Maxon ZBrush (Yearly)

ZBrush Features

SCULPTING

Base Mesh Creation

ZBrush provides an arsenal of tools that will help you take your models to the next level.

Dynamesh

DynaMesh is a perfect solution for free-form sculpting because it removes all need for focusing on topological constraints. Change the overall shape of the model by pushing or pulling, adding various pieces of geometry to combine into one, or even remove geometry in a manner similar to what can be done with Boolean operations. DynaMesh redistributes the model’s polygons to be equally sized for a consistent brush stroke on command.

ZSpheres

If you’ve ever added clay to a wire armature then you know exactly how ZSpheres work. Draw a simple skeleton/stick figure and ZBrush will then flesh it out with actual topology.

Mannequins

An evolution to ZSpheres is the Mannequin system. With a wide variety of both humanoid and animal figures in the library, Mannequins are an easy starting point as you explore the scene that you wish to create, before even beginning modeling.

Snapshot3D

With Spotlight, you have the capability to project any texture’s color information onto a sculpted surface as PolyPaint. It also allows the very same textures to be applied to the surface of any model as sculptural details.

The addition of Snapshot3D makes it possible to convert any greyscale image (alpha) into a 3D model.

The source images can be modified or combined through Boolean-type addition or subtraction to create even more complex 3D shapes. Models generated through this process can serve as a base for sculpting, or used with our Live Boolean system to create intricate works of art.

Mask Mesh Brushes

Mesh From Mask is an amazingly fast and simple set of brushes (MeshExtrude, MeshBalloon, MeshSplat, and MeshExtrudePropDepth) for creating base meshes that you will then sculpt using the rest of the ZBrush feature set.

Simply outline your desired shape with the masking lasso. ZBrush will instantly turn that outlined shape into an editable mesh. You can then either jump directly to sculpting or you can continue to refine the outline — adding to it, subtracting, or cutting holes. As you modify the shape, the generated model updates in real-time so that you never have to guess what the results will be.

This feature offers two distinct modes. One creates precise flat shapes with a uniform thickness and controlled bevels, as shown above. The other mode creates soft, organic shapes in a balloon-type of effect that is thicker where the enclosed shape is wide and thin near corners, as demonstrated below.

ShadowBox

Shadowbox allows you to create with masking brush strokes that will project shadows toward the center to create a volume. Use masks to paint the front, side and bottom shadows of a model onto the dedicated cubic ShadowBox and your model will be dynamically generated inside it!

Brush System

Utilize your graphics tablet to enjoy the natural feeling and precise control of working with clay using a real brush or sculpting tool.

Dynamic Sculpting Brush System

The main workflow for creating with ZBrush is based on a system of brushes which can also be modulated using pen pressure from a graphics tablet. ZBrush will reproduce the natural feeling of a real paint brush or sculpting tool, using the pressure applied to the pen tip to transform your digital stroke in a variety of ways. There are brushes to pinch, move, build up the surface, chisel into it, slice through the model and much more. You can even use other 3D models as brushes, inserting their geometry into your surface.

Cloth Brushes

Enhance your sculpting with a Dynamics system that allows any surface to be contracted, expanded, inflated or draped with gravity. Use masking to pin a portion of the mesh to create a point of interest or use a mask to create a unique interaction that can allow the surface to be rolled on itself. Create realistic cloth folds – even on a low resolution plane. Place your mesh, turn on the collision volume and any desired controls, then watch as ZBrush drapes the cloth mesh over any other visible meshes.

Special brushes have been introduced which use the Dynamics engine to give unique capabilities for interacting with the cloth surface. As examples, you can choose where folds will lay or simply grab the geometry to move it freely in the work space and create folds in real-time. The ClothTwister brush simulates twisted cloth. ClothWind allows directional movement. ClothPinchTrails will create a seam with pinched cloth wherever your brush stroke takes place on the surface.

Insert Mesh Brushes

Insert Mesh brushes allow you to use or create small, repeatable mesh objects that can then be inserted, applied along a curve, or used as boolean geometry. Imagine screws on a robot, buttons on a shirt, or segments of pipe. Rather than sculpt each of these items individually, you can create or use an Insert Mesh brush to place them on your model. Because of the DynaMesh process, Insert Mesh brush can become a major player in your ZBrush arsenal of features.

History Brush

Have you ever wished you could undo just a portion of your sculpting without losing everything else that has been done on the model? Now you can! This brush uses your model’s Undo History but restricts the effect to the area where the brush is used. It can also be used in the other direction, projecting Redo History from part of one model to another regardless of any topology differences.

