Sets the midline value of no displacement Specifies the maximum range-similar to Auto Level in Photoshop Table 4.1 describes each Alpha menu setting.įigure 4.9 A Freehand stroke using various alphasĪdds a Gaussian blur to the current alpha-useful for counteracting noise Notice how the radial alphas create a seamless fluid stroke while the arrow or other alphas with a more directional appearance will follow the stroke, reorienting as you drag. In Figure 4.9, a Freehand stroke is drawn on the model surface with different alphas selected. The most common use of alphas is to alter the shape of your currently selected brush. The Alpha menu allows you to import and export images to use as alphas grab the canvas as an alpha select already loaded alphas manipulate the images once they are loaded and convert the selected alphas to stencils, geometry, or textures. The same process applies to adding any kind of file to Lightbox. You will now see your files under the Alpha Lightbox menu. When you are done adding alphas, close and reopen Lightbox. You will also find a huge library of free alphas for download at the ZBrush download center at 3. You can find some alphas on the accompanying DVD. If you do this, create a shortcut to the preferred location and place the shortcut inside this folder. You can even create subfolders to further organize the alphas into types like “leathery skin” or “scales.” Some users prefer to keep some alphas outside this folder-on a backup hard drive, for example. To add new alphas, copy them into the Zalphas folder. The contents of these folders will display in the Lightbox browser. In the program folder you will find several folders named Zbrushes, Zalphas, ZDocs, ZExportImport, ZMaterials, ZMovies, ZProjects, ZScripts, and ZTools. On a PC this is usually C:\Program Files (x86)\Pixologic\ZBrush 4.0, and on a Mac it will be inside the ZBrush4 application folder. In your file browser, go to the root ZBrush 4.0 folder. To store alphas in Lightbox so they load with ZBrush, follow these steps:ġ. By storing your alpha files in the Lightbox folder, you can quickly browse and load just the ones you need at any time. Alphas that you use often are a great example. One of the benefits of Lightbox is that it allows you to store your files in a location where you can quickly access and view them without loading them into ZBrush’s memory. Lightbox lets you import and recall textures, alphas, documents, projects, materials, ZTools, scripts, and Spotlights. It enables you to visually see each file type and have them at your fingertips ready to load into ZBrush with a single click. Lightbox is a built-in browser that allows you to access files and load them into ZBrush from one fully interactive source. Third, you can view and load your alpha library from the Lightbox menu (Figure 4.8). Second, these menu options are accessible in the main Alpha menu at the top of the screen (Figure 4.7). Here you will find your currently loaded alphas and a few selected options for basic conversions and operations. First, on the bar at the left of the screen is the Alpha palette, which contains an abbreviated selection of the main Alpha menu options. There are three locations where you can find settings that pertain to alphas. Finally, you can use alphas to quickly create actual 3D geometry that can be inserted into your mesh.įigure 4.4 The Alpha palette from the left trayįigure 4.3 This mummy by Alex Oliver shows how a sculpture with good form is well supported by a few fine details.įigure 4.5 Rivets added with a tileable alpha and LazyMouseįigure 4.6 The fine details on this skeleton monster were created by using alphas and freehand sculpting. Alphas can be used to create stencils to assist in the sculpting or painting process by masking out complex areas of texture. They may also be used as texture stamps to add pores and scales. With alphas you can alter your brush shape to sculpt in high-frequency details like rivets (Figure 4.5) or fine organic details like the withered skin on the creature shown in Figure 4.6. You can also use alphas to generate 3D objects by clicking the Make3D button under the Alpha menu. Combined with various stroke settings, alphas offer a powerful tool for adding high-frequency details to your sculpture. This is an abbreviated Alpha menu since it offers only a few menu options, but it provides easy access to the entire alpha library currently loaded. There is also an Alpha palette on the side tray on the left (Figure 4.4). You load, export, and manipulate alphas via the Alpha menu located at the top menu bar. Alphas in ZBrush are grayscale images that serve three major functions: they can be brush shapes, texture stamps, and stencils.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |