 doesn’t need to be enabled in the Render settings to be applied to the image.
Color Swatch
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.
Intensity (Int)
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
to the model. Higher settings will result in less of the render being affected by the filter.
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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.
Saturation (Sat)
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.
Red, Green and Blue Components

Display only the red, blue or green component channels of the image.
Depth Slider
Use this slider to determine how strong the filters are applied relative to the depth of
each pixel within the rendered image.
Depth A and B
These sliders modulate the Depth operator to let you define the starting and ending
point of the render depth. Depth A defines where the filter will begin to affect the image
with a slow exponent and Depth B represents where the filter will be applied at 100%
intensity.
Note:
These slider values are easily set simply by clicking one and then dragging your cursor over
your render to pick a point in the image that has the desired A or B depth value.
Depth Exponent
This controls falloff between Depth A and Depth B. The higher the value the more
harsh the transition will be from Depth A to Depth B. Lower values will have a slow, soft
transition.
Cavity
Applies the current filter to the portions of the render detected as being surface
cavities. This is similar to the way a MatCap™ can use cavities to display two different
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shaders. The Cavity filter can be modulated by the cavity radius detection and sensibil-
ity detection, which can drastically change the transition across the surface’s geometry.
Image courtesy of James Van Den Bogart.
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ZBrush User Guide - Posterization
POSTERIZATION
Add Cell Shading effect in 3D or 2D to your models
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Posterization takes a smooth gradient and converts it to fewer steps with abrupt
changes between them – a staircase kind of effect. This was originally done with pho-
tographic processes to make posters, which is where the name of the effect is derived
from.
With additions made to the profile curves, Material Mixer, BPR Filters and a new 3D
Posterize feature you can now easily create a cell shaded render.
Posterization isn’t only for BPR renders. It can be applied to any profile curve in
ZBrush. This means that you can add a posterization effect to a brush curve, a brush
alpha or any other place a profile curve is used.
Posterization can also be found in premade settings to make your creative work
easier, such as in the render settings or through the BPR filters.
An example of posterization. Model courtesy of Olivier Milas.
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I Posterization of the Curve Settings
The first location where you can set posterization is with profile curves of ZBrush.
A couple of new settings have been added which will affect the curve shape: Step and
Strength.
By increasing the Step value, you will create steps in your curve, breaking it into a
number of steps defined by the slider’s value.
These steps are modulated by the Strength value. At a value of 1 the angles will be
at their sharpest, giving your curve a perfect staircase effect. Lower values soften the
angles until no stepping if visible at all when Strength reaches its minimum value of zero.
(Technically, the steps are still there but they’ve been softened so much as to have no
effect.)
Three different curves and their results.
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To visualize the effect of posterizing a curve, try the following:

1. Load a 3D model.
2. Select the Skin Shade 4 material from the Material palette (found in the Standard
material group).
3. Open the Material palette and expand the Modifiers.
4. You should find a list of sliders and curves. Expand the Diffuse Curve.
5. Change the Strength value to 1 and set the Step value to 5.
6. Your model should now show distinct shading colors rather than smooth gradi-
ents.
7. You can also make changes to the Specular curve to alter your cell shading effect.
8. Hit the Shift+R shortcut to perform a BPR render and most clearly see your modi-
fications.
Note:
If you have a low polygon mesh, posterization of the material can make the low model resolu-
tion really visible. To get the best results, enable Smooth Normal mode in the Render >> Render
Properties sub-palette.
This is just one example of posterization. As mentioned in the introduction of this

chapter, you will find the Step and Strength sliders in every ZBrush curve, letting you
posterize a large number of things.
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II Posterization for Materials and Rendering
The optimized solution for creating a cell shading effect is to alter existing material
curves as described above. This solution may make it somewhat time consuming to first
define a material, but it pays off later. ZBrush calculates this level of posterization as a
pre-render effect, before even considering the colors present on the model (as PolyPaint
or texture). This creates a truly 3D posterization which produces great results.
Remember: Once you have created a material you like, you can save it for later use.
1. 3D Posterization at Render Time
As an alternative to individually adjusting your various materials you can do a quick

posterization adjusting the 3D Posterize slider now found in the Render >> Render Prop-
erties sub-palette. Increasing this slider’s value will add more steps to your posterization,
reducing the cell shading effect.
The benefit of this solution is that ZBrush uses the surface curvature rather than color
to establish the posterization. So when PolyPaint is applied the posterization will not be
affected. This posterization is done on the top of the existing material, rather than alter-
ing the material itself.
2. 2D Posterization
As with render time 3D posterization, you can apply a global posterization to your
materials by using the Material >> Mixer sub-palette and increasing the Steps value
found there.
The Posteriez slider, located in the Material Mixer.
This solution is different from the 3D Posterize found in the Render Properties as it is
applied as a 2D effect such as you would find in a photo editing software. In other words,
rather than being taken into account as part of the render, it is applied to the image after
the render has been completed.
Yet it is also different from what you could accomplish in another program because as
a Material Mixer, you can mix several shaders through a posterization value.
This is also where you will find the Outline slider. This gives that black outline to the
model that you often see in comic books or cartoons.
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III Posterization as a BPR Filter
A model using 3D posterization, along with a background image using a combination of two
posterization BPR Filters.
Posterization can also be applied on top of an existing render through the BPR filters.
This allows the posterization effect to be modulated by all the filter settings like depth,
masking, cavity, etc.
ZBrush has five different posterization filters based on their intensity. Each has its
own Step (posterize) slider and opacity.
The five different posterization BPR Filters.
Because a BPR filter is applied to the final render, its effect can also be applied to a
2D background image or even the panorama image
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Edge Detection
A new control has been added to the filter exponents. You now have the capability to
apply any filter to the edges of the surface. You can use this to simulate an outline of a
model, much like a comic book or cartoon. For example:
1. Select the Paint filter.
2. Turn the Paint slider all the way to 100. The whole image will become grey.
3. Click on the color swatch and select your desired color.
4. Increase EdgeDetection to its maximum value.
You will see that your model now has an outline around the edge using the color you
selected. Now use the following sliders to refine the results.
Ed Exp
This will control the Edge Detection roll off. The higher this value is, the more solid
the outline will be.
Ed Ds
With this pressed the filter will be double sided, applied to both sides of the edge.
Ed Radius
The Edge Radius adjusts the thickness of the edge filter being applied to the model.
E Sense
The Edge Detection Filter Sensitivity slider adjusts how much change in surface is
required for ZBrush to determine that an edge is present.
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IV Outline of the Model
Three Outline variations.
In addition to posterization, ZBrush provides an alternative (or supplemental) way to

create the characteristic edge lines visible in cell shading.
In the Material >> Mixer you can find the new Outline and Depth settings. These are
located just below the Posterize slider.
• The Outline slider defines the intensity of the outline color, based on the object’s
diffuse color.
• The Depth slider defines the detection of breaks in the model’s curvature in order
to calculate the width of the outline.
These outline settings are also available as BPR filter modulators through the Edge
detection sliders.
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ZBrush User Guide - LightCap
LIGHTCAP
Create both Materials or MatCap™ in real-time.
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Model courtesy of Maarten Verhoeven.
LightCap™ is a new way to create both Materials or MatCap™ in real-time by ma-

nipulating directly the lights they simulate.
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™:
A Matcap™ is a Material with light information backed in as an image, as soon as it

is created, you can’t change the light information in MatCap™, while a Standard Mate-
rial can be affected by the scene light. The LightCap™ Designer let you manipulate light
information at creation time, but as soon as you change to another ZBrush® project or
restart ZBrush®, you will not be able to change the MatCap™ light information. You can
however individually save your LightCap™ in its own file format.
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.
It’s important to consider these points when creating a new Material or MatCap™
through the LightCap™ Designer.
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
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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.
I LightCap™ workflow
This is an example of workflow using the LightCap designer and may vary from your
needs.
LightCap with a MatCap or a Material:
• Load a ZBrush model or a Project.

• Select a MatCap, the default Red Wax one or a material like the SkinShade4.
Both are great examples to use.
Note:
This Matcap or Material will be definitely modified by the next steps and until restarting
ZBrush. If you which to save your MatCap/Material editing with the LightCap Designer, you must
save the MatCap/Material under a different file name or just save the LightCap information and
load it if needed at a later stage.
• 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, cre-
ating 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 Designer. To finish with this step you can change the light Strength
to create a stronger base light.
• It’s 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.
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• 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 opacity. The opacity setting is the only slider that is separate per
channel for both Diffuse and Specular while others settings are connected be-
tween these two editing modes. It means that if you want to make a light invis-
ible 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/Mat-
Cap 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 im-
ages 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-
palette. 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 sliders 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.
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II LightCap™ and MatCap quality
When creating with LightCaps for a MatCap, ZBrush is internally using one or two
images, for the channel A and B unless your start MatCap only has one sphere then
only A channel is created. In this case the Diffuse and Specular of LightCaps is baked
together into the one sphere. The quality of these image is based on the Render >> Ren-
der Properties >> Details slider. A value of 1 means a 512x512 internal map, a value of
2 means a 1024x1024 internal map and a value of 3 means a 2048x2048 internal map.
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.
Depending on your needs, use this setting to increase or decrease the quality of the inter-
nal 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 doesn’t include details with Alpha
and texture maps, we recommend using the lowest quality.
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III LightCap™ with Environments
A LightCap can be creating directly from the background texture that is loaded into
the Background sub-palette. By analyzing the background’s high and low intensity values
and their colors, lights will automatically be created at correct positions and accurate
intensity of lights with shadows turn on for lights above the horizon line. This one click
operation can create most if not all of your lights ready to be edited in the LightCap De-
signer system.
An example of a background image used to create a LightCap.