XTractor Brushes

These three brushes convert detail from your model into a new alpha or texture for future reuse. Simply drag your stroke across the surface of any model to capture the details of your sculpt. The captured details can then be used elsewhere on the same model, or on any other model in the future.
VDM Brushes

Expand your Alpha arsenal with a new library of Vector Displacement Meshes (VDM). These are 3D sculpts used as brush building blocks that will allow undercutting when drawing on a model’s surface. As an example, you can draw a nose complete with nostrils in a single brush stroke. Or an ear with complete front and back sides. Or a bent finger, scales with a raised angle or even an open mouth. All of this without lost depth or detail.

Vector Displacement Mesh creates real overhangs as you sculpt. Push the details of your model with precise placement on sculpts with millions of polygons.

Sculptural Freedom

Utilize your graphics tablet to enjoy the natural feeling and precise control of working with clay using a real brush or sculpting tool.

Slime Bridge

A dynamic way to create! Using the power of ZBrush’s Masking system, Slime Bridge works to expand modeling capacity to include complex geometric connections and designs from one masked island to another. Simply draw out a mask on a given surface and create another mask on an adjacent group of faces to set your Slime Bridge parameters. Click the Slime Bridge button and watch real-time construction and eclectic shapes come to life. The Tension, Bridges Calipers and Branches sliders provide access points for even more creative control when it comes time to slime things up!

Sculptris Pro

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 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 dynamically add and reduce polygons wherever and whenever it’s needed, freeing you to focus entirely on the look you’re trying to achieve.

ZBrush places a library of over 400 sculpting brushes at your fingertips. Activating Sculptris Pro will transform each of these brushes into a system that places no limitations on your creativity. ZBrush comes with a set of brushes designed specifically for Sculptris Pro.

Subdivision Size Picker

Additions to the already robust Sculptris Pro feature set include increased resolution capabilities. Take advantage of triangle size at five times the density. Using the Sculptris Pro slider provides control for increasing density in desired areas while also reducing the size of triangles. This means more detail where it counts. Extended use includes interactive manipulation of triangle size while hovering over designated areas of an asset.

Local Symmetry

Local Symmetry utilizes the Gizmo inside ZBrush to provide the opportunity to keep symmetry within the ZBrush workspace while moving models off the center axis. This extends to include movement of models anywhere inside the ZBrush canvas. You can control the symmetry line of action while manipulating placement of assets.

Multi-Resolution Mesh Editing

The inherent problem with traditional 3D modeling methods is that once you divide your mesh you are locked into the design thus far. There is no way to go back and make changes at the macro level without sacrificing everything that has been done at higher resolutions. ZBrush does away with that restriction through multi-resolution subdivision editing, the feature for which it received an Academy Award. With this system you are free to move between subdivision levels at any time, making changes wherever they are most appropriate. Those changes then automatically ripple across all other levels of your model.

Mask Region

Mask Region allows for expanded use of ZBrush’s robust masking system by allowing you to draw shapes on the surface of a mesh while filling those areas uniformly and independently. Selecting the Auto Region option will auto-fill your mask to complete your selection. With Analyze Region, you make multiple masking selections while ZBrush detects and fills the selected areas. Fill Region will auto-fill all areas that ZBrush detected to complete multiple mask selections at once with the push of a button.

Apply Last Action

The Apply Last Action to All Subtools function allows for application of material attributes, color information and any other “undoable” operations to multiple subtools inside the ZBrush Tool Palette with the click of a button. Only Subtools with the “Eyeball” icon activated/visibility turned on inside the Subtool menu will be affected.

Taking this functionality further sees the addition of Folder support. The Folder “add-on” function provides you with an opportunity to manage Apply Last Action to specific folders for increased control over modeling and visual representation of assets. Grouping your subtools together into a Folder will allow you to use Apply Last Action to subtools within a currently selected folder.

HD Geometry

ZBrush is easily able to handle models in the range of 20 million polygons on most computers, and up to 100 million on a high end machine. That is more detail than can be held by an 8K map. But sometimes you want even more, and this is where HD Geometry comes into play. With this feature, ZBrush can work with models of up to 1 billion polygons. Let your imagination run wild!

Polygon Modeling

ZBrush’s capabilities are not limited to organic sculpting: You can also use it to intuitively create low poly hard surface models.

