Archive notice: This article was originally published on January 29, 2015. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
Does anyone still remember the middle of last year? There was a ZBrush Summit, teaser videos en masse, interviews with every employee and and and and – actually everything except the software that had been discussed in such detail.
Now it is here – we had already hardly dared to hope, and at first glance R7 does not look bad in some features – but we will only be able to say more in the test in the next DP issue 2015:03. But for now, here is the overview:
ZModeler
ZModeler is the newest brush in ZBrush. According to Pixologic, it consists of a set of polygon modelling tools intended to convert and merge any shape into others – plus an allegedly unique snapping function so that adjacent pieces find each other. Since that is difficult to imagine – here is a video introducing it at Pixologic (in English).
Nanomeshes and Arraymeshes
In combination with ZModeler, the "InsertMesh" function is greatly expanded in the Nanomesh system – the 3D objects inserted into the meshes can be linked to the ZModelerTarget, as well as enriched with additional instances, edited or scaled in real time.
In Arraymesh, on the other hand, existing meshes are duplicated in arrays – i.e. areas – splines / lines are inserted via Transpose Action, along which the meshes are duplicated and by means of which they can also be deformed. These arrays can also be stacked, .i.e. you can feel your way towards the result, or manage different models on top of each other in separate arrays, and even merge them in the array – think, for example, of bicycle chains or caterpillar tracks.
ZBrush Artist: Eric Keller
64-bit Support
ZBrush has now also arrived in the 64-bit world – and can thus draw on the computer’s full performance, runs faster and, at least in theory, more stably.
ZBrush Loves KeyShot
ZBrush now also gets along excellently with KeyShot - with one click you can jump back and forth between the two, and for example view the model directly in KeyShot instead of the preview renderer (from KeyShot version 5). According to Pixologic, all the data is automatically carried along - including materials, geometries, procedural noise, PolyPaints, textures - and of course the new objects generated in Nanomesh / ArrayMesh.
The bridge between the two programmes costs 149 US dollars as a single licence, and is purchased separately. See "Plugins" in the ZBrush shop. Anyone who does not own a full version of KeyShot can obtain a licence through ZBrush – details are still to come.
FBX Import and Export
And like every other tool by now, ZBrush supports the import and export of FBXs. Textures, normal / displacement maps, blendshapes, normal-based smoothing and more are passed on in the container.
Prices and Licences
Floating licences will (hopefully) be available in mid-February. For now, the price of a single-user licence per platform (Win/Mac) is 795 US dollars. Anyone who buys both gets a 50% discount on the second system. And to download R7? This way!
ei
