Best Pixologic ZBrush Tips 2025
Pixologic ZBrush is a digital sculpting program that integrates 3D/2.5D modeling, texturing and painting in one application. It is the industry standard for digital content development and design visualization, with millions of users worldwide. The Pixologic ZBrush environment is based on a modular color system and allows users to import and export models for use in games and other digital art applications. Pixologic has also included Create mode, allowing artists to create their brushes from scratch easily or modify pre-made brushes. This way, they can become their brush maker on the fly.
The Pixologic ZBrush started in 1999 and was formally launched for PC and Mac in 2009. The software is hugely powerful and can be used as a complete 3D sculpting program or just as a retopology tool. The software has many features to aid in sculpting models and meshes. Pixologic ZBrush has many built-in controls and tools that complement the sculpting workflow. These include: brushes, fill tools, cloning, symmetry, and even a dynamic lighting toolset.
Pixologic ZBrush Free Practice Test Online
How to maintain shape when subdividing in ZBrush?
Before subdividing, uncheck smoothing in the geometry panel. Maybe don’t disable it every time you subdivide; experiment and find what works best for you. As soon as you disable smoothing, it does not change your mesh; it will only affect the level of detail when your model is rendered in Pixologic ZBrush or exported in another format. Disabling smoothing before subdivision prevents detailed errors and makes the process much smoother. You’ll end up with a lot finer details and more defined shapes if you turn off the smooth option before subdividing.
Pixologic ZBrush Flip Horizontally
Hold A while dragging the item into position, or pick it with the select tool. There is a “Mirror” button in the tool. To mirror the item, choose the axis and hit the button. Look at the bottom bar of the screen; depending on the tool used, it will offer you hints. Flipping an item horizontally means that everything is mirrored on the X-axis. Flipping an item vertically down (Z-axis) means everything is mirrored on the Y-axis.
Best Video Card for ZBrush
The video card is the brain behind your computer graphics. A powerful video card gives you the ability to hold higher resolutions, enabling clearer and more detailed graphics. The best video card for ZBrush will be one that can deal with its high system requirements for the best results. First, it should have a powerful GPU like the NVIDIA GeForce or AMD Radeon cards. If you are using a Mac computer, your integrated Intel graphics card is powerful enough because you will not be able to run Windows anyway. Second, the best video card for ZBrush will be one that has plenty of memory or VRAM (Video Random Access Memory). This is because ZBrush uses large textures, which are stored in the VRAM, so make sure that your video card has plenty of it to handle large textures. Finally, ensure it has enough memory to handle the ZBrush software.
Pixologic ZBrush Projection Detail
In Pixologic ZBrush, projection detail is a powerful way to create high-resolution detail and shading. With projection detail, you can add just the right amount of depth without too much geometry. The detail will be more detailed and shaded with projection detail, as opposed to if you modeled the detailed geometry by hand. When the Projection switch is turned on, the detail from an underlying mesh is projected onto a new mesh built from a topology. This is meant to enable sculpting to be transferred from an original mesh to a retopologized version of that mesh. Projection detail is most effective for organic or round forms and for adding surface definition like veins and spines, fur, feathers, and many other surfaces.
ZBrush vs Blender
Both ZBrush and Blender are powerful software programs for modeling and sculpting. They are also both used in the modeling and production industries. Still, there are a few crucial differences between the two that you should be aware of before determining which is best for you.
                  ZBrush |                     Blender |
It is licensed and accessible to its users. | It is freely accessible to its users and is licensed under the General Public License. |
It can manage poly counts 10-50 times higher than the blender. | It is best suited for smaller sculpting projects with low poly counts. |
It is compatible with operating systems such as Windows and OS X. | It is compatible with Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, and Windows. |
Its users usually utilize it for sculpting. | It is utilized for character sculpting, texturing, animation, camera tracking, rendering graphics, and composition. |
You may export your ZBrush model or settings to use in another software or third-party extensions. | Its disadvantage is that many features that can be patched with third-party addons cannot be done here. |
Choosing the best 3D modeling software might be difficult. It is essential to do some research to select the program that best meets your requirements.
