Surface Noise

With the Surface noise feature, you can apply a procedural noise to your creations, driven by simple parameters and curves for easy customization. By default, the noise is applied globally to your object in a non-destructive way, allowing you to change it at any time or even remove it. Or with a single click you can apply it to your model as geometry that can be sculpted. It can even be a mix of different noises, blended together with the help of the powerful ZBrush masks.

Noise is also available as a brush setting, which means that you will be able to add this noise to all your ZBrush sculpting brushes!

 

Applying Surface Noise Globally to your Model

In the Tool palette, open the Surface menu and click on the Noise button: a noise will be displayed on your model. At this first step, the noise is parametric and can be removed or change at anytime, by deactivating the Noise feature or changing the different parameters.

  • Noise Scale: This slider changes the scale of the noise. High value will create a large noise while small values create a thin noise. A larger size will also deform the mesh at an extreme displacement.
  • Strength: This slider will change the intensity of the noise, without changing its scale. At 0, the noise won’t be visible and at 1, the bump strength will be at its maximum. It is recommended to keep this setting at a lower level.
  • Noise Curve: by changing the aspect of the curve, you will drastically change the aspect of the noise. The Curve editor is working like all the others ZBrush Curves editors.
  • ColorBlend : this slider, associates with the two colors, the cavity of the noise will take on either of the colors.
  • Apply to Mesh: it will convert the procedural noise to a real deformation on the model, like if you have sculpted it with default ZBrush Brushes.
  • SNormal—This will smooth the normals of the mesh before the noise is applied when you click the Apply to Mesh. When using higher scale and strength values it is advised to have this setting at 100.

Notes: The quality of the noise generated by the Apply to Mesh function will depend on the resolution of your Polymesh. If your resolution is to low, you won’t have a high quality noise. If needed, increase the Subdivision levels. The Surface noise is a visual effect applied on the top of the mesh and no real deformation is applied. It means that if you set a high value for the strength and after, do the Apply to Mesh action, you may have unexpected results with very high elevations. Remember that the view of the Noise is like viewing a bump map but when the Apply to Mesh is clicked it is like applying a displacement map to a mesh. If you have an extremely high scale and strength then your mesh will be pushed to extreme points.

 

Important!

Note: For Surface Noise to show you must have Quick 3D Edit turned ON in the Transform palette. Also note that if your model is very large the noise may not show or will display in patches.