mike jensen's zbrush techniques[all-graphic-design.blogspot.com]
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Chapter 2Page 24 | Quick Sketch
Chapter 3Page 34 | Hard Surface Sculpting
Chapter 1Page 04 | ZSketch
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You can see the base images and free brushes in the resources folder that
accompanies this ebook.
You can find the movie file and chapter 3s logo model for zbrush inside the resources folder
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Chapter 1ZSketch
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page 5www.3dtotal.com Chapter 1
Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques Chapter 1: Zsketch
Chapter 1 - ZSketchSoftware Used: ZBrush 3.5
IntroductionStarting off, lets get used to the new brush
selection method. This method is far faster
to select brushes you want without having to
move your cursor away from the mesh. Press
the B key and your brush palette will come up.
(Fig.01)
At this point you could simply click on the brush
you want, but its much faster to simply use your
keyboard. To get the brush you want, type the
first letter of its name. In this case Im using the
Polish brush, so I pressed P. (Fig.02)
Now youll notice an orange character in the top
left of each brush. Press that character to select
the brush you want. So for the polish brush Id
press bpo. If I wanted the hard polish brush
Id press bh (since the hPolish brush is the
only brush that starts with h, it will automatically
select that brush without any further input.). It
may be hard to get used to, but eventually it will
be the fastest way to select any of the brushes
since they all have a shortcut.
Basics Of ZSketchHere well start with an example ZSphere
armature. (Fig.03)
To activate ZSketch mode either open the
ZSketch tab in the Tool Palette and hit edit
sketch, or hit shift+a. (Fig.04)
Fig 01
Fig 02
Fig 03
Fig 04
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page 6www.3dtotal.com Chapter 1
Chapter 1: Zsketch Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques
By default the Sketch 1 brush is selected.
Here we draw a line of ZSketch spheres atop
the armature. This has not been smoothed yet.
(Fig.05)
Hold shift and use the brush to stroke over the
ZSpheres. They will smooth out your ZSketch
stroke between the two insertion points of each
end of the stroke. (Fig.06)
Its important how the stroke is applied. Below is
an example of two ways to add a stroke. If the
stroke is applied fast, it will have less ZSketch
spheres and will thus be less dense and easier
to smooth. If your stroke is applied slowly, it will
add many more ZSketch spheres, usually giving
you a better looking result. The top stroke was
fast, and the bottom was slow. (Fig.07)
Notice that as you stroke along a base ZSphere,
your stroke will have an affinity for its surface.
However if you continue the stroke away from
the surface, eventually it will break off and float
freeform. When not attached to a ZSphere, the
stroke will be applied to camera normal. (Fig.08)
Fig 05
Fig 06
Fig 07
Fig 08
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page 7www.3dtotal.com Chapter 1
Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques Chapter 1: Zsketch
There are three basic application brushes
that are important to be familiar with. They
are Sketch 1, Sketch 2, and Sketch 3. The
difference between these is their embed values.
Sketch 1 is the most embedded, while Sketch
3 is the least embedded. Below you can see
Sketch 1, 2, and 3, from left to right. (Fig.09)
The Armature brush has less affinity for other
ZSpheres and ZSketch strokes. It can be used
to create extensions and digressions from the
original sketch. (Fig.10)
Now lets take a look at the smooth brushes.
There are a few factors that change with the
different smooth brushes. The embed value
dictates whether or not (and how much) the
stroke will sink into the sphere it is attached to.
The resize function will dictate whether or not
(and how much) the ends of a stroke will resize
to the sphere with which it is attached. Here is
the original stroke we have. (Fig.11)
The Smooth 1 brush has both the embed and
resize functions active. You can see when
you smooth it out at the ends the spheres get
bigger and fall into the ZSpheres on which it
is attached. Looking at the unified skin it is a
bit easier to see what is going on. (Fig.12) &
(Fig.13)
Fig 09
Fig 10
Fig 11
Fig 12
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page 8www.3dtotal.com Chapter 1
Chapter 1: Zsketch Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques
The Smooth 2 brush has the embed function
enabled, but not the resize function. Again its
good to take a look at the unified skin to see
whats happening. (Fig.13) & (Fig.14)
The Smooth 3 brush simply has both the embed
and resize functions turned off. Its the most
simple of the smooth brushes. (Fig.15)
The Smooth 4 brush has a resize function
that is good for creating muscles. At the ends
of a stroke it resizes them to be significantly
smaller than the sphere it is attached to. Below
is a before using the brush and after using the
brush. (Fig.16) & (Fig.17)
Fig 13
Fig 14
Fig 15
Fig 16
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page 9www.3dtotal.com Chapter 1
Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques Chapter 1: Zsketch
Im going to go over the other brushes that dont
so much smooth and draw, but modify whats
already there. Below is the messy mesh Im I
started with. The explanation of these brushes
will be fairly quick, but its much faster to jump
in and try them. Youll get a better sense of
what you can use them for by testing them out.
(Fig.18)
The Float brush makes the ZSketch spheres
float off the mesh relative to surface normal.
(Fig.19)
The Bulge brush inflates the ZSketch spheres.
