ZModeler
A powerful toolset that gives the user access to polygonal modelling tools, useful for hard - surface objects. ZModeler allows you to Extrude, Crease, Offset, Bridge and Divide.
ZModeler is accessed in the brush menu:
The shortcut for ZModeler is B > Z > M.
Go into Geometry in the brush menu and delete the higher and lower subdivisions.
You can access ZModeler Polygon Actions by holding SPACE. You must have the ZModeler brush selected. Hold ALT to select multiple polys.
Using ZModeler requires the use of polyframe mode (SHIFT + F) to be able to see the wireframe. You can then apply certain operations to the components of the cube. To open the menu containing these options, roll your cursor over one of your object's components and hold SPACE.
Polygons and ZModeler
Place your cursor over one of the cube's polygons and press SPACE to open the ZModeler polygon actions menu. In these menus we can select the action to apply, the target of this action, and adjust the settings and modifiers for the action. Then just click the apply action to the desired polygons.
Actions:
- Delete - Deletes the targeted polygons.
- Spherize - Moves the targeted polygons into a spherical shape.
- Extrude - Pulls out targeted polygons.
- Add to Curve - Generates curves along the edges of the targeted polygons. The created curves can be used in later stages with the curve actions or various curve brushes.
- Bevel - Slices off the edges of the corresponding target, creating new edges with angled planes between them. The dimension of this is determined interactively by dragging your stroke and following the initial click.
- Bridge - Creates geometry between 2 polygons.
Below are some screenshots of me experimenting with ZModeler.
Here I loaded up a basic cube and deleted the higher and lower subdivisions
I held Alt to select an area on my cube
I then used the extrude option to pull the selected area out
Here is a screenshot of the ZModeler Menu and the options I used
Here I extruded up some faces on the top of my cube. I then used the bevel tool to create what looks like a dogs snout at the end of one of the extruded faces.
Extract
Subtool > Extract (You need to first use the extract button which gives you a preview then press accept to generate a subtool.
Mesh extraction is fast and powerful way to create new parts of your model. You can use existing geometry to create clothes.
Mesh extraction works by separating a part of one model and duplicating that as another mesh. It 'cleans' the edge of the extracted mesh to create a smooth, even boundry.
You can tell ZBrush which part you want extracts with:
These methods isolate parts of the mesh so when you press the extract button, it will calculate and create a new mesh in that selected area.
Here I masked out an area and used the extract tool to create a top
To switch between the selected mesh, go into subtool and click on the mesh you want to use. This is very similar to layers in photoshop.
View double sides and ZRemeshing
You can enable an option to see the interior of this new mesh.
To do this do:
- Go to the bottom of the tool palette.
- Display Properties > Double.
Additionally, ZRemeshing for cleaner topology should be beneficial for relying on subdivision levels for building higher levels of detail. If you run into issues with ZRemesher, use Deformation > Polish a few times before ZRemeshing to smooth out any vertices that might be causing problems.
Move Topology Brush
When you have a clean topology, you can use the move topology brush. This moves the immediate area of what you're grabbing. This is great for overlapping clothes and buttons.
Morph Targets
Morph targets are a way to store a geometry configurations so that you can recall it later. You can only create one morph target per subtool at any one time and it will be linked to the subdivision level it's created on. Morph targets require the number of points to remain static, so geometry can't be deleted or added without destroying the morph target.
A typical use for morph targets is for restoring an original base mesh immediately prior to displacement or normal map generation. Morph targets can be used as part of the sculpting process, such as creating asymmetry by restoring parts of a stored sculpt using the morph brush.
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