Tutorial:ZProject and Adjusting Photo Reference

From ZBrush Info

This tutorial shows how a photo reference can be applied to a model using the ZProject brush. The advantage of this method is that you can adjust the photo reference to fit your model before transferring only those areas that you want.

• This tutorial uses the Image Plane 3 plugin by Marcus Civis.

First load the model you want to texture. Draw on the canvas and press T to enter Edit mode.

To better see what you are doing, select a white material such as FastShader. Avoid using a MatCap material so that you can adjust the Lights if necessary.

Select the subtool you want to polypaint and in the Tool:Texture subpalette, press Disable UVs and turn on Colorize.

Make sure that no texture is selected in the Texture palette.

Now load your photo reference by clicking the LoadImage button in the Texture:Image Plane subpalette. (If no texture is selected Image Plane will ask you to choose a file; if a texture is selected it will load that texture.) The Image will be loaded into the background.

Clear the background by pressing Ctrl+N.

In the Tool:Subtool subpalette, click Append and choose the Plane3D#... from the popup (Note it will have a number such as 'Plane3D#1'). There may be several Plane3D# - choose the last one in the line.

Select the new Plane3D#1 subtool then apply the photo reference to it by choosing the Image in the Texture palette popup.

Switch off all subtools other than the Plane3D#1 and the target mesh. Switch on subtool transparency by pressing the Transp button in the Transform palette. You should now be able to see your photo reference through your target mesh.

As the Plane3D#1 is not a polymesh it's not possible to use Transpose for positioning. Using the Offset and Size sliders in the Tool:Deformation subpalette, adjust the size and position of the Plane3D#1 so that it best fits the target mesh. For Offset, click the little x, y or z to move left to right, up and down, and forwards and backwards. Move the plane back so that it is positioned about in the middle of the target mesh. There's no need to be precise. When you are happy with the size and position press the StoreMT button in the Tool:Morph Target subpalette. This will mean you can always return to the plane's pristine state.

If you are working with a side view it will be necessary to rotate the Plane3D#1. Select the Rotate slider in the Tool:Deformation subpalette, click the Y (and click off X and Z) and enter plus or minus 90 degrees.

Make sure the mesh is positioned square on the canvas. This is important as polypainting using the ZProject brush only works in the Z direction (back and forth from the screen plane). SHIFT+click the RePos button in the Image Plane subpalette to store the position.

Switch on Edit Move mode (press 'w'). You will now be able to adjust the detail of the photo reference by dragging inside the plane. If you drag outside the plane boundaries you will move the whole model; press the RePos button to reposition the mesh. Adjust brush size to drag larger areas but Note that too large a brush size can cause problems.

When you are happy with the adjustments, select the target mesh in the Tool:Subtool subpalette. Switch on Move Transpose mode (press W) and click the mesh to remove the orange action line. This is essential to avoid an offset. If you can't get the line to disappear, drag the end orange (outer) circle over the start one; check the side view too, so that the line is reduced to nothing.

Press Q to switch to Draw mode and select the ZProject brush. Make sure that RGB is switch on and Zadd is off. Also subtool transparency can affect the result, making the transfer painting dark, so switch off the Transform:Transp button.

Paint over the mesh to transfer the color. Aim to leave soft edges that can be blended later.

To continue with the sides, a new texture will need to be loaded. The simplest way to do this is to make sure all your photo reference images are the same proportions. Then you need only do the setup steps (1 -10 above) once. If your next Image is the same proportions, select the Plane3D#1 subtool and then press the Tool:Morph Target:Switch button to restore the plane to its undeformed state. Press the DelMT button and then the StoreMT button to store a new morph target in case you need it later. Then select the next photo reference Image from the Texture palette (loading it from the Texture:Load button if necessary).

Continue with the ZProject brush as in step 16. When you have transferred all you photo reference areas you can blend the edges together using Std brush polypainting.

Troubleshooting

• The Image doesn't transfer:
  • Check that Zadd is off.
  • RGB is on.
  • Colorize is switched on for the target mesh.

• The image is wrapped on the target mesh:
  • Disable UVs for the target mesh.

• The polypainting appears dark:
  • Switch off subtool transparency.

• The polypainting is offset.
  • Switch to Move Transpose mode and click on the mesh to remove the orange action line.