Alt will deflate them. This works very similar to
the inflate brush. This is sometimes useful for
muscles. (Fig.20)
Fig 17
Fig 18
Fig 19
Fig 20
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page 10www.3dtotal.com Chapter 1
Chapter 1: Zsketch Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques
The Bulge&Flush brush is very similar to the
Bulge brush, with the added effect of
flattening the surface. (Fig.21)
The Flush brush flattens the surface of the
ZSpheres aligning them to the camera. It also
resizes the spheres. (Fig.22)
FlushDynamic flattens the spheres, but instead
aligns them to surface instead of camera.
(Fig.23)
FlushResize is the Flush brush with the added
effect of resizing the spheres to equal sizes.
(Fig.24)
Fig 21
Fig 22
Fig 23
Fig 24
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page 11www.3dtotal.com Chapter 1
Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques Chapter 1: Zsketch
The Fuse brush merges spheres into the closest
stroke of spheres. Its a bit hard to see in the
image, but will be apparent when used. (Fig.25)
PushPull works to elevate spheres off their
current spheres. When the alt key is pressed the
spheres burrow into the spheres. (Fig.26)
One final function that is somewhat a smooth
brush is what Ill call the Straighten Brush. It
works by pressing shift and clicking on a sphere.
Then stroke along the existing spheres towards
one of the termination spheres. All of the
spheres will be aligned into a straight line.
If the initial origin of the stroke is in the middle of
an existing sketch stroke, that point will act as a
vertex, allowing two straight lines to be created,
see below. (Fig.27) & (Fig.28)
Fig 25
Fig 26
Fig 27
Fig 28
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page 12www.3dtotal.com Chapter 1
Chapter 1: Zsketch Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques
The bind function in the ZSketch pulldown is
important for those wishing to change the pose
of the original ZSphere. Below Ive added a
basic ZSketch atop an armature. (Fig.29)
I turned off the ZSketch with shift+a, and rotated
the arms upwards. (Fig.30)
But when the ZSketch is turned back on, youll
notice it was not affected by the rotation of the
arm. This is because binding is turned off by
default. To turn it on, go into the ZSketch tab
in the tool palette, and click the Bind button.
(Fig.31) & (Fig.32)
Fig 29
Fig 30
Fig 31
Fig 32
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page 13www.3dtotal.com Chapter 1
Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques Chapter 1: Zsketch
Youll notice that a transparent ghost of the
ZSketch now appears on the armature. (Fig.33)
Now when the arms are rotated, the ZSketch
spheres follow the armature. (Fig.34)
Then ZSketch is again turned on to continue
adding ZSketch strokes. Binding also works with
the Move and the Scale functions. (Fig.35)
While Draw is usually operative in ZSketch, its
worth noting that move and scale also work with
ZSketch. Rotate does not work so well. Take
care to note that both scale and move functions
operate on the base ZSpheres as well as the
ZSketch. (Fig.36) & (Fig.37)
Fig 33
Fig 34
Fig 35
Fig 36
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page 14www.3dtotal.com Chapter 1
Chapter 1: Zsketch Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques
Now we can move on to the ZSpheres and
ZSketch. To create a character its best to start
with the hip bone. This way you can use the
ZSphere armature for posing. (Fig.38)
I keep going until I have a simple looking body. I
put quite a bit of detail in the original ZSpheres,
and the rest will be handled with ZSketch.
(Fig.39)
After this I continue to adjust the proportions
until its something desirable.
Note that since were going to be using ZSketch,
I leave the ZSpheres a bit thinner, so the final
product I get is the thickness I want. (Fig.40)
Fig 37
Fig 38
Fig 39
Fig 40
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page 15www.3dtotal.com Chapter 1
Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques Chapter 1: Zsketch
I do my hands a bit differently than other people.
Since ZSketch will be making the mesh and
not the ZSpheres, its ok to have overlapping
ZSpheres. The palm I create sides more with
the skeleton of the hand. The wrist is a single
ZSphere, but the palm is made up of the bones
of the fingers. This allows the ZSpheres of the
palm to be flat. If a single ZSphere was used
here it would be a thick hand. (Fig.41)
The feet are done somewhat of the same way.
I mass in the ZSpheres instead of ZSketch
here to have more control over exactly where
everything goes. (Fig.42)
Now its time to start fleshing the model. Press
shift+a to enter sketch mode. I usually start
by adding the biceps. This is because they
insert under pectorals and shoulder muscles.
I generally dont add too much to the biceps
since they look odd large. For this Im using
the Sketch 1 brush and the Smooth 1 brush.
The Smooth 4 brush would work as well for
better muscles. Since this is going to be more
armor than body however, I went for Smooth 1.
(Fig.43)
I continued to flesh out the model with
ZSpheres. Sometimes its simply helpful to
add spheres directly over the armature just to
throw something on the model. Moving onto
the triceps I just throw something on there and
smooth it out. (Fig.44),(Fig.45) & (Fig.46)
Fig 41
Fig 42
Fig 43
Fig 44
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page 16www.3dtotal.com Chapter 1
Chapter 1: Zsketch Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques
At times its good to lay in areas that might be
separate parts. This is visible on the back below
where I laid in a bit of an outline for the scapula.
