ZBrushnew PDF

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ZBRUSH
ZBrush 2018 What’s New Guide
Welcome
Welcome to the What’s New documentation for ZBrush® 2018. While much of
ZBrush® 2018 is very similar to other releases in the version 4 series, there are quite a
few new features to help make your ZBrushing even more productive and creative. We
hope that the information you find here helps you understand the differences between
this release and previous versions of ZBrush®.
This document only covers what’s new in version 2018. To learn more about the
features introduced in previous releases of ZBrush® 4, we invite you to read the other
ZBrush® 4 What’s New Guides, located in your ZBrush installation’s Documentation
folder.
You’re invited to visit our ZClassroom for a huge database of free high quality movies
explaining all the main features of ZBrush®. Here you will also find the Artists Spotlight,
where famous 3D Artists explain how they use ZBrush®, helping inspire you to create
like the pros.
Don’t forget to subscribe for free to our ZBrushCentral community with over 300,000
members to discover tips, view artists’ creations, locate useful help for all things related
to ZBrush® or post your works-in-progress!
We encourage you to regularly visit our ZBrush® Blog as well as our social media
outlets where you will find all the news related to the ZBrush® universe, from the most
recent Interview to new plugins or gallery additions.
ZClassRoom Portal: http://www.pixologic.com/zclassroom/
Artist Spotlight: http://www.pixologic.com/zclassroom/artistspotlight/
ZBrushCentral: http://www.zbrushcentral.com/
ZBlog: http://www.pixologic.com/blog/
Pixologic.com: http://www.pixologic.com
Pixologic Social Media: Facebook - Google+ - Twitter - Pinterest
The Pixologic Team
© 2018 Pixologic, Inc. All rights reserved, Pixologic and the Pixologic logo, ZBrush, and the
ZBrush logo are registered trademarks of Pixologic, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of
their respective owners.
Mac OS X & Windows Version of ZBrush®
Instead of the Windows Ctrl key, the Macintosh uses the Command (Apple) Key. This
documentation will always refer to using the Ctrl key name, although it may sometimes
list both as Ctrl/Command. When the Ctrl key is mentioned anywhere in the documenta-
tion a Macintosh user will want to use the Command key instead.
The same is true for the Windows Enter key, which the Macintosh calls Return. When
seeing the Enter key mentioned anywhere in this documentation, a Mac user will want to
use the Return key instead.
The Close/Quit, Hide, Minimize and Maximize buttons are located on the top right in
Windows and at the top left on Mac OS X.
ZBrush Localization
ZBrush is available in multiple languages and will attempt to automatically set its lan-
guage to match that of your operating system, if available. You can change the language
at any time in the Preferences >> Languages sub-palette.
We are truly thankful for the efforts of our translators. For this task we decided to
enlist ZBrush users as only they can fully understand ZBrush terminology, its methods of
working and philosophy. We hope you appreciate their hard (and often tedious) work to
bring ZBrush to their languages.
If you wish to translate ZBrush for your language, please refer to the Multilanguage
section of the ZBrush User Guide and contact thomas@pixologic.com.
Thanks to:
• Chinese: Zhelong Xu (originally translated by Welocalize)
• French: Thomas Roussel
• German: Oliver Milas
• Japanese: Daisuke Narukawa with the help of Katsuhito Fukagawa and
MAATEE.
• Korean: Insun Kwon
• Spanish: Victor Marin - Invictus Designs
ZBrush Documentation Guide - version 1.00

This documentation has been written by Thomas Roussel and edited by Joseph Drust, Matthew Yetter and
Mark Burguess.
For all documentation questions and inquiries, please contact us at documentation@pixologic.com.

ZBrush 2018 - About
About ZBrush® 2018
ZBrush 2018 brings the concept art and creative sculpting to a new level with the
integration of a new technology: Tessimation which is able to add and remove polygons
on the fly and combined with brushes, it becomes Sculptris Pro. Discover a new freedom
of sculpting where you can add large or tiny details to anymesh without focusing on the
underlying topology.
New deformers have been added which will complete your arsenal of utilities for
applying simple to complex deofrmation to your model or simply using them as a full
creation tool with the new Project Primitive.
And in addition to the other additions, you will find the new PolyGroupIt plugin which
makes the PolyGroups creation fast and easy, especially on hard surfaces models. Don’t
forget that PolyGroups are everywhere in ZBrush, from manipulation, visibility and base
structure for creation tools.
New Sculptris mode with new associated brushes, new deformers, multiple copy
through the Gizmo3D, PolyGroupIt, new curve stroke mode as well as updated in Deci-
mation Master and 3D Print Hub and many other enhancements combine to speed up
your workflow, making it a joy to create whatever you might imagine.
Troll - ZBrush Artist: James Cain
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ZBrush 2018 - About
1. Sculptris Pro
We are pleased to introduce Sculptris Pro, a dynamic tessellation sculpting workflow

that enables you to ignore the constraints of polygon distribution and just -- sculpt!
Sculptris Pro makes it possible for you to begin with any shape or model, whether
it has ten polygons or ten thousand. There is absolutely no need to worry about having
enough polygons to capture details.
With Sculptris Pro you can simply brush across the surface. Sculptris Pro will dy-
namically add and reduce polygons wherever and whenever it’s needed, freeing you to
focus entirely on the look you’re trying to achieve.
2. New Gizmo 3D Deformers
With ZBrush 2018 we have expand this collection of deformers to a grand total of 27.
Each deformer has a unique feature set to allow quick shape alterations that would not
be possible through brush strokes.
One unique deformer, Project Primitive, gives the capability to use multiple primitives
to reshape a mesh, cut into a surface, build up from another mesh and so much more.
Not only does Project Primitive offer a new, unique way to blend multiple pieces of geom-
etry together it also empowers you to take something as simple as a sphere and turn it
into a rocket ship, automobile, plane, human bust and much more.
3. PolyGroupIt
ZBrush 2018 provides PolyGroupIt -- an entirely new way to create the polygon
groupings that are so essential to a smooth workflow.
PolyGroupIt accurately evaluates the surface of a model in real-time, generating

intelligent groupings with a single button click. Creating PolyGroups has never been so
easy.
With PolyGroup It you can delete, add, copy & paste, grow or shrink, create Poly-
Groups symmetrically and even use PolyPaint to trace out exactly what you want your
PolyGroups to look like.
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ZBrush 2018 - Table of Content
TABLE OF CONTENT
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ZBRUSH 2018 WHAT’S NEW GUIDE . . . . . . . . . . 1

1. Sculptris Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2. New Gizmo 3D Deformers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
3. PolyGroupIt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
INSTALLATION UPGRADING & ACTIVATION . . 11

I System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
II Installation and Activation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
III Upgrading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
IV Auto Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
1. Auto Update In Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
V Un-installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
VI Support Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
VII Backward Compatibility of ZBrush Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
SCULPTRIS PRO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
I The Technology of Sculptris Pro Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
II Uses for Sculptris Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
III Using Sculptris Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
1. Enabling Sculptris Pro Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
2. Brush Cursors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
3. Brush Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
4. PolyPaint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
5. Restrictions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
IV Sculptris Pro Global Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Adaptive Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Combined Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Subdivide Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Undivide Ratio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
V How Sculptris Pro Affects the Smooth Brushes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
VI Global Mode and Brush Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Enable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Use Global . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Adaptive Size, Combined, SubDivide Size and UnDivide Ratio . . . . 32
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VII Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
VIII Optimization with Decimation Master . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
IX Sculptris Pro Brushes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
DEFORMERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
I Working with Deformers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
II List of New Deformers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
1. Bevel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
2. Crease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
3. Deformer Hard and Soft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
4. Inflate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
5. Offset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
6. Project Primitive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
6.1 Clip Manipulators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
6.2 Using the Project Primitive Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
6.12 Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
7. Remesh by DynaMesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
8. Remesh by Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
9. Remesh by ZRemesher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
10. Remesh by Decimation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
11. Rotate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
12. Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
13. Skew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
14. Slice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
15. Smooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
16. Smooth All . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
17. Stretch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
18. Subdivide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
POLYGROUPIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
I Using PolyGroupIt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
II Working with Symmetry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
III Back and Forth with ZBrush and PolyGroupIt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
IV Conversion of PolyPaint to PolyGroups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
V PolyGroupIt Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Creating Seeds and Seed Threshold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
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Deleting Seeds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Clear All Seeds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Moving Seeds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Reusing Seed Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Growing and Shrinking PolyGroups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Overlap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
AutoGroups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Grow and Shrink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
OTHER ADDITIONS AND CHANGES . . . . . . . . . 65

I Tessimate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
1. Tessimate functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Tessimate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Tessimate X, Y and Z . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Polygon Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Tesselate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Decimate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
II New Snake Hook Brushes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
1. Snake Hook 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
2. Snake Sphere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
3. Snake Cactus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
III Mode to Remember Draw Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
IV Mode to Remember Dynamic Draw Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
V Gizmo Equidistant Multiple Copy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
VI Improved PolyGroups by Normal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
VII New Curve Stroke Functions and Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
1. Elastic and Liquid Curve Stroke Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Liquid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Elastic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
2. Smoothing a Curve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
3. Rotation Along the Curve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
VIII Saving the Custom Startup Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
IX Displacement Maps and HD Geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
X Plugins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
1. Decimation Master Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
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2. 3D Print Hub Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

