To follow this book, you’ll need to install ZBrush with a valid license. You can find a download link on Maxon’s website: https://www.maxon.net/en/ZBrush.

You do have the option to use ZBrushCore if you want a cheap alternative to get started, although it is missing many of the full features of ZBrush, so most of this book would not be relevant to you.

To have the best possible user experience with ZBrush, make sure to fulfill the following minimum requirements:

• OS: 64-bit editions of Windows 10 or 11 (32-bit operating systems are no longer supported)
• CPU: Intel i7/i9 technology and newer or AMD Ryzen and newer
• RAM: 4 GB (16+ GB is strongly recommended)
• HDD: 20 GB of free hard drive space for ZBrush and its scratch disk
• Pen tablet: Mouse or compatible pressure-sensitive tablet, which must support the WinTab API (a tablet is strongly recommended)
• Monitor: 1280×1024 monitor resolution with 32-bit color
• Video...

When you first get started with ZBrush, it might take a while to get used to the unusual UI and navigation, and experiencing some frustration is not uncommon. This can detract from the awesome experience of using a digital sculpting tool for the first time and getting to see all of its creative possibilities. Therefore, before diving into too many functions and technical aspects, let’s get sculpting first so that you can see how fun and rewarding it is.

Loading a starting model

After launching ZBrush, there are a couple of starting points to choose from. A versatile and powerful one is ZBrush’s content browser called LightBox. Alternatively, you can also load a basic shape, such as a sphere or a cylinder. Let’s look at both options.

LightBox

LightBox has a great variety of models, including everything from simple shapes to faces and full human and animal bodies. You can access it by pressing...

The ZBrush UI contains a 3D canvas, where you can view and work on your models. By default, it should look like this (though I have changed the UI color to allow for better readability in print):

Figure 1.9 – The ZBrush UI

The buttons around the canvas are assembled there to be easily accessible; however, these same buttons can also be found in the ZBrush menus. If you click on a menu, it will open and show multiple sub-menus for you to explore.

Clicking on the Divider Space icon on the left and right sides of the screen (marked with a circle in the following screenshot) will create additional space, allowing you to drag and dock menus onto this space and keep them open and easily accessible:

Figure 1.10 – Before (left) and after (right) adding space on the left side of the canvas

To do so, left-click and drag the circle symbol in the upper-left corner of the menu, move...

In this section, we will examine the main file types used in ZBrush: ZTool, ZProject, and ZDoc. This topic can be confusing in the beginning, so hopefully, an overview of the properties, as well as the pros and cons, will allow you to use them effectively. You will be able to store all the information you need but not in excess, reducing file size and saving hard drive space on your PC.

ZTools (.ztl)

ZTool files are the main ZBrush tool files used to store the sculpting, painting, and texture data associated with a 3D model in ZBrush. Layers, Morph Targets, and everything applied to your 3D models (subtools) will be saved.

You can save your file as a ZTool by clicking Tool| Save as (ZTool).

ZTools will save the active tool, which consists of every subtool displayed in the subtool list. The subtools saved are the ones shown in the area highlighted in the following screenshot:

Figure 1.30 – All the content...

Congratulations on completing the first chapter! If you are new to ZBrush, getting used to its unique navigation and UI might take a while, but you can feel great about having taken the first step in learning new software that has set up countless artists for a rewarding and fulfilling career.

In the first section, you learned how to load a model, navigate around the canvas, and create a simple sculpture. This allowed you to experiment with brushes and get a sense of ZBrush’s creative potential.

Then, you got an overview of the ZBrush UI and learned how you can create your own custom UI, which increases your workflow speed, making you a more effective and valuable artist. Finally, you learned about different file types in ZBrush and when you should use which one.

In the next chapter, you will get to create your own concept sculpture using ZBrush’s powerful DynaMesh functionality and learn about character design principles, which help you create better...

• ZBrush’s official tools documentation: https://docs.pixologic.com/
• Michael Pavolich’s (artist and ZBrush instructor) YouTube channel, which contains videos covering ZBrush’s UI and tools in detail: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWiZI2dglzpaCYNnjcejS-Q