Greetings Everyone,
I performed a simple experiment based on the Underwater Laboratory exercise in Eric Keller’s book Introduction to ZBrush. I created a document sized at 3096x1742 pixols. I then drew a series of 3D Spheres and placed them in each of the four corners of the document, and I checked their coordinates (Transform>Move>Info). These were the coordinates: Upper Left: x=32.5, y=34.6, z=98360
Lower Left: x=36.4, y=1700.9, z=98360
Upper Right: x=3046.0, y=36.4, z=98360
Lower Right: x=3044.9, y=1696.9, z=98360.
Note that on the x axis, numbers get bigger from left to right, as we would expect. However, along the y axis, instead of numbers increasing from the lower to the upper part of the canvas (as they do on a normal ordinate), they increase from the upper portion (small numbers) to the lower portion (high numbers) of the canvas. So, as we slide down the y axis, we get larger numbers. (???) Does anyone know why that is?
I hope it’s OK if I follow-up with a related question:
I would especially like to know how to use the axes to estimate depth when I begin to place 3D objects in an illustration. I realize there’s a trial and error way. I’m just wondering if there’s a better way. For example, say I place a 3D cylinder at the 0-point of the z axis. I want to bore a hole in the cylinder. To do that, I want to place a sphere on the surface of the cylinder, then use ZCut to bore the hole.
If I knew the cylinder had a diameter of 100 pixols, and I wanted to attach a sphere to the front of the cylinder, I would set the sphere to approximately 50 on the z axis. Then move it over the cylinder. Then ZCut to bore the hole. Does that make sense?
But how do I discover the size of a 3D object? In Tool>Deformation there is a Size slider, but that doesn’t return the size as an absolute value.
Any help would be much appreciated. Even when I go through a well-organized tutorial or book (like Keller’s Introduction to ZBrush), I feel like I’m learning to press buttons and move sliders, but I’m not making much headway in learning the ZB organizational concepts that would allow me to work intelligently with the software.
Doc Pit
PS: Have a great July 4th Weekend!