XI New Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
1. Draw Transformation Border . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
2. QuickSave Folder Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
3. Language Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
THANK YOU! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
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ZBrush 2018 - Installation and Activation
INSTALLATION
UPGRADING &
ACTIVATION
All the steps you need to install or upgrade ZBrush, as well as to leverage its activation system.
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This is the useful information that you will need to know when installing and up-
grading ZBrush® on your computer. This chapter also describes the activation and de-
activation process. Understanding how the activation system works will help you avoid
difficulties should you upgrade your computer, reinstall your operating system, etc.
I System Requirements
Recommended:
• Operating System: Windows Vista or newer. Mac OS X 10.7 or newer. (32-bits

or 64-bits for either platform.)
• CPU: Pentium D or newer (or equivalent such as AMD Athlon 64 X2 or newer)
with optional multithreading or hyperthreading capabilities.
• 6 GB recommended.
• Disk Space: 750 MB for ZBrush, plus 16 GB for the scratch disk.
• Pen tablet: Wacom or Wacom compatible.
Notes:
The scratch disk may be a different drive from where ZBrush is installed.
Having ZBrush and its scratch disk running on an SSD drive will result in improved perfor-
mance.
Minimum System Requirements:
• Operating System: Windows Vista or newer. Mac OS X 10.7 or newer. (32-bits

or 64-bits for either platform.)
• CPU: P4 or AMD Opteron or Athlon64 Processor. (Must have SSE2 -- Stream-
ing SIMD Extensions 2. All CPU’s from 2006 or later support SSE2.)
• RAM: 1024 MB (2048 MB required for working with multi-million-poly models).
• Disk Space: 750 MB for ZBrush, plus 8 GB for the scratch disk.
• Monitor: 1280x1024 monitor resolution set to 32-bits or Millions of Colors.
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II Installation and Activation
ZBrush installation is based on an installer application, which is similar on both Win-

dows and Mac OSX operating systems.
After downloading the ZBrush installer you can run it to be guided through the activa-
tion process.
For all the information about the process of the installation and activation, please
read the “Install_and_activate_ZBrush.pdf” located in the ZBrush documentation fold-
er or available to download at our Download Center: http://zbru.sh/docs or visit our online
documentation website; http://zbru.sh/onlinedocs
It is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that you make a backup copy of the installer after
you have downloaded it. Download links are valid for two downloads or seven days,
whichever comes first. Our Support staff is happy to renew your download link at any
time but we also know from experience that people often need to reinstall on an evening
or weekend when there is nobody available to assist you.
Special notes for Mac users:
1. The download is a Disk Image (DMG) file which mounts to be like any other disk
on your computer. In some cases, a Finder window does not automatically open
after mounting the DMG. If that happens, you will find it within your Devices list.
Opening that will then allow you to run the installer itself.
2. Upon running the installer you may receive a message to the effect that it is from
an unknown publisher. In this case you will need to disable Gatekeeper before
you will be able to run the installer. Apple explains how to do this here: http://
support.apple.com/en-us/HT202491
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III Upgrading
Depending on your current ZBrush version and what you need to upgrade to, there
are two upgrade paths available:
• Using a full installer to perform a “clean” install of a fresh new copy of ZBrush.
This does not require any earlier version to already be on your computer.
• Using an upgrader (downloaded from our Download Center or through the Auto
Upgrader system) which will duplicate your current ZBrush folder and then up-
grade the copy without affecting your current installation.
The full installer takes longer to download, but is greatly preferred. Using it avoids
any possible permissions issues. Also, if there are any problems with your current
ZBrush installation (even those you might not be aware of), an update will copy those
problems to the new installation! The full installer avoids that possibility. You will still be
able to manually copy any desired files from the old installation to the new one.
If you do wish to use the update process instead of the full installer, please read the
Auto Update chapter of this section.
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IV Auto Update
ZBrush includes an Auto Update system which can check with the Pixologic® serv-
ers at your request to see if a new minor update is available.
This process is initiated manually and is voluntary. It is recommended that you run
it from time to time to see if a new update is available.
1. Auto Update In Action
The Auto Update is a separate application named ZUpgrader.exe (.app for Mac us-
ers), located at the root of your ZBrush folder.
This program can be executed by itself and when you wish to check for a new up-
date or upgrade. Make sure that ZBrush is closed, then simply double-click ZUpgrader
to run it.
An installer-like window will open. From there, simply follow the steps to check for
any available updates. The application will tell you whether or not something is available
for download.
• If no update is available, the software will automatically quit.

• If an update is available, the software will start the download. When the up-
date has finished downloading, it will be launched automatically and guide you
through the installation.
Auto Update in action.
The update installer is similar to the ZBrush full install process. Just follow the steps
to install the new components. The Auto Updater will automatically place all files in their
proper locations. When installation is finished the updater will close and you can launch
ZBrush to enjoy the new features or changes.
15
You will also find the update’s installer as a new program in the root of your ZBrush
folder. You can keep it for future use or simply delete it. We recommend that you keep
the most recent update and delete any older ones.
Note:
Each new update will include all items since the most recent ZBrush version release. This
means that if you’ve just installed ZBrush you will not need to download multiple updates – a
single download will be all that’s necessary to bring your installation up to date.
16
V Un-installation
This process completely removes ZBrush from your computer.
Un-installation process:
1. In the ZPlugin menu, choose Web Deactivation and proceed with license de-
activation as explained above. If you do not deactivate prior to un-installation,
the un-installed machine will continue to count against your serial number and
potentially prevent you from reactivating!
2. On Windows, use the Windows Control Panel uninstall utility and follow the
steps. On Mac OS X, simply move the Applications/ZBrush folder and the Us-
ers/Public/Pixologic folder to the Trash.
3. During the un-install process, depending on the Version of ZBrush you are us-
ing, the Uninstaller may ask you if you want to keep your GoZ files. Always
answer “Yes” if you are removing an older version of ZBrush after having up-
graded. If you answer “No”, GoZ won’t work anymore because most of its com-
ponents will be deleted by the un-install process.
4. After the un-installer has finished, check the location where ZBrush had been
installed. There will often be extra files which remain. You can delete those fold-
ers if you do not intend to use ZBrush on this computer again.
Note:
With the exception of GoZ and the various files in the ZBrushData shared/public folder, ZBrush
doesn’t write files outside its own directory.
17
VI Support Registration
It is required to have a current Support account at http://support.pixologic.

com in order to receive technical support for ZBrush. This account is free.
If your purchase was of ZBrush 4R5 or earlier, you won’t have a Support account un-
less you specifically created one yourself! Having activated an earlier version of ZBrush
is not the same as having a registered Support account. The Support system is an inde-
pendent platform. It does not use any existing log-ins that you might have for ZBrushCen-
tral, Cleverbridge or any other ZBrush-related sites.
Note:
Purchases of ZBrush 4R6 and later required having a Support account to be able to complete
the purchase or get your serial number. If your first version was ZBrush 4R6 or later, you will have
a Support account already and can skip this section.
If you have not already registered on the Support site:
1. Go to https://support.pixologic.com.
2. Click the Register icon.
3. Enter your email address and whatever password you would like to use for the
Support site. These will become your login info for the future.
4. Fill in your system information. We need this info in order to respond to your
support requests more efficiently.
5. Also provide your ZBrush 4x serial number for your copy of ZBrush. This infor-
mation identifies you as someone who has actually purchased a ZBrush license.
(If you have upgraded from an earlier version of ZBrush 4, your serial number
will remain unchanged. All versions of ZBrush 4x use the same serial number.)
6. After you submit the form you will receive a confirmation email at the address
you used to register. Follow the instructions in that email to complete your reg-
istration.
If you have already registered on the Support site:
You do not need to change any information.
At any time, you can go to https://support.pixologic.com to view your past tickets or

create a new one.
18
VII Backward Compatibility of ZBrush Files
ZBrush files are not backward compatible, which means that your files created with
the most recent version of ZBrush won’t be compatible with any older version.
For example, if you have a file that you’d been working on with ZBrush 4R3 and then
save it using ZBrush 4R7, you will no longer be able to open it in version 4R3.
Different versions of ZBrush can be used together with GoZ due to the fact that its
main components have remained the same, but it’s not possible to work on the same
project between multiple versions of ZBrush at the same time. Once a file has been
created or saved in a newer version of ZBrush, it will not be able to be opened by any
earlier version.
GoZ cannot get around this restriction. It can be used to open files from earlier ver-
sions of ZBrush but it cannot be used to send files to an earlier version. The only way
to get a file into an earlier version of ZBrush than it was last saved in is through the OBJ
format.
19
ZBrush 2018 - Sculptris Pro
SCULPTRIS PRO
Digital clay to the next level
20
Sculptris Pro is a global editing mode for ZBrush that provides unique behavior for
multiple sculpting and painting brushes. When Sculptris Pro is enabled, brushes will
modify the topology of your model on the fly to ensure that the brush shape is accurately
maintained. You can grow parts, add fine details or erase parts of the model without wor-
rying about the underlying topology. As you sculpt, ZBrush will add or remove polygons
as necessary based on your brush size. With this mode, you can focus on the visual
aspect of your model with no need to worry about polygon resolution or other technical
constraints.
When Sculptris Pro mode is off, ZBrush sculpting relies on the existing vertices of
the model to produce the deformation. With Sculptris Pro mode, ZBrush creates any
necessary vertices where they are needed before moving them. This means that you
can sculpt fine details even when your model may not otherwise have enough polygons
to support them.
The intent of Sculptris Pro mode is to provide another layer of creativity and artistic
freedom within ZBrush. As with all ZBrush features, Sculptris Pro mode can be mixed
with DynaMesh, imported models and scan data, ZSphere adaptive skins or decimated
models. It can even be used on models that have been output from the Live Boolean
system or which will serve as Live Boolean operators to create new meshes.
A model created with Sculptris Pro mode. On the right you can see the variations in density based
on the size of the sculpted details. The more finely detailed the brush is or the smaller its size, the
denser the topology generated by ZBrush will be.
21
I The Technology of Sculptris Pro Mode
Inherited from our Sculptris application, this mode provides automatic triangulation
(also known as tessellation) of the model as you draw your brush strokes. It generates
polygons on the fly to support details sculpted in the mesh.
By default, this triangulation density is relative to the Draw Size of the brush. A small
brush size will produce dense triangulation in order to support fine details. A large brush
will produce minimal triangulation, allowing broad deformations of the surface.
In addition to performing this tessellation, Sculptris Pro will also apply decimation to
the model in real-time. This means that ZBrush will analyze the current stroke in order to
remove unnecessary vertices, providing a more optimized result.
When using Sculptris Pro mode with Smoothing brushes they will function to relax
the surface of the model. They will also apply real-time decimation to remove any un-
necessary polygons.
This combination of both tessellation and decimation is referred to as “Tessimation.”