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 can’t be exported as
a separate image.
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IV LightCap™ settings and options
The LightCap sub-palette, located in the Light palette.
Open and Save

The Save button lets you save a LightCap and all its information and the Open but-
ton allows you load a previously saved LightCap.
Diffuse Channel
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 ap-
plied in the Specular mode.
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Specular Channel
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.
LightCap™ preview
The preview window displays the preview of the LightCaps in real-time, will also
allow 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.
Sphere to Equirectangular mode

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.
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.
Spherical projection is shown on the left. Equirectangular projection is on the right.
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New Light
The New Light button adds a new light with its default setting on the center of the
LightCap preview.
Delete Light
The Delete Light button deletes the active light of the LightCap preview.
Light Index slider

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.
Strength slider
The Strength slider defines the diffuse and specular intensity which are bound to-
gether.
Shadow slider
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

intensity may vary and most of the time, the light under the horizon line have their inten-
sity at 0.
Aperture slider
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.
Opacity slider
The Opacity slider changes the selected light’s opacity. This setting is different from
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the Strength because it doesn’t 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 won’t 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.
Falloff slider
The Falloff slider defines the distance that the light will cover over a model from it
center point to its extremities. The falloff doesn’t affect the amount of light or specular, but
how it is distributed on its aperture space.
Exposure slider
The Exposure slider lets you apply a multiplier on the light Strength value. This is
very similar to the Exposure in photography.
Gamma slider
The Gamma sliders allows you to change the Gamma of the light, which mainly af-
fects the contrast of the light color.
Color selector
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 ZBrush’s
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.
Blend Mode
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.
Texture (Txtr) selector

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.
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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.
Alpha Selector
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.
Horizontal Tile (HTile) and Vertical Tile (VTile) sliders

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.
Scale Width and Height sliders

Both Scale Width and Height sliders allow you to adjust the size of any selected
Texture and/or Alpha in both horizontal and vertical axis.
Blur slider
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.
Orientation slider
The orientation slider allows you to change the rotation of the Texture and/or Alpha
applied to the selected light.
Create Environment
The Create Environment utility converts the LightCap into a background texture that
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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.
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V 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.
The LightCap Adjustments sub-palette, located in the Light palette.
Exposure slider
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..
Gamma Slider
The Gamma sliders allows you to change the Gamma of the LightCap, which affects
the contrast of the light color.
Hue slider
The Hue slider allows you to change the global hue of the LightCap, which can let
you alter its global color tint.
Saturation slider
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.
Intensity slider
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 it’s just a color or a light.
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Retain Highlight slider

The Retain Highlight slider allows you to decide which part of the specular highlight
you want to make visible or not, mainly to change the lights highlight.
Use material Curves mode

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.
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VI 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 LightCap Horizon sub-palette, located in the Light palette.
Longitude and Latitude sliders

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.
Horizon opacity
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.
C1 to C4 color selectors and sliders

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.
Rate Top and Rate Bottom (Bot)

The Top and Bottom Rate sliders define the offset of the gradient of both bottom and
top horizon.
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Image courtesy of Kurt Papstein.
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ZBrush User Guide - ZBrush to KeyShot Bridge
KEYSHOT FOR ZBRUSH
Interactive raytracing and global illumination render for ZBrush.
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KeyShot® is a rendering software created by the company Luxion. They have expert
knowledge in areas related to daylighting (atmospheric scattering), light scattering by
materials (BRDF and BSSRDF models), light transport algorithms such as photon map-
ping, and real-time rendering technology. KeyShot is an interactive raytracing and global
illumination program developed by Luxion for both PC and Mac that breaks down the
complexity of creating photographic images from 3D models. KeyShot is easy to use and
gives anybody involved with 3D data the ability to create photographic-quality images in
a matter of minutes, independent of the size of the digital model. KeyShot features Scien-
tifically Accurate Materials, Multi-Core Photon Mapping, Adaptive Material Sampling and
a Dynamic Light Core. These features allow users to see results as changes are being
made. In addition to the above, KeyShot also allows you to create your own lights as well
as materials in order to have full control over your rendering.
KeyShot for ZBrush consists of two parts: KeyShot itself and a ZBrush to KeyShot
Bridge based on the LiveLinking™ function which connects ZBrush to KeyShot 5. For
ZBrush users who do not already own a copy of KeyShot 5, there is a special edition of
the renderer, named KeyShot for ZBrush. With the Bridge active, KeyShot becomes an
alternative renderer for BPR inside of ZBrush.
If you are already an owner of KeyShot, you will only need the ZBrush to KeyShot
plugin to enable the Bridge. All versions of KeyShot 5 and beyond are compatible with
this plugin.
With the combination of ZBrush and KeyShot, you will have another option to almost
instantly produce high quality images from your ZBrush models. At any time you can
send your models to KeyShot which will then display what you have in ZBrush, including
primitives, ZSpheres, ZSketches, geometry and more. This will include the correspond-
ing material or MatCap already applied to them. In a way, KeyShot can become your
second ZBrush “monitor”.
We invite you to visit the KeyShot website for further information and documenta-
tion on the application. The ZBrush to KeyShot Bridge plugin can be purchased from the
Pixologic web store. Also available is a bundle containing both KeyShot for ZBrush and
the ZBrush to KeyShot Plugin. All versions of KeyShot itself (including special licensing
options for KeyShot for ZBrush) are available from the Luxion website.
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I About the KeyShot for ZBrush Software
The KeyShot for ZBrush edition is a dedicated version of KeyShot that works only
with ZBrush. This version is equivalent to KeyShot HD in terms of features except that it
can only open KeyShot’s native .bip files and of course, connect to ZBrush. It is not pos-
sible to use other file formats to import data, although one could load such models into
ZBrush and then use KeyShot to render via the Bridge.
This edition has no restrictions on render resolution..
All versions of KeyShot starting with KeyShot 5 natively support the Bridge, which
mean that if you are already an owner of a KeyShot license you will be able to use it with-
out needing to buy the special edition of KeyShot for ZBrush. In that case you will only
need to purchase the Bridge plugin, adding it to ZBrush to enable connection between
both applications.
The purpose of the KeyShot for ZBrush version is to make KeyShot more readily
priced for hobbyists. To that end, a bundle is also available with special pricing when you
buy both KeyShot for ZBrush and the KeyShot Bridge together. You of course are not
required to purchase the KeyShot for ZBrush edition and could instead opt to buy one of
the other editions in order to have expanded import capabilities or larger renders.
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II KeyShot Hardware Specifications
KeyShot will run on both Windows and Mac OSX operating systems. Like ZBrush,
it is a CPU driven software which means that it doesn’t need an expensive high end
graphic card to give great renders. KeyShot will work on most computers, from laptops
to high end workstations. If your computer can execute ZBrush, then it will be able to
execute KeyShot
Because KeyShot performs real-time renders, the model render is constantly up-
dated to refine and optimize the quality of the image. For this reason, the processor is
always used at its maximum potential. Both processor speed and number of cores have
an impact on performance. As a rule, more cores will be of greater benefit than faster
individual core speed. (This holds true for ZBrush as well.) An easy – if generic – way
to compare CPU’s for both ZBrush and KeyShot is to multiply each CPU’s speed by the
number of cores that it has. Doing this for each CPU will give you values that you can
compare, with the higher number being the better choice. In this way, a dual core pro-
cessor at 4 GHz (comparison value of 8) is inferior to a quad core processor at 3 GHz
(comparison value of 12) even though the dual core CPU is the faster chip.
Both ZBrush and KeyShot also rely heavily on memory. If your computer has a
limited amount of memory, running both applications at the same time will produce de-
graded performance due to the memory that is needed. It is advised to have at least 8 GB
of memory to be able to run both programs at the same time. To give you an estimation
of the memory needed, with 16 GB of RAM you can manipulate between 100 and 200
million polygons. Of course, to push that many polygons in ZBrush you would need to be
using the 64-bit version of ZBrush.)
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III Supported and Non-Supported ZBrush Data Types
The KeyShot for ZBrush Bridge allows you to produce high quality renders in a
single click without the need for converting your models to a specific type of file. KeyShot
will not only render your geometry, but also many of ZBrush’s proprietary functions like
ZSpheres and ZSketch.
This list gives a quick rundown of the information types that are supported and not
supported, along with various notes:
1. Geometry and Meshes
• Geometry with or without UV’s: All of your 3D models displayed in ZBrush in

Edit mode can be sent to KeyShot without restriction.
• Geometry HD: This specific sculpting mode isn’t supported by the Bridge. Ge-
ometry HD supports up to 1 billion polygons, which is well beyond the capabili-
ties of KeyShot.
• ZSphere, ZSketch, Primitives: These procedural geometries (i.e., non-Poly-
Mesh3D) can be sent to KeyShot and will appear as they do in ZBrush without
the need to convert them to PolyMesh3D objects via Adaptive or Unified Skin-
ning.
• Partial visibility (hiding part of a mesh): Partially visible meshes are sent to
KeyShot as they are displayed within ZBrush.
• SubTools: All visible SubTools are sent to KeyShot. The selected SubTool will
also always be sent, even if it is flagged as invisible.
• FiberMesh: The FiberMesh feature is fully supported, from preview mode to
generated FiberMesh.
• MicroMesh: If MicroMesh mode is enabled in the Render properties of ZBrush,
instances are sent to KeyShot as geometry.
• NanoMesh: The different NanoMesh layers applied to a model will be exported
to KeyShot as separate geometry.
• Surface Noise: This feature is fully supported in KeyShot and is equivalent to
what you would have with the traditional BPR render. Noise is converted to real
geometry without any action being required from you.
2. Color, Textures and Materials
• PolyPainting: KeyShot supports ZBrush PolyPaint. Models will keep their

PolyPaint when applying different KeyShot materials as long as those materials
support vertex shading.
• Color Textures: KeyShot supports the color texture applied on a mesh via its
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UVW coordinates. The user can keep the texture when applying different Key-
Shot materials as long as those materials support textures.
• Normal Maps, Displacement Maps and Vector Displacement Maps: None of
these maps are currently supported. KeyShot can easily handle the high resolu-
tion geometry generated by ZBrush, so using such maps would only increase
render time while actually reducing render quality. In effect, these maps are
useless for KeyShot renders.
• Materials and MatCap: ZBrush materials -- whether they are classic materials
or MatCaps -- are fully interpolated to KeyShot. Most of this information is trans-
ferred via a texture, which means that you won’t be able to tweak the material in
KeyShot like you could do in ZBrush. However, what you see in ZBrush will be
what you can expect to see in KeyShot.
3. Environmental Data
• ZBrush Lights: The lights set in the Light palette are not supported in KeyShot.
• LightCap: This is not directly supported. The effect of any LightCap is con-
verted to be a part of the the ZBrush Material in KeyShot. This means that your
material will look the same there, but if you change materials in KeyShot the
LightCap “result” will be lost.
• Background color: The ZBrush background color defined in the Document >>
Back color is supported by setting Environment >> Background in KeyShot to
“Color.”
• Background image: Background images loaded in ZBrush are not transferred
to KeyShot.
4. Settings
• ZBrush camera: ZBrush uses a 2.5D camera while KeyShot uses a fully 3D
camera. As a result, when going to KeyShot it is not possible to preserve the
model’s position relative to the ZBrush camera.
• References images and Grids: Neither feature is supported by KeyShot.
• Grid level: The grid level (defined by Draw >> Elv (Elevation Grid)) isn’t sup-
ported in KeyShot.
IV Basic Workflow from ZBrush to KeyShot
The process of rendering your ZBrush models or scenes in KeyShot is easy and
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mainly relies on the materials applied in ZBrush.
1. Changing the Rendering Engine
The first step to use KeyShot instead of the ZBrush BPR is to go to Render >> Ex-
ternal Renderer and click the KeyShot button to enable it as the default rendering engine
for ZBrush.
2. Setting the Bridge Options
Before sending your data to KeyShot, you can change the various options found in
the External Renderer sub-palette.
The most important setting to consider is the Auto Merge mode which we recom-
mend be left enabled. Please refer to the AutoMerge function description at the end of
this chapter.
3. Sending Data from ZBrush to KeyShot
With the above settings in place, clicking the BPR button (located in the Render
>> BPR Render Pass menu or on the right Shelf in main ZBrush interface) or using the
Shift+R hotkey will automatically send your current model to KeyShot, launching it if
necessary. If KeyShot is already running, the current instance of KeyShot will be used.
Depending on what you have in ZBrush, you can have these scenarios inside of
KeyShot:
• If you have an empty scene in KeyShot, the Bridge will build the scene by using
the information from ZBrush.
• If you already have a model loaded in KeyShot composed of one or more Sub-
Tools and you have the same model in ZBrush, the KeyShot scene will update
according to the current ZBrush state. For example, modified SubTools or even
added/removed SubTools will be updated appropriately in KeyShot.
Note:
All visible SubTools are always sent to KeyShot even if they have not been edited.
• If you selected a different Tool or Project in ZBrush, then whatever is in the Key-
Shot scene will be replaced by what is now in ZBrush. This is similar to creating
a new scene.
It is important to consider that the Bridge itself won’t automatically save your Key-
Shot renders. If you like a render, save it before doing a new render! Otherwise the new
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render will replace the previous one. The Bridge actions are not undoable.
Note:
It is not possible to update your KeyShot scene from ZBrush if KeyShot is in Pause mode.
You must disable Pause mode before pressing BPR to try again.
4. Going Back from KeyShot to ZBrush
The Bridge is strictly a one-way action, from ZBrush to KeyShot. While you can send
materials from ZBrush to KeyShot it is not possible to bring KeyShot materials back into
ZBrush. Additionally, if you used the copy/instance functions of KeyShot you would not
be able to reflect that in ZBrush.
To go from KeyShot to ZBrush you can use your operating system commands (such
as Alt/Cmd+Tab) or you can click the small ZBrush logo located at the right of the Key-
Shot toolbar. All that this will do is change your focus application from KeyShot back to
ZBrush, without any data being transferred.
Of course, if you are working on a dual monitor configuration with ZBrush and Key-
Shot located on different monitors, you won’t need to use this function.
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V Working with ZBrush Data
The workflow to produce nice models in KeyShot is partly based on the background
environment image which will produce the light, as well as the materials applied to you
model.
In KeyShot, you have complete freedom to change the lighting, use ZBrush materi-
als already applied to your model and also use anything from the rich material library
provided within KeyShot.
Applying materials to a model in KeyShot is done in two different ways:

• Drag a material from the library and drop it onto the model. The ZBrush mate-
rial applied to the model will be replaced by the selected one and this change
will also be applied to all other SubTools which have the same ZBrush material.
• Drag a material from the library and drop it onto the model of your choice in the
KeyShot scene tree. In this case, the material change will only be applied to
that specific SubTool.
This way of working gives you great flexibility. If you are working with a single model
which only needs one material, you can simply do a quick drag and drop from the library
onto the model, no matter how many SubTools it might be comprised of. On the other
hand, if you want to keep the ZBrush materials for some SubTools while using KeyShot
materials for others, you can drag materials onto the scene tree. Alternatively, you can
define different Materials/MatCaps in ZBrush before sending it to KeyShot.
1. Material Priority
When working with materials in either ZBrush or KeyShot, the last material applied
in either program will have the priority when doing an update of the scene from ZBrush
to KeyShot.
In other words, if you sent a scene to KeyShot and changed the materials there,
those materials would remain even if you do some edits in ZBrush and perform a new
render. However, if you then changed a material in ZBrush that would be reflected in
your next KeyShot render. KeyShot will always use the most recently applied material for
any SubTool, regardless of whether that material was applied in ZBrush or in KeyShot.
2. Multiple Materials in Action
If you wish to apply different KeyShot materials to different parts of your model, you
will generally first want to assign separate ZBrush materials to each part. Applying a
material in ZBrush always means being able to apply a KeyShot material to the same
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location.
If you want separate KeyShot materials on different parts of the same SubTool you
would have to:
1. Select your SubTool.

2. Select the first ZBrush Material/MatCap.
3. Select Draw >> M or MRGB.
4. Click Color >> Fill Object to attribute the material to all the SubTool’s polygons.
5. Use the Marquee or Lasso selection brush (Ctrl+Shift+click drag) to hide the
parts of the model that you want to continue using the first material.
6. Select another material.
7. Color >> Fill Object to attribute the material only to the visible polygons of the
model.
8. Repeat the last few steps for any other materials.
9. Show all the polygons of the model with by Ctrl+Shift+click on the document or
by clicking Tool >> Visibility >> ShowPt.
10. Now send your model to KeyShot.
11. If you select a material and drag it over your model without releasing the mouse
button, portions of the model should become highlighted based upon which
ZBrush material was assigned to that portion.
12. Now you can define which KeyShot material to apply to each section simply by
dropping it on the desired highlighted area.
3. Working with Texture and PolyPaint
The KeyShot for ZBrush Bridge fully supports both textures applied to your model
and ZBrush PolyPaint. If your SubTool has both an applied texture and PolyPaint, the
Bridge will transfer whichever is currently visible in the ZBrush document. (Texture takes
priority unless it is turned off in Tool >> Texture Map.)
You can also apply KeyShot materials to your model to replace the ZBrush materi-
als. By default, doing this will completely replace the material and its information of color/
texture. To preserve the texture or PolyPaint information you need to hold the Alt key
while dragging and dropping the KeyShot material to its destination.
Keep in mind that not all KeyShot materials support vertex shading or texture map-
ping! If you choose to use such a material it will be impossible to preserve the incom-
patible data in that part of the model. In those cases it is not possible to add the Color/
Texture information in KeyShot except by changing the type of material but this may
make some physical properties of the material disappear.
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4. Working with Surface Noise
Any Surface Noise applied to your model is fully transferable to KeyShot. During
the rendering process, ZBrush applies a tessellation to the whole model before then
displacing the geometry to correspond with the procedural noise. This automatic opera-
tion means that you don’t need to apply your surface noise to the mesh for rendering
purposes.
The quality of the tessellation and as a result the quality of the produced noise is
defined by the Tool >> Display Properties >> BPR Settings >> 3D Noise Max Resolution
slider. This sets (in millions) the maximum number of polygons that ZBrush can add to
your model during the rendering process.
Please refer to the Surface Noise documentation for more information.
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VI ZBrush to KeyShot Bridge Options
The ZBrush to KeyShot Bridge is simple and easy to use but there are a few options
can have great impact on the way you work. This is particularly true of the Auto Merge
mode.
KeyShot
Render >> External Render >> KeyShot enables the Bridge between ZBrush and
KeyShot. When enabled, any time you tell ZBrush to do a BPR render it will automatically
send your model to KeyShot.
If disabled, ZBrush will use its own BPR renderer.
Max Faces
The Render >> External Render >> Max Faces mode splits the current model into
smaller parts. The size of each part will be no larger (in millions of polygons) than what
has been set by this slider. Increasing the slider’s value sends your work to KeyShot in
larger chunks. Depending upon your computer configuration, this may produce slow-
downs or cause the Bridge to hang entirely.
Imagine crossing a foot bridge. If you tried to drive a tank across, it would most likely
collapse. But if you disassemble the tank and carry it across one piece at a time you’ll be
able to reassemble it on the other side. The actual capacity of your bridge depends upon
your system specs. But even with a powerful computer, keeping a low value will produce
smaller chunks of data when sending to KeyShot and usually speed up the process.
If the Auto Merge option is active, these smaller chucks will be merged together
inside of KeyShot.
Auto Merge Mode

Because ZBrush can send large amounts of data to KeyShot, the information usu-
ally needs to be split into smaller chunks to speed up the Bridge process. (See the Max
Faces section above.) The Render >> External Renderer >> Auto Merge mode then tells
KeyShot to weld all these parts to rebuild the models as they originally were in ZBrush.
Of course, you can increase the Max Faces Slider value to send the data in larger
chunks, thus avoiding splitting of the model. However, since the maximum value is 10
million polygons you will most likely need to merge parts of your model sooner or later.
If you don’t enable Auto Merge mode, your KeyShot scene may contain hundreds of
parts. For this reason, it is strongly advised to leave Auto Merge enabled.
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So why would you ever want to turn Auto Merge off? There may be times when you
want to do quick renders of your models while working and are not going to be applying
KeyShot-specific materials through the Scene tree. In that case, turning Auto Merge off
will make the Bridge operation much faster because KeyShot won’t need to spend time
welding the model back together again.
Group By Materials
The Render >> External Render >> Group by Material mode creates a separate
group for each ZBrush material applied to the model’s SubTools. This means that hav-
ing multiple materials applied to your model in ZBrush will produce the same number of
material groups in KeyShot.
These groups are simply defined by the materials in ZBrush; no other visual repre-
sentation exist.
When the model is sent to KeyShot, dragging a material from the KeyShot library
onto any part of the model which is part of a material group will apply that material to parts
that share this material group.
When this Group by Materials options is disabled, each model is independent and
dragging a material from the KeyShot library onto the model will affect only that model.
Send Document Color

When enabled, the Render >> External Render >> Send Document Color mode
instructs KeyShot to set its own document background color to match your ZBrush docu-
ment.
This function doesn’t send any background image to KeyShot; it only sends the color
values found in the Document palette.
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ZBrush User Guide - Text 3D & Vector Shapes
TEXT 3D & VECTOR SHAPES
Create 3D text and logos with a few clicks.
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Examples of shapes created with the 3D Text and Shape Creator tool.
Using 3D text shapes or designs based on logos can be very useful when creating
models – especially when combined with Boolean operations or when using the Match
Maker brush. ZBrush provides a full 3D text creator that makes use of all fonts available
on your machine. The tool provides stylistic modifications like extrusions, bevels and
even right to left orientation.
As with ZBrush itself, the 3D text system supports Unicode fonts and text.
Because 3D text is vector based, the tool is also able to import vector files in SVG
format, allowing you to convert logos or other vector images to 3D shapes.
The 3D Text and Shape Creator tool is located in the ZPlugin palette.
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I Creating a 3D Shape Based on Text Entry or an SVG File
The process of creating a shape based on either text or a 2D vector image in SVG
format is very easy!
The 3D Text and Shape Creator sub-palette.
1. Open the ZPlugins >> 3D Text and Shape Creator sub-palette.

