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How do you tile and wrap an alpha around a curved object?

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

Hello everyone.

I’m new to Zbrush and I want to please know how can I use an Alphtha and wrap it around a ring? I suppose it must be “tiled” but I can’t figure out how to do this.

Since I would only want it on the outside, I suppose to that I must mask the inside of the ring

If I understand correctly, using Projection Master makes it impossible to mask the other side of the ring?

Thank you.

#2

Hi,
I’m also still no expert in ZBRush. But I thought about this:

a) EASY with a small object would be: use the DragRect and take a HighResolution Alpha.

b) IF it is a complicated shape, there is only a long way:
Then for sure you will have to create UV’S (with UVmaster).
After you have created UVmap (don’t forget to check the size, because results are dependend from resolution)

You have 3 different things to work with:

  • Polypaint (which is not your texture, but you can generate texture from it (check before again your texture size and UVsize settings etc.)
  • Texture (which can be generated from Projection (which is again sometimes dependend from Document width!)
    or with Spotlight or very exact with Zapplink (photoshop) and assembling several texture pieces
  • Masks (which are dependend from UV-resolution again).
    Also the resolution of your mesh is important (SDivs) for catching detail.

If you have created good UV go to UVmap > MorphUV and you get a flat Mesh.
With Zplugin ProjectionMaster you can somehow get a Texture on it…
EDIT: I think it’s easier then to export the UVmap and position your texture in Photoshop. I didn’t find out how it works in ZBrush.

Last step: You create this way your Mask as a black & white Texture, which is wrapped as you want.
With Tools > Masking > Mask by Color > Mask by Intensity you could convert that Texture into an Alpha Mask.

#3

Thank you very much for your time and help. I think you are right, UV Master to UV morph a flat section, then it’s possible to apply alpha over it.

I just have to figure out if projection master is better than just using alpha brush, etc.

It sounds like from googling other similar questions, that people use an “inflate” tool after they Un morph the UV map.