It is the technology powering the Sculptris Pro mode, making it different from the original
dynamic topology technology found in our Sculptris software.
22
II Uses for Sculptris Pro
Sculptris Pro mode is a great art feature that can be used in a variety of ways.
Because it is deeply integrated within ZBrush it can be combined before or after other
ZBrush operations, allowing this mode to be added to your existing pipelines in a variety
of ways.
Here are a few of the many ways in which Sculptris Pro can benefit you:
Concept
For most artists, creating concepts will be the most common use for Sculptris Pro. It
is ideal for starting with a simple shape (such as a Sphere3D Polymesh or basic ZMod-
eler shape) which you then push and pull into shape, mixing brush sizes and adding
major or minor details on the fly with no worries about the underlying topology.
Sculptris Pro can of course be combined with DynaMesh, using the latter to mix
multiple primitives and brushes to create quick shapes and volumes before switching to
Sculptris Pro mode for your medium-to-small shapes and details.
Refinement
As explained in the Concept section above, the Sculptris Pro mode is a great tool
to add medium and small size details. When working on a model you may find that you
need to add some details or just modify part of an existing model, but the current topol-
ogy doesn’t allow what you have in mind. One such example would be adding a horn to
a low-resolution head.
So long as your model does not have subdivision levels you can use Sculptris Pro to
simply reshape the portion of the model that is a problem. This is very different from the
way that DynaMesh rebuilds the entire model’s topology. Instead, Sculptris Pro will only
modify the topology where you are currently working, without affecting the entire model.
Working on Boolean Mesh Results

ZBrush is well known for how its powerful Boolean operations can combine very high
resolution meshes with low resolution models. But if you want to refine or rework some
parts of your model after the Boolean operation, you may find yourself challenged by
the topology at the Boolean intersections. You may also find that the variation in density
prevents you from adding the quality of details you are looking for.
With Sculptris Pro you won’t need to DynaMesh the model or recreate the topology.
Simply sculpt where you like -- even on the intersection areas. ZBrush will refine the
topology on the fly.
23
Working with Scan Data or 3D Print Files

Scan data and ready-to-print files are often models with non-optimized topology.
With Sculptris Pro you will be able to clean scan data without doing a retopology. For 3D
print files you will be able to do quick fixes such as contrasting details or even add new
details, without the need to reproduce the model from scratch.
Working with CAD Files

Another great benefit of Sculptris Pro is to edit, sculpt or modify models coming from
CAD software. These meshes are usually NURBS/Solid meshes before being converted
to polygons, and the result of this tends to be topology that is not suitable for subdivision
sculpting. Before Sculptris Pro it was necessary to convert these models to DynaMesh or
create new topology with systems like ZRemesher.
With Sculptris Pro you can freely sculpt these models without any constraints, using
the best aspects of both the CAD world and the digital sculpting world.
24
III Using Sculptris Pro
The Sculptris Pro mode is as easy to use as it is versatile. Harnessing its full poten-
tial only requires you to keep a few items in mind.
Sculptris Pro works with raw polygons and is not compatible with subdivision sur-
faces. Your model must be a PolyMesh 3D and must not have subdivision levels. If the
current state of your model doesn’t allow Sculptris Pro to function, the brushes will have
their normal behavior.
1. Enabling Sculptris Pro Mode
This first step to use the Sculptris Pro mode is to enable it by pressing the Sculptris
Pro button. In the default ZBrush user interface (UI), this is the Sculptris Plus logo above
the canvas. If you are using a custom UI, you will find the Sculptris Pro button together
with its global settings in the Stroke >> Sculptris Pro sub-palette.
2. Brush Cursors
Once Sculptris Pro has been enabled -- and if the current Tool or SubTool is compat-
ible -- the brush cursor will change from red to purple. If the brush cursor remains red,
check to make sure that your model has no subdivision levels, is not a 3D primitive, is not
a ZSphere, and does not contain partially hidden geometry.
When using a smooth brush during Sculptris Pro, the cursor color will switch to an
orange color. This indicates that your brush stroke will produce both smoothing and Tes-
simation.
Note:
Cursor colors can be changed in the Preferences >> Edit sub-palette.
3. Brush Size
At default settings, the Draw Size will affect the tessimation density for your current
brush. A large brush size will create large polygons while a small brush size will create
dense or very dense topology, making these small details accurate even if the original
topology had few points.
This system differs from how DynaMesh produces uniform topology density. It al-
lows you to create fine details or very large shapes on the fly by only adjusting the Draw
Size.
25
As explained in the next section, you can adjust the global settings of the Sculptris
Pro mode to accomplish any of these results:
• Keep the tessimation constant without having the brush size control its density.
• Have tessellation only, without decimation.
• Modify the factor by which changes to Draw Size modify topology.
4. PolyPaint
Sculptris Pro is compatible with PolyPaint and this works in the same manner as for
sculpting: Depending on your brush size, it will add polygons as necessary to accurately
paint vertex colors. This means that you can produce a fine paint stroke even if the model
is low resolution.
5. Restrictions
As explained above, Sculptris Pro only works on models without subdivision levels.
It also has some other restrictions to keep in mind:
• The mode will not work on partially hidden models. If you hide a part of the
model, Sculptris Pro will be disabled even if the icon indicates that it’s still on.
Brushes will switch to their default behavior with no tessimation.
• Drag Rectangle and DragDot strokes are not supported. Only Dots, FreeHand
and Spray strokes are supported by Sculptris Pro.
• VDM brushes are not supported.
• Any brushes that generate content will not work, such as IMM/Insert brushes,
Curve brushes, etc.
• UVs are not preserved.
• Masks are taken into consideration by Sculptris Pro. Mask intensity will affect
tessimation, determining how strongly the polygon structure will be modified.
• The Brush auto-masking setting, Mask By Polygroups will not work with Sculp-
tris Pro.
26
IV Sculptris Pro Global Settings
Found in the Stroke palette under a sub-palette of the same name Sculptris Pro of-
fers a few options that are important to understand if you want the best control over your
sculpting or to start creating your own brushes.
Users will find their own preferences for which options are enabled or disabled –
especially when it comes to the Combine option. We recommend testing the different
Sculptris Pro options to see what fits your individual needs.
On the left, a cube with a low polygon density. On the right, a bevel has been manually sculpted
with the Trim Dynamic brush. Notice the addition of polygons generated on the fly by the Sculptris
Pro mode, removing the need to subdivide the model.
The Stroke >> Sculptris Pro sub-palette.
27
Adaptive Size
Enabled by default, Adaptive Size instructs ZBrush to tesselate the model more or
less strongly based upon the Draw Size. The smaller the radius of the brush, the more
dense the topology will be and the larger the brush, the larger the polygons.
Adaptive size in action. Above, a large brush stroke and below, a smaller size brush stroke. All
other settings are the same between the two strokes. Notice the difference in topology density.
When disabled, tessimation applied by the brush stroke will no longer be modified by
the brush size radius. Instead, it will only use the Subdivide Size and Undivide Ratio set-
tings. (The latter requires that Combined mode be enabled.) The density itself is mainly
controlled by the Subdivide Size slider.
Combined Mode
When Combined mode is enabled, ZBrush will mix both tessellation and decima-
tion while sculpting, constantly maintaining the proper number of polygons to support
your brush strokes and details. Combined mode uses the Subdivide Size slider value
to tesselate the mesh while at the same time using the Undivide Ratio value to remove
unnecessary polygons.
This function serves to avoid having extra polygons in your model while also clean-
ing your topology.
Keep in mind that when using this mode with high density meshes the stroke can
be slowed down due to the fact that ZBrush needs to perform two complex operations at
the same time. Some artists prefer disabling Combined mode to increase performance,
relying on the Smooth brush to reduce the number of polygons when desired.
28
Subdivide Size
The Subdivide Size slider only functions with brushes that are compatible with
Sculptris Pro. It defines the density of tessellation applied to the mesh during the stroke.
A low value creates dense tessellation (smaller polygons) while a high value creates a
sparse tessellation (larger polygons).
If Adaptive Size mode is turned on, this slider’s effect is modulated by the Draw Size
value.
Undivide Ratio
The Undivide Ratio slider defines the amount of decimation applied to your brush
stroke. The purpose of the Undivide function is to enhance the quality of the stroke and
avoid adding unnecessary polygons.
The Undivide Ratio function can be disconnected from the sculpting strokes by dis-
abling the Combined toggle. By doing so, you will improve the brush stroke reactivity and
speed.
A low value will decimate only the smallest polygons within the area of your brush
stroke, making the effect visible only in dense parts of the model. A high value will
decimate larger triangles, making the optimization visible even in less dense areas of
the model.
29
V How Sculptris Pro Affects the Smooth Brushes
The Smooth type brushes use the UnDivide Ratio value to produce decimation and
smoothing at the same time. However, if the model has a lower density than the current
Sculptris Pro settings, these brushes will add whatever polygons are necessary to pro-
duce the effect, similar to a regular sculpting brush.
If you want to apply variable polygon density or locally remove some polygons with-
out affecting the details, you can create a new Smooth brush by using the Brush >>
Clone function and then set a Z Intensity value of 0. In this case, tessimation will be ap-
plied without any mesh smoothing.
When used with Sculptris Pro, the Smooth brushes also have a secondary behavior
accessed by releasing the Shift key while still maintaining the stroke. This will create an
additional inflate effect that allows you to smooth the surface while also avoiding unwant-
ed shrinking. An example of when it is useful would be when doing long deformations
with the Snake Hook brushes, which grow thin at the ends.
30
VI Global Mode and Brush Settings
By default, Sculptris Pro takes the lead with all compatible brushes. This means that
they will locally tessimate your model based on the global Sculptris Pro settings found in
the Stroke palette. However, it is possible to customize each brush to have its own unique
settings, giving you better control for your specific needs.
You can access these settings in the Brush >> Sculptris Pro sub-palette. By default,
brushes are set to use the global settings. Here is a description of these settings.
The Sculptris Pro sub-palette in the Stroke palette
Enable
This overrides the Sculptris Pro button for the current brush. In other words, if En-
able is turned off then the brush will not tessimate the model even if Sculptris Pro mode
is turned on.
As an example, you might decide that you never want a special hPolish brush that
will never tessimate your model, even when Sculptris Pro is turned on. In that case, sim-
ply turn Brush >> Sculptris Pro >> Enable off and save the brush as a new one.
Use Global
When enabled, Use Global tells the brush to use the Sculptris Pro settings from the
Stroke palette. When disabled, the Adaptive Size, Combined, SubDivide Size and UnDi-
vide Ratio settings in the Brush >> Sculptris Pro sub-palette will become available to you
and will affect only the current brush.
For all brushes, Use Global is turned on by default. However, the option is available
to you in case you want to customize a brush to act in a unique way by having stronger
decimation or less tessellation than what is provided by the global settings.
31
Adaptive Size, Combined, SubDivide Size and UnDivide Ratio

