Carl E. Schou

Sept 20, 2001

And now for something completely different

That lead in line from Monty Python certainly applies to ZBrush. The program is definitely in a class by itself. Part modeler and part painter, it stands with one foot in the 3D world and one in the 2D world. Anyone willing to take the time to learn ZBrush will find a large array of 2D and 3D tools applicable to modeling, illustration painting and the production of seamless textures. The picture above, "It Came From Big Bug Creek", is my first real ZBrush creation.  It was done after a lot of digging through manuals, tutorials, and plain old puttering around.

What is ZBrush?

ZBrush is an extremely versatile and diverse graphics application. On the 2D side, it allows the artist to paint using pixols. Pixols are Pixologic's term for pixels that contain color, orientation, depth, and material information. As you add layers of paint, you can see the surface start to rise up toward you or sink down away from you, depending on how you've set your controls.  The final image is more like a bas-relief than a traditional 2D picture.

ZBrush can also be used to easily generate complex organic 3D models in real time. These models can be exported for use in other applications or they can be converted to pixols and incorporated into a ZBrush illustration. The illustration can be built up in layers. When you're satisfied with the results, you can save the illustration in ZBrush's native format and you can export the image to other 2D applications like Photoshop.

A good example of the images ZBrush is capable of creating is in the program's opening screen, which is shown in close up below.

What's new in ZBrush?

The biggest feature new to ZBrush 1.23 is ZScripts.  This is a simple text-based scripting language that allows you to automate any actions that are possible in ZBrush.  Looping, interactive scripts can be generated that produce a complex sequence of painting/sculpting actions that would probably give you carpal tunnel syndrome if done manually.

A series of interactive tutorials and primers are supplied with the program in the form of ZScripts.  Rather than reading pages of instructions and trying to relate them to what is on the screen, you just play the ZScript and let ZBrush show you how to do it.  The primers illustrate some of the most useful tools. A full tutorial walks the user through the creation of a picnic scene and all of the objects in it. Modeling Samples are included so you can sit back and watch as a complicated 3D model of a head is created, brush stroke by brush stroke.  This is tremendously informative if you're just starting out in ZBrush.

The Interface

The interface used in ZBrush is unique to the program.  The standardized menu bar with the familiar File, Edit, Select and other items has been replaced with an interface designed specifically to access all of the different features in ZBrush.  The up side of this is that you have an interface tailored to a very unique program that allows you to navigate with ease once you have learned it.  The down side of this is that it takes a while to learn.  Don't worry, the ZBrush interface is not the easiest one to learn but by no means is it the hardest and it is well worth the effort.

The interface is arranged as a series of palettes, each of which has sub-palettes and drawers as shown below.  The palettes include Tools, Transforms, Render, ZScript, Movie, Material, Color, Alpha, Draw, Layers, Light, Marker, Picker, Preferences, Stencil, Stroke, Tablet, Texture, Zoom, and Documents.  We'll take a more detailed look at some of these palettes later on in this review.  

3D Modeling

When you create something in ZBrush, you do it through the Tools palette.  This lets you choose between 3D Tools (simple primitives such as spheres, cylinders, and so on) and 2D Tools consisting of a wide, versatile set of brushes.

If you have any experience working with Amorphium, the 3D modeling functions of ZBrush will be very familiar to you.  The artist can generate a 3D model from simple primitives which can be molded using WYSIWYG mesh moving/pulling techniques.  If anything, the ZBrush modeler is easier to use than Amorphium, with much smoother workflow once you have gotten used to the interface layout.  Areas can be selectively masked and their mesh density can be increased where extra detail is needed.  On the flip side, the Optimize decimation function can be applied to areas where the mesh density is unnecessarily high to keep the facet count down.  Other useful modeling tools include the inflate, squeeze, spherize, and bend functions.  You also have full control over your model's color and material.  You can import 2D images to be used as texture maps or use the texture maps supplied with the program.

Models created in other 3D applications can also be imported into ZBrush as OBJ or DXF files.  Once in ZBrush, these models can be modified using all the same editing utilities.  When you're satisfied with the model, you can save it as a "tool" for future use in ZBrush.  You can also export the model as OBJ or DXF files for use in other 3D applications.  If you build a model in sections, you can export them as separate meshes, then re-import them additively so they combine into a single mesh.  You can also use Zbrush to create morph targets for Poser models.

A note of caution to new users of ZBrush - if you are modeling a 3D object and you change tools, ZBrush assumes you are finished with the modeling of that object and will convert it to pixols for painting and editing with the 2D brushes.  Your object is still in the image, but it can no longer be edited with the 3D tools.  The solution is simple - save your work.  When you save a 3D object as a tool, you can regenerate it anytime for further editing.