ZModeler

While ZBrush is best known for organic sculpting, it’s hard surface capabilities should not be underestimated. The ZModeler system is designed specifically for low poly modeling with easily accessed and highly intuitive controls for creating holes, adding edge loops, extruding polygons and much more.

Deformers

Gizmo 3D gives you easy controls for the 27 deformers in ZBrush. It’s functions allow you to interactively bend, stretch, flatten, twist, slice, taper and much more. The Gizmo 3D Deformers give you a sleek workflow that allows for easy switching from one deformer to another.

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 geometry 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.

Dynamic Subdivision

The Dynamic Subdivision system allows you to apply dynamic smoothing to your models without actually dividing the polygons. This feature is mainly designed to work in association with the ZModeler brush and low polygonal models.

Dynamic Subdivision mode is used to represent the result of smoothing your base mesh, letting you see what the divided model would look like even while you actually edit and sculpt the lower resolution mesh.

While working with Dynamic Subdivision active, you see the higher resolution surface while your brushes operate on the lower resolution base mesh.

Dynamic Subdivision is applied to the model in real-time. While the function is active, any changes in the base mesh topology will show an immediate result in the displayed smooth surface.

Remeshing Options

Stop thinking about the topology of a model and just start creating. ZBrush can convert your sculpt to a clean base mesh almost instantly.

ZRemesher

As you learn about the sculptural freedom of ZBrush, you may have found yourself wondering about the kind of topology that is created. Feel free to explore – once you have your design, ZBrush can convert its polygons into a usable base mesh with clean edge loops and polygon flow almost instantly.

Our automatic retopology toolset has been a key component in the modern ZBrush artist’s workflow. The systems can maintain creased edges and automatically detect sharp surface angles, ideal for mechanical models. The result is also a more efficient final polygon count with an increase in speed.

ZRemesher Retry

ZRemesher provides a powerful method for reconstructing assets quickly. With ZRemesher Retry functionality users access more control over variations of reconstructed assets while making interactive comparisons of topological order and construction.

Keep PolyPaint

In addition to this enhanced flexibility, the Keep PolyPaint option allows for PolyPaint data to remain intact after using the ZRemesher function.

ZModeler

Not only does ZModeler allow for a unique box modeling approach it also has the power to build from scratch or even retopologize an existing sculpt. Use the Extrude options to build out from a flat surface or use the options that will allow any extruded edge and moved point to snap to a surface for retopologizing.

Topology Brush

It’s as simple as applying curves to a surface to create new topology over existing sculpted mesh. This brush provides a simple approach to retopologizing and creating custom shapes. All an artist needs to do is draw a few curves and ZBrush will create the topology from the intersecting curves.

Create a thin planed surface from all the curves or apply a thickness to the resulting mesh with a simple change of the Draw Size. This brush has various possibilities to release your creative workflow.

ZSphere Retopology

Not only does ZSphere allow you to create a base mesh, create mannequins or be used to pose a character, it also offers the ability to retopologize. With each click, a new vertex is dropped to support a new mesh that can be used in various pipelines.

Not only that but the ZSphere topology option will even allow you to project the original sculpted mesh into the new topology as you reconstruct your topology flow. The ZSphere topology can even add thickness to any flat planed topology, all in real time.

Flexible Workflows

Combine multiple sculptures together, contract, expand inflate or drape any surface with gravity or populate your model with instanced geometry.

Live Boolean

For all their power, Boolean systems have historically required a lot of trial and error before finally getting a satisfying result. With Live Boolean, artists gain the ability to combine multiple sculptures together and see in real-time what the resulting mesh will look like. Any model can be subtracted from another, regardless of their polygon counts. You can even use Live Boolean with the existing instancing systems in ZBrush such as NanoMesh and ArrayMesh. While Live Boolean is active, you can even sculpt on your models while previewing the Boolean results. All of these options can be combined together to provide new sculpting workflows that are unique to ZBrush.

Live Boolean is also excellent for creating hard surface models. Live Boolean makes it possible for you to preview any addition and subtraction operations between your source models, allowing adjustments to be made on the fly.

There is no guesswork, since you are able to dynamically see the end result before committing to the operation. You can adjust any part on a mesh and see it instantly impact the model. It’s 100% interactive, non-destructive and works with any sculpt.

Live Boolean is perfect for creating models for manufacturing, toy design, product design, collectibles, and more. Use any sculpt to create articulated joints, keys for 3D printing, hollowing, or even to create molds for production.

Cloth Dynamics

Enhance your sculpting with a Dynamics system that allows any surface to be contracted, expanded, inflated or draped with gravity. Use masking to pin a portion of the mesh to create a point of interest or use a mask to create a unique interaction that can allow the surface to be rolled on itself. Create realistic cloth folds – even on a low resolution plane. Place your mesh, turn on the collision volume and any desired controls, then watch as ZBrush drapes the cloth mesh over any other visible meshes.

Special brushes have been introduced which use the Dynamics engine to give unique capabilities for interacting with the cloth surface. As examples, you can choose where folds will lay or simply grab the geometry to move it freely in the work space and create folds in real-time. The ClothTwister brush simulates twisted cloth. ClothWind allows directional movement. ClothPinchTrails will create a seam with pinched cloth wherever your brush stroke takes place on the surface.

A piece of geometry can also be added to each polygon as a completely interactive instance. Select from the library of presets to make a surface look like canvas or denim jeans. Even select a piece of armor to create repeatable chainmail.

Surface Noise

In addition to being able to add detail by hand, ZBrush provides a system for procedurally generating surface detail through noise patterns. Choose a detail type, adjust a few simple parameters, then apply that pattern to your model in its entirety or by restricting it to a certain region. You can even combine different noise types to create highly complex effects. The Noise system is ideal for both hard surface work and organic details.

NanoMesh

A feature of the ZModeler brush, the NanoMesh system takes the process of using ZBrush’s InsertMesh and MicroMesh features to a whole new level. The NanoMesh system allows you to populate areas of a model with instanced geometry. These instances can then be modified in real-time to generate different scale, offset and angle for each instance.

If the default variations are not enough; the NanoMesh system has a random distribution mode that will allow you to create purely random surfaces across a model.

Since the NanoMesh system generates instanced geometry based on an original mesh, you can edit the original mesh at any time to make changes that instantly update across all its instances. These edits can be done using any of the ZBrush sculpting tools, including the ZModeler Brush. During editing you can also apply UV mapping and texture maps.

NanoMesh also gives you the ability to layer multiple NanoMeshes across the same surface to give even greater variety and creative freedom!

ArrayMesh

Array Mesh is an advanced array system in ZBrush that will allow you to create duplicate instances of geometry in varying patterns and shapes. This feature operates in real-time as you edit the structure of the original mesh or adjust the modifiers of the array. Using the sliders located in the Array Mesh sub-palette or simply using Array Mesh with TransPose can quickly generate complex instanced geometry.

The Array Mesh system also incorporates a multi-stage approach that allows you to nest multiple arrays within each other. With this system you can easily create Instanced shapes such as tank treads or full buildings!

Because the Array Mesh is instanced geometry you can at any time modify the original model and see all changes propagate across the entire Array. If you created an Array of windows for a building façade and you now want to add curtains to all the windows, simply modify the original model and the curtains will be applied to all the instances.

FiberMesh

FiberMesh® is a specialized mesh generation tool. Unlike the Fiber material, FiberMesh is not a render process. Instead, FiberMesh creates real geometry on the fly which can be added to the existing model as a new SubTool.

Depending on your settings within the FiberMesh sub-palette, you can generate totally different shapes for fibers, hair, fur and even vegetation. Thanks to these fibers being a real geometry, you then have the ability to sculpt your hairs with ZBrush’s powerful feature set. This includes the default sculpting brushes, Masks, TransPose, etc. as well as being able to paint them through the PolyPaint system. There are also a number of specialist “Groom” brushes designed specifically for use with the FiberMesh feature.

Of course, because these fibers are real geometry, they are also able to be exported to your application of your choice. Export the fiber geometry with or without UVs where each fiber will allow a texture to be applied to the individual fibers.

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PAINTING AND TEXTURING

PolyPaint

Polypainting offers improved flexibility over the standard workflow – start working on textures even before the final low-res mesh has been created!

Using PolyPaint

The PolyPaint system in ZBrush allows painting on a model’s surface without first assigning a texture map. A texture map can be created at a later time, and the painted surface can be transferred to the map. PolyPainting offers significant advantages compared to standard workflow:

The resolution of the texture map need not be decided in advance. This is particularly valuable if you find you need more detailing on an area than you thought you would. Instead of repainting a new, larger texture map, you can simply transfer the existing surface painting to a new, larger map, with no rework necessary.