These settings are exactly the same as those found in the Stroke >> Sculptris Pro
sub-palette (explained above in this chapter). The difference is that here they are applied
only to the current brush. When Use Global is disabled, these settings will override the
global Sculptris Pro mode settings.
VII Performance
Sculptris Pro has been optimized for performance and reactivity. However, unlike
with traditional subdivision surfaces, ZBrush must fully analyze your surface with ever
brush stroke. This means that the more polygons you have, the less responsive your
brush strokes will be.
CPU performance has the greatest impact on this. Depending on your computer you
may start noticing a reduction in performance anywhere from as few as 200,000 triangles
to as many as 4 million.
If you want to increase your performance you can disable Combine mode in the
Sculptris Pro settings. Since ZBrush will now only need to perform tessellation rather
than tessimation you will see a performance boost. Removing the decimation part of the
operation won’t have a high impact on the visual appearance of your model. Just keep
in mind that you will want to Smooth the surface every so often in order to clean up the
mesh by removing unnecessary polygons (which also boosts performance).
Don’t forget that you can always work with multiple SubTools. And if you are simply
refining your shapes you can disable Sculptris Pro altogether. Use it when you need it
and turn it off when it doesn’t enhance your work.
32
VIII Optimization with Decimation Master
Because Sculptris Pro produces triangles and can modify topology on the fly, using
the Decimation Master plugin can be very helpful to drastically reduce the polygon count
of your model while keeping details where needed.
If you feel that your brush strokes feel less reactive because of the polygon count,
you can try to decimate to approximately 20%. Visually, you should see little if any change
in the appearance of your model. But since your polygon count is now 20% of what it had
been before decimation you will get a significant boost in performance as you continue
to sculpt.
Reminders Concerning the Decimation Master Process
• It is accessed through the ZPlugin >> Decimation Master sub-palette.

• Click the PreProcess Current button. This creates a temporary file, which may
take anywhere from seconds to a few minutes.
• Set the decimation value using the % of Decimation slider. A value of 20 in-
structs ZBrush to reduce the total polygon count by 80%, keeping the remaining
20%.
• Press the Decimate Current button. At this point your model will be decimated
and you should see the point count at the top of your UI drop dramatically. For
most models, 20% will not produce any visual change in your model.
• You can try different decimation values if you wish, without having to do a new
PreProcess. This allows you to try different values until you are happy with the
decimation.
• After you have sculpted some more, it will be necessary to PreProcess again.
Decimation Master also includes some presets for one-click decimation. If you press
the 20k button, ZBrush will automatically pre-process the model and then apply whatever
decimation is necessary to reach the target count.
If you see unwanted visual changes in your model, click a different preset. ZBrush
will then use the current pre-process data and adjust the polygon count accordingly. In
other words, Decimation Master only performs a pre-process calculation when neces-
sary, even when using the preset buttons. It is well worth exploring this feature!
33
IX Sculptris Pro Brushes
As explained above, most of the sculpting brushes included with ZBrush are compat-
ible with Sculptris Pro. That being said, some brushes are at their most useful when using
Sculptris Pro, such as the Snake Hook brushes.
When Sculptris Pro is turned off, the Snake Hook brushes produce badly stretched
polygons and often a lot of unwanted deformation. With the Sculptris Pro turned on,
ZBrush can adapt the topology of the model during the brush stroke, making these brush-
es perfect for growing parts out from a surface.
ZBrush includes two SnakeHook brushes. The original one functions relative to the
camera working plane (the canvas) while the Snake Hook 2 brush operates relative to
the surface normal.
Don’t forget that brush settings can be altered to change their behavior. As an ex-
ample, Brush >> Curve >> Edit Curve will affect the pinch effect of these brushes while
Brush >> Modifiers >> Brush Modifier will affect how much the stroke aligns to either the
surface normal or the canvas.
The Snake Hook Sphere brush designed specifically for Sculptris Pro. This brush
creates a tube with a spherical base along your brush stroke. By default its direction is
based on the surface normal, but changing its Brush Modifier setting can make it function
relative to the canvas instead.
Finally, some brushes like hPolish can work with Sculptris Pro, but won’t have an
effect that’s much different than what you would get normally. Since that would be a
case where you are taking an unnecessary performance hit, such brushes might be good
candidates for you to experiment with turning off the Brush >> Sculptris Pro >> Enable
setting as explained above.
34
ZBrush 2018 - Deformers
DEFORMERS
From utility to creation tools
35
The Deformer system included in the Gizmo 3D is a series of tools which can apply
a global or local deformation to your current SubTool, depending on whether it is masked.
ZBrush 2018 introduces new deformers which have been added to the list of deformers
introduced in ZBrush 4R8
The deformers will let you bend, twist, insert shapes, subdivide, smooth and a lot
more. All of the deformers are interactive, making this a great way to visually edit your
models.
The Deformers, located at the top of the Gizmo 3D Customize menu.
36
I Working with Deformers
The Deformers will only work with models that don’t have subdivision levels. If your
current SubTool has multiple levels of subdivision, click the Delete Higher/Lower func-
tions located in the Tool >> Geometry sub-palette.
The Deformers are located in the Gizmo 3D popup palette, accessed by clicking the
Customize icon.
1. Switch to Gizmo 3D.

2. At the top of the Gizmo 3D, click the small gear “Customize” icon. A popup menu
will open. The bottom part lists the different deformers that are available.
3. Chose the deformer of your choice. A series of manipulators represented by
cones associated with a bounding box will appear.
4. When hovering over a manipulator, a description of the function is displayed.
Adjust the manipulators by clicking and dragging the circle part of the cones to
apply a transformation to your model.
5. If you wish to reset your current modifier, click again on the Customize (gear)
icon and select the corresponding action in the popup menu.
6. When finished with the deformer, switch to Draw mode or return to the Custom-
ize menu to click Accept. You may also use the Customize menu to click the
Gizmo 3D function to revert to the manipulator or select another manipulator.
37
II List of New Deformers
Find below the list of the deformers found in the Gizmo 3D. Some of them simply
apply a deformation to the current model while others may apply topology modifications
like adding edge loops or more drastic changes.
1. Bevel
The Bevel deformer applies a bevel on the edges closest to the bounding box orien-
tation. This deformer will provide the best results on hard surfaces meshes.
The bevel deformer applied on the right. Notice that not all the edges have been beveled, but only
the ones that have been defined by the Crease Angle cone value.
Settings:
• Bevel: defines the radius of the bevel.

