Draw

The Draw palette provides important settings for the way nearly every tool behaves. Each tool’s Draw palette settings (except Draw Size) are stored separately; they change when each tool is selected.

Draw palette with Floor section

Draw Size

Draw Size

The Draw Size slider sets the size of all brush strokes or editing actions. ZBrush remembers two separate Draw Size settings — one for painting actions, and one for sculpting actions on 3D objects. Each tool remembers the Draw palette settings, and recalls them when the tool is selected. However, the painting Draw Size and the sculpting Draw Size remain constant.

For sculpting actions the Draw Size has a Dynamic mode which will automatically adjust the brush size depending on the scale of the model. Double-click the word Dynamic on the right side of the slider to turn this option on or off.

Focal Shift

Focal Shift

The Focal Shift slider fine-tunes the current painting or editing action. It shifts the effective curve so the intensity is drawn closer to the center (positive value) or away from the center (negative value). This slider simply mirrors the value of certain other sliders: if the current tool is a painting tool, it mirrors the value of the Focal Shift slider in the Alpha Adjustment Curve (Alpha palette). If the current tool is a 3D object in Edit mode, it mirrors the value of the Focal Shift slider in the Edit Curve (Transform palette).
The value of this slider is reflected by the size of the inner ring around the draw cursor: larger/positive values result in a smaller (more focused) ring, and smaller/negative values result in a larger (less focused) ring.

 


Z Intensity

ZIntensity

Z Intensity

The Z Intensity slider sets the amount of depth information applied by the current tool or object. Z Intensity is tied closely with RGB Intensity, which has the same effect for color information. For 2.5D tools, the RGB Intensity and Z Intensity sliders are locked together.

Rgb Intensity

Rgb Intensity

If RGB Intensity is less than 100%, tools apply colors more faintly, blending them with colors painted upon. RGB Intensity is tied closely with Z Intensity, which has the same effect for depth information. For non-3D tools, the RGB Intensity and Z Intensity sliders are locked together.

Mrgb

The Mrgb, Rgb and M buttons determine whether a tool adds color and/or material to the canvas. These buttons are only pressed one at a time.
Mrgb specifies that the tool paints with color and material; Rgb specifies color only; M specifies material only.
If all three buttons are turned off, the tool adds neither color nor material. Depending on the settings of the Zadd, Zsub and Zcut buttons, it will only add depth information to the canvas.
Each tool remembers these buttons’ settings, and recalls them when the tool is selected.

Rgb

When the Rgb button is pressed only color will be painted – materials will not be affected.

M

When the M button is pressed only material will be painted – color will not be affected.

Zadd

The Zadd, Zsub and Zcut buttons determine how a tool adds or removes depth information from the canvas. These buttons are only pressed one at a time.
Zadd specifies that the tool adds depth information to all pixols; Zsub specifies that it ‘scoops’ into existing pixols; Zcut creates holes or tunnels when applied to 3D objects.
Zsub and Zcut have no effect on a blank canvas, and they have the same effect when applied to most painting tools.
When all three buttons are turned off, the tool applies only color and/or material, depending on the settings of the Mrgb, Rgb and M buttons.
Each tool remembers these buttons’ settings, and recalls them when the tool is selected.

Zsub

When the Zsub button is pressed, sculpting operation occur ‘inwards’, removing material from the model or canvas.

Zcut

When the Zcut button is pressed, painting operations cut holes into models that are on canvas but not in edit mode. Note that Zcut is not available for sculpting.

 


Current Tool Preview

The Current Tool Preview shows you the shape and color of the current tool. You can drag within this window to see how the tool looks in a different orientation. Changing the orientation in this window has no effect on the tool or canvas. Click the + button to turn the preview clipping plane on or off. Click the arrow button to set this previewed tool in motion, rotating constantly; change the speed of the rotation by dragging.

Width

The Width Ratio is used in 2.5D painting. The sliders determine the width of the drawing tool. It acts as modifiers of the alpha and provide finer levels of control on the shape you draw in 2.5D painting. If the current tool is a 3D object in a Transform Mode (Move, Scale or Rotate) or Edit Mode, this button is disabled because the tool’s dimensions can be changed by scaling.

Height

The Height Ratio is used in 2.5D painting. The slider determine the height of the drawing tool. It act as modifiers of the alpha and provide finer levels of control on the shape you draw in 2.5D painting. If the current tool is a 3D object in a Transform Mode (Move, Scale or Rotate) or Edit Mode, this button is disabled because the tool’s dimensions can be changed by scaling.

Depth

The Brush Depth is used in 2.5D painting. The slider determines the near-to-far breadth of a tool when it’s drawn. 1 means it’s 100% size, smaller values mean it’s shallower, and larger values mean it’s deeper. If the current tool is a 3D object in a Transform Mode (Move, Scale or Rotate) or Edit Mode, this button is disabled because the tool’s dimensions can be changed by scaling.

Imbed

The Depth Imbed slider determines how much a tool ‘sinks’ into the canvas or surface painted upon.

 


Perspective

Press the Perspective button to apply perspective foreshortening to a 3D object. This button is disabled unless a 3D object is selected.

Angle Of View

Angle of View

Angle of View

Angle Of View controls the strength of the perspective effect. As with camera lenses, a short focal length gives the strongest perspective, and a long focal length the least.

Align To Object

Align To Obect will keep the ZTools alignment facing camera when moved to any location of the canvas. If turned off, the tool will have a slight rotation to its alignment as the ZTool is moved to either corner of the canvas.

Auto Adjust Distance

The Auto Adjust Distance button will allow the camera to adjust perspective in order to avoid clipping. With this button turned off, as well as Local turned off, the camera will pass through the model and the same perspective will be maintained.

 

Draw palette sub-palettes

Because of its complexity the Floor Grid section is treated as a separate sub-palette.

 


Reference Guide > Draw