Please help. Zbrush offset subtool to make tielable sculpt

synergy11

Hello. I have been struggling hard to figure out a solution that I'm sure must exist!

I want to offset my subtool so that I can keep sculpting to make my shapes continous.

See my attached picture. I want to offset this up by it's center to exactly half then down. This way I can use more IMM brushes of my roots to dynamesh them back into the middle of where the seam is.

I've tried Deformation offset and I've tried Position in the Geometry tab. Nothing get's close.

Maybe there is a way easier way of doing this? I know it would most likely work in GOZ as I do this in my 3d app all the time. The problem is the huge poly count of the subtools.

Any input would be great.



and
here is what I am trying to do.
http://www.zbrushcentral.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=171940

Fwap

I might be reading the question wrong, i haven't in over 24 hours so its quite possible.
But it looks like you either have to save that as a sub tool and drop it to 2.5d and make it tile that way.

Or you can use layer offset? but i think that might only effect 2.5d as well
Layer>offset x/y

synergy11

Hello.

Yes that will work in 2.5d. but then I lose the ability to sculpt the ends of the two vines together so it becomes a completely seamless vine that I then can export texture maps for.

There must be a way!

The closest way I found was Tate Mosesians method for creating a seamless IMM brick texture. However I found when I was placing the subtool on my grid on the edges it wasn't working like in his video. I figure because they are more complex shapes then bricks.

http://pixologic.com/zclassroom/homeroom/lesson/environments-with-tate-mosesian/

Anyone have any ideas?

Bartalon

I Fought A Bear made a thread on seamless sculpting using the Brush > WrapMode setting.

http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=126224

synergy11

Yes that technique works great for sculpting planes.

I'm trying to make a tileable sculpt by offsetting my subtools that I then can continue to sculpt and integrate new subtools on the seams.

cryrid

You're going to have to merge the subtools if they're not already a single mesh, duplicate it, and manually offset it with transpose or the deform subpallete until the ends meet (do this for both ends).

If the topology is already in place, then they should all match up well enough that IMM will be able to weld it. If not, then it would be a good time to retopologize the mesh and then slice the mesh to get a seamless piece back.

Irreal

You're gonna have to work in zbrush unified space for the offset function to work correctly. This tutorial was probably the most important zbrush video I ever watched.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e04k4Cz8UBo#t=0

synergy11

Thanks for the responses.

Cryrid: I don't think I'm understanding what you mean.

If you check the pic attached it shows how I would like to offset the merged roots subtool on my zbrush canvas.

The Red square is the plane 3d subtool in the document in zbrush that will be framed up when I'm creating all my maps in zbrush, after I fix the Middle part by Dynameshing in some more Insert meshes of roots. That is why I need to keep the two duplicate roots as separate subtools and not drop them on the canvas. (Please ignore the two roots on the left and right side of the pic)

Irreal: I don't think I can use unified space and the wrap mode feature with this document dimension. I think the document has to be square does it not?

THanks guys.

That is a great video and works wonders when you want to sculpt on a plane.

Irreal

well, if you're in unified space you should still be able to offset your mesh either -50 or +50. Work the mesh on the left side only, don't sculpt past the red plane. When you're happy with it duplicate and offset it +50 and work on the right side. Does that make sense?

shirogatsu

Make 1024x1024 doc. Then in 2.5d mode use tilda(~) and try to drag viewport. You will be quite surprised!

synergy11

Nope.

It's not what I'm trying to do. Using tilde in 2.5d mode will drop my subtool to the canvas in which I can no longer edit it.

Thanks for replying though...

synergy11

Irreal. I'm not quite following what you mean.

So keep my main subtool in the middle of the canvas then offset it -50, sculpt the side that's on the inside of the plane? Move that subtool back to center then offset it +50 then sculpt the other side?

I will try and post my results.

Irreal

Yes, It's not the most elegant solution but it should work. As long as the center point of that subtool is at zero in unified space.

Looking at your image a lot of those vines could be separate subtools. You shouldn't need to have them dynameshed at this point as you're still twisting, turning and wrapping them around each other.