ZBrush: Simple Dragon, Part 2 – Sculpt

ZBrush: Foundations


This introductory class to ZBrush is the second in a three-part series for Maya users. Designed so you can get started quickly and experience a variety of tools this easy to follow tutorial will have you creating a simple Dragon bust while learning the core of ZBrush’s many features.

In this class, you’ll finish the Simple Dragon Concept Sculpt by using ZBrush’s primary sculpting brushes. Once completed, you’ll see how to send him to Maya ready for rendering without textures. Texturing is covered in the following class.

We recommended that you have a working knowledge of Maya, Andrew will relate the tools back to Maya terminology. ZBrush shares the same 3d software principles as other packages; however, ZBrush uses non-standard naming conventions. And its UI can be unwieldy. With the translations here you’ll be able to learn the program quickly using your existing knowledge of Maya.

 

What Is Sculpting?

Sculpting in 3d is when you use brushes to control vast numbers of polygons. In this class, you’ll see the core of the ZBrush brushes used repetitively. With just a few sculpting brushes, it’s possible for you to create professional sculpts.

 

ZBrush Brushes

The core sculpting brushes you’ll be using here are…

Move – Similar to Maya’s Grab brush
Clay Buildup – Builds up surfaces like clay similar to Maya’s Wax
HPolish – One of ZBrush’s Flatten Brushes
Dam Standard – ZBrush’s primary Knife tool for cutting clean lines
Smooth – Smooths the mesh

ZBrush has the best sculpting brushes in the industry. You’ll see how with these simple brushes you can control and create great complexity.

 

Advanced Masking

You’ll discover how to mask in more creative ways; masking is similar to Maya’s Freeze. Here you’ll see how to further your masking knowledge.

Masking is a powerful way of working and this character has simple shapes, so masks can be used to protect and help sculpt new forms without destroying its basic forms.

 

Sculpt Base Mesh

This page will also show you how to use a workflow that produces a very practical Sculpt Base-Mesh.

A Sculpt Base-Mesh isn’t to be confused with an Animation Base-Mesh, although technically you could animate a mesh like the one you’ll be creating here it’s usually not good enough for rigging.

Even so, creating a solid Sculpt Base-Mesh can be easy, and it’s a wonderful way to build up great looking concept sculpts fast without encountering technical issues when it comes to adding the details.

 

C3dC Hotkeys And UI Config

To make ZBrush easier, we’ll give you our Customized UI and Hotkeys. ZBrush has many confusing buttons, and the C3dC menus will help you to filter out the unnecessary noise.

Each video shows the hotkeys for both the default and C3dC versions of the program in the video notes.

Download The C3dC ZBrush UI And Hotkeys.

Important Note

Important Installation Note

The config and hotkeys work well with ZBrush 2018 which is the upgrade from version 4r8.

If you are using version 4r8, please make sure you have ZBrush 4r8 installed with the Patch 2 upgrade . The Patch 2 update fixes many bugs. Previous to Patch 2 our UI may crash due to backward compatibility issues.

1. Page Overview (3:18 mins)

This video shows a time-lapsed overview of the tutorials on this page.

1. Rough Sculpt
2. Mouth Mask
3. Sculpt Details
4. Send To Maya

VIDEO 1.1 : PAGE OVERVIEW (3:18 mins)

No. Video Points
1. Rough Sculpt (0:00
2. Mouth Mask (1:13)
3. Sculpt Details (1:46)
4. Send To Maya (2:50)
Information
This video shows a time-lapsed overview of the tutorials on this page.

1. Rough Sculpt
2. Mouth Mask
3. Sculpt Details
4. Send To Maya

2. Block Sculpting (21 mins)

Now that we’ve finished the block it’s time to start the bulk of the sculpting steps.

The creation of this final sculpting mesh is the aim of this section; you’ll see how to add the details in preparation for this mesh.

The Sculpt Base-Mesh is a mesh that you can commit to for the remainder of the sculpt. It’s not an animation base mesh, but it has all the topology necessary to complete the final sculpt on this page.

Before you create this mesh it’s important to have all the forms in place; this section will show you what’s needed to before you create the final ZRemesher mesh.

VIDEO 2.1 : ZREMESHER, DIVIDE AND MOVE BRUSH (3:13 mins)

No. Video Points
1. Rough Block Start (0:00)
2. ZRemesher (0:50)
3. Add Divisions (1:20)
4. Navigating Divisions (1:30)
5. Move Brush (2:10)
6. Eyes (2:20)
7. Neck (2:40)
8. Head Front (2:50)
Information
This video picks up from the primitive-block version from the last class. The model has been dynameshed and you’ll ZRemesh it here to make sculpting a little easier.

ZRemesher (alt ctrl shift z)

This model isn’t the final sculpt base mesh; we’ll need to add the teeth, even so, it’s worth using a ZRemeshed mesh here as we’ll be able to use levels in our sculpting for this section of the class.

Remember the hotkeys to add and navigate the division levels are…

Divide Mesh (ctrl d)
Higher Res Division (shift d)
Lower Res Division (shift d)

Command Menu/Description Hotkey
Floor Grid Toggles the floor grid on and off
Draw > Floor
alt g (C3dC)
shift p (default)
Draw Polyframe Toggles Polyframes on and off to show wires and Polygroups
Transform > Draw Pointer
shift f (C3dC)
shift f (default)
ZRemesher ZBrushes auto-retopology tool, will automatically retopologise the quads as per the density settings
C3dC Mesh > DynaMesh – ZRemesher > ZRemesher
or
Tool > Geometry > ZRemesher (default)
alt ctrl shift z (C3dC)
None (default)
Divide Mesh Adds a division into the mesh, similar to polysmooth, Mesh will have 4 times as many polys with each division.
C3dC Mesh > SubD – Division > Divide
or
Tool > Geometry > Divide (default)
ctrl d (C3dC)
ctrl d (default)
Higher Res Division Step up a division level for the current subtool if one exists
C3dC Mesh > SubD – Divisions > Higher Res
or
Tool > Geometry > Higher Res (default)
shift d (C3dC)
shift d (default)
Lower Res Division Step down a division level for the current subtool if one exists
C3dC Mesh > SubD – Divisions > Lower Res
or
Tool > Geometry > Lower Res (default)
shift d (C3dC)
shift d (default)
Move Brush The Move Brush can move the mesh around like Maya’s Grab brush, hold alt to pull or push in the normal direction of the selection. Hold `alt` to move in the direction of the normals.
C3dC Mesh > Brushes – Sculpt – Geo > Move
2 (C3dC)
None (default)
Navigation Constrain 90 Degrees Snaps the navigation camera to the front top side views etc
Alt Click+drag, press Shift (C3dC)
Click+drag, press Shift (default)
VIDEO 2.2 : SCULPT BRUSHES: CLAY, HPOLISH, MOVE (3:46 mins)

No. Video Points
1. Raise Level (0:00)
2. HPolish (0:10)
3. Clay Buildup (0:13)
4. Eyes (0:45)
5. Move Brush (1:00)
6. Horns (1:08)
7. Jaw (1:30)
8. Breast (1:55)
9. Advanced Note (2:40)
Information
Start sculpting the rough shapes here, and match the ref with HPolish, Move, Smooth, and HPolish. These four brushes are the core sculpting brushes in ZBrush.