Similarly, the UV unwrapping need not be fixed in advance. If one unwrapping proves unsatisfactory, simply create a different unwrapping and transfer the surface painting to that map.

Removing UVs from your model frees up system resources and allows you to work with more polygons.

Texture artists can begin working in high resolution, before UV’s have been assigned – or even before the final low resolution mesh has been created. Whenever the artist and model are ready, this PolyPaint is converted to a texture map with a single button click. Not only does this allow texturing to begin much earlier in the pipeline, it also adds the ability to change a model’s geometry or UV mapping at any time without sacrificing any texturing that has already been done.

UV Master

UV Master will generate UV coordinates for your models in a single click, resulting in an optimized UV map which is understandable to the human eye.

Using UV Master

UV Master will generate UV coordinates for your ZBrush models in a single click.

When using a 2D map with a 3D model, the model must have UVs, which are 2D coordinates needed for your texture to display accurately on your model. UV Master creates the necessary UV seams,then unwraps and packs the UVs to make best use of the texture area. The result is an optimized UV map which is understandable to the human eye allowing work on the corresponding texture in a 2D painting software like Photoshop.

UV Master is powered by an unwrap algorithm which keeps texture distortions to a minimum. It can create new UV mapping automatically, with guidance for resolution scale and where seams should go. If you want to use other tools to extract data from your 3D models, ZBrush and its free Decimation Master plugin can reduce your high resolution model’s millions of polygons by hundreds of thousands without any visual loss of quality. Further, when it is time to retopologize your model and create the low resolution base mesh you can turn to the powerful ZRemesher. A single button click is all that’s necessary to retopologize most environmental models, while features exist to easily guide edge loops and polygon density where necessary for animated figures.

SpotLight

SpotLight is a projection texturing system for preparing your source texture directly in ZBrush, then paint your model with it in 3D.

Using SpotLight

SpotLight is a projection texturing system which allows you to prepare your source texture directly in ZBrush, then paint your model with it in 3D.

You first need to load your textures using the Texture palette or Light Box. You can then use SpotLight to change their scale, rotation and position; nudge them to match any sculpt; clone parts of the texture; fill colors; change the hue to match another texture’s hue and more.

There is a tremendous amount of functionality packed in a simple interface. Your painting productivity will increase more than you can imagine!

Advanced Painting & Texturing

Morph a 3D mesh into its flat UV shell to paint long continuous strokes using MorphUV or use ZColor to achieve consistent coloring results.

Crease Edge UV Unwrap

The Crease Edge UV Unwrap functionality allows you to use crease edges to dictate where UV seams will be placed.

Dual Alphas & Textures

Brushes now support dual alphas and textures, allowing you to transition between the two based on the pen pressure of your stroke. Create striking blends of color and detail with this versatile new feature!

MorphUV

Morph UV is a feature that morphs a 3D mesh into its flattened (2D) UV shell. While morphed you have the option to sculpt and paint with ZAdd, ZSub, and MRGB information. Once finished, turning Morph UV off will morph the model back into its 3D state with all details applied.

Morphing a 3D mesh into a 2D object offers many benefits in situations that are difficult or impossible in the 3D state. For example, you have the ability to apply longer brush strokes across tight corners or overlapping geometry.

With the added ability to sculpt and PolyPaint on the UV unwrap of a model, it’s never been easier to apply long continuous strokes across a mesh. One such example would be applying a stroke from the waist up through an armpit to the wrist of a character. Or perhaps you wish to apply a pattern on a mesh that is too complicated in the 3D form.

Texture & PolyPaint Adjust by Color

Texture Adjust by Color & PolyPaint Adjust by Color not only gives you the power to adjust the colors in a model’s PolyPaint or Texture Map, it also allows you to restrict these adjustments to specific color selections. In addition you can use color picking to mask or unmask portions of the model.

DecoBrush

DecoCurve brushes simulate the effects from the classic 2.5D Deco tool, but as a true 3D sculpting & painting brush. These brushes use Stroke >> Curve Mode functionality to simulate the natural application of an alpha projection onto the surface.

ZColor

ZColor is your color manager for any digital painting tasks. It features a set palette of colors, chosen to best express the mood you wish to create and allowing for consistent results. ZColor files can also be shared with others, helping teams to create a cohesive look across projects.

The plugin is located in the Zplugin palette. Open the ZColor sub-palette and click the ZColor button to launch the interface. The ZColor interface is a floating window and can be kept open and moved about while you work.