• Resolution: defines the tessellation density of the bevel.
• Crease angle: defines the minimum edge angle to apply the bevel.
2. Crease
The Crease deformer applies a crease tag to all the edges which fall into the defined
angle threshold. The crease edges can later be used with subdivision surfaces or apply-
ing bevels.
38
The Crease deformer applied on the right. Notice that not all the edges have been creased, but
only the ones which have been defined by the Crease Angle cone value.
Setting:
• Crease angle: by defining this value, you will set the detection of the edges
which need to receive a crease tag.
3. Deformer Hard and Soft
These two Deformers are alternatives to the main Deformer Deformer. These De-
formers allow you to apply deformation to your model by manipulating a Free Form De-
formation Cage or Lattice. The only difference with the original Deformer Deformer is that
these Deformers will apply a soft deformation or a hard deformation to the model, based
on the points you are selecting.
To manipulate a single point, simply click and drag on the point to move it across the
screen working plane.
You can also select a single or multiple point at the same time by clicking once on a
control point. It will turn to a white dot. To add or remove other points, press the Shift key
while clicking on new points. Use the Masking commands as well to do multiple selection
at once. These points can be manipulated by the Gizmo 3D for both Move, Scale and
Rotate operations.
39
On the left, the Soft Deformer applied to the head and on the right, the Hard Deformer applied.
You can see that even if the cage deformation is the same, the result is different.
Settings:
• X, Y and Z Divide: defines the definition of the cage. More control points mean
more accuracy in a local area, while fewer points work better for global defor-
mation.
• X, Y and Z Symmetry: sets the symmetry plane for the deformation. This sym-
metry, like that found in the Transform palette, can be parallel or mirror type
(regular symmetry).
4. Inflate
The Inflate deformer applies an Inflate deformation to your selection, based on the
size of the deformer bounding box. The resulting effect can be modulated through the
Smooth setting, giving you alternative inflate deformations.
The transformation is applied with a 100% deformation value on the bounding box
face manipulated by the cone through a progressive transition to 0% of deformation
value for the opposite face.
40
Settings:
• Inflate: defines the amount of inflation (or deflation with negative value) to your
model.
• Smooth: applies a global smooth to your model, useful if your inflate modifica-
tion produces overlapping and crossing polygons on angles.
metry, like the one found in the Transform palette, can be parallel or mirror type
(regular symmetry).
5. Offset
The offset deformer is very similar to the Move transformation of the Gizmo3D as
stretching a cone from the model bounding box will move the model along this cone.
Both opposite cones of the bounding box are doing the same operation.
The benefit of this deformer is to allow you to precisely orient the bounding of your
model box based on the Gizmo3D orientation that you can set before selecting this de-
former. Then you can use this new orientation within your deformer.
Settings:
• Offset: moves the model along the axis of the selected cone.
6. Project Primitive
This Project Primitive modifier is a full creation and modification tool. Even if as it is
considered a modifier, it will let you build complex models in no time by projecting para-
metric primitives like cubes, spheres, cylinders or prism type shapes onto an existing
model. The shapes are based on superquadratic formulas.
When using this Deformer ZBrush will allow you to manipulate these basic models
by changing their shapes and then transforming them with the Gizmo3D to move, scale
and rotate. These shapes will then be projected onto the surface of the original model. As
an example imagine taking a ball and putting a piece of cloth over it. The balls shape will
be projected through to the piece of cloth.
Since the Deformer is projecting the new shape onto the topology of the existing
surface this can result in stretched polygons. ZBrush can add extra polygons on the fly
to produce cleaner surfaces where it is needed. This smart and automatic tessellation
brings the capability to add new projected primitives on top of previous projected ones,
letting you stack projections the one after the other.
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The Project Primitive includes multiple controls which will affect not only the shape
itself, but also its projection transition. It can be associated with the classic axis symmetry
as well as its own Radial Symmetry for intricated shapes.
An example of a model built only by using the Project Primitive deformer. Model courtesy of Jo-
seph Drust.
Projected primitive has four important behaviors that you must keep in mind:
• When the center of the projected primitive is located inside the model, it will pull
the polygons outside, adding the projected shape to the model
• When the center of the projected primitive is located outside the model, it will
push the polygons inside, creating a negative projection of the shape
On the left, the center of the projection is inside the model, resulting of the partial sphere on top of
the surface. On the center, the projected sphere has been slightly moved in a way that the center
is now outside of the model: the projection is now done on the other direction, creating this partial
sphere cut. On the right you can see that the center is outside, like is showing the Gizmo 3D.
• The projected primitive can be seen as it can become a new mesh to start
working with or just being “invisible” to do its deformation, by changing the New
Surface cone value. Making the projected primitive visible is also a helpful op-
tion if you wish to see the shape of your projected primitive to change its shape
with more ease.
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• The intersection between the projected primitive and the 3D model can be a soft
transition (by default) or can be sharp, based on the Blend cone mode.
If you wish to realign the projected primitive on the symmetry axis of the model,
simply press the shift key while using the Gizmo3D until it snaps to the symmetry axis.
6.1 Clip Manipulators
In addition to the cones to change the mathematical aspect of the primitives, the de-
former includes clipping controls, aligned with the Gizmo3D axis. By pushing and pulling
their controls represented with white dots, you will manipulate a clipping plane perpen-
dicular to the manipulation axis.
If you want to clip the model symmetrically, press the Shift key while dragging a Clip
dot, the opposite one will be moved in the opposite direction.
With this Clip control, combined with the Cones to change the primitive shapes, you
will have a very large array of primitives to build and deform your models.
On the left, the original model with a Sphere projected on the top of the head. On the right, the
front clip dot (orange arrow) has been pushed inward to trip the sphere shape.
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6.2 Using the Project Primitive Modifier
This is an example project showing the basic usage of the Project Primitive modifier.
1. Load the DemoAnimeHead.ZPR project in Lightbox

2. Select the Gizmo3D by choosing Move, Scale or Rotate then click on the small
Gear icon on the top left of the Gizmo3D.
3. A popup will open, select “ProjectPrimitive”. You should see all the cones ap-
pear as well as the Gizmo3D.
4. Click and drag the green arrow of the Gizmo3D to move around the top of the
head the default primitive, which should be a sphere. If you move too much
to the top the projected primitive, the effect will be transformed from a pull to
a push effect. Keep the projected sphere inside of the model to have a pulled
deformation.
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5. Now click and drag the red cone on the top right corner of the model bounding
box to enable the X symmetry. The click and drag the red arrow of the Gizmo3D
to move the projected primitive on the side of the head, to create a kind of hair
bun, resembling a famous rebel princess.
6. Of course, you can use the other axes of the Gizmo 3D to move around the pro-
jected sphere to refine its position. Use the X scale manipulator as well to do a
non-uniform scaling of the projected sphere which can be followed by a rotation
along the Z Axis. As you can see, a Projected primitive can be manipulating like
all type of 3D meshes and can be modified on the fly by the Gizmo3D.
7. Now you can play with some cones to adjust some settings: Click and drag the
Pink Blend cone to adjust the transition shape between the projected sphere
and the head, then why not click and drag the Pink opacity cone to affect the
global intensity of the projected head. Just try adjusting cones to see the real
time modification on your model.
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8. If you feel that the spherical shape is not what you are looking for, click and drag
the long orange Modifier cone. It will convert your projected primitive sphere
shape to a cubic or pyramidal one.
9. Now click on the white cone Accept: your current projection will be validated,
and a new projected primitive will be ready to be use. This new one is the same
as the one you just validated.
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10. Manipulate this new projected primitive by pushing it outside of the mesh: it will
push the polygons inside the bun hair shape you previously created.
11. When you are done with your model, click on the orange Gear icon on top of the
gizmo and in the popup, click on Accept to completely validate your modifica-
tions and quitting the modifier.
You can continue to manipulate your current projected primitive or apply it to create
new ones and then continue to apply some deformations to change the shape of your
model or simply creating new models. You only need to keep in mind that you are deform-
ing on existing model with simple shapes and like this, creating some deformations which
could be difficult to do otherwise.
6.12 Settings
The Project Primitive deformer includes a large amount of settings, including dy-
namic ones: they are visible or not depending of some other settings.
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The Settings are groups by positions located on the bounding box.
• Primitive type yellow cone: Selects the type of primitive to project:

1. From a Cube to a Sphere through a Diamond shape, based on the associ-
ated Modifier cone values.
2. From a Sphere to a Cylinder through a double side Cone, including more
or less sharp angles, based on the two associated Modifiers cone values.
3. From a Cylinder to a Pyramid through Cones, including Cube or sliced
Cones based on the two associated Modifiers cone values.
4. From a Torus to a Washer type shape with square or diamond type section
based on the two associated Modifiers cone values.
• Primitive axis blue cone: Sets the orientation of the primitive, along the selected
axis (X, Y or Z).
Note:
The axis swap may not be visible with primitives like sphere or when some cones settings
affect the primitive to make it look like a sphere.
• Modifier 1 & 2 orange cones: these two cones affect the shape of the primi-
tives to make it more rounded or angular by changing its internal mathematical
descriptions. As an example, you will be able to change the cylinder to a prism
shape by changing both these cones values.
By pressing the Shift key while click and dragging the modifier cone, you will
constrain the values to decimals (0.1, 0.2, 0,3, etc.). It’s an easy way to bring
back the modifier to it’s default values of 0.5.
Note:
The Sphere primitive only has one Modifier cone.
• Accept white cone: the manipulation of the Accept white cone will bake the
current projection into the model and will generate a new projection ready to
be used. It is very similar to a “validate and go next” action. This cone’s values
don’t have an impact on the operation, you only need to click it to do the baking
of the current projection.
• New surface purple cone: when enabled, with a value different than zero, this
cone will prevent the fusion of the primitive into the existing model.
It can be helpful in multiple ways. The first one is to let you see what your primi-
tive looks like when applying the settings, which is not always easy when your
model is set to a negative projection and then invisible to you. Another great
usage is to create a new object, like it could be another SubTool and start new
projections on top of it.
• Blend pink cone: this cone is only available when the New surface cone is en-
abled. The blend cone produces, when enabled, a soft transition between the
shape and the projected primitive. Setting its value to zero will produce a shape
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transition.
• Opacity pink cone: applies a global opacity on the projection, similar to making
the projecting more or less transparent compared to the model original shape.
By default, the value at 1 means that the projection is fully opaque, making the
shape of the projected primitive the full priority in the deformation. If set to 0.5,
the shape will be a 50% mix of the projected primitive shape and 50% of the
original shape.
• X, Y and Z opacity: applies opacity similar to the global one explained above,
except that it is applied only along the axis of your choice.
• Tesselate: increases or decreases the local topology added by ZBrush to in-
crease or decrease the quality of the projection. Increasing the topology value
will produce better results, but it can drastically increase the global polygon
count having a negative impact on performances.
• Maximum Displacement orange cone: defines the intensity of the displacement
created by the projected primitive.
• Apply Grouping blue cone: adds or not a new PolyGroup to the projected sur-
face.
metry, like that found in the Transform palette, can be parallel or mirror type
(regular symmetry).
• Radial Symmetry: applies a radial symmetry around the active symmetry axis or
the modifier, where the numbers set by the Radial Symmetry cone defines the
number of copies. It is advised to only work with a single symmetry axis, except
when working on a perfect sphere.
7. Remesh by DynaMesh
The Remesh by DynaMesh lets you convert or update the current model as a Dy-
naMesh model, without the need to enable this mode in the Tool >> Geometry palette.
You can change all the settings and values while still in this modifier without affecting the
original model, but once you accept the modification of this deformer, the current state of
the model with its DynaMesh settings will be applied.
If you modify some settings in the Tool >> Geometry >> DynaMesh section, they will
be used by the modifier, like the Polish mode.
ZBrush will keep in memory the original model until you validate the modifier or alter
the original model. It allows you to change the modifier settings and try other values with-
out the need to undo your previous modifications.
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Settings:
1. Target Polygon Count: defines the number of polygons for the DynaMesh, in
thousands of polygons. By click and dragging this cone, you will set the desired
number of polygons and when released, the DynaMesh will be created (or up-
dated) by using or not the options explained below.
2. Reproject: enables the projection of the original model on top of the result of
the DynaMesh. Enabling this mode will increase the quality of the DynaMesh,
but it will increase the computation time on complex and high polygon meshes.
3. Smoothness: applies a pre-smoothing to avoid sharp edges on the resulting
DynaMesh. Mainly visible with a low resolution.
8. Remesh by Union
The Remesh by DynaMesh lets you create a union Boolean operation between all
the models of the current SubTool, without the need to go through the SubTool manipula-
tion and the associated Boolean selectors.
All the models which have intersection will be combined as a single model which is
perfect if you want to merge insert meshes together with the support model.
Note:
The Boolean won’t take in consideration the models that are totally masked, this can happen
after using an InsertMesh brush. Don’t forget to unmask your model before selecting the modifier.
This modifier doesn’t have any setting. The Union is done as soon as you enter in
the modifier.
9. Remesh by ZRemesher
The Remesh by ZRemesher allows you to create a retopology of your current model
by using ZRemesher. It is very convenient as you can only work on a non-masked part
like an Insert Mesh without having the need to split your parts as SubTools.
If you modify some settings in the Tool >> Geometry >> ZRemesher section, they will
be used by the modifier, like the grouping options or the Adaptive Size value.
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.Settings:
• Target polygon count: set the target polygon count for ZRemesher. The result-
ing retopology polygon count can have a very different value depending of the
Adaptive Size value found in the Tool >> Geometry >> ZRemesher section.
• X, Y and Z Symmetry: Sets the symmetry plane for the retopology along the
axis of choice.
10. Remesh by Decimation
The Remesh by Decimation can reduce the polygon count of the current model by
using the Decimation Master plugin. It will more or less reduce the un-necessary vertices
of the model by trying to keep a much as possible the original model shape.
Settings:
• Target Polygon count: sets the target polygon count of the decimation in thou-
sands of triangles
• Use PolyPainting: if the model has PolyPainting, Decimation Master will use it
to optimize the model according to the contrast of the color.
• PolyPainting weight: the PolyPainting weight defines how much Decimation
Master will use the PolyPainting information to produce the decimation.
• Protect borders: when enabled, this cone will tell Decimation Master to keep all
the points undecimated on the boundaries of the opening.
• Keep UVs: keeps the current UVs of the model and decimate them according
to the topology. Note: this function increases the processing time and memory
usage.
• X, Y and Z Symmetry: sets the symmetry plane for the retopology along the axis
of choice.
11. Rotate
The Rotate deformer is very similar to the rotation transformation of the Gizmo3D
as stretching a cone from the model bounding box will rotate the model along this cone.
Setting:
• Rotate: rotates the model along the axis of the selected cone.
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12. Scale
The Scale deformer is very similar to the scaling transformation of the Gizmo3D as
stretching a cone from the model bounding box will scale the model along this cone.
Both opposite cones of the bounding box are doing the same operation.
Setting:
• Scale: scales the model along the axis of the selected cone.
13. Skew
The Skew deformer is creating a deformation of the same name by scaling along
one or two axes the manipulated face of the model bounding box.
You are able to manipulate each axis cone of each face of the bounding box individu-
ally. For a better control of your deformation.
Setting:
• Skew: deforms the model along the manipulated cone axis.
14. Slice
The Slice deformer is a simplified version of the MultiSlice one. It adds an edge slice
all around the model which can be converted as a polygon strip based on the Slice Width
cone value.
This modifier is very convenient when working on hard surfaces models to add ring-
based extrusion shapes.
Don’t forget that changing the orientation of the Gizmo3D before entering in the
modifier will let you change the orientation of the slice.
Settings:
• Slice position: the blue dot allows you to set the position of the slice dynamically
by drag and dropping it.
• Slice width: changes the width of the slice, from a simple slice to a polygon strip.
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• Inflate: adds a positive or negative extrusion to the slice, only when the Slice
with value is different than zero.
• Apply creasing: adds a crease around the slice.
metry, like the one found in the Transform palette, can be parallel or mirror type
(regular symmetry).
15. Smooth
The Smooth modifier applies a smoothing to the current object or its unmasked part
in a similar way to the Smooth function found in Tool >> Deformation >> Smooth but
based on a bounding box side direction. The smooth effect will be go gradually from the
side of the stretched cone to the opposite side, from 100% of the value to 0% of the value
of the smooth set by the cone.
Because this operation is done on real time, performances can be affected by the
number of polygons of the current model.
Setting:
• Smooth: defines the strength of the Smooth, from 0 to 500 where 0 applies no
smooth at all.
16. Smooth All
The Smooth All modifier applies a smooth to the current object or its unmasked part
in a similar way to the Smooth function found in Tool >> Deformation >> Smooth.
Because this operation is done on real time, performances can be affected by the
number of polygons of the current model.
Setting:
• Smooth: defines the strength of the Smooth, from 0 to 500 where 0 applies no
smooth at all.
17. Stretch
The Stretch modifier is very similar to the Scale modifier and then to a non-uniform
scaling done with the Gizmo 3D. In opposition to the Scale modifier which will stretch the
model on both size of the modifier bounding box, the Stretch modifier will only deform the
model based on the selected cone without affecting the other side of the model.
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Setting:
• Stretch: stretch the model along the axis of the selected cone.
18. Subdivide
The Subdivide modifiers allows you to subdivide the current model in a similar way
to the Tool >> Geometry >> Divide function.
Note:
Partially masked objects will be completely affected by the subdivision. Only models which
will be totally masked won’t be affected.
Setting:
• Smooth Divide: subdivides the model the same was as the Tool >> Geometry
>> Divide option when the Smt (Smooth) mode is on.
• Faceted divide: subdivides the model but without applying a smoothing on the
result. It will add more polygons to the model without affecting its visual aspect.
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ZBrush 2018 - PolyGroupIt
POLYGROUPIT
Complex PolyGroups in no time!
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PolyGroupIt is a plugin for ZBrush that allows for easy creation of your model’s Poly-
Groups. These are used in organizing the mesh with visual grouping information and
are also integral to many of the advanced features available in ZBrush. PolyGroupIt will
analyze you model’s topology and -- based on the settings you choose -- detect boundar-
ies of potential PolyGroups. This makes their creation fast and easy.
PolyGroupIt works mainly on the concept of “seed” points: You click on a part of the
model to define the creation of a new seed. PolyGroupIt will then create a PolyGroup
around this seed until it detects changes in the model’s topology or structure.
The beauty of PolyGroupIt is its ability to detect these boundaries not only on most
hard surfaces, but also for shapes which are more organic. This is accomplished due to
the threshold control for each seed. If you prefer having full control over the PolyGroup
process, you can first paint boundaries for your PolyGroups as PolyPaint on the model.
PolyGroupIt can then generate PolyGroups from the PolyPaint.
An example of using PolyGroupIt by first drawing PolyPaint boundaries to define the PolyGroups.
Mesh Extract was then used to convert the PolyGrouped areas to a final mesh. Model courtesy of
Nacho Riesco
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I Using PolyGroupIt
To start working with PolyGroupIt, you need to load a PolyMesh3D model. This mod-
el can have multiple subdivision levels, in which case PolyGroupIt will work at the lowest
Subdivision level.
The PolyGroupIt commands, found in the ZPlugin palette.
In the ZPlugin palette you will find the PolyGroupIt sub-palette. Open this and click
the PolyGroupIt button. After few seconds, a floating window will appear. PolyGroupIt is
a stand-alone application. You should see your model and be able to manipulate it using
the usual ZBrush “right click” 3D navigation controls:
• Right click to rotate

