Fitted horn sockets - Zbrush

Trioxin

Hey Guys,

I need help making fitted sockets for this guys horns. I want to get him 3D printed with the horns separate for molding purposes. I found a tutorial on how to make fitted keys, but it only shows clean slicing of limbs and adding a male and female key to each end. The horns on this are just pulled and sculpted into his head and the same with the skin around them. In other words - it's not an exact socket. I could probably just slice the horns close to his head and add a key, but i was wondering if anyone knew a way to make an exact socket in his head the horns would fit into. Thanks!

JohnnyRaptor

Heres how i usually do it,

mask the horn to where you want the cut border to be, polygroups by mask.

turn on groups on dynamesh and dynamesh the head with the polygroups set up.
this should give you closed meshes where you had defined polygroups.

now you can separate the horns, create the male and female keys etc and it should all fit.

Trioxin

Thanks so much Johnny. I'll give it a whirl

Treece

I think it also depends on what Zbrush you are using. Zbrush 4R6p2 changed slightly with the splitting parts in Dynamesh.

In addition to Johnny's post, you also need to have the paintbrush icon active in the subtool for the parts to split and close. The only problem I find with this method is the edges become rather jaggy. Use to be better in the previous version of Zbrush.


How I go about it now is slice curve where you want the cut, creating 2 polygroups. I would then groups split, creating 2 subtools. With each subtool I would then Close Holes. Merge back down if you want them in the same subtool.

It's a longer process, but I find this method creates cleaner cuts.

Anyway, there's two methods, give it a whirl and see what works best.

JohnnyRaptor

the problem with the slice curve is that it cuts all the way through to the other side, which makes it difficult if your seam isnt straight/identical all around so to say.

something like this for example,


what i usually do to avoid the jaggy edges of masking and polygrouping is to do a grouploops operation to clean up the border edges.

Treece

Johnny

Could you explain your workflow please mate. I'm trying to replicate and I'm still getting jaggy's.

In dynamesh I'm:

1. Masking area.
2. Polygrouping masked area.
3. Group loops.
4. Having to Hide section to group together grouploops and other section, to give 2 parts.
5. Unhiding all.
5. Selecting Groups in dynamesh, paintbrush in subtool
6. Re dynameshing.

Still getting blinking jaggy's. Love to crack this one, cos it's been bugging me for ages.

Cheers

Treece

Scratch that. Think i've seen my problem. Looks like this method is very dependent on dynamesh resolution. Cheers.

Treece

Trioxin

I recollect seeing some videos out there a while ago. This might help you also:

Danko (danko75 on ZBC) has some old but good videos on joint work. You will have to register for free account on his website.

http://www.d3d.it/resources/toys/

Trioxin

Thanks guys