The chest was also laid in, as well as the
clavicles. Im still using only the Sketch 1 and
the Smooth 1 brushes. (Fig.47)
I keep adding strokes trying to find a good
shape for the chest. The direction of the strokes
also helps me to get an idea of shapes on the
final mesh. (Fig.48), (Fig.49) & (Fig.50)
Fig 45
Fig 46
Fig 47
Fig 48
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page 17www.3dtotal.com Chapter 1
Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques Chapter 1: Zsketch
Now I started adding the shoulder muscles to
the mesh. (Fig.51)
I didnt like the upper back that I had at this
point. It looks too similar to something else
Ive created, so I decided to erase it and focus
solely on the shape and silhouette. Below the
shapes appear to work together a bit better and
the silhouette shows a character that is on the
muscular side. (Fig.52)
Fig 49
Fig 50
Fig 51
Fig 52
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page 18www.3dtotal.com Chapter 1
Chapter 1: Zsketch Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques
Again I keep modifying the chest and the back
until I have something I like better. I havent
used any brushes thus far except for the
Smooth 1 and the Sketch 1 brushes. (Fig.53)
I started adding layering to the chest. The
method is quite simple. I simply draw straight
lines until they elevate and to a new layer and
then fill them in. (Fig.54)
Now I flatten the chest out by using the
FlushDynamic brush. This gives a good base for
hard surface sculpting. The brush was simply
used on each layer of the chests. (Fig.55)
I started fleshing out the sides of the torso, since
I wanted him to be a bit wider than thick. I also
fleshed out the bicep and shoulders a bit more.
(Fig.56)
Fig 53
Fig 54
Fig 55
Fig 56
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page 19www.3dtotal.com Chapter 1
Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques Chapter 1: Zsketch
Again Im segregating areas out of the mesh
by adding ZSpheres. In the torso I want each
of those areas to be a separate section of the
torso. (Fig.57)
I started adding sharp areas to the legs. Since
the torso is wider than it is deep, I thought it
would look good to have the legs deeper than
they are wide. (Fig.58) & (Fig.59)
I continued by filling in the torso and finishing up
the upper leg. Notice the flow of the strokes on
the upper leg. Its not necessary to do this, but it
does give me an idea of what I may want to do
while sculpting the final mesh. (Fig.60)
Fig 57
Fig 58
Fig 59
Fig 60
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page 20www.3dtotal.com Chapter 1
Chapter 1: Zsketch Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques
Again I modified the back. Its important to not
be afraid to completely destroy what youve
already created and try something new. You
may stumble upon something youll like. (Fig.61)
I added another shell on the buttocks that is
similar to the rest of the torso. Im keeping
everything pretty basic because its better to
explore shapes with the final mesh. (Fig.62)
Now I moved on to the lower legs. I didnt want
to fight the forms to get a diamond shaped lower
leg,
so I opted to add more ZSpheres. I backed out
of ZSketch by pressing shift+a, and started
adding ZSpheres around the lower leg. After I
added a sort of wire frame for the lower leg, I
entered back
into sketch. (Fig.63) & (Fig.64)
Fig 61
Fig 62
Fig 63
Fig 64
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page 21www.3dtotal.com Chapter 1
Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques Chapter 1: Zsketch
After I added more armature spheres,
connected them to the base legs to
have a base to fill them in. (Fig.65)
I continued filling in the legs until they matched
the upper legs. (Fig.66)
I did the same with the forearms. Once filled
in the were very angular like their counterpart
limbs (Fig.67), (Fig.68), (Fig.69) & (Fig.70)
Fig 65
Fig 66
Fig 67
Fig 68
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page 22www.3dtotal.com Chapter 1
Chapter 1: Zsketch Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques
Heres the final result. Its not perfect, but
after creating a unified skin we can modify
proportions and other things on the resulting
mesh. (Fig.71)
I then went to the unified skin tab and upped
the resolution to the max. Then press Make
Unified Skin at the bottom of the tab. Youll
then get a fully sculptable and workable mesh.
(Fig.72)
Fig 69
Fig 70
Fig 71
Fig 72
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page 23www.3dtotal.com Chapter 1
Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques Chapter 1: Zsketch
And the result you get is something with a
decent resolution that you
can begin to sculpt. (Fig.73) & (Fig.74)
Mike JensenFor more from information contact
mikered@gmail.com
Fig 73
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Chapter 2Quick Sketch
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page 25www.3dtotal.com Chapter 2
Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques Chapter 2: Quick Sketch
Chapter 2 - Quick SketchSoftware Used: ZBrush 3.5
Quick SketchQuick sketch is a great way for concepting in
zbrush. The main feature of it is the symmetry
of the painting, allowing you to quickly rough
in silhouette of forms and not worry about
perfection of each side. To enter quick sketch,
press the Quick Sketch button at the top left of
the zbrush window. (Fig.01)
This will initialize the quick sketch function.