2. Choose your input method:
• To create 3D shape from text, click the “New Text” button. A popup will ap-
pear. Type the text of your choice and then hit Enter to validate. The newly
created 3D text will appear in the center of the canvas.
• To create a 3D shape based on an SVG file, click the “New SVG” button. A
system file selector will appear. Browse your hard drive and select the file of
your choice. After loading, the logo will appear in the center of the canvas.
3. Once your text or logo has been created, you can change its appearance set-
tings. These include the font itself (with any available styles), extrusion depth,
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spacing, bevel, or text direction (vertical or reversed). All changes are dynamic,
letting you see the results immediately.
4. It is possible to change the inputted text or replace the logo by clicking the “Edit
Text” / “Edit SVG” buttons.
The model is a PolyMesh 3D by default. This means that once you are done editing
your object using the various settings, you can sculpt or otherwise edit it as you would
any 3D model.
It is important to keep in mind that editing the model is possible so long as you don’t
duplicate the SubTool or change its name. Also, updating a style/geometry setting will
revert the model to a “clean,” freshly generated state without any edits that have been
done since its original creation.
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II Quality and Performance
To produce 3D shapes, the tool converts vector outlines to polygons. This process
can be very quick when using simple shapes that do not contain high levels of detail.
The more detailed that your font or shape is, the longer it can take to create a 3D model.
The 3D engine built for this process has been optimized to produce high quality
results with nearly any font or shape. However, this high quality can impact the speed of
the process, especially when increasing the shape’s resolution.
We strongly advise to begin by creating your text or shape with a low polygon count
and then increase the Resolution setting only if needed.
1. Adaptive mode
The vector 3D engine provides two modes to convert curves to polygons: Adaptive
and Regular. These are toggled between by using the Adaptive switch. Both modes have
their own pros and cons.
• When Adaptive is turned on, the engine creates the most even topology pos-
sible across the model. This can be a benefit for future deformation but is
slower to process.
• When Adaptive is turned off, the Regular mode is used. This creates long tri-
angles but is faster to process.
For complex shapes and fonts, it is advised to begin with Regular mode. Once you
are satisfied with the styling modifications of your choice, you can turn Adaptive on to
increase the quality of the end result.
On the left, Adaptive mode. On the right, the Regular mode. Notice the differing polygon distribu-
tion between the two modes.
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III Font Management
By default, the 3D Text and Shape Creator will look at the fonts located in your sys-
tem’s Fonts folder:
• Windows: c:\Windows\Fonts
• Mac OS: /Library/Fonts and /System/Library/Fonts
The tool supports fonts in TTF, TTC, OFT and FON formats, which are all vector
based. Fonts in bitmap format are not supported.
If you wish to use a font that is not installed in your system font folder, you can manu-
ally load the font by clicking the “Load a Font file from disk” button.
When selecting a font for your text, you can use the left and right arrows to quickly
cycle through all your fonts. An alternative is to click on the font name. A popup will open,
displaying a drop-down menu listing all your fonts. Click and drag the scroll bar on the
right to quickly navigate the full list.
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IV Working with SVG Files
Working with SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) files is very similar to working with
text, except that you need to select a SVG file.
If you want to create your own file, you must use a vector based application like Illus-
trator or Inkscape and export an SVG file. The only constraint is that the SVG file needs
to contain closed shapes with no open curves.
If you have never worked with the SVG format and its shapes before, an easy way
to understand how shapes are built is to simply download a file online and look at it with
your favorite vector based 2D software. You’ll learn the principles very quickly.
An SVG file in a 2D editor and the corresponding shape in ZBrush.
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V Text 3D and Vector Shape Functions
The visual aspect of the shapes generated with this tool can be enhanced by several
options. Some of them have a great impact on the result, such as Bevel and its Curvature
setting.
Save
The Save function lets you store all current settings as a dedicated preset file for
later reuse.
Note:
The actual text string or SVG file are not saved as part of the preset file.
Load
The Load functions allows you to open a previously saved preset. All settings like
Extrusion Distance, Bevel, selected Font, etc. will be restored.
New Text
The New Text button opens a popup window where you can enter your text. The tool
supports full Unicode characters. Multi-line text is not supported and needs to be created
as separate 3D models for each line.
If the generated 3D model includes empty squares or unexpected characters, it may

be because the selected font doesn’t include the character you are looking for. This most
often happens if you use a special character like an accent (é, à, ñ, etc.) or Asian char-
acters not supported by the selected font.
Edit Text
The Edit Text function reopens the text input popup, allowing you to change the
input. Upon validating the change, the 3D object will be updated. All style settings will
remain unchanged.
With detailed fonts you may find it beneficial to start with only a few characters for
faster performance. Once the other settings are just the way you want them you can edit
the text to its final output.
The Edit function can only work if the selected SubTool was created using the 3D
Text Creator and the SubTool hasn’t been renamed. This editing is also only possible
within the current ZBrush session. After restarting ZBrush or opening a saved Project, it
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will no longer be possible to change the entered text.
Note:
Duplicating the SubTool will break the name structure.
Font Selector and Font Style

The Font Selector and its associated Font Style (Bold, Italic, Thin, Strong, etc.) let
you select the font of your choice, based on the fonts installed on your operating system
font folder.
By clicking the left and right arrows, you can quickly switch between your fonts and
see the result applied to the 3D model in (nearly) real-time. You can do the same opera-
tion with font styles, if they are available.
To quickly look for a specific font, click the current font name. A dropdown menu will
open, listing all your system’s installed fonts. Click and drag the slider located at the right
of the list to scroll. Find the font of your choice and click its name to select it.
Notes:
Some fonts take a long time to compute if they have a lot of complex details. Please read the
Quality and Performance chapter above.
It is not possible to apply forced styles like “Bold” if the style is not natively included in the
font.
Load a Font File from Disk

If you need to use a font which is not installed on your system but rather is a separate
file, click the “Load a Font file from disk” button and browse your computer to select the
file. When validating, this font will be used.
ZBrush supports TTF, TTC, OFT and FON formats. Fonts in bitmap format are not
supported.
New SVG
The New SVG function lets you load an SVG file to be converted to geometry, re-
specting its outline and openings. After loading your file, use the settings like Extrusion,
Resolution, and Bevel to refine the shape.
Settings specific to text are greyed out when working with an SVG file.
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Edit SVG
Edit SVG lets you replace the current SVG file with a different one. All styling options
currently applied to the previous SVG file will be preserved.
The Edit function can only work if the selected SubTool was created using the 3D
Text Creator and the SubTool hasn’t been renamed. This editing is also only possible
within the current ZBrush session. After restarting ZBrush or opening a saved Project, it
will no longer be possible to change the SVG source.
Note:
Duplicating the SubTool will break the name structure.
Extrusion
The Extrusion setting defines the depth of the shape. When set to 0, only a surface
is generated rather than a volume.
Resolution
The Resolution slider defines the quality of the outline/silhouette of the text or SVG
shape. Higher settings produce smoother edges. With some complex fonts or SVG files,
increasing this slider can dramatically increase the computation time. This is especially
true if you already have Bevel styling applied.
It is strongly advised to increase the resolution slider only as a last step, when you
are happy with the results from the other styling options.
Spacing
The Spacing setting defines the distance between each letter in the text string. This
value can be positive or negative.
The same text, with different spacing settings.
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Adaptive
When Adaptive is turned on, the engine creates the most even topology possible
across the model. This can be a benefit for future deformation but is slower to process.
When Adaptive is turned off, the Regular mode is used. This creates long triangles but
is faster to process.
Bevel
The Bevel function adds a bevel effect around the cap of the created shape. It has
no effect Extrusion is set to 0.
Increasing the setting will increase the radius of the bevel around the entire edge.
Note:
Because fonts or shapes can have strongly concave or convex angles, some parts of the
bevel can overlap in places. While this doesn’t have an impact on how the shape appears visually,
it can affect some functions such as Boolean operations or 3D printing. It may be useful to convert
the generated model to DynaMesh to create a clean volume with no overlapping surfaces.
Bevel Resolution
Bevel Resolution defines the density of tessellation (the number of edge loops) along
the beveled edges. This setting functions in tandem with the Curvature settings, allow-
ing you to produce more rounded chamfers (at a higher Resolution) or faceted chamfers
(with a lower Resolution).
Curvature
The Curvature slider defines the roundness of the bevel applied to the text or SVG
shape. Values can be negative or positive, producing a negative (concave) or positive
(convex) chamfer.
The quality of the curvature can be improved by increasing the Bevel Resolution
slider.
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Two different curvatures.
Replace
The Replace setting specifies whether to replace the current SubTool when creating
a new shape from text or an SVG file. When it is disabled, a new SubTool will be created.
Auto Update
When enabled, the current model will automatically be updated to reflect the chang-
es applied via the styling or other settings. This is true for both text and SVG files.
On fonts or shapes which are complex, disabling Auto Update can improve perfor-
mance while adjusting the settings.
Vertical
The Vertical function changes the text direction from horizontal to vertical.
Reverse
The Reverse function writes the current text from right to left. This is needed for
languages like Arabic or Hebrew, to name a few.
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ZBrush User Guide - QuickSketch
QUICKSKETCH
Quick2D Sketchin within ZBrush.
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ZBrush includes Quick Sketch which allows you to work within ZBrush in a way that’s
similar to drawing your ideas on paper. You simply open a blank document and draw your
ideas using a small, streamlined set of brushes. Quick Sketch uses symmetry by default
to accelerate your drawing and let your imagination run wild.
ZBrush Artist: Martin Krol
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I Using Quick Sketch
To launch Quick Sketch, click the Quick Sketch button located above the canvas and
to the right of the Projection Master and LightBox buttons. It is also found in the Zplugin
>> QuickSketch SubPalette.
The Quick Sketch button, located to the right of the Projection Master and LightBox buttons.
Once QuickSketch is initialized:
1. Start painting directly.

2. If needed, disable or change the symmetry settings in the Transform palette.
3. Choose one of the different QuickSketch brushes from the Brush palette. All
QuickSketch brushes have “Pen” at the start of their name. More can be loaded
from LightBox under the Brush >> Pen folder. These include: Pen Fur, Pen
Spike, etc. Please experiment with the different brushes as most of them have
different behavior and will allow you to achieve greater creativity in your sketch-
es.
Quick Sketch is based on the functionality of PolyPainting on a 3D plane. Because it

is actually a 3D object rather than pixol-based canvas, saving your work is done the same
as for any model. You can save it as a ZTool or create a texture and do Tool >> Texture
Map >> New from Polypaint.
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II Quitting Quick Sketch
When you are finished with Quick Sketch and want to switch back to traditional
sculpting and painting you need to revert ZBrush back to its default configuration. There
are two ways to do this;
The first method involves using Preferences >> Init ZBrush. This will restart ZBrush,
reverting out of the Quick Sketch mode. Please note that this will reset your Tool palette
so please save your files first!
The second method involves changing the following settings:
1. Turn on Render >> Preview.

2. In the Color palette, change the color to a pure white if your model doesn’t have
a loaded texture or PolyPaint.
3. Change the material to the one of your choice, such as the RedWax MatCap.
4. Click Transform >> Frame.
Note:
If you use QuickSketch often you might wish to record a Macro of the above steps. You can
then place the Macro’s button where it’s convenient for you or assign a hotkey to it.
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ZBrush User Guide - PolyGroupIt
POLYGROUPIT
Complex PolyGroups in no time!
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PolyGroupIt is a plugin for ZBrush that allows for easy creation of your model’s Poly-
Groups. These are used in organizing the mesh with visual grouping information and
are also integral to many of the advanced features available in ZBrush. PolyGroupIt will
analyze you model’s topology and -- based on the settings you choose -- detect boundar-
ies of potential PolyGroups. This makes their creation fast and easy.
PolyGroupIt works mainly on the concept of “seed” points: You click on a part of the
model to define the creation of a new seed. PolyGroupIt will then create a PolyGroup
around this seed until it detects changes in the model’s topology or structure.
The beauty of PolyGroupIt is its ability to detect these boundaries not only on most
hard surfaces, but also for shapes which are more organic. This is accomplished due to
the threshold control for each seed. If you prefer having full control over the PolyGroup
process, you can first paint boundaries for your PolyGroups as PolyPaint on the model.
PolyGroupIt can then generate PolyGroups from the PolyPaint.
An example of using PolyGroupIt by first drawing PolyPaint boundaries to define the PolyGroups.
Mesh Extract was then used to convert the PolyGrouped areas to a final mesh. Model courtesy of
Nacho Riesco
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I Using PolyGroupIt
To start working with PolyGroupIt, you need to load a PolyMesh3D model. This mod-
el can have multiple subdivision levels, in which case PolyGroupIt will work at the lowest
Subdivision level.
The PolyGroupIt commands, found in the ZPlugin palette.
In the ZPlugin palette you will find the PolyGroupIt sub-palette. Open this and click
the PolyGroupIt button. After few seconds, a floating window will appear. PolyGroupIt is
a stand-alone application. You should see your model and be able to manipulate it using
the usual ZBrush “right click” 3D navigation controls:
• Right click to rotate

