Transform

The Transform palette is used chiefly with 3D objects. When an object’s position, size or orientation is changed, it is said to be ‘transformed’. When its shape is changed, it is said to be ‘deformed’. The Transform palette enables you to select which method of drawing, transforming, or deforming you’d like to use.

Transform palette

Transform palette

Draw Pointer

The Draw Pointer determines that the current tool is applied to the canvas normally, and each subsquent click+drag applies a new instance of the tool. This is the default condition for all tools. If the current tool is a 3D object in Edit Mode, the Draw Pointer changes the cursor to a sculpting tool which paints and/or heaps depth onto the surface of the object. The Draw Pointer, Move, Scale and Rotate buttons are only pressed one at a time.

Move, Scale and Rotate

The Move, Scale and Rotate buttons perform these transformations on a 3D object. 3D objects can be transformed immediately after drawing; if another tool is selected, or another object is drawn, the original object is converted to pixols and ‘stamped’ into the canvas. Objects can be Marked so their current attributes can be recalled for later editing. Pressing these buttons activates the Canvas Gyro, a unique helper which simplifies transformations.
Many painting tools can be similarly transformed by applying them with the DragRect stroke selected.
If the current tool is a 3D object in Edit Mode, these buttons change the cursor to a sculpting tool, each performing a different function.
The Draw Pointer, Move, Scale and Rotate buttons are only pressed one at a time.

EditSpotlight

The Edit Spotlight button enables you to use Spotlight. Spotlight will also allow you to use an image to apply RGB or sculpting detail. Multiple images can be imported at once when Spotlight is in edit mode. Spotlight Navigation will allow you to rotate,scale,tile,organize,activate the spotlight and adjust the opacity of one or multiple images at once and much more.
To use Spotlight images as reference images, turn off SpotLight Projection in the Brush > Samples menu.

Snapshot

The Snapshot Object button places a copy of the current tool on the canvas (and converts it to pixols). For 3D objects in a Transform or Edit mode, the original can be further transformed or edited.

Edit

The Edit Object button enables you to sculpt a 3D object. Once a primitive 3D object has been placed in Edit Mode, the Draw Pointer, Move, Scale and (sometimes) Rotate buttons change the cursor to a sculpting tool, each performing a different editing function.

While editing a 3D object, you can freely rotate it by dragging within empty canvas, move it by holding the Alt key and dragging, and resize it by pressing Alt, pressing the mouse/pen button, releasing Alt, and dragging. 3D objects can be transformed immediately after drawing; if another tool is selected, or another object is drawn, the original object is converted to pixols and ‘stamped’ into the canvas. Objects can be Marked so their current attributes can be recalled for later editing.

Move Edit

For 3D objects in Edit mode, click inside the Move Edited Object button and drag to move the object. Click this button once to center the object in the canvas and shrink or enlarge it to a unified size. You can also move the object by holding the Alt/Option button, clicking and dragging outside the object’s surface.

Scale Edit

For 3D objects in Edit mode, click inside the Scale Edited Object button and drag to resize the object. Click this button once to center the object in the canvas and shrink or enlarge it to a unified size. You can also scale the object by holding the Alt/Option button, clicking outside the object’s surface, releasing the Alt/Option button and dragging.

Rotate Edit

For 3D objects in Edit mode, click inside the Rotate Edited Object button and drag to rotate it freely. Hold the SHIFT key while rotating to snap the object to the nearest 90-degree angles; hold SHIFT, click this button, release SHIFT, and drag to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise on the canvas. You can also rotate the object by clicking and dragging outside the object’s surface.

Rot XYZ

Free Rotation

Free Rotation

Rotate On All Axes. When set, rotation of the object is unconstrained, and it can be quickly spun on any axis.

Rot X

Rotation around X axis

Rotation around X axis

Rotate On X Axis. When set, moving the mouse horizontally will cause rotation only around the model’s X axis. Moving the mouse vertically will cause the object to be rotated around the screen’s horizontal axis. This makes it easy to rotate around the model’s X axis, while still giving flexibility in positioning the model.