Specifically, this will draw a high poly plane
on your canvas, turn on a flat material, and
pick one of the several pen brushes. Each of
these brushes provides a different result when
painting. Essentially what youre doing is poly
painting on a plane. When roughing in shapes I
normally stick to the Pen A or Pen B brush (the
first two strokes in the images below). (Fig.02)
When first started, quick sketch begins in a
symmetrical mode along the x axis. This can be
turned off by pressing the X key. Remember
that this is still zbrush, and all the zbrush
functions still apply. (Fig0.3)
The other axes can also be turned on in the
transform palette to create some interesting
patterns and results. (Fig.04)
Fig 01
Fig 02
Fig 03
Fig 04
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page 26www.3dtotal.com Chapter 2
Chapter 2: Quick Sketch Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques
Radial symmetry can also be enabled. Radial
symmetry is activated in the Transform palette
by pressing the (R) button and enabling
symmetry on the Z axis only. (Fig.05) & (Fig.06)
Sketches can be roughed in and then faded
back, enabling you to draw over them. This is
done by hitting the FillObject button in the Color
palette. The amount of fade is decided by the
Rgb Intensity of your brush. (Fig.07) ,(Fig.08) &
(Fig.09)
Fig 05
Fig 06
Fig 07
Fig 08
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page 27www.3dtotal.com Chapter 2
Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques Chapter 2: Quick Sketch
Since this is still zbrush, all of the sculpting
brushes are still usable. For an extreme
example you can see the pinch brush used on
the quick sketch plane. (Fig.10)
The color palette can also be used to pick colors
and paint on the plane. Rgb intensity still affects
the opacity of the brush stroke. (Fig.11)
Roughing In TheCharacterI know that I want to do a bulkier mech. For this
Im going to begin by using the Pen B brush
to form some basic strokes to rough in the
proportions. (Fig12) & (Fig13)
Fig 09
Fig 10
Fig 11
Fig 12
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page 28www.3dtotal.com Chapter 2
Chapter 2: Quick Sketch Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques
At this point I dont like the positioning and size
of the arms. To erase, I simple press C while
holding my cursor over an area of the plane I
havent painted on yet. This grabs the color of
the plane and makes it the current color to be
painted with. After doing this I simply paint over
the arms. (Fig14)
I continue painting the character, using heavier
brush strokes as I go along to define areas of
armor I want to be separate. (Fig15) ,(Fig16) &
(Fig17)
Fig 13
Fig 14
Fig 15
Fig 16
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page 29www.3dtotal.com Chapter 2
Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques Chapter 2: Quick Sketch
Finally I start adding in some color. I start with a
yellow and block in areas. Then to add a bit of
variation I pick a close orange and paint some
variation. I also add white to the silhouette to
allow the
character to pop from the background. I also use
the pen wet solid to fill in some areas,
such as the neck. (Fig18) ,(Fig19),(Fig20)
Finally I arrive at something that will work. This
step doesnt have to be too indepth, and is
mainly used for quick concepting of shapes and
silhouette.
Fig 17
Fig 18
Fig 19
Fig 20
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page 30www.3dtotal.com Chapter 2
Chapter 2: Quick Sketch Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques
A Few Other FeaturesTo Take Note OfThere are a few other new features in 3.5r3 to
take not of that arent applicable to the mech.
One of these is the new tilt function in the brush
palette. When turned on, the brush stroke will
cause the mesh to rise at a tilt instead of its
normal. (Fig21)
For an example, here is a mech brush I use for
creating mechanical details. Tilt is set to 0 with
this stroke. (Fig22)
With tilt set to 60, you can see that the mesh
rises at an angle instead of by surface normal.
(Fig23)
With the tilt set to -60, you can see that the
angle is reversed, and the mesh rises in the
opposite direction. This can be very useful
to create organic scales for snakes or other
reptiles. (Fig24)
Fig 21
Fig 22
Fig 23
Fig 24
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page 31www.3dtotal.com Chapter 2
Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques Chapter 2: Quick Sketch
The next important new feature is the ReMesh
All function in the SubTool subpalette in the
tool palette. This acts similar to a Boolean
function youd see in many 3d packages. There
are a few options that can be changed. First
off, notice in the ReMesh All button there is an
x highlighted. This means that the resulting
mesh will be symmetrical across the x axis. To
turn it off, simply click on the x. Symmetry also
works along the y and z axes. The Res slider
determines the resolution of the mesh. The
higher the slider, the higher the resolution of the
resulting mesh. The Polish slider determines
how smooth the surface will be. Next to the
polish brush youll notice a little circle. When the
outer circumference of the circle is highlighted,
then the mesh will retain its edges more
precisely. When the inner part of the circle is
highlighted, the mesh will have a smoother
result, but its edges will be less precise. Below
is an example of this. (Fig25) & (Fig26)
There are three different ways to Boolean an
object: union, subtraction, and intersection.
These can be picked in each subtool. Next to
the image of the subtool there are three circular
icons. By default the first one is selected (union).
This will add the meshes together. The second
is subtraction, and is represented by a circle
with a smaller circle cut into the larger circle.