• Right click + Alt to pan
• Right click + Ctrl to zoom in and out.
• Click on the Frame button or press the F key to re-center the view.
The PolyGroupIt UI. Model courtesy of James Cain.
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If your model had any PolyGroups to begin with, they will be removed at the begin-
ning of the PolyGroup operation. PolyGroupIt is a tool for PolyGroup creation rather than
for modifying existing groups. Clicking on any part of the model will create a new seed,
represented by a sphere. Around this sphere you will see a very small colored area
matching that of the seed itself.
The workflow process is to select the seed by clicking on it, then set its influence
zone by moving the associated slider. A low value will give a low tolerance to surface
angle while a high value will increase this tolerance. You can also counterbalance the
tolerance by adding extra seeds with unique tolerance settings for each.
These are three different values for a single seed. From left to right, the value is progressively
increased. As you can see, the value on the left isn’t high enough to properly detect the boundar-
ies. Detection is better in the center and optimal on the right.
You can click on a previously created seed at any time to edit its tolerance value.
You can also click and drag to move it to another location.
An important factor to consider beyond simply the threshold value for each seed is
their creation order. Each seed created has less overall influence than those that came
before it.
When you are happy with the result you can turn on Extend mode to fill the gaps
between each seed area.
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On the left, the PolyGroups before using Extend and on the right, the result: as you can see, the
model no longer has unpainted areas.
If you wish to send back the model to ZBrush, click the OK button at the bottom of the
window. PolyGroupIt will close and your PolyGroup modifications will be applied to your
ZBrush model. Don’t forget to turn PolyFrame mode on (found in the Draw palette) to
see your PolyGroups.
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The resulting PolyGroups shown in ZBrush. (Lines from the PolyFrame have been hidden.)
If you need to edit your model’s PolyGroups again (so long as you are in the same
ZBrush session), simply relaunch PolyGroupIt. You will see all the seeds applied on the
model, ready to remodified.
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II Working with Symmetry
So long as the model’s shape is symmetrical, PolyGroupIt also supports symmetry

for the creation and manipulation of seeds. The algorithm looks at the surface rather than
the underlying topology. This means that PolyGoupIt symmetry can support things like a
DynaMesh model or scan data. Meanwhile, it is important to keep in mind that because
PolyGroupIt works on the surface itself it may produce a variation in the PolyGroup cre-
ation even if the model is topologically symmetrical.
To enable Symmetry, click one of the X, Y and Z buttons in the PolyGroupIt UI. Re-
member that since PolyGroupIt is a stand-alone application, these settings are indepen-
dent from ZBrush symmetry settings.
If you need to work with partially symmetrical models, you can start creating seeds
with symmetry enabled. When you need to disable symmetry can click the Apply Sym-
metry button. This will convert all the symmetrical seeds to individual seeds. Any new
seeds will be created without considering the model’s symmetry.
Note:
If your model is symmetrical but your result with PolyGroupIt is not, you can use the Tool >>
Geometry >> Modify Topology >> Mirror and Weld function to rebuild its symmetry. This will simul-
taneously produce truly symmetrical PolyGroups.
III Back and Forth with ZBrush and PolyGroupIt
When sending a model that has previously been edited by PolyGroupIt back to the
plugin, you will normally find all your previous seeds and settings ready to be edited or
modified anew. However, if you have restarted ZBrush or changed the model’s topology
in ZBrush, all previous seeds will be lost and the PolyGroup state will be reset.
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IV Conversion of PolyPaint to PolyGroups
PolyGroupIt provides a very useful utility which allows you to PolyPaint boundaries
in ZBrush and convert those to PolyGroups. The process is simple. Using a black color,
paint your model to draw the boundaries around the PolyGroups you want to create.
There are two options for how PolyGroupIt will use these boundaries. Zplugin >>
PolyGroupIt >> PolyGroupIt from Paint will create only the PolyGroups described by the
boundaries (in other words, the filled areas between the lines). Zplugin >> PolyGroupIt
>> Border creates these same PolyGroups but also converts the drawn lines themselves
to be an additional PolyGroup.
On the left, the original model. In the center, the model with the PolyPainted boundaries. On the
right, the resulting PolyGroups after using the borderless option.
Note:
After performing this action, the PolyPaint will remain active and visible. This makes it easy
to refine your lines as necessary and re-run PolyGroupIt to make modifications.
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V PolyGroupIt Functions
Creating Seeds and Seed Threshold

To create a new seed, simply click on the 3D model. A new sphere representing the
seed will appear on the model, which the PolyGroup will grow out from. A slider just below
the seed allows you to change the seed threshold, modifying how strongly PolyGroupIt
will detect changes in the surface to set the PolyGroup borders.
Deleting Seeds
To delete a seed, first select it and then click the Delete button. Alternatively,
ALT+click on the seed you want to remove.
Clear All Seeds

To clear all your seeds and start over, click the Clear button. Pressing the Delete key
will perform the same action.
Moving Seeds
Click a seed to select it, then click+drag to move it across the surface. The gener-
ated PolyGroups will update according to the new seed location.
Reusing Seed Color

By default, each new seed is assigned its own new PolyGroup color. During the
process of seed placement and modification, it can be useful to create a new seed with
its own control but still the same color as another seed. This allows you to improve the
first seed’s PolyGroup propagation.
To use an existing seed color for the new seed, first CTRL+click to select the seed
that you want to pick the color from. While still holding down the CTRL key, click where
you wish to create new seeds. All of them will have the same color as the original one.
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Growing and Shrinking PolyGroups

The following actions will be helpful to improve the PolyGroups result.
Overlap
This function allows the PolyGroups to overwrite other PolyGroups when using Grow
or Shrink functions.
AutoGroups
This tells PolyGroupIt not to automatically adjust PolyGroups when moving the
seeds’ sliders. This is necessary when you want to manually grow PolyGroups with the
Grow and Shrink functions. Turn AutoGroups off before selecting the seed that you wish
to manually adjust.
Grow and Shrink

These two functions will gradually increase or decrease the coverage of a selected
seed. If Overlap mode is enabled, it will affect all seeds.
Points
This mode displays the points that make up your model. This can be useful to see
the topology of the model to understand why a seed color is spreading a certain way.
Update
The Update function will force PolyGroupIt to recompute the propagation of all the
model’s seed colors. This is similar to a “Refresh” action.
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ZBrush User Guide - Multiple Language Support
MULTIPLE LANGUAGE SUPPORT
You can even create your own language support!
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ZBrush natively supports display of Unicode characters for most of functions, such
as SubTool renaming or file saving. The interface can also be displayed in various lan-
guages including English, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Spanish, German and French.
If your language is not supported by Pixologic but you wish to translate ZBrush and
share that with the community, you can do so --mostly without even leaving ZBrush!
The Language sub-palette, located in the Preferences palette.
The Tool >> Geometry palette in multiple languages.
We are truly thankful for the efforts of our translators. For this task we decided to
enlist ZBrush users as only they can fully understand ZBrush terminology, its methods of
working and philosophy. We hope you appreciate their hard (and often tedious) work to
bring ZBrush to their languages.
If you wish to translate ZBrush for your language, please refer to the Multilanguage
section of the ZBrush User Guide and contact thomas@pixologic.com.
Thanks to:
• Chinese: Zhelong Xu (originally translated by Welocalize)
• French: Thomas Roussel
• German: Oliver Milas
• Japanese: Daisuke Narukawa with the help of Katsuhito Fukagawa and
MAATEE.
• Korean: Insun Kwon
• Spanish: Victor Marin - Invictus Designs
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I Changing the Default Language
All of the ZBrush language settings are located in the Preferences >> Language
sub-palette. The main section is about the language displayed in ZBrush. By default,
ZBrush will try to detect the language of your system and if it is known to ZBrush, the
software will start in the corresponding language. If your system language is not avail-
able, ZBrush will start in English.
To switch ZBrush to different language, click on the language of your choice in Pref-
erences >> Language. After a few seconds, the ZBrush user interface will be updated to
this language.
As with most ZBrush preferences, you need to save the setting by pressing Prefer-
ences >> Config >> Store Config. Otherwise, ZBrush will revert to the default language
on the next startup.
The languages selector in the Preferences >> Language sub-palette.
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II Quickly Switch Back to the English language
When working in ZBrush with a language other than English, it can be useful to
switch back to English if you are following a tutorial and you need to look for a specific
interface item shown in the tutorial.
Click the Preferences >> Language >> Options >> Show English button to instanta-
neously display ZBrush in English. By assigning a hotkey to this button, you can readily
switch between your language and English whenever necessary.
Note:
The English version in this mode is slightly different from the English language that you can
set in preferences. The one that can be quickly displayed is what is used in the internal ZBrush
source code. Some minor changes have since been made to the final language displayed when
permanently setting ZBrush to display the English language.
III AutoNotes in Other Languages
The AutoNotes are the advanced help displayed when pressing the CTRL key while
hovering over a function’s UI element such as its button or slider. The English language
is currently the only one provided for these AutoNotes.
The other languages only have partial AutoNotes, created for select functions in
ZBrushCore, the streamlined version of ZBrush. To avoid confusion, AutnoNotes are by
default disabled for languages other than English. To enable them, click Preferences >>
Language >> Options >> Show Notes.
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IV Creating Your Own ZBrush Translation
The multi language system in ZBrush allows creation of custom languages by its us-
ers. This can range from editing an existing language to add personal modifications, all
the way to creating support for a new language from scratch.
With the exception of a few items, the process can be done almost totally within
ZBrush. This done either by clicking on the buttons to translate or going to a menu that
will display all strings or error messages that still need to be translated. All these edits are
updated directly in ZBrush, without the need to reload the language or the application.
At any point, you can export it as a file which can be shared with other ZBrush users
who will then be able to benefit from your translation work.
Note:
When doing these translations it is not advised to work as a team. This is because It is not
possible to merge multiple translations into one.
At the bottom of the Language preferences, the Custom Language and all its utilities.
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1. Items to Translate
In ZBrush, most any element visible to users is available for translation. This in-
cludes all buttons, sliders, error messages, the ZModeler menu, progress bar messages,
etc. However, a few elements may remain only available in English. This includes some
special error messages, the top bar, and resources (brush names, alphas, strokes, the
files found in LightBox, etc.).
2. Plugins and ZScripts: The Translation Exception
ZBrush is enhanced with plugins or with ZScripts, providing extra utilities and func-
tionalities. Unfortunately, the core part of the ZScript system (which is used in plugins as
well) can’t fully support the translation process.
The result is that most buttons and sliders for plugins will be translated. However,
any special text like popups, error messages or dynamic text will remain in English. An
example would be the ZPlugins >> Scale Master plugin, when clicking the Set Scene
Scale popup. Its contents will remain in English.
The Set Scene Scale popup of the Scale Master plugin, which can’t be translated.
3. Creating a Custom Language
The first step is to create a new custom language. It can be:
• An existing translation already provided in ZBrush, which you want to edit.

• Using an existing language as the foundation for your new translation.
All edition tools will only work with a Custom language. This is why you need to cre-
ate one, even if you wish to edit an existing one.
1. First select the language that you want to edit or which will be the foundation
for your new translation. If you start an original translation, it is advised to begin
with the English language as you will have a blank canvas where English will
be used if you don’t translate some items. If you use another language as the
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foundation, you have a high risk of mixing two different languages and creating
confusion for any other people who might use your translation.
2. Click Preferences >> Language >> Customize >> Create.
Now the Custom language is selected and you can start your translation work. Don’t
forget to save it on a regular basis as this action is not done automatically.
4. The Edit Window
The Preferences >> Language >> Customize >> Edit button will open the complete
Translation Edit window. This special interface is the full version of Auto Edit mode, ex-
plained in the next section of this document. (It is strongly advised to read this next part.)
The Edit window. See the content descriptions below.
Here is a description of each element:

A. The list of items that need to be translated. Click on one of them to start the
translation of that item.
B. The categories of the items to be translated:
• Buttons are mainly the clickable items in the ZBrush interface and include
buttons, modes, sliders, and switches.
• Messages are typically error, warning and informational messages, or the
text in progress bars .
• Infos include the extra items which doesn’t fit in the two previous sections.
These include the ZModeler menu and very specific progress bar or popup
messages.
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C. The Red, Orange and Green dots indicate the state of translation for each listed
item. The change of the status is dynamic.
• Red: No translation.
• Orange: Partial translation has been done, such as if the item’s Title has
been edited but its Info has not.
• Green: Translation is complete.
D. English (Title/Info/Extra): The original text in English. This text can’t be edited.
Notice that it may vary a little bit from the English translation within ZBrush. This
is because the original text has been edited through the translation system in
order to rename some items or change some abbreviations.
E. Localized (Title/Info/Extra): The field where you enter your translation.
F. Title/Info/Extra: these switches let you select which part of the item to translate:
• Title: The button, slider or switch name found in the user interface, like
“Open,” “Divide,” or “DynaMesh.” It can also be the title of a warning message
or information window.
• Info: This is the tooltip text that is will be displayed when hovering over the
button, slider, switch, or any other clickable user interface element. It can be
the main (or first) part of an information window. These messages are not the
AutoNotes, which are seen when holding the CTRL key while hovering over an
interface element.
• Extra: Additional text which can be found in some information and error mes-
sages, as well as a few miscellaneous items.
Note:
Some complex messages can be split across the Info and Extra sections.
G. Copy: Copies the original text into the translation field. This can be very helpful
for long translations or if you need to reuse special codes such as color codes
or breaklines (\Cxxxxxx and \n).
H. Shared and Unique: Switches between the two modes. Please refer to the dedi-
cated section below.
I. The path and identifier to the item to translate. This field is provided for your in-
formation. It is an internal identifier and in most cases can give you an indication
of where the item is located within ZBrush.
J. Up/Down Arrow: Switches between Edit mode or Auto Edit mode.
K. Untranslated: This switch toggles between displaying all items, or only those
that still need full or partial translation. When turned off, any element that has
been fully translated (Title + Info + Extra) will immediately be removed from the
list. This mode is enabled by default.
L. Previous, Next: Selects the next or previous element to translate, without cy-
cling between Title, Info and Extra. These functions are affected by the Untrans-
lated mode, meaning that if you want to select the previous item regardless of
whether it has been translated or not, you must first disable Untranslated mode.
M. Page Up, Page Down and Page Counter: These let you move through the entire
catalogue of items that can be translated. Use these when you need to search
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for a specific item.

N. Save: Saves the current custom language. As previously mentioned, do this
regularly.
O. Close: Closes the Edit window. This will not save the current language. That
must be done either by using the Save button within this editing window or by
clicking Preferences >> Language >> Customize >> Save. Hitting Enter will also
close the window.
5. Auto Edit Mode
This mode, found in Preferences >> Language >> Customize is strongly advised
when creating your translation. When enabled, pressing Alt+clicking on any user inter-
face element will open a reduced version of the Edit window, with only the clicked item
displayed. You will then be able to translate this item the same way you would with the
standard Edit window.
If you want to see all other translations near this current item, click the arrow at the
left of the popup window. The popup will then become the full Edit window.
The Auto Edit window. Notice its compact aspect compared to the full Edit window.
6. Translation Workflow
A typical workflow is:

1. Be sure to have a customized language loaded and turn Preferences >> Lan-
guage >> Custom >> Auto-edit mode on.
2. ALT+click on any interface item to translate. For example, the Tool >> Load
Tool button.
3. The popup version of the Edit window will appear with the Title field selected.
4. In this example, the English (Title) should be “Load Tool.” In the Localized (Title)
field below, enter your translation. In French it would be “Charger Tool.”
5. Click Info to display that part of the translation. If you have the Tool palette vis-
ible, you should immediately see the change to the Title applied. In the “English
(info)” section, you should have “Load Tool (Ztl File).” Enter your translation for
this text. Continuing with the French example, you might enter “Charger un ZTL
(.ZTL) précédement enregistré.”
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As you may notice, this example translation is longer than the original text. Feel
free to provide more information if needed, so long as it is valid information. It is
safer to keep the translation simple rather than trying to give more information
at the risk of mistakes.
6. Press Enter. The Auto Edit window will close.
7. Switch to another item to translate by restarting at step 2.
This workflow is in fact really fast, in part because you are directly in the context of
the function being translated. Translating a list in a raw text file would make the task
more difficult.
Don’t forget that you can click the Previous and Next buttons when either Edit win-
dow is open. Most of the time, buttons within the same UI cluster will be next to each
other in the list.
Note:
The internal structure of the button/slider order is based on the history of the functions being
added to ZBrush over the time. This is why functions that are grouped together in the UI may
not always appear together in the translation Edit window when pressing the Previous and Next
buttons. This in turn is why Auto Edit mode is the preferred method for translating the interface.
Use Auto Edit for most of your work and the regular Edit window when you want to look for what
remains to be translated.
7. Unique and Shared Modes
In ZBrush, there are a number of buttons or sliders which have the same text but
slightly different functionality. A good example is the “Import” button. This can be found in
the Texture palette to import a texture, in the Alpha palette to import an Alpha, the Docu-
ment palette and other places.
When Shared mode is enabled (by default), changing the Title part of the transla-
tion will also apply automatically to all the other identically named buttons within ZBrush.
However, the tooltip (found in the Info section of the translation) will remain unchanged.
This saves you the time of having to edit the same text repeatedly, yet also allows you to
enter a different description for each unique item that shares that name. For example,
the tooltips of the “Import (Alpha)” and “Import (Texture)” buttons.
This mode is a huge convenience, since some items are duplicated many times
across the interface.
Be careful, however. Sometimes -- depending on the language and context -- a

shared translation does not work well across all instances of a UI element. Depending on
your language, another translation may have a better meaning. Another reason would be
if the full text will not fit a button size at some locations and you then have to use an ab-
breviation. (“Transform” might become “Transf.”) By first setting a translation to Unique,
you can tell ZBrush to only change that instance of the text while ignoring all other loca-
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tions that would otherwise be shared.
8. Translating Icons
The text on icons can also be translated with a special workflow:
1. Enable Auto-edit mode, found in Preferences >> Language >> Customize.

2. Shift+click on the icon of your choice. A note will tell you that the icon has been
exported as a Photoshop file. It will be saved in the custom language source
folder on your hard drive.
• On Windows: C:\Users\Public\Documents\ZBrushData\ZStartup\Custom-
Lang\icons
• On MacOS: /Users/Shared/ZBrushData/ZStartup/CustomLang/icons
3. Open your favorite .PSD file format editor and load the file. We strongly advise
using Adobe Photoshop.
4. Notice Image >> Mode is set to “Multichannel.” Feel free to switch to Greyscale
mode to edit the icon, which gives you the ability to work with layers.
5. Edit the icon however you wish. This will usually be to change the text but you
could also change the graphical portion of the icon.
6. Save your icon file. You do not need to flatten the layers.
7. Back in ZBrush, click Preferences >> Language >> Customize >> Reload Icons.
The updated icon should now appear.
8. Repeat these steps for other icons.
Important note about icon editing and creation
• Don’t resize the icons or ZBrush won’t fully display them. The pixel size must
remain the same.
• The text size is very small. You can try different fonts, sizes and antialiasing
modes but once you settle on a style that pleases you, try to be consistent
across all your icons. These keeps the interface looking cohesive and is much
easier for people to use.
• Once an icon has been exported, you don’t need to do so again each time you
want to make a modification. You can simply reopen same file in your PSD edi-
tor, make and save your adjustments, then click Reload to see the update in
ZBrush. This is why it is helpful to keep the layers in your PSD file rather than
flatten them – it makes future tweaks much faster, should they become neces-
sary.
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9. Translation of the Gizmo 3D Modifiers
The Gizmo 3D includes multiple modifiers which are plugin based. You can still
translate their names and tooltip information (such as when hovering a cone), but this
needs to be done through a different system.
To make these changes, you need to edit the XML file corresponding to the Modi-
fier. These files are found in the ZBrush/ZData/ZPlug64/NameOfTheModifierData folder.
Look for files ending whe “_zc.xml” and open these with a text editor. There, translate the
content found in the trans=”xxxx” sections. Do not change any other portion of the files!
These translations will only become visible when ZBrush is restarted or by switching
to another language and then reverting to the custom language.
10. Font for Your Language
ZBrush is provided with multiple fonts that cover a wide range of characters for most
languages. These are the Noto fonts from Google: https://www.google.com/get/noto/
If you are translating ZBrush in a language which needs a special font, download it
from the Noto webpage and copy it to the ZBrush/ZData/ZLang/ZFont folder. Next, edit
the ZFontMac.xml and ZFontWin.xml files. Search for the “language = “zc”” section, be-
low which you will see a list of fonts: “sysfont = “NotoSans-Regular.ttf;….”/>”.
Add your font filename name before the “NotoSans-Regular.ttf” and make sure to
separate them with a “;” in between as it is for the other fonts.
Your custom language will now first look at this font to display your language and its
characters.
11. Important Information and Advice About Translating ZBrush
This section contains valuable information that will help you when translating ZBrush.
It includes best practices and how to avoid common mistakes. If you have questions
about the translation process or you want to share your translation work with Pixologic,
please send an email to localization@pixologic.com.
Adapt to Your Language but Keep the Meaning
This is a key point about localization. Obviously, using something like Google Trans-
lation would have no meaning. ZBrush has its own philosophy and only someone who
knows the software can perfectly translate the software. With one exception, all transla-
tions provided by Pixologic have been made by ZBrush artists/users.
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For some words or expressions, a direct translation may not mean anything in your
language. In that case, adapt to what makes the most sense in your own language.
Some functions already have a specific word in your language and should be used
even if this translation is far from the original English. What is most important is that it
makes sense to the end user.
The end user is the key, since the goal of the translation is to make ZBrush acces-
sible to artists who may not understand at all because it is not in their language.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, some words may not exist in your language or
the English text is so well known that it accomplishes nothing to do a translation. In that
case, keep it in English. As an example, the “Picker” menu and its associated function
can be translated into the French language but would be meaningless. As a result, the
English name has been kept.
Keep Famous ZBrush Function Names -- or at Least Keep their Pronunciation
ZBrush includes numerous features which are well known and are key to what
ZBrush is. These include Tool, SubTool, DynaMesh, ZRemesher, ZSphere, ShadowBox,
SpotLight, Projection Master, LightBox, ArrayMesh, NanoMesh, ZScript, and FiberMesh,
to name a few.
It is strongly advised to keep them as they are and not try to translate them. If your
language uses a different character set (like Asian characters) you can do a phonetic
translation, keeping the pronunciation. If you think a translation is really needed, add it to
the tooltip (Info section) but keep the original word/sound on the button itself.
Tool and SubTool can be easily translated in most languages, but again these items
are fundamental to ZBrush and must remain as is. This is a typical example of where you
can add the translation to the tooltip of the function.
Be Very Careful of Special Characters
In some original text, you will notice characters like \n (or even sometimes \n\n) or \
Cxxxxxx where the x can be a hexadecimal number. The first one is a break line charac-
ter while the second is a color identifier that will change the color of the text that follows.
Example: \C333333Z\CFFAA00Brush will output ZBrush. Notice that some charac-

