Here is my latest video tutorial about using zBrush and Sculpty Maker to create sculpted prims. This time around I show you how to create an object made up of multiple sculpties. You’ll be using the Subtools feature in zBrush, the Sculpty Maker converter (or zSculpty), and a plugin called Subtool Master. *2k has let us know that Subtool Master is no longer necessary when using the zSculpty plugin.

I got a bit carried away in this video and ended up spending more time sculpting than teaching. :)  I do tend to get a bit sidetracked when I sculpt. I’ll be creating another video on this same topic that is a bit more concise and informative. I decided to post this one anyway since there is plenty of useful info stuffed in between my digital doodlings. :D

18 Responses to “Create Multiple Sculpty Objects with zBrush”
 

Great tutorial, Vlad! I learnt tons! :)

One suggestion:

When using ZSculpty you no longer need to merge the SubTools together with SubTool Master. ZSculpty is scripted to go through your SubTool list converting each tool in turn.

2k Suisei wrote on August 27th, 2008 at 11:41 pm

 

hey cool, thanks for the info 2k. That’ll save a step and make it easier to continue working with the set of subtools after exporting.

Vlad Bjornson wrote on August 28th, 2008 at 12:48 am

 

Thank you so much for making these tutorials. I watched your first couple before making the decision to buy Zbrush. I love it! I have learned much from you and thank you for being so helpful to the rest of us.

I also enjoy the music you play and I have not heard most of it before. Could I ask that you put in text references to the music you use in your video descriptions so I could look for it and buy it?

Thanks again. Your help is appreciated.

Vivienne Daguerre wrote on September 4th, 2008 at 7:49 am

 

Hi Vivienne, Glad that you are finding the zBrush tutorials useful. :) I almost always mention the music used in my videos - usually in the credits at the end. I was a bit lazy on this particular video and only listed the artists. Lessee..

First track was by Deltron (aka Del the Funky Homosapien) from the album 3030. Called National Movie Review. Second track was also by Deltron, called Meet Cleofis Randolph The Patriarch.

Then there is a track called Lift by Cut Chemist from his latest album, The Audience is Listening.

Next was a song by Beck called Satan Gave Me a Taco from his Stereopathetic Soul Manure album.

And the last song was one by DJ Z-Trip called Breakfast Club from his Shifting Gears CD. Z-Trip is absolutely the most amazing mash-up style DJ EVAR! Check out his website, lots of legal downloads of live shows and mixes. http://www.djztrip.com/

Vlad Bjornson wrote on September 4th, 2008 at 10:39 pm

 

Hi there!
Awesome tutorials, I’m really starting to like Z-Brush and its possibilities.Keep up the good work with those tutorials,Vlad!

Anyway…besides having some trouble with the new sculptymaker 2.51 ( zsculpt seems to work though, not sure about resizing ) there’s a nasty Zbrush bug when working with the subtools which really annoyed me one night, I thought it’s the subtool master or any of the other plugins.
But it seems to be a very known bug and there’s a workaround for that: http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/showthread.php?t=61993

I hope that helps some people with the same problem.
Cheers!

Ben wrote on September 25th, 2008 at 11:04 am

 

Hello there,Vlad!

Thanks for the video tutorials & the time of your life you spend to create/edit/share ‘em with us.

Manny wrote on September 25th, 2008 at 6:53 pm

 

Hi, it’s me again, I’ve seen something I want to share with you all, it’s a video preview of a sculpted flexy prim: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8SPB8aIWrQ

Also, if you wanna try it by yourself download the Flexy Sculpt 1.21 viewer: http://www.sluniverse.com/php/vb/general-sl-discussion/17364-flexy-sculpt-1-21-viewer.html and enjoy! (it’s not perfect… But works).

Well, hope it officially comes soon…

Manny wrote on September 26th, 2008 at 1:19 pm

 

Ben: Thanks for the tip. This sounds similar to a bug that I have noticed. ZB crashes fro me every time if I create an object then use the Deformation tools right away. To get around it I just sculpt on my object real quick and undo it before using the deformations.

I’ll put a link up on the SculptyMaker page to older versions of Sculpty Maker, too. Just in case other folks are having trouble with 2.51.