Invert Mask ZBrush
A mask is a section of your model protected from sculpting, painting, and so on. Masks are only available in 3D Edit mode. Hold down the Ctrl key to invert a mask and click on the canvas outside the model. Inverting the mask when the item is unmasked is a simple approach to masking a whole object.
Pixologic ZBrush Core
ZBrushCore is essentially a beginner’s version of ZBrush. It delivers a user-friendly view into the complete ZBrush 3D sculpting and painting experience at a fraction of the cost. It was designed to provide anybody with access to digital sculpting software, even if they have never captured or painted in 3D before. You can sculpt, paint, and create almost anything with it. However, the program is limited in some ways and does not have many features like ZBrush.
How to add more polygons in ZBrush?
To add more polygons in ZBrush, choose Tools and then Modifiers. To boost the ante on your mesh, go to Deformations and click Divide. Then just build a new texture at a suitable resolution to meet your requirements. Note that a larger polygon count will not result in a better texture. Adding additional features to the texture is to utilize a bigger texture size, which allows for more texture area per polygon.
How to fill hole in ZBrush?
To fill a hole in ZBrush, go to Tool, then look for Geometry. Click the Modify Topology and then click Close Holes. It is only applicable to models with no sub-division levels. For older versions of ZBrush, go to Tool/Geometry and choose the Make Planar operation. This will turn your model into a plane. After that, use the Move Topological Brush to replicate and close the holes.
Pixologic ZBrush Polygroups
Polygroups are more than a method of allocating groups of polygon faces to a selection. By concealing additional polygons and grouping the visible polygons, you may create a Polygroup. Alternatively, you may mask off a region and group the resulting polygons. In either case, the goal is to generate a selection of polygons that can then be edited. Polygroups are especially useful when working with the Subdivide and Smooth brushes. By editing the base mesh before subdividing, you can have much more control over how the subdivided mesh will look.
How to save ZBrush project?
Pixologic ZBrush creates a single file containing all the loaded Tools, canvas document information, timeline animation, and others when saving a project. To save a project, go to the File palette, select Save, or press Ctrl/Command+S on the keyboard. You may start a new project from the same place or by pressing Ctrl/Command+O. Please remember that when you launch a project, any 3D tools presently loaded will be erased.
ZBrush how to make holes?
To make holes in ZBrush, mask the places you wish to put holes in, invert the selection, and then choose extract under subtools. This will generate a new subtool with the specified pieces as holes. You can then use the transpose line or other deformation tools to position the holes. If you need to resize the holes, use the scale or resize brushes. If you need to rotate the holes, use the rotate brush. Finally, choose “delete hidden” under the subtool menu if you wish to delete the holes.
Pixologic ZBrush Rotate Camera
In contrast to Photoshop, you may sketch and then modify a 3D model. You can resize, move, and rotate it as it’s being altered. You may move it with the Alt key. You may scale the model by holding Alt, clicking off the model, holding while releasing Alt, and then dragging the mouse. You can only have one editable model at a time. While the model is being modified, you may freely move, scale, and rotate it. The model is moving, not the camera.
Pixologic ZBrush Core Mini
The ZBrushCoreMini is intended for beginner artists of all ages, with a simple interface that allows anybody to hop straight in and start sculpting without having to spend time learning a plethora of menus, palettes, and settings. ZBrushCoreMini is a free version of ZBrushCore that was published in June 2020. It has fewer capabilities than ZBrushCore but still lets you use the engraving brush, which is the core feature of ZBrush. The main reason for being a free product is to show what others can achieve when given a chance and to raise awareness about ZBrushCore. Another main reason is that using it helps the development of ZBrushCore, as artists directly help in testing and reporting issues.
ZBrush Question and Answers
ZBrush will display a new piece of geometry based on your mask when you select Tool > SubTool > Extract. To construct a new SubTool with this new geometry, click Accept. Important! The masking from the original SubTool will be maintained by ZBrush.