The third (intersection) is represented by two
circles, with it filled in only where the two circles
overlap. (Fig27)
Below there are two subtools. Each of these
subtools is set to union. (Fig28)
Fig 25
Fig 26
Fig 27
Fig 28
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page 32www.3dtotal.com Chapter 2
Chapter 2: Quick Sketch Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques
With symmetry turned off, and the polish set 64,
and the mesh resolution set to 256, the result
below is attained. (Fig29)
With the sphere set to union and the cylinder set
to subtraction, we get a sphere with a piece cut
out of it in the shape of a cylinder. (Fig30)
With the sphere set to union and the cylinder set
to intersection, we get a mesh only where the
two subtools were overlapping. (Fig31)
The final new feature worth noting is the new
Mirror and Weld feature. This will mirror the
subtool along any axis, and weld it together.
It can also work on multiple axes at the same
time. First, turn on the floor grid by going into the
draw palette and pressing the Floor button.
Check only the x axis so we can mirror along
the x axis. Next to the Floor button youll see an
Elv slider. This determines where the grid will
be with respect to your mesh. Set it to 0, so the
grid goes directly down the middle of the mesh.
(Fig32)
Fig 29
Fig 30
Fig 31
Fig 32
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page 33www.3dtotal.com Chapter 2
Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques Chapter 2: Quick Sketch
Then take the mesh you want, and place it
somewhere along the x axis. Its important to
note that irror and weld only works from left to
right. (Fig33)
Finally, in the Geometry subpalette of the Tool
palette, click Mirror and Weld. Make sure the
x axis is active, and the y and z axes are not
active. (Fig34), (Fig35) & (Fig36)
Mike JensenFor more from information contact
mikered@gmail.com
Fig 33
Fig 34
Fig 35
Fig 36
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Chapter 3Hard Surface Sculpting
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page 35www.3dtotal.com Chapter 3
Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques Chapter 3: Hard Surface Sculpting
Chapter 3 - Hard Surface SculptingSoftware Used: ZBrush 3.5
IntroductionFor hard surface sculpting there will be two
types of brushes to be concerned with: Polish
and Trim. Lets start with the polish brushes.
The polish brushes area all variations of the
same brush. The three polish brushes to
be concerned with are the polish, mpolish
(medium), and hpolish (hard). These brushes
with zsub activated will build up a mesh rather
than subtract from it.The polish brush levels a
surface in the direction of the stroke. Notice the
edges it gives arent very hard. The harder you
press with the polish brush, the harder the edge
of the stroke you get. (Fig.01)
If you press softer, youll get a smoother more
even surface. (Fig.02)
The mpolish brush is similar, but with more
intensity. It also gives harder edges. (Fig.03)
The hpolish is still more intense. It also gives the
most crisp edges. (Fig.04)
The trim brushes are a bit more varied.
The important ones to take not of are the
TrimDynamic, TrimNormal, TrimHole, and
TrimFront
Fig 01
Fig 02
Fig 03
Fig 04
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page 36www.3dtotal.com Chapter 3
Chapter 3: Hard Surface Sculpting Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques
TrimDynamic cuts into the surface of the mesh,
but keeps the underlying structure. It acts similar
to the polish brushes. (Fig.05)
Trim normal trims a plane into the mesh with
its surface facing the normal of the origin of the
stroke. The end of the stroke dictates how deep
the trim brush will cut. (Fig.06)
TrimHole is good for cutting deep into a mesh,
or for building it up high. The brush acts
according to the camera normal. (Fig.07)
Finally trimFront creates a plane that faces the
camera. How deep the plane is cut depends on
where the origin of the stroke is placed. (Fig.08)
Fig 05
Fig 06
Fig 07
Fig 08
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page 37www.3dtotal.com Chapter 3
Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques Chapter 3: Hard Surface Sculpting
Hard Surface TechniqueMy technique for developing hard surface
models is very simple. I start by building up the
basic shape with mainly the claytubes brush.
After I have the shape I want I use the hpolish
and trim brushes to clean up the mesh. If the
mesh needs further cleaning, Ill break it up into
parts to finish it off. Finally Ill add details using
stamps Ive created.
For this quick demo Ill use a sphere. (Fig.09)
First I use the clay tubes brush to rough in the
shape I want. (Fig.10)
I also use the move, standard, and dam_
standard brushes to rough in the overall shape I
want. (Fig.11)
Once Im happy with the shape, I use the
hPolish brush to smooth everything out and
create my hard edges. (Fig.12)
Fig 09
Fig 10
Fig 11
Fig 12
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page 38www.3dtotal.com Chapter 3
Chapter 3: Hard Surface Sculpting Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques
At this point I could break up the mesh into
polygroups. I do this by painting different
colors on the mesh where I want the separate
polygroups. Then under the Polygroups
subpalette, I press From PolyPaint. (Fig.13) &
(Fig.14)
This gives the result below. (Fig.15)
To clean up the borders of the mesh, we
can use the Group Loops function under the
Geometry Subpalette. (Fig.16) & (Fig.17)
Fig 13
Fig 14
Fig 15
Fig 16
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page 39www.3dtotal.com Chapter 3
Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques Chapter 3: Hard Surface Sculpting
In the brush palette, under the Auto Masking
subpalette, there is a feature called mask by
Polygroups. There youll see a slider. If turned
to 100, the polygroup you start a stroke on will
be the only part of the mesh affected. This is
because once you choose a polygroup with
your stroke; it automatically masks all other
polygroups. The slider affects the intensity. This
means if it is set to 50, other polygroups will still
be affected by your brush strokes, but at 50%
the true intensity of the stroke. (Fig.18)
This is one way to break up the mesh, but
I prefer to actually break the mesh into the
separate pieces I want to use. To show which
areas I want to break up, First I use the dam_
standard brush to cut into the mesh and define
my edges. (Fig.19)
Then I select the first area of the mesh I want
to make into its own mesh. Hide the areas
of the mesh you wont use, and hit the Make
PolyMesh3d button at the top of the tool palette.
