ZBrush FiberMesh and Hair 1 — Questions and Answers

Question 1: What is FiberMesh in ZBrush?

A plugin for importing FBX hair curves from Maya
A system that grows and grooms polygon fiber strands directly on a mesh surface for hair, fur, and grass (Correct answer)
A procedural texture system that simulates fiber weave patterns
A braid and rope generator based on NURBS curves

Correct answer: A system that grows and grooms polygon fiber strands directly on a mesh surface for hair, fur, and grass

FiberMesh is ZBrush's built-in system for generating polygon-based fiber strands grown from a mesh surface, controlled by grooming brushes, used for hair, fur, feathers, grass, and similar organic details.

Activated via Tool > FiberMesh > Preview, it generates strand geometry distributed across the surface (or masked regions). Parameters like length, gravity, coverage, and profile control the initial look. Dedicated Groom brushes (GroomSpikes, GroomLengthen, GroomBlur, etc.) sculpt the fibers into specific hairstyles or fur patterns. The result can be exported as polygon geometry or Guides for use in external grooming tools.

Question 2: How does masking affect FiberMesh fiber generation in ZBrush?

Fibers only grow on unmasked regions of the mesh (Correct answer)
Masking has no effect on fiber placement
Masked regions grow denser fibers
Masking controls fiber color, not placement

Correct answer: Fibers only grow on unmasked regions of the mesh

Masking defines where FiberMesh fibers grow — masked (darker) areas suppress fiber growth while unmasked (white) areas produce full density fibers, allowing precise placement of hair and fur.

Before generating FiberMesh, artists paint a mask on the base mesh — masking the face to prevent facial hair overlap, leaving only the scalp unmasked for head hair. When Preview or Accept is clicked, fibers distribute only on unmasked polygons. Partial masks affect density — a grey partial mask produces sparser fibers. This masking workflow enables precise distribution of eyebrows, lashes, and body hair as separate FiberMesh SubTools.

Question 3: What does the 'Accept' button do in the FiberMesh panel?

Exports the fibers to a .hair file
Converts the FiberMesh preview into a permanent SubTool with full polygon geometry (Correct answer)
Saves the current groom as a preset
Applies a material to the fiber strands

Correct answer: Converts the FiberMesh preview into a permanent SubTool with full polygon geometry

Accept converts the live FiberMesh preview into actual polygon geometry and adds it as a new SubTool in the ZTool, making it editable with sculpting brushes and ready for export.

Before Accept, FiberMesh is a non-destructive preview generated procedurally. Clicking Accept bakes the strand geometry into a new SubTool with actual polygons (typically high poly for dense fur). After Accept, you can continue refining with Groom brushes, apply polypainting, or use Decimation Master before export.

Question 4: What does the 'Coverage' slider in FiberMesh control?

The length of individual fiber strands
The density and number of fibers distributed across the surface (Correct answer)
The thickness (width) of each fiber strand
The amount of gravity applied to the fibers

Correct answer: The density and number of fibers distributed across the surface

Coverage controls how densely fibers are distributed across the mesh — higher coverage means more strands per unit area, producing denser, fuller hair or fur.

Coverage is one of the primary FiberMesh parameters alongside MaxFibers (an absolute count cap). A low coverage value produces sparse, separated strands ideal for stylized eyelashes or grass blades. High coverage simulates dense fur or thick hair. Coverage works together with MaxFibers — if Coverage demands more fibers than MaxFibers allows, density is capped.

Question 5: Which grooming brush in FiberMesh is used to style fibers into flowing directional sweeps, similar to combing hair?

GroomSpikes
GroomHairLong (Correct answer)
GroomBlur
GroomPinch

Correct answer: GroomHairLong

GroomHairLong is designed to comb and sweep long fibers into smooth, directional flows, mimicking the motion of running a comb through hair to establish directional parting and flow.

GroomHairLong works by averaging the orientation of fibers within the brush radius toward the stroke direction. Multiple passes in the same direction progressively align fibers. It creates the smooth, parallel sweeps seen in realistic hair modeling. For shorter styles or spiky effects, GroomSpikes is more appropriate.

Question 6: What does the 'Gravity' parameter in FiberMesh simulate?

The weight of the fiber mesh for physics export
The downward pull on fiber strands, causing natural drooping for longer hair (Correct answer)
The density of fiber strands near the base (roots)
The attraction between adjacent fiber strands

Correct answer: The downward pull on fiber strands, causing natural drooping for longer hair

The Gravity slider in FiberMesh controls how much fibers are pulled downward from their initial growth direction, creating natural drooping and fall for longer hair and fur.

Without Gravity, fibers grow perpendicular to the surface normal — which looks fine for short fur but unnatural for long hair. Increasing Gravity droops the strands downward proportional to their length (longer strands droop more, shorter strands are barely affected). This interacts with the Segments count — more segments are needed to show smooth drooping curves.

ZBrush FiberMesh and Hair 1

What is FiberMesh in ZBrush?