For non-commercial use, it is absolutely, totally free. It does require a User ID to access, but you won’t be required to enter your credit card information or go through a checkout procedure.
Tools>Modifiers>Deformations> Divide to make your mesh more challenging. Simply design a new texture with the appropriate resolution to suit your needs.
The monthly starting price for ZBrush is $39.95. ZBrush only offers one plan, ZBrush, which costs $39.95 per month.
The most sophisticated 3D sculpting software is called ZBrush. It differs from other 3D tools because ZBrush simulates conventional sculpting methods using computer-based digital processes.
To view the UVs, select “Morph to UV” under the Tool>UV Subpalette.
The layer you’ve chosen will be merged down into the layer just below it when you press the Merge Down button.
 To delete it, simply mask it off and flip the mask so that the area is “white.” Then, choose TOOLS>MODIFIERS>SELECTION and either click Delete Points or Hide Points.
You can directly paint colors onto a mesh’s polygons by selecting the Colorize Mesh button. By hitting this button, the selected SubTool will be automatically filled with white if no polypaint has been applied. By pushing this button after polypainting, you can turn on and off the polypainted color display. The paintbrush icon in the SubTool list activates/deactivates Colorize.
- Â Download the setup files and software for ZBrush floating license on your PC.Â
- Following the completion of the downloads, use File Explorer, navigate to Downloads, and double-click the ZBrush 2025.6.2 FL Installer.exe file (the name might vary slightly).Â
- Do you wish to enable this software to make changes to your device? if you see the User Account Control prompt. choose Yes.Â
- Choose Next on the initial installation screen.Â
- After carefully reading the end user licensing agreement, click I accept the agreement to acquiesce to its terms, and then click Next.Â
- Click Next on the installation directory screen.Â
- Select Next after using the default settings or after selecting the components you want to install.
Use ZRemesher to reduce the polycount.
- Â From the Brush palette, choose the Move brush. The simplest method is to hit B to open the Brush pop-up palette, then click M and V on the keyboards.Â
- There should already be symmetry active. If it isn’t, simply select Transform > Activate Symmetry to enable it. It will by default be across the X axis. On either side of your sphere, there ought to be two red dots. We’ll refer to this as the front view.Â
- Turn the model to the side. As you rotate it towards the side view, press Shift to bring it to a full orthographic perspective.
- We will establish the major angle of the face and pull out the jaw using the Move brush.
- Turn the model around so you are viewing it from the front.Â
- Flatten the cranium’s sides inward using the Move brush.
- It might be advantageous to have more geometry available at this time. Set the SDiv slider under Tool > Geometry at 2. (You may add more subdivision levels if the mesh did not already have them by selecting Tool > Geometry > Divide.)Â
- By pressing the B-S-T keys on the keyboard, you can choose the Standard brush from the Brush palette. You can just use the Standard brush for this phase. The key forms we can look to add at this time are shown by the white lines.Â
- To sculpt your model, hold ALT and click while dragging your brush around the figure’s surface. To restore volume to your model, release ALT. To smooth out your model, press Shift while brushing on it.
- Press ALT to cut into the sculpture, SHIFT to smooth it out, and ALT to add volume as you continue to sculpt your model.
The Tool > Geometry sub-palette has controls for subdivision.
Your current serial number is used by ZBrush 2020. To upgrade, kindly follow these instructions.
- Â Turn off your antivirus program. Windows Defender is incorporated here. This step must be followed carefully or the installer may become corrupt and stop working mid-installation.Â
- Log in and visit My Licenses. Please consult the notice below if you experience login loops.Â
- Select the Download ZBrush 2020 option. (You DO NOT require a license upgrade. You can use your current license key with ZBrush 2020.)Â
- Prior to downloading, select your platform and location.
To use this tool, simply click on the Simple Brush tool located in the ZBrush tool panel, select the desired shape from the drop-down menu, then click on the canvas area and drag the mouse while holding the click to create the desired shape.
If a model’s top subdivision level is not currently active or visible, you can delete it. Alternate subdivision levels can be seen by pressing the Page Up and Page Down buttons. When the model is highlighted, choose Mesh > Delete Highest Level.
Tools>Modifiers>Deformations> Divide to make your mesh more challenging. Simply design a new texture with the appropriate resolution to suit your needs.
Learning ZBrush is fairly accessible thanks to the abundance of community resources that are offered for free or at a low cost. Start with introductory tutorials available for free online.
In order to polypaint your model, you must:
- To support the detail you want to paint, make sure there are enough polygons.
- In the Tool > Polypaint sub-palette, select Colorize.
- To prevent shaping your model as you paint, turn off Zadd and ZSub.
- Turn RGB on and increase RGB Intensity to 100.
- Choose a color, then paint.
Press CTRL + W to create a new polygroup of any masked region. Any area that is hidden will become a new polygroup.
ZRemesher is the easiest and fastest method for retopologizing a model. It only takes a few clicks to tell ZBrush how many polygons you want. ZRemesher is located under Tool > Geometry.
Go to the File palette and select Save, or press Ctrl/Command+S on the keyboard, to save a project. By pressing Ctrl/Command+O or at the same position, you can open a project. Please be aware that any 3D Tools that are presently loaded will be deleted when a project is opened!
Activate Symmetry by pressing Transform >. You should set Tool > Geometry > SDiv to the highest resolution you intend to sculpt at. Depending on the axis of the topology you wish to reflect your actions across, press X, Y, or Z. Select Poseable Symmetry under Transform.
ZBrush is not available for iPad
There aren’t any sales on ZBrush.
To include a new SubTool in the list, click Append. Select the model from the pop-up menu that appears, and it will be added at the end of the list.
Numerous pictures and patterns can be found in the texture palette. Textures can be applied during painting or to the surface of a 3D object. By importing pictures from disk files or plucking them from the canvas, you can add textures to this palette (using the MRGBZGrabber Tool). Any Texture can also be exported as an image file in a number of different formats.
Unlock the lock, click the unmasked mesh center, and confirm that the pivot is centered on the mesh (make sure symmetry is not on.)
Click the house button to unlock the lock and center the pivot on the planet.
To modify the color of the canvas’s backdrop in ZBrush. Click the Back button in the Document Palette (as shown below). To select a color in the program, drag it over it while keeping the left mouse button depressed.
Hold the Alt key while dragging to select shaded or material colors. In addition, ZBrush will select the canvas or interface color just below the cursor whenever you press the C key.
Click the “Enable Customize” switch in the Config sub-palette of the Preferences palette. You’ll notice that the ZBrush UI’s top and bottom spacing have changed somewhat. Once this is finished, you can begin introducing, eliminating, or rearranging objects.
- Launch the Pixologic Deactivation Manager application from your ZBrush folder. The button available in Zplugin >> Deactivation is another option.Â
- Click the Deactivate option after selecting the ZBrush license from the list of activated applications (1).
- When prompted, select OK. After a short while, you will receive a notification from the server informing you that ZBrush has been successfully deactivated. ZBrush will then immediately be disabled. Then, the window will close.
Simply hold CTRL while dragging on any visible portion of the page at any time throughout this sculpting (and as frequently as you like). Your DynaMesh will be immediately retopologized by ZBrush to restore a consistent geometry distribution.
Using the Export button in the Tool panel, you may export your model straight from ZBrush. You can also utilize the 3D Printing Exporter or GoZ. Regardless of the method you choose, you might want to export texture maps along with your model to preserve all the color and detail you made in ZBrush.
Build UVs at the lowest level, then move up to the highest level to create your polypaint’s texture. Simply put: Not every software will import polypaint information, but Zbrush exports it rather readily.
You could use Ctrl+W to make a polygroup out of the mask, which you could then hide by Ctrl+Shift+clicking on it twice.
ZBrushCore can import and export 3D models in the following formats: Import Use the Import button on the Tool palette’s top bar.
Make all of the SubTools that need to be remeshed visible by selecting all of them from the Tool > SubTool menu. SubTools that are invisible or hidden will not be used in this procedure. Change the settings in the Remesh All section to suit your needs, then click the Remesh All button to create a new SubTool.