The Tools Palette and Its Brushes

When you're working in ZBrush, you choose between the different 2D and 3D tools in the Tools palette (see below left).  The 3D tools consist of the simple primitives mentioned earlier.  The 2D tools are brushes that manipulate the depth, color, and position of the pixols.  Two of the more interesting brushes are the Fiber Brush and the Snake Hook Brush.  The Fiber Brush makes realistic hair with controls for color, grooming, waviness, and how much its affected by gravity.  The Snake Hook Brush adds horns, tentacles, and other protrusions to objects. This gets really interesting when you use the alpha channel to control the cross-sectional shape of the protrusions.  The image at below right (whatever it is) was produced by generating a 3D sphere, then applying 11 strokes with the Snake Hook Brush using 4 different alpha channel settings.

Some Other Useful Palettes

The brush's shape can be adjusted in the Alpha palette (see below left).  The user can select from a variety of different shapes supplied with the program or import their own as a BMP or PSD file.  The image used for the alpha channel can also be applied as a texture or a stencil.

The color laid down by the brush can be picked in the Color palette  (see below 2nd from left) or it can be part of the texture selected or imported in the Texture palette (see below 2nd from right).

Naturally enough, the material selection is done in the Material palette (see below right).  About a year ago, I read a review of ZBrush in a print publication where the reviewer's chief complaint was that everything in ZBrush was "too shiny" and there was no way to adjust it.  This implied that the specularity was turned all the way up with no way to turn it down or off.  Just for the record, there it is, under modifiers.  

Lights and Rendering

Lights can be controlled using the Light Palette. You can select between options like glow, point, sun, and spot lights. Projection maps can be applied to the light sources and the color can be adjusted. Rendering options are controlled using the Render Palette. This palette gives you control over parameters like Fog and Depth-Cue rendering. The fog can be uniform in density to give a haze effect, or it can be controlled by a texture to produce a very realistic wispy fog effect. Theres a beautiful example of this in one of the ZScript tutorials included with the program.

Documentation

The documentation for Zbrush can be split into two categories: the ZScripts and ZMovies, and the traditional manual. The ZScripts and ZMovies are very informative for the novice user and can quickly give you an idea of how to get around in ZBrush. The manual contains a great deal of information, but most of it doesnt really sink in until youve gotten a top-level view from watching the ZScripts. The manual is downloadable as a PDF file.

Suggestions for Future Versions

It would be nice to have separate menus for the 2D tools and 3D Tools to emphasize the distinction to new users.

It would help to include a more traditional interface and let the user select between that and the "Classic" interface currently used by ZBrush.  This approach is already used by some mapping programs.  It would allow the new users to ease into ZBrush with the traditional, Windows style interface.  Seasoned users would most likely opt to stick with the original Classic interface.

It would be nice to allow the user to determine when a 3D object is converted to pixols rather than doing it automatically when another tool is chosen.  Hopefully, this would give the user the ability to freely select different objects for editing and allow the user to return to an object after editing another object.

It would help to include options for different types of mapping (spherical, cylindrical, etc) when applying an image as a texture to 3D object.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

Exceptional free-form modeler.

Works well as standalone or in conjunction with other apps.

ZMovies and ZScripts help learning curve.

ZScripts are powerful automation tool.

Great support from Pixologic and the forum at ZBrush Central.

Cons:

Non-traditional interface steepens the learning curve.

Needs more texture mapping options.

Need ability to switch between tools without converting the current 3D object to pixols.

Wrapping Up

When all of the pros and cons are added up, ZBrush looks like a great addition to anyone's graphics arsenal.  I personally feel the program is worth the investment for the modeling capabilities alone.  The learning curve is due to the fact that ZBrush is so different from other apps out there.  If you take the time to master it, you'll have a cool new tool and a wonderful source of inspiration.  I can't wait to see what Pixologic does next.

Oh yeah.  In case you were wondering, there really is a Big Bug Creek.  It's in Arizona, along State Route 69 where it passes through the town of Mayer, about 15 miles north of Bumblebee and Horse Thief Basin.

Further information

www.pixologic.com/

www.zbrushcentral.com 

www.cyber-webs.com/zbrush/

Feature Summary

Painting Application with 3D Rendering Engine

Sculpt and Paint 3D Geometry in Real-time

Sculpt and Paint 2.5D Canvas in Real-time

Depth-enabled Brushes

2D/3D Export/Import

3D Masking

Customizable Lights & Material Properties

Interactive Z Graph technology

Multiple Layers

3D Texture Grab

3D Picker

3D Deformations

Customizable Interface

Image Adjustment

3D Markers

Integrated ZMovie Panel

 ZScriptT

4000 x 4000 pixels canvas size

Creates Morph Targets for use in Poser

Pricing and Availability

ZBrush is available for purchase as a download from the Pixologic website at http://pixologic.com/.

Manuals, tutorials, and the demo version of ZBrush may be downloaded for free from the Pixologic website.

Current introductory price is $292.50 US.  Following the introductory offer, ZBrush will sell for $585.00 US.

System Requirements