Manny: You’re welcome. :)

Vlad Bjornson wrote on September 26th, 2008 at 2:30 pm

 

Hi Vlad, thanks for all the work you do provided folks help with building and other in sl.
I built an object with 8 subtools. Opened the sculpty plug-in set it at 64. I didn’t do merge per 2K. I hit the export button and got the little Z icon. All that is just like in your video. Then my computer just stayed with that little z icon. When I finally got bored waiting I tried to minimize Zbrush to go check the files to see if it the maps were there. My monitor went kind of clouded milky white and I got a little rotating circle icon as if something was trying to load. Nothing ever did. I finally had to hard shut down the computer because it was locked up. I’ve repeated this same thing several times. Each time I hit export I get the same thing. Any suggestions?

Ezra Rasmuson wrote on September 27th, 2008 at 6:13 am

 

HI Ezra: Glad that you are enjoying the tutorials. hmmm. Usually when zSculpty plugin crashes it is because you are trying to convert an object with too many faces. If you have subdivided the objects, try going back down to the lowest subdivision level before exporting. NOt sure what else to suggest. If you are desperate you could try to merge the subtools with that Subtool Master plugin, export to .obj, then use the external Sculpty Maker to try and convert it.

Vlad Bjornson wrote on October 3rd, 2008 at 10:10 am

 

Hi Vlad,
Not too many faces for sure. Each subtool started out as a zsculpt cylinder. I haven’t been able to decipher it either. Well just thought I’d check here. I guess I’ll try the Master, see what happens.
Thanks Vlad.

Ezra Rasmuson wrote on October 3rd, 2008 at 10:10 pm

 

Hi Vlad:)
First of all thank you for all your great tutorials!!
Now, I’ve tried to export something with Zsculpty for the first time, made sure the names were short and did not contain any extra # characters, and did not merge the subtools but named them each the same followed by their number. Everything exported okay but when I put them into Sculpty Rezzer I just get a teeny tiny ball of prims all jumbled up together instead of organized into place. I had the sculptmap size set a little higher, like at 128…I just can’t figure out what step I must have gotten wrong. Any ideas?

Violaine Villota wrote on October 11th, 2008 at 10:05 am

 

Violaine: I replied with a few ideas on your SL forum post. Not sure what else to suggest. o.O

THe names of the actual subtools shouldn’t matter,a s the sculptmaps files will be based on the name of the first object (I think) - or at least the name of the object that you saved last.

“Shouldn’t matter if you are exporting the textures along with the objects, or what resolution you are using for the sculptmap. Make sure that the initial object naem doesn’t contain any # signs. zBrush likes to use the # in duplicated objects. All those numbers and other things in the name of the exported scultpmaps are there for the SculptyRezzer to use when reassembling the object. No need to make any changes to the names after exporting.

Have you tried exporting just a simple, single object to make sure that your setup is working properly?”

Vlad Bjornson wrote on October 11th, 2008 at 10:50 pm

 

Everytime I try to export the obj file (with multiple subtools, the sculpty maker or zplugin crashes. I’ve tried exporting each of the objects that the makes up the bigger objects. All of the individual pieces export just fine. I am working with more than the 32/33 division. Is that the problem?

Kala Bijoux wrote on November 18th, 2008 at 10:07 pm

 

Kala: Hmm. Seems odd that they you can convert them individually but not as a whole. There is a limit to the number of vertices that SculptyMaker can handle at one time, maybe taken altogether the objects are too detailed? If you are using SubDivision levels you could try making sure that they are all at their lowest division level. You might try using the SubTool Master plugin to merge the subtools before exporting. That is no longer recquired, but it’s worth a shot.

Vlad Bjornson wrote on November 18th, 2008 at 11:45 pm

 

I think it has to do with the number of vertices, yes. I did try the merge, but that didn’t work. Next time I’ll be sure to make my base models 32/33 and then make the polymesh 3D then subdivide up. I have an easier time working with the higher mesh objects, but now can’t make the mesh any lower. Thank you for your help again :)

Kala Bijoux wrote on November 19th, 2008 at 12:50 pm

 

I realized what I was doing wrong - and I feel pretty silly, but I will share this in case someone else has the same problem.

Make sure you install or create a folder called Zsculpty Maps - or the zscript won’t work and will crash zbrush.

Kala Bijoux wrote on November 19th, 2008 at 5:58 pm

 

Awesome, glad you got it working, Kala. Thanks for sharing your solution. :) I’ll make a note of it for next time I update the SculpyMaker help page.

Vlad Bjornson wrote on November 19th, 2008 at 10:00 pm

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