Then add the new mesh as a subtool. (Fig.20)
Fig 17
Fig 18
Fig 19
Fig 20
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page 40www.3dtotal.com Chapter 3
Chapter 3: Hard Surface Sculpting Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques
Now Im able to go in with the hpolish brush and
clean up the edges. (Fig.21)
Ill do the same for the next mesh. I want. Ill
clone it off as a new mesh, and then add the
clone as a subtool. (Fig.22)
Then Ill push in the areas that conflict with my
previously made mesh using the clay tubes
brush. (Fig.23)
If its hard to work on the underlying mesh,
you can press ctrl+t to enable transparency.
This way your brush is not influenced by other
subtools. (Fig.24)
Fig 21
Fig 22
Fig 23
Fig 24
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page 41www.3dtotal.com Chapter 3
Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques Chapter 3: Hard Surface Sculpting
I then use the hPolish brush to refine the surface
of the underlying piece and
create its hard edges. (Fig.25)
To hide the imperfections of the underlying
mesh, we can simply add a sphere for the sake
of the tutorial. If this were a real mesh, however,
I would make sure that mesh edges did not
visibly exist. I do this by hiding them inside other
subtools. (Fig.26)
Then I use some previously made stamp
brushes to create mechanical detail. (Fig.27)
After that, I use the dam_standard brush to
create the illusion of separate plates. For this
its usually good to have lazymouse enabled.
(Fig.28)
Fig 25
Fig 26
Fig 27
Fig 28
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page 42www.3dtotal.com Chapter 3
Chapter 3: Hard Surface Sculpting Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques
Then I finish it off with some other stamp
brushes I created. The result is a mechanically
detailed 3d total logo. (Fig.29)
Applying the Technique to an Armor Piece
Now that the basic technique has been run
through, Im going to walk you how to apply this
to a piece of armor. I chose to do a torso piece.
For this part of the tutorial Ill use the mesh
made from the previous zsketch tutorial. The
first thing thats important to note is the new
smooth algorithm. Since unified skin meshes
produce very bad edge flow, the smoothing
brush will create pinching in certain areas.
(Fig.30)
To smooth the mesh correctly, hold shift, start
smoothing, and then release shift while your pen
is still smoothing. Once you release shift, the
smooth algorithm will automatically change to
the more accurate one. (Fig.31)
For this example Ive broken off the chest
piece as a separate mesh, so I can focus on
it. Ive also broken off the shoulders merely for
reference to their location. (Fig.32)
Fig 29
Fig 30
Fig 31
Fig 32
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page 43www.3dtotal.com Chapter 3
Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques Chapter 3: Hard Surface Sculpting
Here I start using the hpolish brush to try to find
forms. Since I already did a lot of work during
the zsketch stage Ive already got a good start.
(Fig.33)
I continue using the hpolish brush in both zsub
and zadd to create straight edges. (Fig.34)
Using hPolish I go around the entire mesh and
continue to refine areas into the shapes I want.
The first thing I want to do is smooth out all the
areas. At this point Im still trying to figure out the
exact shapes I want. (Fig.35)
To define edges I use the dam_standard brush
to cut deep into the mesh. (Fig.36)
Fig 33
Fig 34
Fig 35
Fig 36
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page 44www.3dtotal.com Chapter 3
Chapter 3: Hard Surface Sculpting Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques
I continue to refine all the places, not being
afraid to mess up a smooth surface Ive created
with the claytubes brush. (Fig.37)
At this point I dont like the back much. So I
decide to go in and heavily refine it. I start by
carving into it with the claytubes brush. (Fig.38)
I break up the back into multiple parts using the
dam_standard brush,
claytubes, and the hPolish brush. (Fig.39)
Using the hPolish brush I clean up the top of the
back. (Fig.40)
Fig 37
Fig 38
Fig 39
Fig 40
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page 45www.3dtotal.com Chapter 3
Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques Chapter 3: Hard Surface Sculpting
I want something similar to a scapula on the
back. So I cut in the general shape
of the shoulder blade. (Fig.41)
I continue by fleshing out the scapula a bit more
to distinguish it from the surrounding parts.
(Fig.42)
Using the dam_standard brush I search for other
shapes in the back. (Fig.43)
I finally arrive at something I like on the back.
