The Deformation subpalette, within the Tool palette, has a wide assortment of mesh transforming operations that you can apply to your model to achieve a very fascinating end. A column of dials is labeled with a description of what function it will perform on the mesh, as a whole. Mesh alterations like Rotate, Size, Bend, Twist, Taper, etc., all serve to temper your model in whichever direction you require to fit your needs. These effects can be multiplied on themselves with every slide of the dial and can only be reversed with the necessary “undo”steps to get you back to its original state. Use of the Deformation subpalette is mostly a preliminary process done to prepare a model for sculpting; although it can be used at any time for some crazy effects.
The use of ZSpheres is a concept that is completely new and native to the ZBrush environment, as opposed to other 3D packages. To put it simply, it is a means for an artist to “block-in” the basic form of a mesh, if you do not possess any other 3D application in which to build your preliminary model. As you draw a ZSpheres out on the canvas, usually in conjunction with mirrored symmetry, the user would add and adjust each sphere as if it were a joint or any significant bend in the form. One way to do this is, once your model has been posed, is by clicking on Make Adaptive Skin, within the Tool subpalette named appropriately Adaptive Skin. Once here, you can have a mesh version of your ZSpheres sculpture created. Now all that is left to do is mold your creation into its final form.
ZMapper is the means by which ZBrush creates normal maps of your model. Normal maps are basically the height information of your model, written as a texture file and applied to a similar model that has a lower poly count. This technique is used a lot by professionals in the game industry, in order to display a game model with 5,000 polygons so it has a surface that is in the millions, but still runs smoothly. The ZMapper gives you the ability to take your super, detailed model and create a normal map that can be reapplied to the original, low-poly model that was crafted in your favorite 3D animation program.
In addition, as far as exporting to other popular 3D applications, ZBrush covers a lot of area. Most 3D artists will build their basic, low-poly mesh in whatever application suits them best, then turn to ZBrush to finesse the model from its primitive form into an eye-catching work of art. ZBrush supports basic .obj and .dxf formats for importing or exporting meshes from other applications. And if you need help preparing your mesh for import or export from ZBrush, documentation is provided on how best to accomplish this for programs such as Maya, 3DS Max, Lightwave, Cinema 4D, Blender, and Softimage XSI.
Performance
The latest version of ZBrush has gone a long way to optimize functionality for those artists that are still working off of a 32-bit system. ZBrush handles well, coupled with a good processor and RAM that is now pretty standard in consumer hardware. Every time you subdivide your mesh, the polygon count goes up by multiples of four.
Because ZBrush has kept such an eye for lower-end systems, graphic cards are only needed for openGL normal maps in ZMapper. A good amount of RAM will suffice since ZBrush works very well even at high polycount without having to invest in expensive graphic cards.
I was able to get a human mesh of about 2,500 polygons subdivided up to five levels. At that point, it was a little sluggish, but that is about what I could expect working on a 1.3 GHz Mac with 1.5 Gig of RAM. I would have expected that a lot sooner with such a basic a machine.. Just in case your system may not even be at that level, ZBrush offers a few things that you can do maximize your experience.
