I started to teach Zbrush myself this week.
I found some tutorial videos to help me explore Zbrush better as a software program.
I have chosen to install the Chinese version of Zbrush 2020 to help me understand the usefulness of the various features in the software more quickly.
This week, I’m going to document some of the basic features of Zbrush in a blog.
Create a simple model file：
Click on the [Tool] button in the right-hand toolbar and select the base model you want to create.
Once the model has been created, you need to activate the model you want to create by clicking on [Edit].
Once the model is selected, click [right mouse button] in the viewport and drag and drop to control the model creation volume.
If we want to edit the model, we need to click the [Generate Polygon Mesh Object] button in the right toolbar.
[Home]: This option allows you to view some of the consultations updated on the official website.
[Lightbox]: This tool has powerful functions for selecting reference models, brushes, and more.
[Brushes] in [Lightbox]: Create the model’s shape and effect using different brushes.
[Alpha] in [Lightbox]: can be used in combination with brushes to create details of the model, similar to the skin’s texture.
[Grid] in [Lightbox]: is beneficial in sculpting people’s head patterns.
Tips:
If you can’t rotate the view’s direction, you can unlock the locked camera in the [Draw] option.
Zbrush] is best used in conjunction with a hand drawing tablet. Hold down [Alt] in the view to pan the model view, release [Alt] to zoom in or out of the model view.
To move the model: [W] shortcut key
Zooming the model: [E] shortcut key
Rotate the model: [R] shortcut key
Quickly return to the center of the model’s view: [F] shortcut key
How to zoom in and out of the model’s viewport: Hold down [Alt], then hold down the left and right mouse buttons, then release the [Alt] key. We can then zoom in and out of the model’s viewport to preview it. (This is a little tricky, I will try to remember this operation)
To adjust the properties of the brush, press [Spacebar] to display the panel. We can adjust the size of the brush, the center, the intensity, etc.
The brush will be added to the raised model. If you want to create models recessed to the inside of the model, hold down the [Alt] key before using the brush.
If we want to smooth the model’s surface, hold [Shift] down and use the brush to complete the effect of smoothing the surface of the model.
The [Strokes] panel is designed to adjust the stroke effect of the brush.
[Dots]: The effect of drawing with dots. Similar to using a dot mode brush to increase the height of the surface of the model.
[DragRect]: Use drag and drop to add surface detail to your model. This effect is suitable for hard surface designs.
The [Alpha] brush: This property is used to adjust the brush’s specific detail and grain.
The [Material] material balls in Zbrush and Substance Painter serves a similar purpose, adding Material effects to the model.
The routing of the model surface is also essential for sculpting models. Proper routing is what helps shape the model and the export work that follows.
Adjust the wiring of the object model.
The parameters in [Geometry Edit] in [Sub Tools] can help us adjust the model’s wiring. After clicking on [Subdivide Mesh], select [Subdivide Level] to increase or decrease the wiring of the model (this can be used to round off the model or reduce the number of faces).
[ZRemesher]: The function of [ZRemesher] is equivalent to the rearrangement of the lines of the model after it has been sculpted. There are many irregular faces or lines created during the sculpting process, so selecting [ZRemesher] will automatically topology the model’s lines and faces. This helps us to refine the ring alignment. The final number of faces is controlled by adjusting [Target Polygon Count] (the smaller the value, the smaller the number of faces). The use of [ZRemesher] will also reduce the detail of the model and help a lot with the overall alignment of the model.
Dynamesh]: The number of faces of the model can be increased or reduced by adjusting the resolution value. Dynamesh] is a good command to reset the number of faces of the model. [Dynamesh] can also be used to round off the model interface after it has been merged.
Merge models:
Check [Sub Tools] in the [Toolbar] of [Zbrush], then check [Create Copy]. (Be careful with [Delete] in the toolbar, as you cannot go back and cancel the operation after deleting the layers of the model)
Once created, we see that the two models are bright and grey, respectively. This is because both models are separate entities at this point. The bright model is currently active, and only active models can be manipulated in [Zbrush]. Next, we need to merge the models. (Hold down [Alt + Left mouse] to quickly select the model you want to activate)
We can merge models in the [Merge] section of the [Toolbar] section. Click on the model layer you want to merge, and then click [Merge Down]. (Note that after using [Merge], you cannot go back to the previous step)
Although we have finished merging the models, at this point, the interface between the two models is still interspersed. There will still be a gap between the two models when sculpting the model. Selecting [Dynamesh] at this point will help to round off the model. The model will be created without the effect of the seam lines. If you want to further smooth the surface of the model, hold [Shift] down and use the brush to achieve a rounded effect.