(Fig.44)
Fig 41
Fig 42
Fig 43
Fig 44
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page 46www.3dtotal.com Chapter 3
Chapter 3: Hard Surface Sculpting Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques
Its now time to refine the front. I carve out a
shape I feel works with the front. (Fig.45)
I smooth it out and use the hPolish brush to
clean it up and set it in
with the rest of the mesh. (Fig4.6) & (Fig.47)
After a few refinements below is the final
concept sculpt. Now its time to break it up into
parts and clean the mesh up. (Fig.48)
Fig 45
Fig 46
Fig 47
Fig 48
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page 47www.3dtotal.com Chapter 3
Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques Chapter 3: Hard Surface Sculpting
I start with the chest for individual pieces.
Using the hPolish brush I clean it up and make
it smooth. Every once and a while I change
materials to see how different lighting affects the
mesh. (Fig.49), (Fig.50), (Fig.51), & (Fig.52)
Fig 49
Fig 50
Fig 51
Fig 52
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page 48www.3dtotal.com Chapter 3
Chapter 3: Hard Surface Sculpting Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques
I next move onto the lower front torso. After
breaking it off I hide areas that arent supposed
to show by pushing them below with the clay
tubes brush. (Fig.53) & (Fig.54)
I go around the entire mesh and clean
everything up and making sure each piece
fits well with its neighbors. (Fig.55), (Fig.56),
(Fig.57), (Fig.58) & (Fig.59)
Fig 53
Fig 54
Fig 55
Fig 56
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page 49www.3dtotal.com Chapter 3
Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques Chapter 3: Hard Surface Sculpting
Here is the difference between the single mesh
and the split meshes. (Fig.60), (Fig.61) &
(Fig.62)
Fig 57
Fig 58
Fig 59
Fig 60
-
page 50www.3dtotal.com Chapter 3
Chapter 3: Hard Surface Sculpting Mike Jensens Zbrush Techniques
Finally I use the same technique described in
the previous example to create details. I use the
dam_standard brush to cut holes in the mesh
and separate out parts, and some previously
created mech stamps to add more details.
Below is the result. (Fig.63)
Mike JensenFor more from information contact
mikered@gmail.com
Fig 61
Fig 62
Fig 63
-
In this series we will be working our way through the basic process of creating a creature bust, then taking it to completion by the last chapter. We will be starting with a basic Zsphere base mesh that we will create ourselves and well use this as our starting point for sculpturing and finally adding texture to. The tutorial series is split into 7 chapters so that we can take it at a beginners pace and cover as much ground as possible for people totally new to Zbrush. (Plus youll end up with a finished digital sculpt that will give you the confidence to approach you own projects in a similar manner.)
Original Author: 3DTotal.com Ltd | Platform: ZBrush | Format: DOWNLOAD ONLY PDF | Pages: 52
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-
Introduction:The original character of the Swordmaster was created by Seong-wha Jeong and we had 3DTotals in-house 3d artist Richard Tilbury, re-create the character in 3dsmax as well as create the textures in Photoshop, in our new precise, step-by-step tutorial for highly polished, low polygon game character with detailed texturing for real-time render-ing. We have also converted the tutorials into Cinema 4D, Maya, Lightwave and Softimage platforms. Even if you are not a user of one of them, the principles should be easily followed in nearly all other 3D applications.
The Swordmaster tutorials is spread over 8 Chapters which outline, in detail, the process for creating the Swordmaster below are the details.
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Chapter 1: Modelling the HeadChapter 2: Modelling the Torso Chapter 3: Modelling the Arms & Legs Chapter 4: Modelling the Clothing & Hair Chapter 5: Modelling the Armour Chapter 6: Mapping & Unwrapping Chapter 7: Texturing the Skin & Body Chapter 8: Texturing the Armour & Clothing
image by Seong-wha Jeong
Downloadable Tutorial EBook
-
The series is split into 6 chapters and will endeavour to give you an insight into how a fully realised 3D scene may be arrived at from beginning to end. The tutorials will attempt to address the key issues and techniques appropriate in achieving this, from concept sketches through to building the 3D scene, mapping and unwrapping, texturing and eventually to lighting and rendering, culminating in a final render. The emphasis over the course of the series will be on the texturing and principally the aging and wear of materials.
Original Author: 3DTotal.com Ltd | Platform: 3ds max, Cinema 4d, LightWave, Maya and Softimage XSIFormat: DOWNLOAD ONLY PDF | Pages: 38+
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-
Introduction: Michel Rogers famous Joan of Arc tutorial re-written for Maya by Taylor Kingston, Cinema 4D by Giuseppe
Guglielmucci & Nikki Bartucci, Lightwave by Vojislav Milanovich and
Softimage by Luciano Iurino and 3DCreative Magazine.com.
If there has been one single tutorial that has educated and inspired more
budding 3d artists than anything else, this complete step by step project by
Michels must be it. The community is in debt to him.
for more products in our range visit http://www.3dtotal.com/shop
These 120 plus page, Downloadable PDFs are designed for ease of use to help beginners and intermediate level of artist alike in the creation of a female character. The tutorial takes you through the process of modelling, texturing and mapping to finally adding bones.
