ZBrush 2021

ZBrush is an industry standard digital sculpting and painting program built within an elegant interface used by automotive designers, film studios, game developers, toy makers and artists worldwide. With ZBrush, users can manipulate virtual clay in a real-time environment using customisable brushes, all while producing stunning nonrealistic renders for instant feedback.

The menus in ZBrush work together in a non-linear and mode-free method, and the powerful software processing means you can sculpt and paint with millions of polygons with no need for an expensive graphics card.

What's New in ZBrush

ZBrush 2021 expands the library of brushes with XTractor, HistoryRecall and DecoCurve, and also allows you to use the new NoBack&Forth modifier to constrain brush stokes to forward gestures only. In addition to new brushes, the MorphUV feature's capabilities have been expanded to make viewing an unwrapped UV model layout within ZBrush possible. Sculpt & Paint in MorphUV also allows you to apply updates to a 3D model by scultping and painting on the 2D unwrap.

Sculpt & Paint in MorphUV

Now you can PolyPaint and sculpt directly on the UV unwrap of a model, making it easier than ever to apply long continuous strokes across a mesh.

XTractor Brushes

Convert detail from your model into a new alpah or texture using XTractor brushes. All you need to do is drag your brush across the surface of a model to capture the detail, then it can be used elsewhere on the model or even on a different model.

Real-Time Draft Analysis

The From Draft & Real-Time From Draft options give you a fluid approach to preparing models for applications such as two-part molding or CNC printing.

Texture Adjust by Colour

ZBrush 2021 gives you the power to adjust colours using a model's PolyPaint or Texture Map, and lets you restrict the adjustments to specific colour selections.

HistoryRecall

This brush lets you undo actions using the undo history, but restricts the effect to the area in which the brush is used. Now you can undo a section without losing everything else that's been done!

Move Infinite Depth

Apply details to anything directly inline with the cursor by altering your brush. You could add volume to the front and hind legs of a dog or move several vertex points on multiple individual meshes without applying a mask.

Wall Thickness

ZBrush uses PolyPaint to provide a visual representation of what portions of a mesh could benefit from additional thickness before rapid prototyping.

Calculate Surface Area

With a single click, ZBrush can now provide you surface area and volume as well as watertight integrity to help with 3D printing and estimating real-world material requirements.

Real-Time Silhouette View

Looking at your model from a new perspective can help make sure that it works on a fundamental level. Real-Time Silhouette View helps you evaluate the overall shape of a model while still being able to see the fully painted and scultped details in the main document space.

ZeeZoo

Use mannequin sample projects or Zoo Animals included with ZBrush 2021 to find the essence of a great compostion - a good pose! Mannequins are essentially ZSphere armatures that can be readily edited to fit any character or creature you need.

Deco Curve Brush

Stretch both texture and alpha along a curve using the Deco Curve brush, now in 3D.

Features in ZBrush

ZModeler 

 This smart polygonal modeling system is designed to simplify your creation process. Quickly and dynamically create new shapes, doing so more easily than ever before possible: fuse polygons, delete full blocks of geometry, connect parts with advanced paths, and repeat your actions with a single click!

With the ZModeler brush, ZBrush takes a quantum leap beyond the organics that it is already relied upon for. You can refine the shape of your model in real-time to revolutionize how you create hard surface models, architectural structures or highly detailed environments.

Core Functions:

QMesh Action
The ZModeler brush contains most of the common functions found in 3D modeling packages and also has a few smarter ones like the QMesh Action. Not only does this offer you the ability to extrude but also to fuse the extrusion with any adjacent or crossed polygons. Or it can remove blocks of polygons. The QMesh Action will also move pieces of geometry or extract an area to create a new polygonal island. It's versatile and intelligent.

Repeat Last
Because some polygonal modeling actions are repetitive by their very nature, the ZModeler brush stores all settings and values used in your last Action. You can then simply click once on your selection to instantly reproduce that last operation. It works for all ZModeler Actions, saving both time and tedium!

