The ZBrush to Photoshop CC plugin, located in the ZPlugin palette allows you to send BPR render passes from ZBrush to Photoshop CC through Extend Script functionality. Simply determine your camera angle, select the passes you want, and click ‘Send to Photoshop!’
Installation
The plugin is installed automatically with the default installation of ZBrush. If you need to reinstall the plugin, please execute the ZBrush full installer.
Step By Step – Sending Passes to Photoshop CC
Sending the BPR render passes to Photoshop CC is very straightforward. Here’s a step-by-step guide to the process.
Before you start, your model must be in Edit mode.
1. Position your model inside ZBrush how you would like to generate the Render
2. Check the Render inside of ZBrush by pressing the ‘BPR’ Render Button.
3. In the ZPlugin tab locate the ZBrush to Photoshop CC Plugin. Select the passes you want to send to Photoshop. (Default selected passes are: BPR, Depth, Mask, and Shadow.)
4. Press the ‘Send to Photoshop’ Button. ZBrush will now process the passes selected.
5. After the passes are processed you will get a Script Alert Popup asking if you want to run the script. Click ‘Yes’ to this.
6. At this stage Photoshop CC should launch and import in the selected passes as layers.
7. Inside of Photoshop you will have Smart Layers created for all the selected passes.
8. Modify the passes inside of Photoshop to beautify your final image!
ZBrush to Photoshop Functions
ZBrush To Photoshop CC
Clicking on this button will open up the ZBrush to Photoshop CC ‘Cheat Sheet.’ This contains information on using the Photoshop CC plugin along with links to download the latest version and tutorial video.
Albedo
This will generate an Albedo pass. The Albedo pass will generate a result of your scene as it would look if all parts were filled with the Material ‘Flat Color.’
Best
This will generate a Best render pass. The Best render option was primarily used before the BPR render system was added into ZBrush. To preview the result of the Best render pass active Best render at: [Render:Best]
BPR
This will generate a BPR render pass. This pass will be identical to what you see inside of ZBrush when you click the ‘BPR’ render button [Render:BPR RenderPass:Render Best Preview]
Color Bump
This will generate a Color Bump render pass. The Color Bump render pass will look at the color information on your model (Polypaint/Linked Texture Map) and display it as a Bump Map. This pass is using the material ‘BumpViewerMaterial.zmt’ located in \ZBrushToPhotoshop_4R8\. If you would like to use a different material for the Color Bump pass simply overwrite this file with another Material. Materials can be saved in ZBrush at [Material:Save]
Depth
This will generate a Depth render pass. The Depth pass or Height Map will be created based on the scene’s ZDepth from the current camera angle. This is the same pass that is generated when clicking [Alpha:Transfer:GrabDoc]
Lights
This will generate six Light passes using the files located at: \ZBrushToPhotoshop_4R8\Lights\. Custom user lights can be used by simply overwriting the *.zli files located in this directory. Lights can be saved in ZBrush at [Light:Save]
Mask
This will generate a Mask pass for the entire scene. This pass is identical to the pass that is generated after doing a BPR render in the [Render:BPR Render Pass:Mask] area.
OS Normal
This will generate an Object Space normal pass. This pass is using the material ‘Texture40Normal.zmt’ located in \ZBrushToPhotoshop_4R8\. If you would like to use a different material for the OS Normal pass simply overwrite this file with another Material. Materials can be saved in ZBrush at [Material:Save]
Polygroup ID
This will generate a Clown Pass based on the Polygroup IDs of the model.
Preview
This will generate a Preview pass. Preview is the default viewing mode inside of ZBrush when sculpting.
Shadow
This will generate a Shadow pass. This pass is identical to the pass that is generated after doing a BPR render in the [Render:BPR Render Pass:Shadow] area.
Spec
This will generate a Spec pass. This pass is using the material ‘ReflectedMap.zmt’ located in \ZBrushToPhotoshop_4R8\. If you would like to use a different material for the Spec pass simply overwrite this file with another Material. Materials can be saved in ZBrush at [Material:Save]
SSS
This will generate a Sub Surface Scattering pass. This pass is identical to the pass that is generated after doing a BPR render in the [Render:BPR Render Pass:SSS] area.
Structure
This will generate a Structure pass. The Structure pass will render the model with the material ‘MatCap Gray.zmt’ located at \ZBrushToPhotoshop_4R8\. If you would like to use a different material for the Structure pass simply overwrite this file with another Material. Materials can be saved in ZBrush at [Material:Save]
Subtool ID
This will generate a Clown pass by Subtool. Each Subtool will be given a temporary Polygroup and rendered.
Subtool Masks
This will generate a Mask pass for each Subtool.
TS Normal
This will generate a Tangent Space normal pass. This pass is using the material ‘TangentSpaceNomal.zmt’ located in \ZBrushToPhotoshop_4R8\. If you would like to use a different material for the TS Normal pass simply overwrite this file with another Material. Materials can be saved in ZBrush at [Material:Save]
Wireframe
This will generate a Wireframe pass.
Material 1 – 5
This will generate Material passes based on the stored Materials in these slots. These passes can be changed by simply selecting a material inside of ZBrush then clicking. A dialog will pop up asking if you would like to replace the currently stored material in the slot. After the Material is stored the switch next to the each button can be toggled on for sending the Material pass to Photoshop CC.
Send to Photoshop
This will render all the selected passes above and generate an ExtendScript *.JSX file. After clicking ‘Send to Photoshop’ you will receive a Script Alert Popup asking if you want to run the script. Click ‘Yes’ to this. At this stage Photoshop CC should launch and import in the selected passes as layers. If Photoshop CC does not launch at this stage please read the Troubleshooting Section Below.
Clear Layer Cache
This will delete all the renders generated from ZBrush and stored in the Passes folder \ZBrushToPhotoshop_4R8\Passes\. Use caution when clicking this button as it will break the Smart Linking.).
Troubleshooting
The ZBrush to Photoshop CC plugin uses ExtendScript *.JSX file to transfer the passes to Photoshop CC. If you click the ‘Send to Photoshop’ and Photoshop CC does not launch or import the passes: Make sure that Photoshop CC is the default application to open up the *.JSX file.
On Windows:
- Open Default Programs by clicking the Start button and then clicking Default Programs.
- Click Associate a file type or protocol with a program.
- Click the *.JSX file type in the list.
- Click Change program.
- Click the program that you want to use as the default for the file type you selected, or click the arrow next to Other Programs to show additional programs (Photoshop CC.)(If you don’t see Other Programs, or your program is not listed, click Browse to find the program you want to use, and then click Open. If no other programs are installed that are able to open the file type or protocol, your choices will be limited.) If you don’t see the program you want to use as the default, click the arrow next to Other Programs to see a list of programs available on your computer.
- Click OK.
On OSX:
- Navigate to the ZStartup\ZBrushToPhotoshop_4R8\ directory in Finder.
- Select the *.JSX file
- Open the File Menu at the top and select ‘Get Info’
- Click the “Open with:” sub menu, then click on the context menu and select the new application to associate all files of this format type with (Photoshop CC.)
- Click the “Change All” button and confirm the change.