Rot Y

Rotation on Y axis

Rotation around Y axis

Rotate On Y Axis. When set, moving the mouse horizontally will cause rotation only around the model’s Y axis. Moving the mouse vertically will cause the object to be rotated around the screen’s horizontal axis. This makes it easy to rotate around the model’s Y axis, while still giving flexibility in positioning the model.

Rot Z

Rotation around Z axis

Rotation around Z axis

Rotate On Z Axis. When set, moving the mouse horizontally will cause rotation only around the model’s Z axis. Moving the mouse vertically will cause the object to be rotated around the screen’s horizontal axis. This makes it easy to rotate around the model’s Z axis, while still giving flexibility in positioning the model.

Frame

The Frame button will frame select ZTool in the canvas so that it is center in the canvas view. The shortcut to frame is the F key or ALT+LMB click in the canvas. If you have several subtools then a second click on the Frame button will frame selected subtool. When Subtool is framed the next click will frame the only ZTool again.

SetPvt

The Set Pivot Point button enables you to define center points for rotating, deforming, symmetrical editing, and other actions. When pressed while a mesh is partially visible, this button determines the geographic center of the visible portion and sets the center of the object to this new location. Thereafter, until Clear Pivot Point is pressed, all editing actions, deformations, and symmetry controls are centered upon this new point.

ClrPvt

The Clear Pivot Point button re-sets the object’s editing center to its original location, after a pivot point has been set using the Set Pivot Point button.

LSym

LSym is used when working with subtools. Within a mesh composed of subtools, the ‘global’ coordinate system is centered on the main (topmost in the subtool list) subtool. If another subtool has been moved off of center, and an attempt is made to edit it with (say) X symmetry turned on, ZBrush will attempt to mirror strokes across the main subtool’s axes, not across the selected subtool’s axes. This may not be what is desired. Turning on LSym causes symmetry to be mirrored across the selected subtool’s axes, ignoring the ‘global’ coordinate axis, and allowing symmetrical sculpting as if the subtool were a completely separate model.

Xpose

XPose

Xpose

The Xpose button will expose all visible subtools so that they are separated from each other on the document.

Xpose Amount

The Xpose Amount slider will establish the amount of space between each subtool when the Xpose button is pressed.

Local Transform

The Local Transformations button determines how resize and rotate actions are performed while editing 3D tools. By default, with this button un-pressed, resize and rotate actions using the Alt/Option key while in Edit mode are centered upon the object’s true center. Pressing this button causes these actions to be centered upon the most recent editing point. This is helpful when editing a small portion of a very large object.

Quick 3D Edit

With the Quick 3D Edit button pressed, 3D objects in Edit mode are displayed without smoothing, revealing all polygon edges. In this mode, you can view and manipulate polyframes. When editing complex, high-resolution objects, this button often helps to speed up response time.

Pf

Show Polyframes (or Wireframes). With the Draw Polyframe button pressed, 3D objects in Edit mode are displayed with polygon edges outlined in a color of your choice. Outline color can be selected using pickers in the Preferences:Draw sub-palette. This button is only enabled when Quick 3D Edit is pressed.

Pd

Draw Polydensity. Polygon density is shown on the model by color. Red is low density, green is mid density and blue is high density. The display is relative to canvas pixels, so the smaller your model relative to the canvas the denser the polygons will be.

Dots

Dots Display. Displays wireframe of 3D object when moved.

Solo

Solo Dynamic mode

Solo Dynamic mode

Solo mode. When pressed the Solo button will hide all Subtools except the selected Subtool regardless of if the eye icon is on for the SubTools in the Subtool Palette.

Solo has a Dynamic mode. Activate by clicking the word Dynamic in the button. When Dynamic is turned on and Solo mode itself is off, ZBrush will hide all SubTools except the selected subtool during move, scale or rotate navigation. This not only makes it easier to work with many subtools but also improves performance.

PointSelect

The Point Selection Mode button affects the way polygons are selected when hiding/un-hiding portions of a mesh. When pressed, Point Selection Mode is active, and any polygons with points that fall under the selection rectangle are hidden/un-hidden. When un-pressed, a sort of smart-selection mode is active: if at least one polygon falls completely under the selection rectangle, then only whole polygons which fall under the selection rectangle are hidden/un-hidden. Otherwise, the rules for Point Selection Mode are in effect.

Transp

Press Transp to activate Transperancy between SubTools. When activated, your currently selected SubTool will be visible through all other SubTools. To adjust the transperancy settings go to Preferences: Draw. Use the Active Opacity slider to increase or decrease the transperancy of the selected SubTool. Use the Inactive Opacity slider to adjust the transperancy of all other inactivate SubTools.

Once Transparency is active Ghost mode becomes enabled; this mode displays the inactive SubTools as translucent white and can be turned on.

Ghost Transparency

Ghost Transparency displays the inactive SubTools as translucent white. The mode is only enabled when the Transp button (above) has been turned on.

Activate Symmetry

Symmetrical editing

Symmetrical editing

Press the >X<, >Y< or >Z< buttons (available only for 3D objects in Edit mode) to activate symmetrical editing. Symmetrical editing enables you to repeat edit actions on the opposite side of an object, or several times around an axis. Mirror Symmetry (active by default) on the >X< axis provides a good way to sculpt animals, heads, people, or other natural objects which are the same on the left and right side. Radial Symmetry on the >Z< axis provides a good way to sculpt vases, goblets, starfish, and other similar objects.

>X< >Y< >Z<

Sets the axis or axes of symmetry. You can use just one of these, or combine them in any way you like.

>M<

Mirror Symmetry, available only for 3D objects in Edit mode, modifies symmetrical editing so that actions are reflected across the selected axes (>X<, >Y<, or >Z<).

(R)

Radial Symmetry

Radial Symmetry

Radial Symmetry, available only for 3D objects in Edit mode, modifies symmetrical editing so that actions are repeated around the selected axes (>XYZ<).

RadialCount

RadialCount determines how many times an editing action is repeated around an axis in Radial Symmetry mode.

Use Posable Symmetry

Poseable Symmetry

Poseable Symmetry

Press Use Poseable Symmetry to activate symmetry based on topology. In order to use you must first press Activate Symmetry. Poseable symmetry will evaluate your mesh’s surface along the axis choosen in the Transform palette. By default >X< is selected. Once activated, Poseable Symmetry will allow you to pose your mesh and continue to work with symmetry on. Turn Poseable Symmetry on at the highest geometry level. If you divide your model again you will have to press Use Poseable Symmetry again.

Delete Posable Symmetry

Press Delete Poseable Symmetry to delete topological symmetry from memory. You can restore topological symmetry by pressing Use Poseable Symmetry.

3D Copy

The 3DCopy feature, available for 3D objects in Edit mode, provides a powerful way to texture objects. Place an object in front of a painted background, press the 3DCopy button, and the background becomes transferred to the object’s surface as if projected upon it. (Note: the background must be painted using a material other than Flat Color.) 3DCopy is most effective when used on a 3D object with a texture selected. If no texture is selected, the object’s polygons become colored, so the texture resolution is limited to the polygon count. For more powerful texturing features which expand the capabilities of 3DCopy, use ProjectionMaster.

S

The Shaded Colors button determines whether the next 3D Copy action picks up flat base colors (un-pressed) or colors as they appear with lighting and material effects present (pressed).

A.I

The Auto Intensity button affects the transfer of color information in the next 3D Copy performed. If pressed: on surfaces which face you directly, colors are transferred at full intensity; on surfaces which tilt away from you, colors are transferred at decreasing intensities. This results in softer edges on curved objects. If un-pressed, colors are transferred to all surfaces at full intensity.

Transform palette menus

 


Reference Guide > Transform