Make all of the SubTools that need to be remeshed visible by selecting all of them from the Tool > SubTool menu. SubTools that are invisible or hidden will not be used in this procedure. Change the settings in the Remesh All section to suit your needs, then click the Remesh All button to create a new SubTool.
Press the Init ZBrush button at the top of the Preferences palette to restart ZBrush.
ZRemesher is the easiest and fastest method for retopologizing a model. It only takes a few clicks to tell ZBrush how many polygons you want. ZRemesher is located under Tool > Geometry. Since the input number is in thousands, entering five will yield about 5,000 polygons.
Holding the SHIFT key while turning causes the canvas to revolve in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. Holding the SHIFT key while clicking this button causes the item to snap to the closest 90-degree angles. By clicking and dragging outside the object’s surface, you can also rotate the object.
To reverse the most recent editing operation, click the Tool Undo button. This button only functions to undo editing (sculpting) operations on a 3D object when it is in the Transform or Edit modes. Up until you close ZBrush, each sculpted 3D object has its own collection of undos and redos.
Log in and select the ZBrushCore tab under My Licenses. You would select the Upgrade to ZBrush Pro button there.
By pressing the shortcut Shift+Z or the Turn On SpotLight button in the Texture palette, you can turn SpotLight on and off. Press Z on your keyboard to launch 3D Paint mode and start painting. SpotLight will return when you press Z once more, allowing you to make more adjustments to the material.
There are three ways to buy ZBrush based on your requirements. Perpetual licenses, which you purchase once and can use forever, are the most popular choice. We promise free updates for a year starting from the date of license purchase when new versions are released.
The only product with subscription license is ZBrush. All other software is still only accessible through perpetual licenses.
Yes. Beginners should use Zbrush. It’s a great program to learn with despite the first challenge of the challenging user interface because you can sculpt and create models with little to no knowledge of topology.
Zbrush’s user interface makes it challenging, but because it focuses mostly on modeling and sculpting, there is less fundamental knowledge to acquire.
It is very worthwhile to learn Zbrush. It is an extremely useful piece of software that is also industry standard. It should be used in conjunction with other programs like Blender or Maya rather than as a replacement in order to achieve excellent results more quickly. It’s a fantastic piece of software whether you want to pursue a profession as a 3D designer or just use it sometimes. In addition to being a lot of fun.
With the help of the DynaMesh tool in ZBrush, you may alter the shape of a model and the program will instantly determine the best topology for the modified mesh. Working with DynaMesh removes a lot of limitations, allowing you to significantly alter the geometry of your model, deconstruct it, and then rebuild it in several seamless combinations.
ZBrush 2025.6.
ZBrushCore is essentially a beginner’s edition of ZBrush. It offers a convenient look into the whole ZBrush 3D sculpting and painting experience and is inexpensive. With the strong capabilities of ZBrush streamlined for ease of use, this tool is designed for beginners.
The chance that you’ve seen something with artwork created in ZBrush is very high because the tool is used to build high-resolution 3D models for movies, video games, and special effects. Professional video game and film production companies use ZBrush frequently.
Zbrush Core is a scaled-down version of the complete Zbrush software. It contains all of Zbrush’s essential features—such as the ability to sculpt—without some of the more sophisticated ones.
The Live Boolean switch is conveniently located to the left of the Edit mode button in the ZBrush UI by default. All Boolean operations are converted to a new Tool using the Make Boolean Mesh function, which can be found in the Tool >> SubTool >> Boolean sub-palette.
Blender is better for more general modeling, whereas ZBrush is better for modeling intricate details. ZBrush is a better choice if you want to make models with plenty of minute details. However, Blender will probably be more useful if you need to make simpler models or don’t require as much detail.
Click the “Check my License” button in ZBrush or ZBrushCore to have your program contact the licensing server. A new window should appear shortly to verify and confirm the activation. Your software will start properly and be available for use after you click the OK button.