• Right click + Alt to pan
• Right click + Ctrl to zoom in and out.
• Click on the Frame button or press the F key to re-center the view.
The PolyGroupIt UI. Model courtesy of James Cain.
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If your model had any PolyGroups to begin with, they will be removed at the begin-
ning of the PolyGroup operation. PolyGroupIt is a tool for PolyGroup creation rather than
for modifying existing groups. Clicking on any part of the model will create a new seed,
represented by a sphere. Around this sphere you will see a very small colored area
matching that of the seed itself.
The workflow process is to select the seed by clicking on it, then set its influence
zone by moving the associated slider. A low value will give a low tolerance to surface
angle while a high value will increase this tolerance. You can also counterbalance the
tolerance by adding extra seeds with unique tolerance settings for each.
These are three different values for a single seed. From left to right, the value is progressively
increased. As you can see, the value on the left isn’t high enough to properly detect the boundar-
ies. Detection is better in the center and optimal on the right.
You can click on a previously created seed at any time to edit its tolerance value.
You can also click and drag to move it to another location.
An important factor to consider beyond simply the threshold value for each seed is
their creation order. Each seed created has less overall influence than those that came
before it.
When you are happy with the result you can turn on Extend mode to fill the gaps
between each seed area.
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On the left, the PolyGroups before using Extend and on the right, the result: as you can see, the
model no longer has unpainted areas.
If you wish to send back the model to ZBrush, click the OK button at the bottom of the
window. PolyGroupIt will close and your PolyGroup modifications will be applied to your
ZBrush model. Don’t forget to turn PolyFrame mode on (found in the Draw palette) to
see your PolyGroups.
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The resulting PolyGroups shown in ZBrush. (Lines from the PolyFrame have been hidden.)
If you need to edit your model’s PolyGroups again (so long as you are in the same
ZBrush session), simply relaunch PolyGroupIt. You will see all the seeds applied on the
model, ready to remodified.
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II Working with Symmetry
So long as the model’s shape is symmetrical, PolyGroupIt also supports symmetry

for the creation and manipulation of seeds. The algorithm looks at the surface rather than
the underlying topology. This means that PolyGoupIt symmetry can support things like a
DynaMesh model or scan data. Meanwhile, it is important to keep in mind that because
PolyGroupIt works on the surface itself it may produce a variation in the PolyGroup cre-
ation even if the model is topologically symmetrical.
To enable Symmetry, click one of the X, Y and Z buttons in the PolyGroupIt UI. Re-
member that since PolyGroupIt is a stand-alone application, these settings are indepen-
dent from ZBrush symmetry settings.
If you need to work with partially symmetrical models, you can start creating seeds
with symmetry enabled. When you need to disable symmetry can click the Apply Sym-
metry button. This will convert all the symmetrical seeds to individual seeds. Any new
seeds will be created without considering the model’s symmetry.
Note:
If your model is symmetrical but your result with PolyGroupIt is not, you can use the Tool >>
Geometry >> Modify Topology >> Mirror and Weld function to rebuild its symmetry. This will simul-
taneously produce truly symmetrical PolyGroups.
III Back and Forth with ZBrush and PolyGroupIt
When sending a model that has previously been edited by PolyGroupIt back to the
plugin, you will normally find all your previous seeds and settings ready to be edited or
modified anew. However, if you have restarted ZBrush or changed the model’s topology
in ZBrush, all previous seeds will be lost and the PolyGroup state will be reset.
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IV Conversion of PolyPaint to PolyGroups
PolyGroupIt provides a very useful utility which allows you to PolyPaint boundaries
in ZBrush and convert those to PolyGroups. The process is simple. Using a black color,
paint your model to draw the boundaries around the PolyGroups you want to create.
There are two options for how PolyGroupIt will use these boundaries. Zplugin >>
PolyGroupIt >> PolyGroupIt from Paint will create only the PolyGroups described by the
boundaries (in other words, the filled areas between the lines). Zplugin >> PolyGroupIt
>> Border creates these same PolyGroups but also converts the drawn lines themselves
to be an additional PolyGroup.
On the left, the original model. In the center, the model with the PolyPainted boundaries. On the
right, the resulting PolyGroups after using the borderless option.
Note:
After performing this action, the PolyPaint will remain active and visible. This makes it easy
to refine your lines as necessary and re-run PolyGroupIt to make modifications.
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V PolyGroupIt Functions
Creating Seeds and Seed Threshold

To create a new seed, simply click on the 3D model. A new sphere representing the
seed will appear on the model, which the PolyGroup will grow out from. A slider just below
the seed allows you to change the seed threshold, modifying how strongly PolyGroupIt
will detect changes in the surface to set the PolyGroup borders.
Deleting Seeds
To delete a seed, first select it and then click the Delete button. Alternatively,
ALT+click on the seed you want to remove.
Clear All Seeds

To clear all your seeds and start over, click the Clear button. Pressing the Delete key
will perform the same action.
Moving Seeds
Click a seed to select it, then click+drag to move it across the surface. The gener-
ated PolyGroups will update according to the new seed location.
Reusing Seed Color

By default, each new seed is assigned its own new PolyGroup color. During the
process of seed placement and modification, it can be useful to create a new seed with
its own control but still the same color as another seed. This allows you to improve the
first seed’s PolyGroup propagation.
To use an existing seed color for the new seed, first CTRL+click to select the seed
that you want to pick the color from. While still holding down the CTRL key, click where
you wish to create new seeds. All of them will have the same color as the original one.
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Growing and Shrinking PolyGroups

The following actions will be helpful to improve the PolyGroups result.
Overlap
This function allows the PolyGroups to overwrite other PolyGroups when using Grow
or Shrink functions.
AutoGroups
This tells PolyGroupIt not to automatically adjust PolyGroups when moving the
seeds’ sliders. This is necessary when you want to manually grow PolyGroups with the
Grow and Shrink functions. Turn AutoGroups off before selecting the seed that you wish
to manually adjust.
Grow and Shrink

These two functions will gradually increase or decrease the coverage of a selected
seed. If Overlap mode is enabled, it will affect all seeds.
Points
This mode displays the points that make up your model. This can be useful to see
the topology of the model to understand why a seed color is spreading a certain way.
Update
The Update function will force PolyGroupIt to recompute the propagation of all the
model’s seed colors. This is similar to a “Refresh” action.
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ZBrush 2018 - Other Additions and Changes
OTHER ADDITIONS AND CHANGES
In addition to its major features, multiple improvements and additions have been
added to ZBrush 2018, ranging from features to new preferences settings.
I Tessimate
The Tessimate function is the foundation of Sculptris Pro mode. It analyzes the
structure surrounding your brush stroke, adding and removing polygons on the fly in
order to best support the details being added. This function is called Tessimate since it
performs a hybrid of tessellation and decimation processes on your model.
Although it is part of Sculptris Pro, the Tessimate function is also available as a