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RENDERING

Rendering

BPR (Best Preview Render) quickly renders any model in edit mode with Shadows, 3D Fibers, Ambient Occlusion, Transparent Subtools, or HD Geometry.

Best Preview Render (BPR)

Whether you are using ZBrush by itself as an illustration tool or as part of a production pipeline for animation, you will at some point want to show your work to others. ZBrush makes this possible through a powerful rendering system called BPR (Best Preview Render).

The Best Preview Render (or BPR) will render a model in Edit mode using high quality anti-aliasing at the full document size. Use of the AAHalf button is not necessary when using this rendering mode. BPR will render all SubTools, with polyframes displayed if that is activated and also provides several new render options including subsurface scattering and fibers effects.

BPR Passes

When using the BPR renderer, separate passes are automatically available. You can use these pre-rendered passes from ZBrush to create document layers in an image editor and do any post-work you feel is necessary to produce your ideal image.

Having separate render passes gives you more control over the final outcome. You can use a dedicated image editing program such as Photoshop® to put the passes together, a process called compositing.

BPR Filters

ZBrush has a wide variety of filters that can be added to a scene after it has been rendered, changing the way that the image looks without needing to wait for another render. All of these filters can be mixed and matched, instantly adjusting your rendered image without needing to use an external image editor. Adjust sharpness, depth of field, shadow colors and much more.

These BPR filters are post-process effects applied to your Best Preview Render. There are several advantages to using these filters. First, it avoids the extra step of doing post-render work in another program like Photoshop. Second, the BPR filters can use internally computed information like depth or masking. This means you can apply the effects to a local area rather than to the entire image. This local application of the filters is also what sets BPR filters apart from the other render filters from previous versions of ZBrush.

Non-Photorealistic Rendering

See your 3D artwork in a whole new way with the new NPR system. Give that final 3D sculpt a hand drawn 2D style and even take your sculpted creations into the pages of a comic book. With the ability to add overlaying textures, apply a halftone printed paper style, draw a dark outline around the 3D model or apply a number of built-in presets, the new NPR system will open up an entire world of artistic possibilities.

An evolution of the BPR Filter system, NPR is a suite of special filters designed specifically to make your render look less like a photograph and more like an illustration. With this system your model can look like it was hand-drawn on paper, taken right off the page of a comic, or even appear as a blueprint.

LightCap® System

LightCap® is a way to create both Materials or Matcap® in real-time by manipulating directly the lights they simulate.

LightCap®

LightCap® is a new way to create both Materials or Matcap® in real-time by directly manipulating the lights they simulate.

Using the LightCap Designer is simple and really powerful, even it is important to take in consideration that some difference exists between a Material and a Matcap, which have an impact on how you are using both with the LightCap.

A Matcap is a Material with light information baked in as an image, as soon as it is created, you can’t change the light information in Matcap, while a Standard Material can be affected by the scene light. The LightCap Designer lets you manipulate light information at creation time, but as soon as you change to another ZBrush project or restart ZBrush, you will not be able to change the Matcap light information. You can however individually save your LightCap in its own file format.

Also, another difference is the settings available for both Materials and Matcaps: Materials let you tweak and modify a large amount of settings and mix difference shaders together through the Shader Mixer, while a Matcap can be more globally manipulated through the textures in which it was composed of Matcaps interact with the model geometry, mainly through the cavity information.

LightCap® with Environments

A LightCap can be created directly from the background texture that is loaded into the Background sub-palette. By analyzing the background’s high and low intensity values and their colors, lights will automatically be created at correct positions and accurate intensity of lights with shadows turned on for lights above the horizon line. This one click operation can create most if not all of your lights ready to be edited in the LightCap Designer system. Please read the Background section for more information about creating a LightCap from a background image.

Map Generation

ZBrush offers several types of mapping to create the most dynamic surfaces on your 3D models, including Texture, Displacement, and Normal Maps.

Texture Maps

A Texture Map is an image that is displayed on your model. There are several different kinds; in ZBrush, Texture Maps generally mean Diffuse maps – the main coloring of the object.

Displacement Maps

Displacement maps can be thought of as extended bump maps. Like bump maps, they are grayscale images, with the intensity of a pixel indicating height above the polygon surface. Other things being equal, a single grayscale image used as either a bump or a displacement map while building a model will probably produce very similar images when viewed using a “real time” renderer.