Chapter 1: Modeling of the Body - BodyChapter 2: Modeling of the Head - Head, Ear & AssemblyChapter 3: Modeling of the Accessories - The Sword & Armour Legs Chapter 4: Modeling of the Accessories - Armour Bust, Hair & Glove Chapter 5: Modeling of the Accessories - Accessories & UVW MappingChapter 6: UVW Mapping - Sword, Clothing, Armour & Body Chapter 7: Texturing & Hair - Eyes, Skin & Hair Chapter 8: Bones & Skinning - Bases, Hierarchy & Skinning
Imag
e by
Mic
hel R
oger
Zbrush Character Creation is a comprehensive look at the techniques and tools used to sculpt a variety of physical characteristics specific to several character types. The lessons on offer show how to transform a general base mesh into a definitive character class and explains the tools used to not only create the details and unique facial features, but also how to manipulate the overall proportions and head shapes. There are nine chapters in all, five of which cover the human condition and four of which cover creatures with human characteristics including zombie, werewolf and Frankensteins monster.
Original Author: 3DTotal.com Ltd | Platform: ZBrush | Format: DOWNLOAD ONLY PDF | Pages: 091
Visit 3DTotal.com to see our full range of training products3DTOTAL.COM
-
Introduction: Michel Rogers famous Joan of Arc tutorial re-written for Maya by Taylor Kingston, Cinema 4D by Giuseppe
Guglielmucci & Nikki Bartucci, Lightwave by Vojislav Milanovich and
Softimage by Luciano Iurino and 3DCreative Magazine.com.
If there has been one single tutorial that has educated and inspired more
budding 3d artists than anything else, this complete step by step project by
Michels must be it. The community is in debt to him.
for more products in our range visit http://www.3dtotal.com/shop
These 120 plus page, Downloadable PDFs are designed for ease of use to help beginners and intermediate level of artist alike in the creation of a female character. The tutorial takes you through the process of modelling, texturing and mapping to finally adding bones.
Chapter 1: Modeling of the Body - BodyChapter 2: Modeling of the Head - Head, Ear & AssemblyChapter 3: Modeling of the Accessories - The Sword & Armour Legs Chapter 4: Modeling of the Accessories - Armour Bust, Hair & Glove Chapter 5: Modeling of the Accessories - Accessories & UVW MappingChapter 6: UVW Mapping - Sword, Clothing, Armour & Body Chapter 7: Texturing & Hair - Eyes, Skin & Hair Chapter 8: Bones & Skinning - Bases, Hierarchy & Skinning
Imag
e by
Mic
hel R
oger
-
This e-book provides a detailed account of building, texturing and lighting the interior of a Gothic Church based upon a concept painting. The ebook is available in five different platforms. Chapter two however is dedicated to creating a gargoyle in Zbrush the focal point in our scene. Here the author will start by creating a rough body form using ZSpheres and move through the numerous sculpting phases and modeling the details for each part of the character, highlighting the various brushes and tools used throughout.
Original Author: 3DTotal.com Ltd | Platforms: 3ds max, Cinema 4d, LightWave, Maya and Modo.Format: DOWNLOAD ONLY PDF | Pages: 47+
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-
The tutorial eBook will begin by creating and applying materials for the various parts of the car, such as glass, chrome and tyres, as well as texturing some simple geometry that will make up a scene. It will then move onto lighting where the focus will be on setting up a lighting rig and the various parameters connected to this. Finally the series will culminate with a section on rendering, where the aim will be to finish with a polished image.
Original Author: 3DTotal.com Ltd | Platform: 3ds max, Cinema 4d, LightWave, Maya and Softimage XSIFormat: DOWNLOAD ONLY PDF | Pages: 44+
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This series of ZBrush tutorials orientates around speed and efficiency and how to achieve detailed sculpts within a few hours. Each of the ten chapters focuses on a different character topic ranging from mythical creatures such as the Minotaur and Cyclops to Pirates and monsters. With over seven hours of video footage and covering ninety seven pages this e-book provides an insight into the working methods of eleven professional artists. Each individual showcases their particular approach to the subject and treats us to an exhibition of both their artistic and technical skills that form the backbone of their creative process.
Original Author: 3DTotal.com Ltd | Platforms: ZBrush | Format: DOWNLOAD ONLY PDF | Pages: 97
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This six chapter eBook aims to show the value of post-production and more specifically the ways in which Photoshop can be used to aid the 3D pipeline. Over the course of six chapters we shall focus on the various tools and techniques on offer in Photoshop that are frequently used to improve 3D renders. Compositing passes, adding particle effects, improving lighting and making general colour adjustments are a few of the topics covered, as well as ways to create backgrounds that both complement and enhance characters.The methods presented within this series can provide an efficient alternative to lengthy render test.
Original Author: 3DTotal.com Ltd | Platform: Photoshop | Format: DOWNLOAD ONLY PDF | Pages: 049
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Manimal is a Zbrush tutorial series divided into six parts, covering nearly 70 pages and addressing the process of transforming a generic base mesh into an original creature design. The notion behind the series assumes the task of genetically splicing a human being with a different animal class and sculpting the resultant character. Each of the tutorials adopts a different animal class as its theme and walks through the stages of developing a concept and sculpting the overall proportions through to the individual features and particular anatomical mutations.
Original Author: 3DTotal.com Ltd | Platform: ZBrush | Format: DOWNLOAD ONLY PDF | Pages: 067
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