Clay Buildup Brush (4)
Move Brush (2)
Smooth Brush (hold shift (any brush))
H Polish Brush (5)

Also, remember the floor-grid vis is how we can show and hide the image planes.

Floor Grid (alt g)

Command Menu/Description Hotkey
Higher Res Division Step up a division level for the current subtool if one exists
C3dC Mesh > SubD – Divisions > Higher Res
or
Tool > Geometry > Higher Res (default)
shift d (C3dC)
shift d (default)
H Polish Brush The HPolish brush is similar to a flatten brush, it can also be used to polish bumps on a dense model. Similar to Trim Dynamic with a slightly different algorithm for corners
C3dC Mesh > Brushes – Sculpt – Geo > H Polish
5 (C3dC)
None (default)
Clay Buildup Brush Clay Buildup brush is one of the most popular brushes, it builds geometry from the lowest cavities making it ideal for layering geometry.
C3dC Mesh > Brushes – Sculpt – Geo > Clay Buildup
4 (C3dC)
None (default)
Move Brush The Move Brush can move the mesh around like Maya’s Grab brush, hold alt to pull or push in the normal direction of the selection. Hold `alt` to move in the direction of the normals.
C3dC Mesh > Brushes – Sculpt – Geo > Move
2 (C3dC)
None (default)
Smooth Brush Smooths the mesh, release shift for relax mode, hold alt for roughen
hold shift (any brush) (C3dC)
hold shift (any brush) (default)
Floor Grid Toggles the floor grid on and off
Draw > Floor
alt g (C3dC)
shift p (default)
VIDEO 2.3 : REFINING THE SHAPE (2:14 mins)

No. Video Points
1. Mouth Area (0:00)
2. Mask Horn (0:20)
3. Shape Nose (1:20)
4. Top View (2:00)
Information
More tweaking and matching the reference in this video. Use the mask to protect areas of the sculpt.

Mask Pen (hold ctrl (alt 1))

Command Menu/Description Hotkey
Mask Pen Enters the mask mode, click on the mesh to paint the mask, click and drag on the background to draw a rectangle mask.
C3dC Mesh > Masking > Mask Pen
hold ctrl (alt 1) (C3dC)
hold ctrl (alt 1) (default)
H Polish Brush The HPolish brush is similar to a flatten brush, it can also be used to polish bumps on a dense model. Similar to Trim Dynamic with a slightly different algorithm for corners
C3dC Mesh > Brushes – Sculpt – Geo > H Polish
5 (C3dC)
None (default)
Clay Buildup Brush Clay Buildup brush is one of the most popular brushes, it builds geometry from the lowest cavities making it ideal for layering geometry.
C3dC Mesh > Brushes – Sculpt – Geo > Clay Buildup
4 (C3dC)
None (default)
Move Brush The Move Brush can move the mesh around like Maya’s Grab brush, hold alt to pull or push in the normal direction of the selection. Hold `alt` to move in the direction of the normals.
C3dC Mesh > Brushes – Sculpt – Geo > Move
2 (C3dC)
None (default)
Smooth Brush Smooths the mesh, release shift for relax mode, hold alt for roughen
hold shift (any brush) (C3dC)
hold shift (any brush) (default)
Floor Grid Toggles the floor grid on and off
Draw > Floor
alt g (C3dC)
shift p (default)
VIDEO 2.4 : EYE PREPARATION (1:18 mins)

No. Video Points
1. Add Divisions (0:00)
2. Clay Polish Eye (0:15)
3. Dam Standard (0:40)
4. Eye (0:50)
Information
This video shows some more detailed eye preparation using the regular brushes. See how Dam Standard can be used to cut lines into the mesh, or if it’s inverted it can pull lines out too.

Dam Standard Brush (3)

Command Menu/Description Hotkey
Higher Res Division Step up a division level for the current subtool if one exists
C3dC Mesh > SubD – Divisions > Higher Res
or
Tool > Geometry > Higher Res (default)
shift d (C3dC)
shift d (default)
Divide Mesh Adds a division into the mesh, similar to polysmooth, Mesh will have 4 times as many polys with each division.
C3dC Mesh > SubD – Division > Divide
or
Tool > Geometry > Divide (default)
ctrl d (C3dC)
ctrl d (default)
Clay Buildup Brush Clay Buildup brush is one of the most popular brushes, it builds geometry from the lowest cavities making it ideal for layering geometry.
C3dC Mesh > Brushes – Sculpt – Geo > Clay Buildup
4 (C3dC)
None (default)
Dam Standard Brush Cutting Brush, similar to knife, use alt to invert
C3dC Mesh > Brushes – Sculpt – Geo > Dam Standard
3 (C3dC)
None (default)
Smooth Brush Smooths the mesh, release shift for relax mode, hold alt for roughen
hold shift (any brush) (C3dC)
hold shift (any brush) (default)
VIDEO 2.5 : CREATE EYE BALLS (3:21 mins)

No. Video Points
1. IMM Brush (0:00)
2. Still Issues (0:30)
3. Duplicate Subtool (0:40)
4. Delete Higher (0:50)
5. Use IMM Brush (1:00)
6. Split To Parts (1:15)
7. Test Current Divisions (1:35)
8. Delete Subtool (1:40)
9. Merge Down (2:00)
10. Display Modes (2:10)
Information
In this video the IMM Primitive Brush is used to add the eye sphere shapes.

IMM Primitive Brush (shift 1)

To add the eye balls is a little complex in this case since the IMM Primitive Brush only works on the meshes without division levels.

To get around this issue, you can…

1. Duplicate Subtool (ctrl shift d) the current subtool
2. Delete the Delete Higher Division (ctrl alt shift (up arrow)).
3. Create the Sphere with IMM Primitive Brush (shift 1)
4. Split Unmasked Points (alt ctrl shift e)
5. Select the duplicated subtool
6. Delete Subtool (alt ctrl shift d)

Command Menu/Description Hotkey
IMM Primitive Brush Enter the IMM Primitive Brush
C3dC Mesh > Brushes – Sculpt – Geo > IMM Primitive
shift 1 (C3dC)
None (default)
Lower Res Division Step down a division level for the current subtool if one exists
C3dC Mesh > SubD – Divisions > Lower Res
or
Tool > Geometry > Lower Res (default)
shift d (C3dC)
shift d (default)
Duplicate Subtool Duplicates the current subtool
C3dC Mesh > Sub Tool > Duplicate
or
Tool > Subtool > Duplicate (default)
ctrl shift d (C3dC)
None (default)
Delete Higher Division Delete all higher division levels if they exist
C3dC Mesh > SubD – Divisions > Del Higher
or
Tool > Geometry > Del Higher (default)
ctrl alt shift (up arrow) (C3dC)
None (default)
Split To Parts Splits the mesh shells into new subtools
C3dC Mesh > Sub Tool > Split To Parts
or
Tool > Subtool > Split > Split To Parts
alt e (C3dC)
None (default)
Split Unmasked Points Splits the Unmasked area into a new subtool
C3dC Mesh > Sub Tool > Split Unmasked Points
or
Tool > Subtool > Split > Split Unmasked Points
alt ctrl shift e (C3dC)
None (default)
Delete Subtool Deletes the current subtool
C3dC Mesh > Sub Tool > Delete
or
Tool > Subtool > Delete (default)
alt ctrl shift d (C3dC)
None (default)
Higher Res Division Step up a division level for the current subtool if one exists
C3dC Mesh > SubD – Divisions > Higher Res
or
Tool > Geometry > Higher Res (default)
shift d (C3dC)
shift d (default)
Merge Down Merges the current subtool with the one below in the list. Like combine.
C3dC Mesh > Sub Tool > Merge Down
or
Tool > Subtool > Merge > Merge Down (default)
alt d (C3dC)
None (default)
Gizmo Can be entered through any of the transform tools, the ZBrush manipulator and various deformers and options
Transform > Gizmo 3d
w (C3dC)
w (default)
Ghost Transparency Ghost Type of display transparency. Opacity (Transparency) must be activated
Transform > Ghost Transparency
None (C3dC)
None (default)
Solo Mode Hides other subtools, like isolate select
Transform > Solo
alt s (C3dC)
None (default)
Activate Edit Transparency Makes other subtools transparent (opacity)
Transform > Transp
alt x (C3dC)
None (default)
XPose Mode Moves Subtools so they are seperated in the view. Toggle
Transform > XPose
shift x (C3dC)
None (default)
VIDEO 2.6 : REFINE EYE (2:28 mins)

No. Video Points
1. Exit Gizmo Floor (0:00)
2. Change Subtool (0:10)
3. Work Eye (0:20)
4. Solo (0:30)
5. Clay Buildup (1:15)
6. Quick Save (1:40)
7. Dynamic SubD Eye (2:00)
Information
Refine the eye further now that the eye ball is in place.

We can also smooth the eye ball using Dynamic SubDs (ctrl alt 3) which is similar to Maya’s “3” key SubD smooth where we are displaying but not adding further divisions.

Command Menu/Description Hotkey
Draw Pointer Enters draw mode, deselects Gizmo modes
Transform > Draw Pointer
q (C3dC)
q (default)
Floor Grid Toggles the floor grid on and off
Draw > Floor
alt g (C3dC)
shift p (default)
Change Subtool Switchs to a new subtool by alt clicking on a mesh
Tool > Subtool
alt click mesh (C3dC)
alt click mesh (default)
Move Brush The Move Brush can move the mesh around like Maya’s Grab brush, hold alt to pull or push in the normal direction of the selection. Hold `alt` to move in the direction of the normals.
C3dC Mesh > Brushes – Sculpt – Geo > Move
2 (C3dC)
None (default)
Smooth Brush Smooths the mesh, release shift for relax mode, hold alt for roughen
hold shift (any brush) (C3dC)
hold shift (any brush) (default)
Solo Mode Hides other subtools, like isolate select
Transform > Solo
alt s (C3dC)
None (default)
Clay Buildup Brush Clay Buildup brush is one of the most popular brushes, it builds geometry from the lowest cavities making it ideal for layering geometry.
C3dC Mesh > Brushes – Sculpt – Geo > Clay Buildup
4 (C3dC)
None (default)
Higher Res Division Step up a division level for the current subtool if one exists
C3dC Mesh > SubD – Divisions > Higher Res
or
Tool > Geometry > Higher Res (default)
shift d (C3dC)
shift d (default)
Quick Save Quick Saves file into a default location of ten files. Find files inside Lightbox. Automatically saves every 20 mins.
QuickSave (main UI Top)
None (C3dC)
9 (default)
Dynamic SubDs Temporary SubD mode, won’t add divisions, just a display mode. Similar to the 3 key (ctrl alt 3 ) key in Maya.
C3dC Mesh > SubD – Divisions > Dynamic
or
Tool > Geometry > Dynamic SubDiv > Dynamic (default)
ctrl alt 3 (C3dC)
None (default)
VIDEO 2.7 : MASKING THE MOUTH (3:25 mins)

No. Video Points
1. Lower Divisions (0:00)
2. Match To Ref (0:10)
3. Mask Mouth (0:30)
4. Focal Shift (0:40)
5. Mask Focal Shift (0:57)
6. Mask Mouth (1:05)
7. Invert Mask Paint (1:45)
8. Lazy Mouse Mask (1:55)
9. Front Mouth Mask (2:40)
Information
In the following videos, you’ll see how to sculpt the mouth using a mask.

Here you’ll discover how to make the mouth mask with the Mask Pen (hold ctrl (alt 1)). The Mask Pen is the most common masking brush, and when you use it with invert, it’s possible to create lovely shapes.

Also use Focal Shift (alt f) to adjust the brush falloff. In the case of the Mask Pen you’ll need to hold ctrl while adjusting the focal shift.

In a later video, you’ll also see how to use the Mask Lasso (alt 2 (then ctrl)) to mask with a lasso tool.

Command Menu/Description Hotkey
Lower Res Division Step down a division level for the current subtool if one exists
C3dC Mesh > SubD – Divisions > Lower Res
or
Tool > Geometry > Lower Res (default)
shift d (C3dC)
shift d (default)
Higher Res Division Step up a division level for the current subtool if one exists
C3dC Mesh > SubD – Divisions > Higher Res
or
Tool > Geometry > Higher Res (default)
shift d (C3dC)
shift d (default)
Mask Pen Enters the mask mode, click on the mesh to paint the mask, click and drag on the background to draw a rectangle mask.
C3dC Mesh > Masking > Mask Pen
hold ctrl (alt 1) (C3dC)
hold ctrl (alt 1) (default)
Focal Shift Affects the strngth of falloff for the current brush
Draw > Focal Shift
alt f (C3dC)
None (default)
Floor Grid Toggles the floor grid on and off
Draw > Floor
alt g (C3dC)
shift p (default)
Lazy Mouse Delays the draw giving a smoother line for any brush
C3dC Mesh > Lazy Mouse > Lazy Mouse
or
Stroke > LazyMouse (default)
L (C3dC)
L (default)
Perspective Orthographic Toggle Toggles between orthographic and the perspective camera
Draw > Perspective
p (C3dC)
p (default)
Navigation Constrain 90 Degrees Snaps the navigation camera to the front top side views etc
Alt Click+drag, press Shift (C3dC)
Click+drag, press Shift (default)
VIDEO 2.8 : BLOCKING OUT THE MOUTH (2:14 mins)

No. Video Points
1. Tweak Mask (0:00)
2. Overbite Note (0:20)
3. Sculpt Mouth (0:50)
4. Invert Mask (1:25)
5. Front Overbite (1:30)
Information
Now that the mask is in place it’s easy to pull our the overbite and underbite. Just use Move Brush (2) with the alt key held down. Holding the alt key with the Move Brush moves the mesh in the direction of the normal of the mesh and not planar to the camera.

At this stage, the mesh is almost ready for creating the base-sculpt mesh with ZRemesher (alt ctrl shift z) which will help reduce the jaggy polygons seen here.

Command Menu/Description Hotkey
Mask Pen Enters the mask mode, click on the mesh to paint the mask, click and drag on the background to draw a rectangle mask.
C3dC Mesh > Masking > Mask Pen
hold ctrl (alt 1) (C3dC)
hold ctrl (alt 1) (default)
Mask Inverse Inverts the current mask
C3dC Mesh > Masking > Inverse
or
Tool > Masking > Inverse (default)
ctrl click background (C3dC)
ctrl click background (default)
Move Brush The Move Brush can move the mesh around like Maya’s Grab brush, hold alt to pull or push in the normal direction of the selection. Hold `alt` to move in the direction of the normals.
C3dC Mesh > Brushes – Sculpt – Geo > Move
2 (C3dC)
None (default)
Deselect Mask Deselects the mask if a mask exists on the current subtool
ctrl drag background (C3dC)
ctrl drag background (default)
Smooth Brush Smooths the mesh, release shift for relax mode, hold alt for roughen
hold shift (any brush) (C3dC)
hold shift (any brush) (default)

3. Sculpt-Base-Mesh, Sculpting (27 mins)

It’s time to create the final Sculpt Base-Mesh and finish the sculpt.

The Sculpt Base-Mesh is generated here with ZRemesher, and it forms the foundation for the final details. You may be surprised to see how quickly you can finish the sculpt from here.

This section covers how to use the sculpt tools to polish the model up for presentation using various workflows ready for sending it back to Maya.

You’ll see all the familiar brushes and masking techniques repeated here in the final stages of this sculpt.

VIDEO 3.1 : PREPARE FOR ZREMESHER (2:43 mins)

No. Video Points
1. Cut ZRemesh Lines (0:00)
2. Adjust Image Planes (1:15)
3. Block Nostrils (1:30)
4. Clip Curve Bust (2:10)
Information
The mesh is almost ready to be converted to the Sculpt-Base Mesh. Just a couple of extra tweaks.

It’s a good idea to sharpen lines in the model before using ZRemesher ; this will help out the retopology algorithm making it smarter.

We want to lock down the sculpt-base mesh now. So you should add features such as the nostrils before the re-mesh.

Command Menu/Description Hotkey
Dam Standard Brush Cutting Brush, similar to knife, use alt to invert
C3dC Mesh > Brushes – Sculpt – Geo > Dam Standard
3 (C3dC)
None (default)
Enhance Opacity Image Plane Slider for setting the transparency of the grid image plane
C3dC Mesh > Image Planes > Enhance Opacity
or
Draw > Enhance Opacity
alt n (C3dC)
None (default)
Enhance Factor Image Plane Slide for the XRay Transparency of the object while over an image plane
C3dC Mesh > Image Planes > Enhance Factor
or
Draw > Enhance Factor (default)
shift n (C3dC)
None (default)
Mask Pen Enters the mask mode, click on the mesh to paint the mask, click and drag on the background to draw a rectangle mask.
C3dC Mesh > Masking > Mask Pen
hold ctrl (alt 1) (C3dC)
hold ctrl (alt 1) (default)
Mask Inverse Inverts the current mask
C3dC Mesh > Masking > Inverse
or
Tool > Masking > Inverse (default)
ctrl click background (C3dC)
ctrl click background (default)
Clip Curve Brush Cuts the mesh, can turn corners, tap alt for rounded corner or double tap alt for corners. Hold ctrl shift to use.
>C3dC Mesh > Brushes – Active Select – Clip > Clip Curve
9 (C3dC)
None (default)
VIDEO 3.2 : BASE SCULPT MESH - ZREMESHER (3:09 mins)

No. Video Points
1. Save (0:00)
2. ZRemesher (0:00)
3. Sculpt Base Mesh (0:40)
4. Smooth Note (1:05)
5. Base Mesh Aim Note (1:50)
6. Detail Note (2:00)
7. Check Base (2:35)
Information
Creating the Sculpt-Base Mesh is easy now that all the major forms are in place. Just use ZRemesher

ZRemesher (alt ctrl shift z)

The overall goal is to get to a good Sculpt Base Mesh as quickly as possible. This mesh isn’t the animation base mesh, although technically you could animate it. It’ll be the unchanging base mesh you’ll use until you finish the concept.

To build a clean animation base mesh, it’s still preferable to manually create it, using tools like Maya’s Quad Draw. But in some cases, it’s possible to use hacky workflows to get ZRemeshed topology animated. ZRemesher can also be useful for props, trees, and background objects. There are also cases when you can use a reduced poly object with Decimation Master, unwrap the triangulated mesh and just use that in your final renders. It depends on the project’s quality requirements and if the mesh needs to deform.

Command Menu/Description Hotkey
Save Project .zpr Saves the ZBrush Project File
File > Save As
ctrl s (C3dC)
ctrl s (default)
ZRemesher ZBrushes auto-retopology tool, will automatically retopologise the quads as per the density settings
C3dC Mesh > DynaMesh – ZRemesher > ZRemesher
or
Tool > Geometry > ZRemesher (default)
alt ctrl shift z (C3dC)
None (default)
Smooth Brush Smooths the mesh, release shift for relax mode, hold alt for roughen
hold shift (any brush) (C3dC)
hold shift (any brush) (default)
VIDEO 3.3 : TWEAKING THE SCULPT BASE MESH (4:45 mins)

No. Video Points
1. Save Scene (0:00)
2. Move Mesh (0:15)
3. Tweak Image Planes (0:40)
4. Move Tweak Head (0:50)
5. HPolish (3:29)
Information
Now that we’ve completed the Sculpt Base Mesh it’s time to check the reference and sculpt it back into shape.

You’ll use all the regular sculpting tools from here to tighten and polish up the object to finish the final concept sculpt.

This video shows hwo to use the move brush at a low division level to push the model back into shape.

Command Menu/Description Hotkey
Save Project .zpr Saves the ZBrush Project File
File > Save As
ctrl s (C3dC)
ctrl s (default)
Floor Grid Toggles the floor grid on and off
Draw > Floor
alt g (C3dC)
shift p (default)
Move Brush The Move Brush can move the mesh around like Maya’s Grab brush, hold alt to pull or push in the normal direction of the selection. Hold `alt` to move in the direction of the normals.
C3dC Mesh > Brushes – Sculpt – Geo > Move
2 (C3dC)
None (default)
Enhance Opacity Image Plane Slider for setting the transparency of the grid image plane
C3dC Mesh > Image Planes > Enhance Opacity
or
Draw > Enhance Opacity
alt n (C3dC)
None (default)
Enhance Factor Image Plane Slide for the XRay Transparency of the object while over an image plane
C3dC Mesh > Image Planes > Enhance Factor
or
Draw > Enhance Factor (default)
shift n (C3dC)
None (default)
Mask Pen Enters the mask mode, click on the mesh to paint the mask, click and drag on the background to draw a rectangle mask.
C3dC Mesh > Masking > Mask Pen
hold ctrl (alt 1) (C3dC)
hold ctrl (alt 1) (default)
Navigation Constrain 90 Degrees Snaps the navigation camera to the front top side views etc
Alt Click+drag, press Shift (C3dC)
Click+drag, press Shift (default)
H Polish Brush The HPolish brush is similar to a flatten brush, it can also be used to polish bumps on a dense model. Similar to Trim Dynamic with a slightly different algorithm for corners
C3dC Mesh > Brushes – Sculpt – Geo > H Polish
5 (C3dC)
None (default)
Smooth Brush Smooths the mesh, release shift for relax mode, hold alt for roughen
hold shift (any brush) (C3dC)
hold shift (any brush) (default)
VIDEO 3.4 : BASE MESH - REFINING THE EYE/MOUTH (4:15 mins)

No. Video Points
1. Divide Mesh (0:00)
2. Remove Bumps (0:28)
3. Using Pinch (1:05)
4. Tweak Eye (1:40)
5. Smooth Jaw (3:20)
6. Mouth Tweak (3:45)
Information
It’s time to add more division levels and start sculpting the final details.

Remember the division hotkeys…

Divide Mesh (ctrl d)
Higher Res Division (shift d)
Lower Res Division (shift d)

You’ll also see how the Pinch Brush (6) can help tighten the mouth forms.

Command Menu/Description Hotkey
Divide Mesh Adds a division into the mesh, similar to polysmooth, Mesh will have 4 times as many polys with each division.
C3dC Mesh > SubD – Division > Divide
or
Tool > Geometry > Divide (default)
ctrl d (C3dC)
ctrl d (default)
H Polish Brush The HPolish brush is similar to a flatten brush, it can also be used to polish bumps on a dense model. Similar to Trim Dynamic with a slightly different algorithm for corners
C3dC Mesh > Brushes – Sculpt – Geo > H Polish
5 (C3dC)
None (default)
Pinch Brush Brush that pinches the mesh together
C3dC Mesh > Brushes – Sculpt – Geo > Pinch
6 (C3dC)
None (default)
Dam Standard Brush Cutting Brush, similar to knife, use alt to invert
C3dC Mesh > Brushes – Sculpt – Geo > Dam Standard
3 (C3dC)
None (default)
Smooth Brush Smooths the mesh, release shift for relax mode, hold alt for roughen
hold shift (any brush) (C3dC)
hold shift (any brush) (default)
VIDEO 3.5 : MOUTH: USING LASSO MASK (1:52 mins)

No. Video Points
1. Tweak Mouth (0:00)
2. Default Mask (0:35)
3. Mask Lasso (0:40)
Information
To sculpt clarity into the mouth, it’ll be worth masking it again.

This time you can see how the Lasso Mask works. Once you switch to the Lasso Mask it’s used on the ctrl key.

Mask Lasso (alt 2 (then ctrl))

Remember to switch back to the Pen Mask. You can use the hotkey…

Mask Pen (hold ctrl (alt 1))

Command Menu/Description Hotkey
Pinch Brush Brush that pinches the mesh together
C3dC Mesh > Brushes – Sculpt – Geo > Pinch
6 (C3dC)
None (default)
Mask Lasso A variation of the standard mask (holding ctrl) this uses a lasso instead of a pen tool for masking.
C3dC Mesh > Masking > Mask Lasso
alt 2 (then ctrl) (C3dC)
None (default)
VIDEO 3.6 : OVERLAPPING THE BACK MOUTH (1:48 mins)

No. Video Points
1. Invert Mask (0:00)
2. Move To Overlap (0:20)
3. Remove Lump (1:00)
Information
Now it’s just a matter of using the Move Brush to push the forms above the mouth down creating a tighter overlap. After deselecting the mask use smooth to ease out the join.
Command Menu/Description Hotkey
Mask Inverse Inverts the current mask
C3dC Mesh > Masking > Inverse
or
Tool > Masking > Inverse (default)
ctrl click background (C3dC)
ctrl click background (default)
Lower Res Division Step down a division level for the current subtool if one exists
C3dC Mesh > SubD – Divisions > Lower Res
or
Tool > Geometry > Lower Res (default)
shift d (C3dC)
shift d (default)
Higher Res Division Step up a division level for the current subtool if one exists
C3dC Mesh > SubD – Divisions > Higher Res
or
Tool > Geometry > Higher Res (default)
shift d (C3dC)
shift d (default)
Move Brush The Move Brush can move the mesh around like Maya’s Grab brush, hold alt to pull or push in the normal direction of the selection. Hold `alt` to move in the direction of the normals.
C3dC Mesh > Brushes – Sculpt – Geo > Move
2 (C3dC)
None (default)
Smooth Brush Smooths the mesh, release shift for relax mode, hold alt for roughen
hold shift (any brush) (C3dC)
hold shift (any brush) (default)
Dam Standard Brush Cutting Brush, similar to knife, use alt to invert
C3dC Mesh > Brushes – Sculpt – Geo > Dam Standard
3 (C3dC)
None (default)
H Polish Brush The HPolish brush is similar to a flatten brush, it can also be used to polish bumps on a dense model. Similar to Trim Dynamic with a slightly different algorithm for corners
C3dC Mesh > Brushes – Sculpt – Geo > H Polish
5 (C3dC)
None (default)
Quick Save Quick Saves file into a default location of ten files. Find files inside Lightbox. Automatically saves every 20 mins.
QuickSave (main UI Top)
None (C3dC)
9 (default)
VIDEO 3.7 : OVERLAPPING THE FRONT MOUTH (2:29 mins)

No. Video Points
1. Add Smile Line (0:00)
2. Mask Front Mouth (0:45)
3. Move Overlap (1:30)
4. Remove Lump (2:05)
Information
This video shows the repeated lasso-mask workflow on the front of the mouth with the underbite.
Command Menu/Description Hotkey
Clay Buildup Brush Clay Buildup brush is one of the most popular brushes, it builds geometry from the lowest cavities making it ideal for layering geometry.
C3dC Mesh > Brushes – Sculpt – Geo > Clay Buildup
4 (C3dC)
None (default)
Smooth Brush Smooths the mesh, release shift for relax mode, hold alt for roughen
hold shift (any brush) (C3dC)
hold shift (any brush) (default)
Dam Standard Brush Cutting Brush, similar to knife, use alt to invert
C3dC Mesh > Brushes – Sculpt – Geo > Dam Standard
3 (C3dC)
None (default)
Lower Res Division Step down a division level for the current subtool if one exists
C3dC Mesh > SubD – Divisions > Lower Res
or
Tool > Geometry > Lower Res (default)
shift d (C3dC)
shift d (default)
Higher Res Division Step up a division level for the current subtool if one exists
C3dC Mesh > SubD – Divisions > Higher Res
or
Tool > Geometry > Higher Res (default)
shift d (C3dC)
shift d (default)
Mask Lasso A variation of the standard mask (holding ctrl) this uses a lasso instead of a pen tool for masking.
C3dC Mesh > Masking > Mask Lasso
alt 2 (then ctrl) (C3dC)
None (default)
Mask Pen Enters the mask mode, click on the mesh to paint the mask, click and drag on the background to draw a rectangle mask.
C3dC Mesh > Masking > Mask Pen
hold ctrl (alt 1) (C3dC)
hold ctrl (alt 1) (default)
Move Brush The Move Brush can move the mesh around like Maya’s Grab brush, hold alt to pull or push in the normal direction of the selection. Hold `alt` to move in the direction of the normals.
C3dC Mesh > Brushes – Sculpt – Geo > Move
2 (C3dC)
None (default)
H Polish Brush The HPolish brush is similar to a flatten brush, it can also be used to polish bumps on a dense model. Similar to Trim Dynamic with a slightly different algorithm for corners
C3dC Mesh > Brushes – Sculpt – Geo > H Polish
5 (C3dC)
None (default)
VIDEO 3.8 : REFINING THE HORNS AND NOSTRILS (2:49 mins)

No. Video Points
1. Horns Edging (0:00)
2. Sculpt Nostrils (1:10)
3. Back Jaw Tweak (2:10)
Information
The sculpt is almost finished. This video shows how to use the Standard Brush (1) along with Lazy Mouse (L) to create detail around the horn base.

Lazy Mouse (L)
Lazy Radius (alt L)

And you’ll see how to detail the nostrils too.

Command Menu/Description Hotkey
Dam Standard Brush Cutting Brush, similar to knife, use alt to invert
C3dC Mesh > Brushes – Sculpt – Geo > Dam Standard
3 (C3dC)
None (default)
Standard Brush The standard brush isn’t as popular a brush as it’s name, draws directly from the normals, a little similar to a weak inflate Brush. Can be handy in various scenarios
C3dC Mesh > Brushes – Sculpt – Geo > Standard
1 (C3dC)
None (default)
Lazy Mouse Delays the draw giving a smoother line for any brush
C3dC Mesh > Lazy Mouse > Lazy Mouse
or
Stroke > LazyMouse (default)
L (C3dC)
L (default)
Move Brush The Move Brush can move the mesh around like Maya’s Grab brush, hold alt to pull or push in the normal direction of the selection. Hold `alt` to move in the direction of the normals.
C3dC Mesh > Brushes – Sculpt – Geo > Move
2 (C3dC)
None (default)
Clay Buildup Brush Clay Buildup brush is one of the most popular brushes, it builds geometry from the lowest cavities making it ideal for layering geometry.
C3dC Mesh > Brushes – Sculpt – Geo > Clay Buildup
4 (C3dC)
None (default)
Divide Mesh Adds a division into the mesh, similar to polysmooth, Mesh will have 4 times as many polys with each division.
C3dC Mesh > SubD – Division > Divide
or
Tool > Geometry > Divide (default)
ctrl d (C3dC)
ctrl d (default)
Lower Res Division Step down a division level for the current subtool if one exists
C3dC Mesh > SubD – Divisions > Lower Res
or
Tool > Geometry > Lower Res (default)
shift d (C3dC)
shift d (default)
Higher Res Division Step up a division level for the current subtool if one exists
C3dC Mesh > SubD – Divisions > Higher Res
or
Tool > Geometry > Higher Res (default)
shift d (C3dC)
shift d (default)
VIDEO 3.9 : FILLING OUT THE JAW (3:21 mins)

No. Video Points
1. Spotlight Comparison (0:00)
2. Tweak Jaw (0:25)
3. Blur Mask (2:10)
4. Smooth Bumps (2:30)
5. Remove Bot Eyelid
Information
See the sculpt completed in this video. Using Turn On Spotlight (shift z) we can compare the object with the 3qtr reference.

Spotlight shows a clearer jaw in the original. So this video uses masking and clay build-up with smooth to build up the jaw area.

Now that we’ve finished, it’s time to render a turntable movie and send an optimized version back to Maya.

Command Menu/Description Hotkey
Floor Grid Toggles the floor grid on and off
Draw > Floor
alt g (C3dC)
shift p (default)
Turn On Spotlight Toggles Spotlight on and off
C3dC Mesh > Image Planes > Turn On Spotlight
or
Texture > Turn On Spotlight
shift z (C3dC)
shift z (default)
Clay Buildup Brush Clay Buildup brush is one of the most popular brushes, it builds geometry from the lowest cavities making it ideal for layering geometry.
C3dC Mesh > Brushes – Sculpt – Geo > Clay Buildup
4 (C3dC)
None (default)
Smooth Brush Smooths the mesh, release shift for relax mode, hold alt for roughen
hold shift (any brush) (C3dC)
hold shift (any brush) (default)
Lower Res Division Step down a division level for the current subtool if one exists
C3dC Mesh > SubD – Divisions > Lower Res
or
Tool > Geometry > Lower Res (default)
shift d (C3dC)
shift d (default)
Higher Res Division Step up a division level for the current subtool if one exists
C3dC Mesh > SubD – Divisions > Higher Res
or
Tool > Geometry > Higher Res (default)
shift d (C3dC)
shift d (default)
H Polish Brush The HPolish brush is similar to a flatten brush, it can also be used to polish bumps on a dense model. Similar to Trim Dynamic with a slightly different algorithm for corners
C3dC Mesh > Brushes – Sculpt – Geo > H Polish
5 (C3dC)
None (default)
Blur Mask Blurs the masked area
C3dC Mesh > Masking > BlurMask
or
Tool > Masking > BlurMask (default)
ctrl (click on mesh) (C3dC)
ctrl (click on mesh) (default)

4. Model Turntable Movie Export (2:09 mins)

This short section shows how to create a simple turntable movie from the final sculpt.

ZBrush makes this process a little convoluted, you’ll need to use about 12 menu items to create play and save the movie. You can find these items under the Movie menu, they are spread out and are hard to remember. To make it easier, you can find all the buttons in the C3dC menu under…

C3dC Color > Create Turntable Movie (section)

ZBrush can also create other movie types such as time-lapses, and once you’ve finished on the next page in the texturing sections, you’ll see how to render model turntables with shadows with the BPR render.

VIDEO 4.1 : MAYA EXPORT OPTIONS (43 sec)

No. Video Points
1. Poly Reduce Note (0:00)
2. Final Grey Sculpt (0:20)
3. Turntable Intro (0:30)
4. Center Mesh (0:35)
Information
A couple of quick notes about sending back to Maya and Rendering Turntables.
Command Menu/Description Hotkey
Fit Mesh To View Frame the selected object in the view. Hit it twice to set to the center of the object.
Transform > Fit Mesh To View
f (C3dC)
f (default)
Draw Polyframe Toggles Polyframes on and off to show wires and Polygroups
Transform > Draw Pointer
shift f (C3dC)
shift f (default)
VIDEO 4.2 : CREATING A MODEL TURNTABLE VIDEO (1:26 mins)

No. Video Points
1. Open Turntable Section (0:00)
2. Turntable Formula (0:18)
3. Create Turntable (0:40)
4. Play Movie (1:00)
5. Save Movie File (1:07)
Information
This video shows how to create a turnaround movie of the sculpt. The C3dC Color menu has all the options in one location…

C3dC Color > Create Turntable Movie

Use the following settings…

Large Movie Size On
Playback Frames/Sec 24
Full Window Recording Off
Full Window Recording 24
Spin Frames 180
Spin Cycles 2
Overlay Opacity 0
Title Fade In Time 0
Title Fade Out Time 0

Then click Turntable to create the movie.

To play the movie click Play Movie and to save it to a file use Export Movie Movie .

Command Menu/Description Hotkey
Large Movie Size Size of the turntable movie
C3dC Color > Create Turntable Movie > Large
or
Movie > Large (default)
None (C3dC)
None (default)
Medium Movie Size Size of the turntable movie
C3dC Color > Create Turntable Movie > Medium
or
Movie > Medium (default)
None (C3dC)
None (default)
Playback Frames/Sec The playback rate of the turntable movie
C3dC Color > Create Turntable Movie > playbackFPS
or
Movie > playbackFPS (default)
None (C3dC)
None (default)
Full Window Recording When On will record a movie showing the enitre window, useful for timelapse. When off will record only the work area which is good for turntable movies
C3dC Color > Create Turntable Movie > Window
or
Movie > Window (default)
None (C3dC)
None (default)
Full Window Recording The frame rate of the movie while recording
C3dC Color > Create Turntable Movie > recordingFPS
or
Movie > recordingFPS (default)
None (C3dC)
None (default)
Spin Frames The length in frames of one full rotation for the turntable movie
C3dC Color > Create Turntable Movie > SpinFrames
or
Movie > SpinFrames (default)
None (C3dC)
None (default)
Spin Cycles The amount of full 360 rotations of turntable spin
C3dC Color > Create Turntable Movie > SpinCycles
or
Movie > SpinCycles (default)
None (C3dC)
None (default)
Overlay Opacity The opacity of the overlay image (logo) on the recorded movie
C3dC Color > Create Turntable Movie > Opacity
or
Movie > Opacity (default)
None (C3dC)
None (default)
Title Fade In Time The fade in time of the title/logo on the recorded movie
C3dC Color > Create Turntable Movie > FadeIn Time
or
Movie > FadeIn Time (default)
None (C3dC)
None (default)
Title Fade Out Time The fade out time of the title/logo on the recorded movie
C3dC Color > Create Turntable Movie > FadeOut Time
or
Movie > FadeOut Time (default)
None (C3dC)
None (default)
Turntable Creates a turntable movie with the given settings
C3dC Color > Create Turntable Movie > Turntable
or
Movie > Turntable (default)
None (C3dC)
None (default)
Play Movie Plays the recorded movie if one exists
C3dC Color > Create Turntable Movie > Play Movie
or
Movie > Play Movie (default)
None (C3dC)
None (default)
Export Movie Movie Saves the recorded movie if one exists as a .mpg movie file
C3dC Color > Create Turntable Movie > Export
or
Movie > Play Export (default)
None (C3dC)
None (default)
Perspective Orthographic Toggle Toggles between orthographic and the perspective camera
Draw > Perspective
p (C3dC)
p (default)

5. Poly Reduce Send To Maya (6:11 mins)

It’s time to send the model back to Maya where you can render or start to create an animation ready base mesh with quad draw.

Maya doesn’t like heavy polygon counts, and the current mesh sits at 800,000 points. That’s about 800,000 quads or well over one million triangles. So it’s best to reduce the polygon count with the inbuilt Decimation Master plugin.

The poly-reduce will maintain all the relevant forms, and you won’t be able to spot the difference between the original and reduced model. A poly-reduced model will also help speed up Quad Draw if you plan on creating an animation base mesh.

By far the easiest way to get a mesh back into Maya is with GoZ, you’ll see how to set it up and use here. You can also export via .fbx , .obj and even directly to .ma.

VIDEO 5.1 : POLY REDUCTION - DECIMATION MASTER (2:43 mins)

No. Video Points
1. Poly Reduce (0:00)
2. Highest Division Level (0:20)
3. Save File (0:30)
4. Percentage Of Decimation (0:55)
5. K Polys (1:05)
6. Pre-process Current (1:20)
7. Decimate Current (1:45)
8. Decimate Low (2:00)
Information
This video shows how to reduce the number of polygons in your sculpt so that Maya can handle it more easily. This triangle reduction is a good workflow for sending the model back ready for animation retopology or if you’d like to render without textures.

To Poly-Reduce using ZBrush, you can use the plugin Decimation Master. Find the settings under…

C3dC Mesh > Poly Reduce (Decimation Master)

Pre-Process Current will put the mesh into memory so that it can be reduced quickly for testing. Percentage Of Decimation and K Polys sets the polygon count. The polygon count will be based on the triangle count, not quads. ZBrush Active Points usually equals a quad count so double that number for the triangle count.

Decimate Current will perform the decimation, you can try decimating at various levels, the mesh is always compared to the mesh stored when you hit Pre-Process Current .

For Maya a good triangle count is about 150k polys. This number can vary.

Command Menu/Description Hotkey
Pre-Process Current Pre Computes current subtool for decimation (poly reduce)
C3dC Mesh > Poly Reduce > Pre-Process Current
or
ZPlugin > Decimation Master > Pre-Process Current (default)
None (C3dC)
None (default)
Percentage Of Decimation The poly reduction target as a percentage of the current mesh
C3dC Mesh > Poly Reduce > % of decimation
or
ZPlugin > Decimation Master > % of decimation (default)
None (C3dC)
None (default)
K Polys The poly reduction target as a polygon count in triangles
C3dC Mesh > Poly Reduce > k Polys
or
ZPlugin > Decimation Master > k Polys (default)
None (C3dC)
None (default)
Decimate Current Decimate (poly reduce) the current subtool based on the given settings
C3dC Mesh > Poly Reduce > Decimate Current
or
ZPlugin > Decimation Master > Decimate Current (default)
None (C3dC)
None (default)
Higher Res Division Step up a division level for the current subtool if one exists
C3dC Mesh > SubD – Divisions > Higher Res
or
Tool > Geometry > Higher Res (default)
shift d (C3dC)
shift d (default)
Save Project .zpr Saves the ZBrush Project File
File > Save As
ctrl s (C3dC)
ctrl s (default)
Draw Polyframe Toggles Polyframes on and off to show wires and Polygroups
Transform > Draw Pointer
shift f (C3dC)
shift f (default)
VIDEO 5.2 : EXPORTING TO MAYA INTRODUCTION (1:12 mins)

No. Video Points
1. Export Eye Settings (0:00)
2. SubD Off (0:10)
3. Save File (0:30)
4. .obj Export (0:40)
5. .fbx Export (0:50)
6. GoZ Export (1:00)
Information
In this video, you’ll see how to prepare the eye ready for export and see the three top ways you can export models out of ZBrush.

1. GoZ (fast and recommended, requires install)
2. .obj export (you can also export as .ma)
3. .fbx (can be slow with heavy models)

Command Menu/Description Hotkey
Dynamic SubDs Temporary SubD mode, won’t add divisions, just a display mode. Similar to the 3 key (ctrl alt 3 ) key in Maya.
C3dC Mesh > SubD – Divisions > Dynamic
or
Tool > Geometry > Dynamic SubDiv > Dynamic (default)
ctrl alt 3 (C3dC)
None (default)
Save Project .zpr Saves the ZBrush Project File
File > Save As
ctrl s (C3dC)
ctrl s (default)
Export Tool Exports the current tool in a variety of 3d formats including .obj and .ma
C3dC Mesh > File Import – Export > Export Tool
or
Tool > Export Tool (default)
None (C3dC)
None (default)
FBX 2016 Exports the current tool in the .fbx file format
C3dC Mesh > File Import – Export > FBX 2016
or
ZPlugin > FBX ExportImport > FBX 2016 (default)
None (C3dC)
None (default)
GoZ Sends the current subtool to an external program such as Maya
C3dC Mesh > File Import – Export > GoZ
or
Tool > GoZ (default)
None (C3dC)
None (default)
GoZ All Sends all subtools to an external program such as Maya
C3dC Mesh > File Import – Export > All
or
Tool > All (default)
None (C3dC)
None (default)
VIDEO 5.3 : SEND TO MAYA USING GO Z (51 sec)

No. Video Points
1. GoZ Install (0:00)
2. GoZ Send All (0:20)
Information
This video shows how to install and export the model using GoZ.

To install the plugin…

1. Close Maya if open
2. Run GoZ Force Reinstall
3. Set the GoZ Path To Maya

Once installed you can export all subtools to Maya with GoZ All ( has no hotkey). If Maya is closed, it will automatically open. If it’s open, the model will be sent to the current scene.

Command Menu/Description Hotkey
GoZ Force Reinstall Reinstalls the GoZ Plugin
Preferences > GoZ > Force reinstall
None (C3dC)
None (default)
GoZ Path To Maya Sets the path to Maya for GoZ
Preferences > GoZ > Path To Maya
None (C3dC)
None (default)
GoZ Sends the current subtool to an external program such as Maya
C3dC Mesh > File Import – Export > GoZ
or
Tool > GoZ (default)
None (C3dC)
None (default)
GoZ All Sends all subtools to an external program such as Maya
C3dC Mesh > File Import – Export > All
or
Tool > All (default)
None (C3dC)
None (default)
VIDEO 5.4 : MAYA SCENE TWEAKS (1:08 mins)

No. Video Points
1. Cam Focal Length (0:00)
2. Place Object (0:15)
3. Render Note (0:25)
4. Quad Draw (0:40)
5. Poly Count HUD (0:50)
Downloads
Maya Render Scenes
Information
This video shows the model now exported into Maya. To set the scene, you can tweak the camera settings, group the subtools and move them above the grid.

You could set up the scene to render or use Enter Quad Draw (ctl shft q) to start the animation retopology.

Command Menu/Description Hotkey
Frame Selected Frames the selected object in the viewport. Also works in other windows, graph, node etc
Viewport Menu > View frame Selected
f (C3dC)
f (default)
Select Camera Cur View Selects the look through camera in the current viewport
Viewport Menu > View > Select Camera
k (C3dC)
None (default)
Group/Null Edit > Group ctl g (C3dC)
ctl g (default)
Make Live Surface Makes selected object live, that the quad draw will snap to. Click on the magnet icon in top tool bar
Top Shelf > Magnet Icon
alt l (C3dC)
Magnet Icon (default)
Enter Quad Draw Tool for retopology, tracing meshes to create new meshes. Has many functions see other Quad Draw related functions for more.
Polygon (menu)> Mesh Tools > Quad Draw
ctl shft q (C3dC)
ctrl shft q (default)
HUD Polygon Toggle Toggles the viewport heads up display for polygon count statistics
ctrl alt shft y (C3dC)
None (default)
VIDEO 5.5 : NEXT PAGE INTRODUCTION (17 sec)

No. Video Points
1. Next Class Intro (0:00)
Information
A short video introducing the next class.

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