Dynamic Subdivision
Traditional subdivision surfaces allow you to preview a more tessellated version of your model while editing at the base mesh level. Dynamic Subdivision provides a powerful alternative. It is comprised of three internal subdivision systems: QuickGrid, Flat Subdivision and Smooth Subdivision. These systems provide you the ability to create real-time bevel effects on your model or simply view a smooth surface aspect. Since it's dynamic, you can swap between or combine modes, even applying changes to the settings or density at any time!

The ZModeler brush contains thousands of Action and Target combinations, putting astonishing power behind something that is so easy to learn and use. With just a little practice, ZModeler and QMesh will undoubtedly become a new favorite in your arsenal for creating low-res geometry assets in ZBrush.

Instances and Details 

With the new NanoMesh and Array Mesh features, you as the artist can bring more complexity and detail to your work while still maintaining a low polygon count. Both NanoMesh and ArrayMmesh will allow for multiple instances of any object to be created and then adjusted in a matter of seconds.

NanoMesh 
Combined with ZModeler, the new NanoMesh system takes the process of using ZBrush's InsertMesh to a new whole level. The 3D models inserted into a mesh can be populated based on a specific ZModeler Target. This result can then be modified in real time by adding variations to instance scale, offset, angle and multiple alignment options.

If the default variations options are not enough, there is also a random distribution mode that propagates the NanoMeshes in a naturally random way across the surface of the model.

ArrayMesh
ArrayMesh operates in real time as you edit the content of the original mesh or use TransPose action lines to adjust placement, deform the mesh (along with its copies) and much more.

ZBrush also incorporates into this a multiple stage system which will allows you to stack separate Array functions on top of each other. 

Render with Complete Details - Surface Noise

With ZBrush the BPR Render system will now render all Surface Noise as displacement, deforming the mesh to match the attributes of any procedurally created noise. It is like having a displacement map without needing to actually create the map. See extremely detailed results at render time regardless of polygon count. 

The ZBrush Surface Noise capabilities have been improved to support more than one noise source at any given time. Now, whether your noise is a grayscale texture or generated procedurally using the Noise plugin, all sources can be modulated with various mix modifiers and curve functions to create very unique results.

Build your own library of presets and reuse them in future projects to create rich and subtle surface details. It will be impossible for viewers to spot the repeating patterns which are inherent in noise generation systems, which means that your creations will look more real than ever before.

Displacement Rendering
Whether you are using BPR or the ZBrush to KeyShot Bridge, you can now see procedural and texture-created surface noise rendered as displaced geometry. This process is automatic; after designing your noise you no longer need to worry about applying it before you can view the result on your geometry. All you need to do is render! This feature can also be applied to NanoMeshes. 

ZBrush to KeyShot

With the ZBrush to Keyshot Bridge you can seamlessly connect ZBrush with KeyShot to produce hyper-realistic and high quality images. 

The KeyShot to ZBrush Bridge changes your Best Preview Render (BPR) button to instead send your models to KeyShot with a single click. All associated data transfers automatically, including materials, displaced geometries, procedural noise, PolyPaint or textures -- and of course the new NanoMesh and Array Mesh. If ZBrush can display it, KeyShot can render it.

True One-Click Transfer
When the ZBrush to KeyShot Bridge is enabled, KeyShot becomes a substitute for ZBrush's BPR render. Clicking the BPR button in ZBrush will now send all data to KeyShot automatically. You won't need to worry about selecting your models, converting your noise to real geometry, generating displacement maps or anything else. ZBrush will do it all automatically.

ZBrush Data Support
The ZBrush to KeyShot Bridge supports: ZSpheres, ZSketch, MatCaps, PolyMesh 3D, Surface Noise and more. If you can generate it in ZBrush, it can be sent via the ZBrush to KeyShot Bridge!

FBX Import/Export 

To continue improving its integration with the artist’s pipeline, ZBrush introduces a new free plugin: FBX Import Export. This supports texture, normal and displacement maps, blendshapes, smoothing based on normals and more.

Other Enhancements and Additions 

• Replay Last can now be reapplied to any portion of the model. 
• Background images applied with the Grid system can now be projected onto your model for a painted guide in your newest creations. 
• Start any sculpt with the new polygonal Cube, Sphere and Cylinder primitives. 
• Automatically center the TransPose line on any unmasked, partially visible or symmetrical piece of geometry with one click. 
• Copy and Paste between Tools, SubTools and even Projects.