Zbrush releases have always been non-annual / random, unlike most other 3D apps. They'll show it when they think it's ready. Personally I just hope we get an overhaul of the UI. The current one has become so bloated that if it gets many more buttons and sliders crammed in it may collapse into a singularity.
I would love to see some UI updates but at the same time, a complete overhaul would mean we all kind of have to relearn it, haha. It would probably be for the best, though. I'm fine with it as is, but would like to see far better layer support (with folders, obviously). I'd also like to see polypaint layers be separate from regular sculpt layers. have had way too many annoying moments with them mixed in with one another, and polypaint auto applying, or it auto filling with black, etc etc. It's a mess.
better painting in general could be nice. so would an improvement to their topology tools. They're archaic when compared to 3dcoat, maya, and especially Topogun. I'd love to stay in ZB as long as possible but a lot of their tools are not at the level needed to convince me to stay within the program.
about the changing brush size thing. I usually use spacebar drag,it's quick and it auto closes, the only problem is spacebar opens a massive menu, and I tend to sculpt towards the bottom of the screen so more often than not i'm changing focal accidentally or toggling other options since the menu will be stopped by the bottom of the canvas. I've tried using S instead but the difference is it does not auto close, so you have to move your mouse out of the way for it to register. I'm not really sure why the functionality is different than that of spacebar, as it's rather annoying and has turned me off from using 's' at all even though it's far more compact. Hopefully zadjustor works well, but honestly I really prefer this stuff to be built in then needing to append a bunch of outside tools.
but in general I'm excited to see what they bring to the table, pixologic always seems to have a lot of new goodies with each release. 5 seems like it would be the most appropriate time to get a UI overhaul but I wouldn't be surprised to see 4r8 first because fuck you. hehehe.
I use this, mainly for Photoshop. It's amazing and I would highly recommend it. I don't have a tabletpc so I have the panel disabled, I just use it for the pie menu. Sadly it's unclear as to whether or not it is still in development, the developer mentioned in a blog post that he had lost much of the recent source code for the program while moving.
That being said I haven't encountered many bugs.
Wacom also has its own pie menu software if you own a recent tablet, unfortunately it's a pile of shit in my opinion.
Would be nice if Pixologic took the route of other windows programs and give Zbrush a ui overhaul to make it feel like its from the same environment. The UI in Zbrush just seems overbloated and clunky.
a clean modern UI... sort of amazing how intimidating zbrush can be just on the basis of its UI, when in reality its not that hard to learn. Just takes a lot of poking around.
I just want something that doesn't constantly crash.
would that be the 64bits version by any chance? i think i made that crash once just by squinting at the desktop icon. still on 4R6 for stability reasons.
Whats wrong with the UI? Sure when you start is really weird but i find it unique and fun to work with, specially when you customize it.
accessibility. It's very off putting and difficult to learn initially. being used to it, sure, whatever. but it's a big issue for when you're trying to attract new users.
i dont understand why ppl complain about the ui, i know the whole UI like my hand i remeber every slider every selection, its just takes time i believe the UI is perfect and easy, i think people are afraid to learn the UI because it seems to be a lot to learn when actualy it isnt, i dont even use costum UI and i work realy fast
Mirror: Tool > Deformation > Mirror Mirror and Weld: Tool > Geometry > Modify Topology > Mirror and Weld
WHYYYYY
I have a custom UI setup for hard surface stuff and it works beautifully but man the default UI isn't great. I don't understand how you could work quickly without a custom UI unless you're just sculpting the majority of the time.
to me zbrush is a perfect example when a bunch of genius coders realize their idea in an artistic product, the output is beautiful while the workflow takes quite some getting used to.
I hope they DONT change the UI. Those hours better go into something of actual value Sure, the UI is not the most streamlined UX in the world, but with the level of customization, I don't need anything changed, personally. Set up a few brush hotkeys, and a hotkey for a custom menu, and you barely even need to have the cursor leave the canvas again.
Viewport (canvas) navigation. I have 3dmax set up to pan, zoom and orbit on keys 1,2,3 like cinema they activate with one press which stays until you click a hotkey for another function. ZBrush students find this way easier than the cntrl alt combo (we use GoZ straight away to scale the export from z and set up the pendel between z and max).
Hopefully, they didn't announce anything at the one last year. They aren't tied to announcing releases at any particular time, so when it is close to being done I guess they choose the closest relevant conference/event for the reveal (GDC, Siggraph etc...).