The result is different when a final render is done. At this stage, the displacement map is used to actually change the geometry of the model. Conceptually, new polygons or pixels are produced where the displacement map indicates height deviations from the polygon surface, and then this new geometry is pushed up to reflect the height of the bump map. This new, higher-resolution model is then rendered. As a result, displacement mapping can produce renders which show both correct silhouettes and shadowing of displaced geometry, something which cannot be done by bump maps. Displacement mapping is well suited for surfaces containing complex detail that would be difficult and expensive to model with polygons, but where the displacement is large enough that bump maps would obviously appear fake.

Vector Displacement Maps

Take rendering even further using the power of ZBrush with Vector Displacement Maps. You’ll benefit from the ability to displace the surface in any direction, including undercuts. That’s just the start. You can export sculpted details from your ZBrush models to other 3rd party applications and make use of file types like, .tiff (16-32bit) and .exr (32bit). ZBrush comes fully equipped to handle both 16bit and 32bit displacement map output. It’s just another way that ZBrush works to fit your needs.

Normal Maps

A normal map is just a map (texture) where the values given are the surface normals at each point, rather than the bump height value. We’re taking out the middleman, so to speak. Instead of having graphics software or hardware calculate surface normals from the bump map, these normals are pre-calculated and stored into the normal map, and then used directly by the processor.

Because the normal at each pixel in a normal map is completely independent from its neighboring normals, normal maps can produce effects not possible with bump maps, while still being able to do everything that can be done with bump maps.

On the other hand, bump maps can be created (somewhat) easily by hand using a 2D paint application, which is not the case with normal maps. You will find each useful in your creations, depending on requirements.

Custom Materials

You can make your own custom materials or get them from ZBrushCentral, the Pixologic MatCap Library and elsewhere.

Standard Materials

In ZBrush, the appearance of any surface is affected by several things – its base color, its texture image (if it has one), the lighting that falls on the surface, and its material. The material changes the way the lighting reacts with the surface so that it may appear – for example – shiny, bumpy, reflective, metallic or transparent.

There are many preset materials in ZBrush to give you control over a scene. In addition, each material can be modified to create new materials.

MatCaps™

What if you could create a surface material and lighting environment simply by painting an object so that it looks like you want it to look? What if you could create that surface material by sampling points from an existing image that already features the material and lighting environment you want? For a great many (probably the majority) materials and lighting environments, this is exactly what MatCap (Material Capture), allows you to do. MatCaps™ are materials with their lighting and other attributes baked in.

• No tedious tweaking of numerical material values.
• No need to set up any lights.

 

Redshift in ZBrush

Redshift in ZBrush integrates fully GPU-accelerated, biased rendering into your ZBrush pipeline.

Integrate fully GPU-accelerated, biased rendering into your ZBrush pipeline

Render high resolution images without UV and Texture Map information on the fly. Take your art further with Subsurface Scattering, Emissive Light generation, full metallic material management and caustic effects for realistic glass. Using ZBrush with Redshift integration provides new and exciting opportunities to create high-quality images.

Subsurface Scattering (SSS)

Render realistic materials in Redshift for ZBrush while taking image complexity further. Subsurface scattering extends to rendering of materials such as marble, skin, leaves, wax and opaque liquids.

Emissive Lighting / Reflectivity

Redshift for ZBrush provides access to object based emissive lighting. Generate glowing effects from assets while managing light parameters inside the project space.

Glass / Caustics

Achieve realistic glass and caustic effects with Redshift inside ZBrush. Explore advanced material composition and higher degrees of complexity across a wide range of materials and surfaces.

Metal

Take metal surface representation and compositions to higher levels of realism by incorporating Redshift for ZBrush. Explore a dedicated library of default Redshift materials shipped with ZBrush to get started quicker.

Redshift Baker 360

The Redshift Baker 360 functionality allows for the application of render results to models without having to re-render scenes. Redshift final render results are applied to models using PolyPaint.

Recall

Render recall allows you to create multiple iterations of rendered images for comparison purposes while storing up to 50 designs in system memory. Render parameters are maintained in memory and easily “recalled” and reloaded to meet your design needs.

Bucket or Progressive Rendering

Control the visual representation of your rendering process inside Redshift for ZBrush with Progressive and Bucket rendering capabilities. Progressive rendering allows users to preview creations continuously for look development. Bucket rendering represents final image results in modular regions. Finalize details on hero images with either Progressive or Bucket rendering in Redshift for ZBrush with increased render quality controls.

