Hi guys,
I got the underside of a hand I want to fill with a dotted alpha pattern. The only solution I can think of is applying the multiple dots alpha to the ‘tracks’ brush and painting it all over.
Though problem is this can be tricky with all the fingers etc and the main problem is getting the dots to line up with each stroke.
was wondering if there is a better brush for this or even a ‘fill’ area function?
I did try stencil but that was impossible for this.
cheers
What about the using the DragRect stroke with your alpha.
I did try the drag stroke, though its a simular problem with matching up the pattern. Ideally some sort of tillable fill function would be the best solution if it even exists.
have you ever tried brush wrap?
Try the DragRect stroke but increase the H and V tiles in the Alpha menu. You might also have to change the brush curve and make it flat so you don’t have fade at the edges.
To “fill” an object with an alpha you have to layout UVs for the object and apply the alpha as a texture on the model. Then use mask by intensity to create a mask based on the texture. Then you may need to invert the mask. After that go into the deformation tab and inflate by 2-3 (positive or negative depending on the direction you want) and repeat until it is at the desired depth. You can also use relax from the deformation tab to smooth out any artifacts that may occur.
The downside to this method is that you will have to do some cleanup work around the UV seams using drag rectangle or a similar method, but this should give you a pretty good base to start with.
wouldn’t it be easier to load the alpha as an alpha and hit mask by alpha?
also depending on your alpha texture you could also use it as a displacement map and deform that way instead of inflate.
cheers guys! Some great suggestions there. will try them out 
I know you mentioned stencils didn’t work, but here’s a method for making custom stencils that may be helpful:
Place the tool in the ideal screen position (In this case it sounds like palm facing out)
Take a screen shot or export the document.
Bring the image into Photoshop, Crop to a square and make it the size you want (I’ve been making stencils that cover a figures entire back side at 1024 x 1024 with good results).
Use the image from ZBrush as a guide to make a custom alpha of the texture you want to apply. I always save my alpha’s as PSD’s, but I think other formats will work as well.
Import the alpha into ZBrush, make it into a stencil (don’t forget to turn the alpha off). You should be able to line the stencil up to the hand perfectly. I always do my stencil work on it’s own layer so I can tweak the relief quality of the form after I make it. Try out different brushes to see what gives you the best effect.