No Back & Forth

No Back & Forth Mode

Will only add or subtract while moving in the stroke’s forward direction.

This mode allows you to apply sculpting strokes in a back and forth motion without picking up your cursor. No matter how you move the cursor, the brush will only add or subtract while moving in the stroke’s forward direction. This offers the ability to reduce the amount of detail buildup or overlap that can occur while sculpting in a sketch-like fashion and improves stroke precision.

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How No Back & Forth Mode Works

This sculpting mode is automatically enabled for the HatchBrush and HatchBack­track Brush. However, it can be applied to any 3D sculpting brush.
The initial movement of your brush stroke establishes the forward direction for No Back&Forth mode. Once this forward direction has been established, reversing your cur­sor direction will not influence the mesh at all. ZBrush will not allow the sculpting brush to apply any additive or subtractive details.


No Back & Forth in Action

1. In LightBox select DynaMesh_Sphere_128.ZPR from the Projects tab.

2. Select the ClayTubes brush.

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3. Apply a 3-step brush zigzag stroke without picking up the cursor.

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The back and forth motion of the sculpting stroke creates a connected overlapping surface while applying as a single stroke path.

4. Press Ctrl+Z to undo the brush stroke.

5. Click Stroke >> Modifiers >> No Back&Forth.

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6. Repeat the zigzag stroke.

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With No Back&Forth enabled the back and forth motion of the sculpting stroke can only add or subtract in the forward progress direction established by the stroke’s initial movement. In the im­age on the right, the hash mark lines depict the stroke traveling in the reverse direction of where the stroke began. As a result, those portions of the stroke cannot apply sculpture details.

7. Press Ctrl + Z to undo the previous stroke.

8. Click Stroke >> Modifiers >> No Back&Forth to turn it off again.

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9. Select the ClayBuildup brush.

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10. Apply a 3-step brush stroke in back and forth motion across the same start to finish path without picking up the cursor.

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The ClayBuildup brush uses Brush >> Samples >> Buildup mode, which adds or subtracts sculpture detail as you repeatedly drag a cursor line over the same path, creating a natural buildup effect as you move back and forth.

11. Turn on Stroke >> Modifiers >> No Back&Forth.

12. Next to the existing stroke, apply the same 3 step brush stroke in a back and forth motion across the same start-to-finish path, without picking up the cursor.

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The stroke applied with No Back&Forth will have less buildup above the sphere surface because the No Back&Forth only allows sculpting additions in the stroke’s forward direction. (Between 0-1, and 2-3.)