ters can be right after the special code, without empty space.
Color character code used multiple times in a single string.
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Some function names can start with a letter followed by a point which is not visible in
ZBrush but does appear in the Editor. Examples are the NanoMesh or ArrayMesh func-
tions which can start with a “p.”, “m.”, “a.”, etc. You need to keep these special characters
in your translation since they are used by ZBrush to be recognized as a group of features.
Notice the “P.” before the function name. “P.Panel Loops” appears in the UI as simply, “Panel
Loops” while the “P.” is used as an internal identifier.
Don’t Forget “Hidden” Features
The most obvious way to do the translation is to open each palette one by one and
do the translation using Auto Edit. When doing so, don’t forget that some palettes may
have a popup with buttons, like the Render >> BPR filters >> Filters and Blend modes.
There are also special palettes like for ZModeler, which is only available when the ZMod-
eler brush is selected. Other examples are when a ZSphere or 3D Primitive is selected,
changing the contents of the Tool palette. Obviously, each 2.5D Tool (like the Simple or
Cloner brush) has different settings to translate.
The way to be sure that the translation is done is to open the Translation Edit window
and have Untranslated turned on. If all of its tabs are empty, you are done!
Right to Left Languages
Unfortunately, languages that read from right to left (like Hebrew and Arabic) are not
supported.
Time Commitment
Creating a custom language is not a quick task.
For your information, it takes approximately a month to translate ZBrush into a new
language. This includes time spent searching for functions you don’t know and then
figuring out how to best translate them.
Even though the translators for the languages provided by Pixologic were well
versed in ZBrush before they began, they all learned a lot about ZBrush by translating it!
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V Localization and Language Functions
This section describes the functions dedicated to language management and cre-
ation. They are all found in Preferences >> Language.
Language Selectors (English, French, Japanese, etc.)

Select the language of your choice and ZBrush will switch to it. This operation may
take a few seconds or longer, depending on your computer speed.
Custom (language)
Switch the currently selected language to an editable, custom one. Setting this lan-
guage will enable most of functions found in the Custom section.
Show English
No matter what language ZBrush is currently using, this button displays English on
the fly, without loading time. It is convenient when you are in need of displaying ZBrush
in English, such as when following a tutorial in English.
Show Notes
The Show Notes displays the AutoNotes that have been translated into languages
other than English. These AutoNotes are currently limited to a few functions found in
ZBrushCore.
Create
This function creates a custom language based on the currently loaded language.
It then becomes possible to use the translation tools. Without a custom language, it is
impossible to translate ZBrush. This protects you from accidentally damaging one of the
translations included by Pixologic.
Import
Use the Import function to load a custom language that has previously been export-
ed – including one shared by someone else. By loading a language, you will overwrite
your existing custom language if you have one.
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Export
The Export function lets you export your entire language translation, including the
icons, as a single file. To provide your translation to other users, simply share this file
with them.
Note:
The Modifiers XML files (for the Gizmo 3D) are not part of the exported file and the corre-
sponding _zc.xml files therefore need to be provided separately.
Save
To save your translation progress, click the Save function found in the Custom sec-
tion. You can alternatively click the Save button found in the Edit window.
It can be useful to set a hotkey to this function.
If you attempt to exit ZBrush without having saved your translation you will be asked
whether you would like to save your work.
Edit
The Edit button will open the Edit window. Please read the corresponding section
above to learn more.
Auto Edit
The Auto Edit mode enables the capability to do ALT+Click on a button to translate
its content or Shift+click to edit an icon. Please read the corresponding section above to
learn more.
Reload Notes
The Reload Notes function will force ZBrush to reload the AutoNotes file for the cus-
tom language. The AutoNotes will only be visible if Show Notes is enabled.
Reload Icons
The Reload Icons function will force ZBrush to reload the icons associated with the
custom language to display any modifications that you made to them.
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Show Untranslated
The Show Untranslated function will recolor the interface to display in red all items
that are not translated or are only partially translated. (These are the ones that are dis-
played with Red and Orange circles in the Edit window.) Once an item has been fully
translated, it will switch to the regular white color.
It can be convenient to assign a custom hotkey to this function.
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ZBrush User Guide - GoZ
GOZ
Dynamic bridge between ZBrush and other 3D packages.
676
GoZ (for GoZBrush) is a dynamic bridge between ZBrush® and other 3D packages.
It is built around a specific file format: the .GoZ file. With a single click, you can send your
3D mesh from ZBrush® to one of the supported applications. In the process, GoZ also
sends your maps and sets up the necessary shader networks for rendering. You can also
edit your geometry or add an element to your model as needed, then send everything
back to ZBrush® – again, with a single click!
GoZ even works with multiple SubTools, whether they are visible or not.
Thanks to GoZ, you devote more of your precious time to working on your model,
rather than micro-managing file transfers between applications.
GoZ currently supports:

• Autodesk 3DSMax 2015 - 2017 (Windows)
• Autodesk Maya 2009 - 2017 (Windows and Mac OS )
• Luxology modo 901 and above (Windows and Mac OS - Modo Kit available at
The Foundry)
• Adobe Photoshop CC (Windows and Mac OS)
• Maxon Cinema 4D R11 and above (Windows and Mac OS)
• Lightwave(Windows and Mac OS - available on the software editor website)
• EIAS (Mac OS - available on the software editor website)
• Daz|Studio (Windows and Mac OS - available on the software editor website)
• Carrara (Windows and Mac OS - available on the software editor website)
• Poser (Windows and Mac OS - available on the software editor website)
• Sculptris (Windows and Mac OS)
Additional applications will be added in the future, so we invite you to pay regular
visits to ZBrushCentral.com or our ZBlog for more information. You can also sign up for
news by email or RSS feed at support.pixologic.com.
The GoZ application selector. In this example, Autodesk Maya isn’t installed.
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I Installing GoZ on Windows and Mac OSX
GoZ installation is split into two parts:

• A set of files which are installed by default in your computer’s shared folder.
• Several sets of files, each specific to one of the supported target 3D applications.
The ZBrush installer will install the first set of files in the shared folder. The second set
of files is then installed by ZBrush itself. When you first launch GoZ from within ZBrush
it will search your computer for any supported applications and will then install the files
needed to make the bridge. During this installation stage, ZBrush will ask for permission
to install the files and your OS may prompt for an administrator authorization and/or pass-
word. Please approve any requested prompts in order to have a successful installation.
GoZ will not be available in your other applications until after you have run it from
within ZBrush the first time.
At any time, if you need to reinstall GoZ add a new supported application, you can go
to Preferences >> GoZ within ZBrush and click on “Update all Paths” to perform a new
application search and full GoZ installation. Alternatively, you can click on “Path to xxx
application” and then navigate to the GoZ-enabled application of your choice.
During the application search and install process, you may be prompted to choose
the version that you wish to use. You might also be asked to manually browse to select
the application file.
1. Extra installation steps for Cinema4D:
• Launch Cinema4D, open the “Script Manager” (menu “Window:Script Manager”),

and select the script “GoZBrushFromCinema4D.csc”
• Drag and drop the GoZ icon where you want in the interface (for example in the
toolbar just under the menu).
• Save the current layout as your startup layout (menu “Window:Layout:Save as
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Startup Layout”) and exit Cinema4D.
2. The GoZ Commands Set
GoZ commands are located at the top of the Tool palette, split into several functions:
• GoZ: send the current Tool or the selected SubTool to the application of your
choice.
• All: Send all SubTools of the selected Tool to the application of your choice,
whether they are visible or not.
• Visible: Send only the visible SubTools of the selected Tool to the application of
your choice.
• Reset (R): Reset the current GoZ application selected in ZBrush. On the next
press on GoZ, All or Visible, the application selection box will prompt you to choose a
new application (see below).
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II Choosing an application to communicate with
When you first click one of the GoZ buttons located in the Tool palette, ZBrush will
search for supporting applications and install the needed files. Please refer to the GoZ
installation chapter for more information. A window will then ask you to choose between
the detected applications.
This application will be kept in memory by ZBrush and will be used each time you
click on one of the GoZ buttons (GoZ, All and Visible).
If you need to change the target application, simply press the R button. This will reini-
tialize GoZ. When you next click on one of the GoZ buttons you will again be prompted
with the application selection box.
III GoZ Workflow
The GoZ workflow is quite easy and you will see how your productivity can be drasti-
cally increased by allowing you to edit the topology of your models in the software of your
choice or set up a quick render. With a single click, your model appears in other software
– complete with any maps that you have created for it -- ready to be rendered.
You are free to edit your topology by adding loops or extrusions, changing the sil-
houette if needed. When you go back to ZBrush via the other application’s GoZ button,
your sculpt will be updated and all high resolution details will transfer to the new version.
You can now regenerate the maps if needed or continue work before eventually send-
ing everything back for a new render. Your other application becomes a full partner with
ZBrush!
GoZ works with the current SubTool, all of a model’s Subtools, or only the visible
SubTools. This allows great liberty for modifications without the need to waste time ma-
nipulating temporary files, imports and exports.
When creating new 3D objects in the 3D software, the imported object can be cre-
ated as a new Tool, or as a SubTool of the active Tool. This behavior is determined by the
“Import as SubTool” preference, located in Preferences >> GoZ.
An important extra point to consider about GoZ and the selected software: You can
680
change the target application at any time. This means that you can always do operations
in the external software that you find best suited to your needs. For example, you can use
GoZ to send your work to a 3D modeler during the sculpting process and later use GoZ
to do UV creation in a different package before finally using GoZ to send everything for
rendering in a 3rd software. Because GoZ is an open file format, more applications will be
added in the future. This means ever expanding workflow possibilities for you!
To proceed with GoZ, follow these simple steps:
In ZBrush:
• Create any Diffuse, Displacement and/or Normal maps, leaving them applied to
their specific SubTools. (There is no need to Clone them to the other palettes for ex-
port.)
• Depending of your needs, click on the Tool palette’s GoZ, All or Visible button to
respectively send the selected Tool or SubTool, all the SubTools of the current Tool, or
just the visible SubTools of the current Tool.
• On the first click, GoZ will present you with a pop-up window that asks which soft-
ware to work with. Click on the application of your choice.
• If the application of your choice is not running, GoZ will launch it and your model
will appear. If the target application is already open, your model will automatically ap-
pear in it.
In the target application:
• Do your topology operations or renders, depending of your needs.

• If you want to send your model back to ZBrush, click on the GoZ icon available in
the interface or the GoZ command located in a menu. The location of this icon or com-
mand will depend on each application.
Note:
If you wish to send multiple objects at the same time, select them first. GoZ will always send
back the active selection.
Back in ZBrush:
• After few seconds, your updated model will appear in ZBrush.