The UI is what business types refer to as a "bar to entry." This is a good business model if you're trying to limit the number of users but not if you're trying to build your user base. If the UI were better (and I don't think there is any custom configuration that can cure all its woes) and you didn't have to trick the software into doing what seems to me to be some basic stuff, this would be the killer app in lots of industries. I feel like Zbrush is stuck with some paradigms dating back to its roots and that a teardown that made for a more navigable interface and fewer crashes would help to insure its longterm survival. I know a lot of people defend the UI but I have to say that after years and years of smoke, that there is indeed a fire.
this would be the killer app in lots of industries
It has become such standart already. Game art, movie industry, digital art in general and visual-oriented 3d printing (not technical). There are no alternatives feature-wise, nothing even close. Yes UI is oldfashioned, but it is super simple. UI overhaul would be cool
Maybe also changing some basica features that are activated by standard. I know some of them are there for a reason and from heritage...but the majority is now using it for it's sculpting and not for illustration, so maybe push the illustration only stuff into a seperate submenu and run the whole thing for sculpting first. Like putting the whole thing into edit from the start to avoid us (me) going nuts with my pen just to realise that i just drew 50 Squares and can't get to edit without performing a sacred ritual.
Maybe also changing some basica features that are activated by standard. I know some of them are there for a reason and from heritage...but the majority is now using it for it's sculpting and not for illustration, so maybe push the illustration only stuff into a seperate submenu and run the whole thing for sculpting first. Like putting the whole thing into edit from the start to avoid us (me) going nuts with my pen just to realise that i just drew 50 Squares and can't get to edit without performing a sacred ritual.
haha, yep, I do that too, way to often xD
another thing thats bugging me is that zbrush isnt really technically a "window" in the way your OS sees it. its just some sort of weird fullscreen app thats on top of your desktop.
The UI is my main gripe with zbrush. You get used to it but it's so easy to forget how things work when you don't use zbrush daily which is a recurring theme for me since i only get to sculpt every now and then.
I for one like that Zbrush's UI looks like the kind of UI an episode of CSI about 3D modelling would depict. In fact, bring back the goofy spinning mesh map generation.
It's not so much the user interface as the user experience. Zbrush has its own concepts and implementations which radically deviate from and are inferior to the standards of all other 3D software worth mentioning.
The reason you are able to use Mudbox (unfortunately a long-abandoned and now largely irrelevant program) without reading any documentation is that it's based on concepts we're already familiar with instead of reinventing the wheel. Brush, layers, objects, sub-objects and scenes. We already know what these things are and how they behave, no need to refer to documentation of any kind.
Even the absolute best ZBrush artists remind me of authors who use the hunt-and-peck method of typing or someone who uses the trackpad instead of a tablet pen. There are people who are perfectly happy working like that. Whether or not they push for improved efficiency, they would still benefit from it.
So true man. I can't tell you how many times I get frustrated by the simple things... like how file is NOT the top leftmost menu item and I have to hunt for it everytime because I forget that the menu items are all alphabetical. The only reason I love/use zbrush so much is because I customized it enough to the point where I can just use 6 or 7 keys for 90% of everything I do. (no other software has brushes that work as well as zbrush's imo)
Viewport (canvas) navigation. I have 3dmax set up to pan, zoom and orbit on keys 1,2,3 like cinema they activate with one press which stays until you click a hotkey for another function. ZBrush students find this way easier than the cntrl alt combo (we use GoZ straight away to scale the export from z and set up the pendel between z and max).
Why not just use middle mouse and alt-middle mouse to pan/zoom, then the scroll wheel to zoom? I can understand (sorta) if your using a mouse which is awkward to click the middle button, but if thats the case, i'd give another mouse like the logitech anywhere mx mouse a try, setting very easy to press button right behind the wheel to middle mouse click. How do you switch between vertex/line/face mode?
The reason you are able to use Mudbox
(unfortunately a long-abandoned and now largely irrelevant program)
without reading any documentation is that it's based on concepts we're
already familiar with instead of reinventing the wheel. Brush, layers,
objects, sub-objects and scenes. We already know what these things are
and how they behave, no need to refer to documentation of any kind.
Even
the absolute best ZBrush artists remind me of authors who use the
hunt-and-peck method of typing or someone who uses the trackpad instead
of a tablet pen. There are people who are perfectly happy working like
that. Whether or not they push for improved efficiency, they would still
benefit from it.
Viewport (canvas) navigation. I have 3dmax set up to pan, zoom and orbit on keys 1,2,3 like cinema they activate with one press which stays until you click a hotkey for another function. ZBrush students find this way easier than the cntrl alt combo (we use GoZ straight away to scale the export from z and set up the pendel between z and max).
Why not just use middle mouse and alt-middle mouse to pan/zoom, then the scroll wheel to zoom? I can understand (sorta) if your using a mouse which is awkward to click the middle button, but if thats the case, i'd give another mouse like the logitech anywhere mx mouse a try, setting very easy to press button right behind the wheel to middle mouse click. How do you switch between vertex/line/face mode?
The reason you are able to use Mudbox
(unfortunately a long-abandoned and now largely irrelevant program)
without reading any documentation is that it's based on concepts we're
already familiar with instead of reinventing the wheel. Brush, layers,
objects, sub-objects and scenes. We already know what these things are
and how they behave, no need to refer to documentation of any kind.