BPR Filters

Advanced render potential is only a few short clicks away. Use existing render tools like BPR filters with Redshift inside ZBrush to manipulate final image parameters.

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PIPELINE

Supported Formats

ZBrush supports various formats for the import and export of 3D geometry as well as most industry-standard image formats for texturing.]

Import formats:

• Wavefront OBJ (*.obj)
• Maya (*.ma)
• Mesh Ascii (*.mesh)
• Mesh binary (*.meshb)
• GoZ (ZBrush format for GoZ-enabled programs)
• STL (*.stl) using the 3D Print Hub plugin
• FBX using the FBX Export Import plugin

Export formats:

• Wavefront OBJ (*.obj)
• Maya (*.ma)
• Web3D Standard (*.x3d)
• GoZ (ZBrush format for GoZ-enabled programs)
• STL (*.stl) using the 3D Print Hub plugin
• VRML (*.wrl) using the 3D Print Hub plugin
• FBX using the FBX Export Import plugin

USD format

The USD format has been added for import and export. The USD format was developed by Pixar to provide a way to handle scenes made up of many different elements as well as allow multiple artists to collaborate on the different assets.

Image File formats

ZBrush supports various formats for import and export of images. Note that when importing images into the Alpha palette they should ideally be 16 bit grayscale.

Import formats:

• BMP (*.bmp)
• Photoshop PSD (*.psd)
• JPEG (*.jpg)
• TIF (*.tif)
• PNG (*.png) [Windows only]
• GIF (*.gif)
• HDR (*.hdr)
• Open EXR (*.exr)

Export formats:

• BMP (*.bmp)
• Photoshop PSD (*.psd)
• JPEG (*.jpg)
• PNG (*.png)
• TIF (*.tif)
• Open EXR (*.exr) [32 bit Displacement only]

 

Universal Camera

ZBrush’s universal camera is a physically accurate camera which can be imported from or exported to other 3D applications.

This universal 3D camera replaces the original 3D camera and is enabled by default. It works with standard lens settings, such as focal distances in mm or fields of view in degrees.

You can now fit exact camera settings which can be useful if you are working in industries which require you to match an existing movie scene or background photo. The ZBrush Universal Camera offers complete control over the Focal Length, Crop Factor and more. It supports undo and redo of camera movements. There is even storage of various camera settings, making it easier than ever to find that perfect final composition.

You will also be able to import and export cameras for pixel-to-pixel matching between applications. An example of when such functions would be convenient is when retouching a model based on an exact point of view or for compositing purposes: Create your model in ZBrush, use its BPR rendering engine to create several passes, then connect to KeyShot through the ZBrush to KeyShot Bridge to render extra passes before doing the final composite in Adobe Photoshop. All applications which support import/export of cameras through the FBX file format can support this workflow.

As stated above, this new camera is enabled by default. You can also choose at any time to work with the legacy ZBrush camera. This can be important if you load projects created with a previous version of ZBrush.

Interoperability

With the GoZ dynamic bridge, you can send your ZBrush model back and forth between supported applications with a single click.

GoZ

GoZ (for GoZBrush) is a dynamic bridge between ZBrush and other 3D packages built around a specific file format, the GoZ file. In a single click, send your model from ZBrush to one of the supported applications. You can also send your maps to do a render, edit geometry, or add an element to your model. Then, send the updated items back to ZBrush, still in one click! GoZ works with different Tools or SubTools, visible or not.

With GoZ, you can use your time to work on your model, not managing your import and export.

ZBrush currently supports:

• Autodesk 3DSMax 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 (Windows)
• Autodesk Maya 2015, 2016, 2016.5, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022 (Windows and macOS)
• Maxon Cinema 4D R15, R16, R17 (for later versions see below from Maxon)
• Adobe Photoshop CC (Windows and macOS)
• Sculptris Alpha 6 (Windows and macOS)

GoZ is also supported by 3rd-party developers for these applications:

• Cinema 4D R20 and later (Supported by Maxon)
• Modo 10 and Modo 11 (Supported by The Foundry)
• Lightwave 11.x and Lightwave 2015.x (Supported by NewTek)
• Poser 2012 SR2, 2013 and 2014 (Supported by Smith Micro)
• DAZ Studio 4 (Supported by Daz3D)
• DAZ Carrara 8 Pro (Supported by Daz3D)
• EIAS 9 (Supported by Eias3D)
• Houdini 16, 16.5 and 17 (supported by SideFX)