Why is it I am unable to move a tool around on the canvas in 3D, while at other times I can. I have tried using the mouse short-cuts and navigation icons with no luck. It appears the tool is frozen and I am unable to scale or rotate either. For example, I place the DemoHead from the lightbox into the scene by double clicking and drawing it out. Whether in draw or edit mode I can not transpose the model no matter what I do. Sometimes upon reinitializing or restarting it will work fine. Is this a bug or am I missing a simple setting? Please advise.
Was this question taboo? or is the question so common? I did search the forum before asking, really! I have the feeling the answer is really, really simple and I am just overlooking a setting… Help?
I suspect what you have run into is the difference between 2.5D and 3D.
If you are working on something in 3D you are in Edit Mode, I’m guessing you know this, but if you accidentally bump the Edit button or the letter T on the keyboard you could be screwed unless you have managed to save your work.
If you have the demohead in Edit Mode you SHOULD be able to do stuff to it.
You do mention being in Edit Mode while this is happening (or rather refusing to happen) and so I’m curious about all the steps leading up to this happening.
Can you do a step by step of your process? If you do that and leave nothing out that would be peachy and tell us a lot.
If you already understand the difference between 2.5d and 3d in ZBrush, along with how it all relates to the canvas, you’ll have to post what steps you’re doing to encounter this problem like Mealea said.
Thanks for the help… I have a question though… If I draw say 5 gears on the canvas and edit each one as I go… Can I then return to say the second gear and edit in 3D… or is it that once you drop it - it’s too late?
Once you drop it it is SORT OF to late.
What you can do however is make each gear a subtool.
Depending on how you are making them in the first place you would go about this in a couple of ways.
For the sake of simplisity lets just say you are using the default gear that comes with ZBrush (the one that looks more like a saw blade then a gear)
What you would do is this:
Place your first gear on the canvas.
Turn on EDIT mode.
Make what ever changes you like.
In the SubTool Pallet hit the Append Button.
Select the Gear again.
Move the new gear where ever you want it.
Again make what ever changes you like again (or just keep adding gears till you have however many you want).
In the subtool pallet you can rename each subtool and this (dispite the fact I never remember to do it) is a VERY good thing to do, I could go on about the relationship between the Tool Pallet and the Subtool pallet but it would not help you and it would just give me a headache (seriously).
Anyhow, once something is dropped to the canvas its 2.5D, BUT its still hopefully in the tool pallet so you could clear the canvas by hitting Control N and then redrawing it and hitting the Edit button…
I hope this is clear, its all rather odd and convoluted.
Okay, this is starting to make sense… so even if you are to clear a layer the tools palette behaves as a “placeholder” with the latest changes that have been made to the tool prior to clearing it? So, after clearing I am able to “recall” what was just cleared so that it can be edited again? If so, this seems a little backwards… but, as long as it works…
Don’t quote me on this but yes, at least basically. If it is starting to make sense you are way ahead of me, I dont understand it at all. I can use it but I do not understand it.
What you have described is very good and rather nicely put.
However never trust it, name things (in the subtool pallet), clone them so you have a copy (in the tool Pallet), and save them so you have real copies (as .ZTL files to your HD).
Never ever trust the edit button or the letter T, they are in league with the canvas and want you to drop what you are doing.
If something wont move or you suddenly cant sculpt it check to see if Edit is on, if its not check to see if its still in the tool pallet and subtool pallet, if it is (and it should be) redraw it onto the canvas, turn on Edit, and type Control N to clear what you dropped, if all goes well you SHOULD be right back where you were.
Your comment about this being somewhat backwards is not lost on me at all, like I said I do not understand this stuff but I can use it and THAT is the main thing.
Okay, thanks for all the help! I’m still learning the program, but I can tell I’m going to love it.
My interest is not in character development. I mostly work in architectural visualizations and I wanted a program to help me sculpt detailed architectural elements (i.e. - corbels, decorative trim, appliques, etc). ZBrush seems ideal for this type of application. I have seen videos on YouTube of artists scuplting mirror frames and iron grates and knew it was for me!
Remember to save the Ztool (.ztl) you’re currently working on every once in a while. Incrementally is best if you have the hard drive space. Nothing worse than a crash that makes you lose hours of work, plus you can go back to an older version if you’re unhappy with the current state of your mesh. You can also save your entire project using the FILE menu. This will save all the custom ztools in use, render settings, materials, lights, and so on in one file (.zpr). Only use the Document menu for saving a static image of your scene (*.zbr or PSD/JPG/BMP/TIFF if you choose the export option found there).
I dont have a powerful enough caps lock key to point out how CORRECT THIS IS.
Make your self crazy with versions and prune them later, losing stuff sucks.
SAVE NOW, SCREAM LESS.