• If you changed the topology, a message window will ask whether to reproject the
sculpting details or not. Choose the operation which corresponds to your needs.
• You are now back to the first step and free to continue working in ZBrush like
normal.
• You can redo all these steps as often as you need, sending your work to any sup-
ported target application. Remember that if you wish to change to use a different target
application you must click the Reset (R) button.
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1. GoZ for mesh addition and the projection of details
One of the most powerful features of GoZ is to allow you to send your model in an-
other 3D software to edit your topology or even add props, then bring it back to ZBrush
again. This can dramatically streamline your pipeline.
To edit your topology, just press the appropriate GoZ button. ZBrush will go to the low-
est level of subdivision of your model and send it to your application of choice.
It is advised to mainly refine topology by adding loops and minor extrusions to refine
your shape. You should as much as possible avoid major additions like converting a
sphere from ZBrush to a teapot in your other application. Upon sending back your model
back to ZBrush, a message will ask you if you want to transfer the existing sculpting
information to your updated model or simply replace it and delete the existing sculpting.
If you have made major changes to the model and choose to transfer details, you may
receive unexpected results..
When applying geometry extrusion from external applications the Project All Dist Slid-
er will be used to project the geometry difference. By default this slider is set to 1. This
slider will have to be adjusted from Subtool to Subtool.
Every Subtool will not have the same distance range. If the projection is not exact
follow these steps to locate the Perfect Project All Distance (Dist):
1. Undo the last projection.

2. Change your Dist in the Project All section to a new level.
3. Tab back to your external application.
4. Click the GoZ back to ZBrush again.
5. When the questions pops up again that asks if you would like ZBrush to project
the difference into the sculpted mesh, click Yes.
6. If you still do not get your desired result complete steps 1-5 until you find the cor-
rect range for your Subtool.
Notes:
Best Results are found when the Project All Dist is 0.01 - 0.09, however this will vary from
Subtool to Subtool
The projection of details can be time consuming and requires a large amount of memory.
The Projection may alter the quality of the sculpting somewhat. For best results, try to mini-
mize the projections by not making unnecessary transfers between applications.
682
2. GoZ for the rendering
When you SubTools have displacement maps, normal maps and/or diffuse maps
assigned to them, sending your model to another application the first time with GoZ will
automatically create a new shader. This shader which will include all the information
needed to do a render with appropriate settings such as displacement intensity value or
normal map directions. You need only to add few lights, tweak the shader and your model
is ready to be rendered.
A shader will only be created if there is at least one map selected in the Tool palette’s
Displacement Map, Texture Map or Normal Map menu. GoZ won’t automatically create
these maps for you. If you want to export your model with maps, you must do the follow-
ing before using GoZ:
• At the lowest subdivision level, create UVs or import UVs (through GoZ or manu-
ally).
• Choose the size of your texture in the Tool >> UV Map menu.
• Create your diffuse, normal map or displacement map in the Tool palette menu of
the same name. GoZ will only send the displacement, normal and/or diffuse map(s) if
the map(s) are in the small preview thumbnail of the associated sub-palette.
• Once all necessary maps are applied to the desired SubTools you can send your
model through GoZ to the application of your choice for rendering.
If you add new maps or regenerate existing ones after the creation of the shader, GoZ
will try to automatically update them in the previously created shader. Wherever possible,
it will try not to affect any edits that you’ve made to the shader’s settings.
Note about 3DSMax :

3DSMax creates a Shell shader, which will let you choose a real-time shader and a rendering
shader. The real-time shader is based on a DirectX Shader, to have the normal map displayed in
the viewport while you work.
3. GoZ for base mesh creation
If you need to create your 3D base mesh in another application, you can send your
ZBrush model to that application for use as a template to create new models and even
props.
Once your model is done, select it (along with any props that you’ve created) and
send it back to ZBrush through GoZ. Depending upon the Preferences >> GoZ >> Import
as SubTool setting, your model will be created as a new Tool or added to the currently
selected Tool as a new SubTool.
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4. Working with several Tools and SubTools
GoZ is able to work with several Tools or SubTools at the same time, sharing them
between different target applications. The only important thing to consider is ensure that
each object has a unique name. As the models are sent between several applications,
this is the only way to keep track of all your edits and changes.
GoZ can work with:
• Different Tools which contain no SubTools.

• SubTools which are in different Tools.
• All the SubTools of a Tool, visible or not.
• A new 3D model imported from another application as a new Tool or as a new
SubTool.
When doing all your GoZ operations, ZBrush will be able to automatically select the
corresponding Tool or SubTool or the corresponding mesh in the target applications.
684
IV GoZ restrictions
As explained in the Working with Several Tools and SubTools section, the main re-
striction of GoZ is to have unique Tool or SubTool names, including between all the
loaded Tools. If you have two loaded Tools of different names which each have a SubTool
named “Polymesh3D_1”, it is possible that the wrong model’s “Polymesh3D_1” SubTool
could be edited when bringing work back into ZBrush.
Additionally, GoZ only works with Polymesh objects. If you want to use GoZ with an
Adaptive Skin preview, an Unified Skin preview, a 3D Primitive or a ZSpheres skeleton,
you must first convert them Polymesh 3D objects.
685
V GoZ preferences
The GoZ Preference menu -- located in the Preferences palette -- includes several
utilities which are important to be familiar with:
Import as SubTool
When enabled, this option will make all new 3D models imported via GoZ a SubTool
of the active Tool. If it is disabled, all the new 3D models will be imported as a new Tool.
Clear cache files
GoZ uses temporary files and maps, which are located in your Users/Public/Pixo-
logic folder (or similar, depending upon operating system). These temporary files are not
automatically deleted. From time to time you should clear all cache files to remove un-
necessary temporary files and free up room on your hard drive.
Force Reinstall
By clicking this utility, ZBrush will reinstall all GoZ files for the target application of
your choice so that it can support GoZ.
Update all Path

By clicking on this utility, ZBrush will search for all GoZ-enabled applications located
in your default applications folders: C:\Program files(x86) and c:\Program files (or simi-
lar) on Windows and Applications on Mac OS X. For each application found, ZBrush will
display a dialog box which will let you choose between the different versions found. Also,
in case ZBrush can’t find the application (most often because it’s not located in the usual
application folders), you can browse your hard drive and select it manually. After choos-
ing the application, ZBrush will install the necessary files in the Target application and
may ask you for the administrator password.
686
Path to...
Different applications are listed, depending on the installed GoZ-enabled applica-
tions. Once a new GoZ-enabled application has been added, a new Path to “name of
the new application” will appear. Click on it to do the same operation as Update all Path
action, but only for the application corresponding to the button you pressed. This step is
useful if you installed a new version of the target application or reinstall that application.
VI GoZ with non-supported applications
GOZ is an automatic system which uses several functions of ZBrush that were intro-
duced in ZBrush 3.2 for Mac OSX and ZBrush 3.5 for Windows. These functions have
mainly to do with topology editing.
If you need to edit your topology in a non-supported application, do the following

steps:
• Go to the lowest level of subdivision.

• Export your model as an OBJ file.
• Import it in the application of your choice.
• Do your topology edits or UV modifications.
• Export your model as an OBJ file.
• Switch back to ZBrush. With the original Tool still selected at its lowest subdivision
level, click Tool >> Import and load the modified OBJ file.
• If you changed the topology, ZBrush will prompt you to project the details or not.
Choose yes if you want to transfer your original sculpting to the new topology. Choose
no if you wish to discard your original sculpting.
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VII SDK
A GoZ SDK is available on request by contacting the support https://support.pixologic.

com. With this SDK, any developer will be able to integrate GoZ into their application very
easily. Please contact us with any GoZ development questions, as well as to let us know
when support has been completed!
VIII GoZ in the future
Thanks to its public SDK, several new applications will be added in the future, expand-
ing the abilities of GoZ. Please, visit the http://www.GoZBrush.com webpage on a regular
basis, the ZBlog at http://www.pixologic.com/blog or ZBrushCentral.com to discover the
new applications. You can also be sent GoZ news by RSS feed or email announcement:
simply subscribe to one of the news options at http://support.pixologic.com.
IX Thanks!
The Pixologic team would like to thanks Norman Schaar who created GoMax, the first
community GoZ project around 3DSMax, with the help of Björn Albihn, Till Maginot and
Mark Hancock, who inspired us for some 3DSMax interesting functions to implement in
GoZ!
You can visit the GoMax project thread: http://www.zbrushcentral.com/showthread.

php?t=81506 and its creators websites:
• Norman: www.norman3d.com
• Björn Albihn: www.albihn.net
• Till Maginot: www.blog.maginot.eu
• Mark Hancock
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ZBrush User Guide - Thank you!
THANK YOU!
Yes, to you!
689
I Thank You
Pixologic® would like to thank everyone who has participated as a beta tester for
ZBrush® since it’s beginning, but also all the ZBrush users who are making all of these
wonderfull artwork and makes us pushing our limits to offers you new innovative artistic
and production tools!
Happy ZBrushing, and thank you again!
The Pixologic Team
690
II Notes
691
692
693

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ZBrush User Guide - Disclamer

ZBRUSH USER GUIDE

ZBrush is an extremely powerful piece of software which includes features ranging

The Pixologic Team

ZBrush Documentation Guide - version 0.4

Learn and Share

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Artist Spotlight: http://www.pixologic.com/zclassroom/artistspotlight/

Pixologic Social Media: Facebook - Google+ - Twitter - Pinterest

Mac OS X & Windows version of ZBrush®

INSTALLATION UPGRADING & ACTIVATION 24

GRID AND REFERENCES 36

I Shadow on Grid with BPR Render . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

I 8 BIT versus 32 BIT Background Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

I Opening a File Through LightBox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

I Using the Mesh Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

I Undo and Undo History Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

I Gizmo 3D Basic Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

I Manipulating the Action Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

ALPHA 3D AND VECTOR DISPLACEMENT MESHES 146

I The Alpha 3D Brushes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

ALPHA FROM 3D MESH AND MULTI ALPHA 154

I Creating a New Multi Alpha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

I DynaMesh Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

X Convert Inserted Meshes from Positive to Negative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175

SCULPTRIS PRO 184

I The Technology of Sculptris Pro Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186

I ClayPolish Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201

I ZSpheres and ZSpheres II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206

1. Creating the Root ZSphere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207

I ZSketch Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239

ZBRUSH MANNEQUIN 258

I The Basics of Posing Mannequins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260

I Quick Mesh Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269

I ZClassRoom Videos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272

DYNAMIC SUBDIVISION 344

I Dynamic Subdivision Blended with Classic Subdivision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346

ARRAY MESH 353

I Array Mesh Stages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355

I NanoMesh Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370

6. All to Brush . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385

I About MicroMesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388

I Fiber Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395

BOOLEAN OPERATIONS 428

I Important Notice about Boolean Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 430

I Entering Shadow Box Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 456

I Remeshing One or More SubTools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 467

LAYERS (3D) 470

I Working with Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 472

MESH FUSION 478

I Creating a Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 480

I ZRemesher Highlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 487

2. Duplicating your SubTool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 501

SURFACE NOISE 509

I About the Surfaces Noise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 510

LAZY MOUSE 2 540

I Stroke Continuity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 541

I Working with SpotLight: Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 546

II Organizing and Working with multiple textures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 549

HISTORY MOVIE CREATION 579

I Overview of the History Movie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 580

BPR FILTERS 583

I BPR Filters List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 587