Even
the absolute best ZBrush artists remind me of authors who use the
hunt-and-peck method of typing or someone who uses the trackpad instead
of a tablet pen. There are people who are perfectly happy working like
that. Whether or not they push for improved efficiency, they would still
benefit from it.
Yeah, I have never been able to use the middle mouse button properly for viewport navigation. I have always had logitech mice and you had to practically stand on the MMB to get it to click. A real drama. You want to be able to flick around in 3d space. Having to push so hard also makes the scene wobble which I dont like. Its much quicker to hit a hotkey, do your thing, then right click to back out of the nav function. I thought it was just me but people who have never used ZB or max have the same experience immediately. I have seen it time and again. ZB navigation is awkward. There are some programs I use like Marvelous Designer where you seem to have to use MMB (you can change the hotkeys but you are restricted to inconvenient combos) so I have to remap my pen clicks each time I use them. Sometimes you are using 2 apps in tandem,... like ZB and a modelling app. Not being able to customize nav keys to be the same interrupts the flow. I get that the nav keys in ZB are kind of core, but it would be nice if they weren't.
As far as MudBox goes: I have tried each new version over the years because artists make very good products with it. I cant use it, its way too slow and simple functions like masking and changing div levels is just awful. But that is personal preference. I'd say the ease of use (and it is only the simple interface) is nowhere near worth sacrificing the ease of actual sculpting/modelling you get with ZBrush.
Replies
Maybe people in the beta know more but I don't know that they can discuss it until it is officially announced.
Personally I just hope we get an overhaul of the UI. The current one has become so bloated that if it gets many more buttons and sliders crammed in it may collapse into a singularity.
Photoshop has a held shortcut that creates a 2D axis where if you drag on x it adjusts size and on y it changes hardness.
http://www.zbrushcentral.com/showthread.php?182163-ZAdjustor-v2-0-UPDATE-gt-v2-0-for-WIN-OSX
http://exoside.com/
Havent used it myself, but I know of people who love it.
Try this
https://ztrol.com/
Not out yet, but I got into beta by simply asking
better painting in general could be nice. so would an improvement to their topology tools. They're archaic when compared to 3dcoat, maya, and especially Topogun. I'd love to stay in ZB as long as possible but a lot of their tools are not at the level needed to convince me to stay within the program.
about the changing brush size thing. I usually use spacebar drag,it's quick and it auto closes, the only problem is spacebar opens a massive menu, and I tend to sculpt towards the bottom of the screen so more often than not i'm changing focal accidentally or toggling other options since the menu will be stopped by the bottom of the canvas. I've tried using S instead but the difference is it does not auto close, so you have to move your mouse out of the way for it to register. I'm not really sure why the functionality is different than that of spacebar, as it's rather annoying and has turned me off from using 's' at all even though it's far more compact. Hopefully zadjustor works well, but honestly I really prefer this stuff to be built in then needing to append a bunch of outside tools.
but in general I'm excited to see what they bring to the table, pixologic always seems to have a lot of new goodies with each release. 5 seems like it would be the most appropriate time to get a UI overhaul but I wouldn't be surprised to see 4r8 first because fuck you. hehehe.
http://radialmenu.weebly.com/
That being said I haven't encountered many bugs.
Wacom also has its own pie menu software if you own a recent tablet, unfortunately it's a pile of shit in my opinion.
still on 4R6 for stability reasons.
+ painting on uv's :')
being used to it, sure, whatever. but it's a big issue for when you're trying to attract new users.
3rd'd'd
Mirror + Mirror and Weld
Mirror: Tool > Deformation > Mirror
Mirror and Weld: Tool > Geometry > Modify Topology > Mirror and Weld
WHYYYYY
I have a custom UI setup for hard surface stuff and it works beautifully but man the default UI isn't great. I don't understand how you could work quickly without a custom UI unless you're just sculpting the majority of the time.
Sure, the UI is not the most streamlined UX in the world, but with the level of customization, I don't need anything changed, personally.
Set up a few brush hotkeys, and a hotkey for a custom menu, and you barely even need to have the cursor leave the canvas again.
haha, yep, I do that too, way to often xD
another thing thats bugging me is that zbrush isnt really technically a "window" in the way your OS sees it. its just some sort of weird fullscreen app thats on top of your desktop.
Even the absolute best ZBrush artists remind me of authors who use the hunt-and-peck method of typing or someone who uses the trackpad instead of a tablet pen. There are people who are perfectly happy working like that. Whether or not they push for improved efficiency, they would still benefit from it.
As far as MudBox goes: I have tried each new version over the years because artists make very good products with it. I cant use it, its way too slow and simple functions like masking and changing div levels is just awful. But that is personal preference. I'd say the ease of use (and it is only the simple interface) is nowhere near worth sacrificing the ease of actual sculpting/modelling you get with ZBrush.