7 Tips for an easier time in Zbrush
⭐ Background Gradient Range on "0"
Document > BG Gradient Range.
I adjust the slider always to 0 because it is easier to focus on the model when my eyes are not distracted by the gradient in the background. Also, it is pretty useful to have a one-colored background when you export a screenshot in for example Photoshop. Because then you can easily mask or select the background and delete, replace or change it without affecting the model itself. This is a fast thing when you want to prepare your images a bit more for presentation.
⭐ Keyboard: Using the "Space bar"
While working on a project it is annoying when you always have to go to the sliders on the top to make some changes in the Size, Intensity, or push RGB, Zadd, Zsub, etc. When you are in the working area with your mouse, just push and hold the space bar and a little box pops up where you can see all these sliders for a faster workflow.
⭐ Customize UI's & Hotkeys
When you open Zbrush the first time, you get the default interface. You can work with that pretty well when you just started Zbrush. But you also can change the whole look of it, which makes it handier for artists who are already a bit more used to the software. It gets so much faster to reach specific buttons or sliders, you ALWAYS use in your workflow, when you do a customized UI setting. It takes a bit of time until you found out which buttons and sliders you normally and often use when you work, but i guarantee you it will help you to speed up your workflow. The same goes for Hotkeys.
Here is a good Video for doing Customized UI's.
⭐ Hotkey for "Solo Mode" button
Transform > Solo
This comes in so handy, because turning off everything besides the subtool you are working on, makes you speed up your workflow, and it’s easier to work on a specific part as well. I use my Solo Mode hotkey all the time.
If you use Poly groups, then you also can click Ctrl + Shift + left mouse click on a specific part of the mesh, to just select the polygroup and all the other polygroup areas will hide until you click the same combination next to the mesh again.
⭐ Turn on Back Face Mask
Brush > Auto Masking > BackfaceMask
When i started out with Zbrush, i struggled a lot with sculpting. Because sometimes you have a very thin or small area you want to sculpt on, but then suddenly when you turn the model around and look at the back of it, the mesh is making weird things like going inwards or it’s looking like a total mess. Sounds familiar?
The reason for that is, that when an area is too thin, your brush will automatically work on both sides, even when you can’t see it during sculpting. This is why it’s good to turn on the Backface Mask to avoid working on both sides.
⭐ Work with the Right Materials
Nothing more to say then, it is way more fun to work with a Material you like, to make your models look good. Also depending on the materials you are using, you can see details way better. I love to work with the "zbro Matcap #10 Sculpt Clay Set."
It’s free, so have a look at it. Here is a link to the website. Above the picture is the link for the download.
⭐ Hotkeys for front, side, and back view
With the new Viewport from Zbrush 2020, you don’t really need to have hotkeys anymore for this but for every person who dont has the newest version of Zbrush, this can be useful. I set up hotkeys on my arrow keyboard buttons to make my model turn quickly in the right direction. For example, when i clicked the left arrow key button my model automatically turned to the left side. When i pushed the top arrow button, my model turned to the front side. (and so on) It’s useful to turn your model exactly in the right direction.
