ZBrushCentral

Newbie can't zsphere

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

I am one week into learning zbrush 4r5. The tutorials were going pretty well until I got to zspheres. My zspheres are not behaving anything like this tutorial
http://www.pixologic.com/zclassroom/homeroom/lesson/zspheres/
I hit “shift a” but it does not behave like in the tutorial. I can lay down lines of spheres which appear to pass over each other, but but the shift button does not smooth. It just lays down more spheres. The symmetry, move, rotate and zoom functions do not work either. I am using a wheel mouse, not a tablet. What am I doing wrong?

#2

Make sure ‘Dynamic’ is turned off for the Draw Size slider (just click the little word ‘Dynamic’ on the slider). This new option for 4R5 doesn’t work so well with ZSketching.

#3

Toggling dynamic on and off does not seem to be doing anything. Is there a way I can tell if I am even in sketch mode with z spheres?

#4

EDIT: Note that ZBer corrected me on a glaring error: its SHIFT A not Control A to get in and out of ZSketch mode, I am an idiot. I will have my self dragged out to be shot at dawn.
Thank you ZBER!

The first thing with ZSketch is that you need to turn off Dynamic BEFORE you do anything.
So start ZBrush, turn off Dynamic and then begin working.

As far as telling which mode you are in, normal vs. ZSketch mode, you will notice a color change in your ZSpheres If you are using the standard RedWax material you will see your ZSpheres turn a solid reddish brown in ZSketch mode, when you are in normal mode you will see a more pronounced difference and your active ZSphere will be half bright red and half dark red.
Try this:


  • Make a ZSphere thing, anything will do (go nuts, its fun).
  • Hold down SHIFT and hit the letter A, you should see a color change. You are now in ZSketch mode.
  • Do it again and it should change back. You are now back in normal ZSphere mode.

See how that works?

One other thing about ZSketch, most of the brushes have been removed, these brushes were/are unbelievably cool, and are still available under LightBox, its a nuisance to scrounge them up but they are there and are very very much worth looking for.

#5

I think I am getting it! Is it possible that the problem was I simply was not using the ZSphere tool? Can I get a reality check to see if the following things are true?

Start by turning off dynamic first thing.
Then choose the zsphere tool. This appears to be very important?
Hit shift A. This will allow me to draw single zspheres.
Once I have a single progenitor Zsphere I can turn on edit to build up and smooth those trails of zspheres on top of the original zsphere. Just like in the tutorial!

#6

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Yes, turn off Dynamic
And also yes, choosing the ZSphere tool is 100% important.

Do this:


  1. Start ZBrush.
  2. Turn off Dynamic.
  3. Select the ZSphere tool from the Tool Pallet.
  4. Draw your initial ZSphere onto the Canvas.
  5. Hit the Edit button (I know, I’m just not leaving stuff out)
  6. Click and drag ON the ZSphere you just made it will make another with a few in between.
  7. Hit the letter W on the keyboard or click the Move Button at the top next to Edit.
  8. Try clicking and dragging one of the ZSpheres you have drawn, see how that works? You can also use Rotate ® and Scale (E) up there as well.
  9. Hit Q on the Keyboard or click the Draw Button at the top next to the others.
  10. Try adding more ZSpheres and mess with them for a bit. Selecting the Ends does one thing, selecting ones between does other things, experiment, seriously, its VERY VERY COOL.
  11. Hit the letter A on the Keyboard, see how your ZSpheres turn into a normal mesh? This is a preview mode.
  12. Hit A again to go back to ZSphere editing.
  13. Make more!

This is “Normal” ZSphere usage.
If you liked what you saw when you hit A, you could then hit the Make PolyMesh3D button in the Tool Pallet and begin sculpting.
However now you have something to scribble on, you can either start over with a single ZSphere or keep going from here, I recommend you keep going.
So:


  1. Hit Shift A, see the color change? You are now in ZSketch mode.
  2. Click and drag starting on your existing ZSpheres and going anywhere you like. THIS is Zsketching.
  3. Do some more, change brush size, rotate your view and stuff like that, its a LOT of fun.
  4. Hit the letter A for a preview of how the mesh will look.
  5. Hit A again to get out of preview.
  6. Hold down Shift and Click and Drag on your thing, Shift is Smooth, see how that works?

Once you have the hang of this start over and this time after you draw the first ZSphere and get it in Edit mode hit the letter X on the keyboard, THEN start drawing… hehehehe

Hope this is helpful!

Cheers!
Mealea

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#7

Thank you so much for the help! This is exactly what I need to know at this point in time. Now to go practice and run some more tutorials. This stuff is tons of fun.
Cheers,
B