separate feature, located in the Tool >> Geometry sub-palette. This function lets you
transform your model’s topology by adding and/or removing vertices to uniformly modify
the polycount. It can be very convenient to use this function after performing Boolean
operations.
The same model with three different values of tessimation. No Undo was necessary between each
example since tessimation always operates on the original mesh shape.
The workflow is easy. Load a model, enable the options of your choice then adjust
the Polygon Size slider. Immediately upon changing this slider’s setting, the result will
be applied to your model. You can refine the results by continuing to adjust the slider
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whenever you wish, up to the point until you use another ZBrush function that alters the
model’s topology.
Clicking the Tessimate button will perform an action similar to releasing the Polygon
Size slider except that you can use the integrated X, Y, Z switches to perform Mirror and
Weld operations on the resulting tessimation.
1. Tessimate functions
All Tessimate functions are located in the Tool >> Geometry >> Tessimate sub-pal-
ette.
Tessimate
The Tessimate function modifies the current model, based on the Polygon Size slider.
Tessimate X, Y and Z
Applies a Mirror and Weld on the resulting tessimation, based on the selected axis
located at the top right corner of the Tessimate button.
Polygon Size
The Polygon Size slider sets the target polygon size for the tessimation action. Low
values will produce dense meshes while high values will produce low resolution meshes.
Tesselate
This mode enables the function to add polygons during the Tessimate function.
Decimate
This mode enables the function to remove polygons during the Tessimate function.
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II New Snake Hook Brushes
Several brushes have been added based on the original Snake Hook brush. These
additional brushes are designed specifically for Sculptris Pro to freely grow parts for your
models. They will not work unless Sculptris Pro mode is turned on.
1. Snake Hook 2
This brush is similar to the Snake Hook brush except that it will orient the extrusion
based on the surface normal where you begin your brush stroke.
You can change the shape of the extrusion along the path of your stroke by adjust-
ing the Brush >> Curve shape. You can also change the orientation of the stroke to be
more or less perpendicular to the surface by adjusting the Brush >> Modifier >> Brush
Modifier slider.
2. Snake Sphere
This grows a series of tightly packed spheres relative to the screen working plane. If
you want to change the default orientation of the stroke, adjust the Brush >> Modifier >>
Brush Modifier slider value.
3. Snake Cactus
The Snake Cactus brush combines the Snake Sphere with an alpha, producing
cactus-like shapes. By changing the alpha you can change the cross section created by
your Snake Hook brush effect.
The Snake Cactus in action.
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Note:
The Alphas may rotate as they follow the stoke path. It is not possible to keep the alpha
orientation consistent.
III Mode to Remember Draw Size
Preferences >> Draw >> Remember Draw Size (also found next to the Draw Size
slider above the document in the default UI) tells ZBrush to remember the Draw Size for
each individual brush as you switch between them.
An example would be if you set a Draw Size of 25 for the Standard brush, then a
Draw Size of 60 for the Move brush. When you switch between these two brushes the
sizes set for each brush will be remembered. When the mode is disabled (the default
setting), your Draw Size will be the same for all brushes, changing only when you set a
new Draw Size.
This mode only affects the Draw Size for sculpting brushes. It won’t affect the Smooth
and Mask brush types, which always use the Draw Size of the current sculpting brush.
IV Mode to Remember Dynamic Draw Size
Preferences >> Draw >> Remember Dynamic Draw Size (also found next to the
Draw Size slider above the canvas in the default UI) tells ZBrush to remember the setting
of the Dynamic Draw Size for each individual brush.
When enabled, this mode will allow you to set the Dynamic Draw Size for each brush
independently. If disabled (the default setting) toggling Dynamic off on one brush will dis-
able it for all brushes and turning it on will enable it for all.
As a reminder, Dynamic mode automatically adjusts the radius of the brush when
zooming your 3D model larger or smaller on the canvas. This allows the brush to affect
the same total area of the mesh regardless of your zoom level.
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V Gizmo Equidistant Multiple Copy
The Gizmo 3D includes a function similar to how the TransPose line can allow dupli-
cation of the current model when fully unmasked. To activate this, hold the Ctrl key and
drag one of the Move arrows.
This feature also includes an equidistant multiple copy mode, meaning that the Giz-
mo 3D will create multiple copies of the same object with uniform spacing between each
copy.
The model has been duplicated once on left, then multiple times by releasing the Ctrl key while still
moving the cursor.
To perform an equidistant copy, follow these steps:
1. Verify that your model is fully unmasked, such as by clicking the Tool >> Mask-
ing >> Clear button.
2. Select the Gizmo 3D.
3. While holding the Ctrl key, drag one of the Gizmo 3D arrow manipulators. You
should see a copy of your model which you can reposition so long as you con-
tinue holding the Ctrl key.
4. Once you have defined the initial distance between the original model and its
first copy, release the Ctrl key without releasing the mouse click. As you con-
tinue to move the cursor you will see more and more copies of your model cre-
ated, with the same amount of space between each.
5. Release the mouse button once you reach the desired number of copies.
Note:
Be careful not to move the cursor too quickly when creating these duplicates in order to
ensure that the spacing is respected correctly.
69
VI Improved PolyGroups by Normal
The algorithm for computing PolyGroups based on the surface normals (angle de-
tection) has been improved. Since this detection can function differently from model to
model, you can still use the old algorithm at any time.
To create the PolyGroups based on the normals of the current model, use the Tool
>> PolyGroups >> Groups by Normal button. At the top right corner of the button you
will see a small dot. Clicking it prior to pressing the button will switch between the two
algorithms.
VII New Curve Stroke Functions and Actions
The curves which can be assigned to sculpting brushes have several additions to
improve their effects.
1. Elastic and Liquid Curve Stroke Mode
Found in the Stroke >> Curve sub-palette, these modes affect the behavior of the
curve after its creation:
Liquid
This mode lets you freely reshape the curve by dragging on it. You can also lengthen
or shorten the curve shape when dragging the curve to modify it. Drag the end point away
from the curve to extend it. Drag the end point back along the curve line to shorten it.
Elastic
Elastic mode is very similar to Liquid mode except that the curve deformation will
only occur with the Draw Size radius of your brush. This mode can also be used to extend
or shorten the curve by dragging its end points.
2. Smoothing a Curve
After manipulating a curve you may find that parts have become too angular or can
even have a small loop appear. To fix these aberrations, you can locally smooth your
curve.
70
Smoothing a curve uses the same Shift modifier that you use to toggle the Smooth
brush. Just follow these steps:
1. Draw a curve on your model using a curve-based brush such as an IMM Curve
brush.
2. Now hover over the curve with your cursor. The brush circles should change to
a cyan color, telling you that the brush is in curve manipulation mode.
3. Click on the curve and while holding the click, press the Shift key.
4. While still holding the Shift key and your click, move the cursor to smooth the
curve.
5. To end the smoothing operation, release the click and then the Shift key.
3. Rotation Along the Curve
When drawing a curve along a complex model, it may happen that instead of the
replicated model following the curve orientation, you want to use the model orientation
or even something else entirely. You can use the brush size radius to locally orient the
mesh along your curve:
• Use a curve-based brush such as an IMM Curve brush to draw a curve on your
model.
• Now hover over the curve with your cursor. The brush circles should change to
a cyan color, telling you that the brush is in curve manipulation mode.
• Click on the curve and while holding your click, press the Ctrl key.
• While still holding the Ctrl key and your click, move the cursor left/right to rotate
the curve at the cursor position.
• To end the rotation operation, release the click and then the Ctrl key.
VIII Saving the Custom Startup Material
If you want to start each ZBrush session with a specific material, you can now save
it as a startup material. To do so, simply select the Material, then click Material >> Save
as Startup Material.
For all future ZBrush sessions, the selected material will be selected at launch.
If you wish to remove the default material, go to your ZBrush directory and delete the
ZBrush/ZStartup/StartupMaterial.smt file.
71
IX Displacement Maps and HD Geometry
If a model has HD Geometry, ZBrush will now use that as the highest subdivision
level when calculating displacement maps. This makes it possible to generate ultra-high
definition maps from a high-resolution model.
X Plugins
Two plugins have been enhanced to fit the workflow of Scuptris Pro and fulfil the
need to export larger size models for 3D prints or CNC machining:
1. Decimation Master Update
Decimation Master includes new presets for instant decimations. These can be use-
ful if you regularly target a specific decimation value. It’s also nice to quickly optimize
your Sculptris Pro model.
In the ZPlugins >> Decimation Master palette you will find buttons for target values
from 20k (20,000) to 250k (250,000) triangles as well as a custom value that can be set
by you. By pressing on one of these buttons, Decimation Master will immediately perform
the pre-process to analyze the selected SubTool and then decimate it to the target value.
If you have not subsequently edited the model you can click the other preset buttons
without needing to wait for another pre-process.
Don’t forget that you can add a hotkey to your favorite preset to run Decimation
Master without needing to open its menu.
The presets, found in the Decimation Master sub-palette.
72
2. 3D Print Hub Update
3D Print Hub now allows export of models with larger scales, up to 200 inches or
5800 millimeters. These large values allow ZBrush to fit the needs for exporting models
to large-scale 3D printers or for CNC machining.
XI New Preferences
Multiple preferences have been added in ZBrush 2018, as well as a way to change
the location of the QuickSave folders. Keep in mind that when changing most of these
preferences you also need to store the config file to lock in the changes for future ZBrush
sessions.
1. Draw Transformation Border
Preferences >> Edit >> Draw Transformation Border can be toggled on or off control
display of the transformation border frame, visible around the document.
This frame defines a safe area where the cursor won’t affect your model by perform-
ing a stroke, allowing you to move, scale and rotate the model even when it fills the entire
visible canvas. This safe frame is useful for users who don’t use the Right Click naviga-
tion system.
For users who use Right Click navigation or when you wish to take a screen shot
without the border, this preference can be disabled.
2. QuickSave Folder Location
Although not a preference found in the ZBrush interface, it is possible to change

where ZBrush will store your QuickSave files. This is especially useful if your system
drive has limited disk space.
• On Windows go to C:\Users\Public\Documents\ZBrushDataxxxx (xxxx is the

ZBrush year number or version number)
• On macOS go to /Users/Shared/ZBrushDataxxxx (xxxx is the ZBrush year num-
ber or version number)
Within that folder, you will find a ZBrushScratchDiskPath.TXT file. Edit it, replacing
the path with that to the folder where you want to save your QuickSaves.
73
3. Language Selection
The ZBrush preferences now automatically save the language selection without
need to store the configuration.
74
THANK YOU!
Yes, to you!
75
Thank You
Pixologic® would like to thank everyone who has participated as a beta tester for
ZBrush® since its beginning. We also thank all the ZBrush users who are making such
wonderful artwork, inspiring us to push our limits and offer you new, innovative, artistic
and production tools!
Happy ZBrushing, and thank you again!
The Pixologic Team
76
Notes
77
78

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®

ZClassRoom Portal: http://www.pixologic.com/zclassroom/

Artist Spotlight: http://www.pixologic.com/zclassroom/artistspotlight/

Pixologic Social Media: Facebook - Google+ - Twitter - Pinterest

The Pixologic Team

ZBrush Documentation Guide - version 1.00

For all documentation questions and inquiries, please contact us at documentation@pixologic.com.

About ZBrush® 2018

Troll - ZBrush Artist: James Cain

We are pleased to introduce Sculptris Pro, a dynamic tessellation sculpting workflow

2. New Gizmo 3D Deformers

PolyGroupIt accurately evaluates the surface of a model in real-time, generating

ZBRUSH 2018 WHAT’S NEW GUIDE . . . . . . . . . . 1

INSTALLATION UPGRADING & ACTIVATION . . 11

OTHER ADDITIONS AND CHANGES . . . . . . . . . 65

2. 3D Print Hub Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

• Operating System: Windows Vista or newer. Mac OS X 10.7 or newer. (32-bits

Minimum System Requirements:

• Operating System: Windows Vista or newer. Mac OS X 10.7 or newer. (32-bits

II Installation and Activation

ZBrush installation is based on an installer application, which is similar on both Win-

Special notes for Mac users:

1. Auto Update In Action

• If no update is available, the software will automatically quit.

Auto Update in action.

This process completely removes ZBrush from your computer.

It is required to have a current Support account at http://support.pixologic.

If you have not already registered on the Support site:

If you have already registered on the Support site:

You do not need to change any information.

At any time, you can go to https://support.pixologic.com to view your past tickets or

VII Backward Compatibility of ZBrush Files

Digital clay to the next level

I The Technology of Sculptris Pro Mode

This combination of both tessellation and decimation is referred to as “Tessimation.”

II Uses for Sculptris Pro

Working on Boolean Mesh Results

Working with Scan Data or 3D Print Files

Working with CAD Files

III Using Sculptris Pro

1. Enabling Sculptris Pro Mode

IV Sculptris Pro Global Settings

The Stroke >> Sculptris Pro sub-palette.

V How Sculptris Pro Affects the Smooth Brushes

VI Global Mode and Brush Settings

The Sculptris Pro sub-palette in the Stroke palette

Adaptive Size, Combined, SubDivide Size and UnDivide Ratio

VIII Optimization with Decimation Master

Reminders Concerning the Decimation Master Process

• It is accessed through the ZPlugin >> Decimation Master sub-palette.

IX Sculptris Pro Brushes

From utility to creation tools

The Deformers, located at the top of the Gizmo 3D Customize menu.

I Working with Deformers

1. Switch to Gizmo 3D.

II List of New Deformers

• Bevel: defines the radius of the bevel.

3. Deformer Hard and Soft

6.1 Clip Manipulators

6.2 Using the Project Primitive Modifier

1. Load the DemoAnimeHead.ZPR project in Lightbox

The Settings are groups by positions located on the bounding box.

• Primitive type yellow cone: Selects the type of primitive to project: