[Zbrush] Weld & Polygroups

zippper4

Hello

So i'm new to Zbrush and i try to follow a tutorial to get the global feeling - workflow of the software.
The thing is that i'm stuck at one point

Let me explain, i just created polygroups (arms+hands / Neck / Head+eyes+nose etc.)  This works: i can select one group to work on it.
But normally when i click on dynamesh (with "group" button on to keep the polygroups) it should remember the polygroups and weld the whole thing into one subtool right? And here it's like all the groups are not "welding" between each others, see the screenshot to understand what i mean:

So my question is:
How can i get them welded seamlessly (without visible joint) so i can continue scultping, could you help me please?  Thanks!

Have a good day,

kanga

Just tested it in zB 2019 and it works. Sort out your polygroups first. Then switch dynamesh on, turn groups off. Then when you do the dynamesh operation the poygroups don't disappear, they just weld the groups into one mesh, but hold the group information. The only way to clear them is to do a group visible operation.

zippper4

@kanga Hello, thanks very much for your fast answer but now i've got other "problems"

So i try what you told me, i didn't check the "groups" box before dynamesh and  only click on "Dynamesh". (with a resolution of 96) And the result is fine all parts are welded, but at some areas it seems like Zbrush didn't make the difference between two polygroups, here a screen so you can see clearly what's going on:


Is there an option to move up the welding precision maybe?

Here is the whole model with each polygroups (Each finger as its own polygroup)

Also something strange i don't understand for now, in the book which i'm following to achieve this woman, the author seem to be able to keep both polygroups AND isolate them fully to sculpt them individually, here a screen of what i want to say:

See in the first screen of the arms, they are like not welded (at least it seems), but in the same time he can weld them as he start to sculpt? (Sorry hard to explain ahah)

As for me it cuts the itinitial mesh (before dynamesh) where the weld is, look:

Well at least your method works but i don't get how he can get this result, got to dig this.

Anyway thanks again have a great day,

cryrid

See in the first screen of the arms, they are like not welded (at least it seems), but in the same time he can weld them as he start to sculpt? 

It looks like they only used dynamesh to fuse the deltoids into the arm, rather than fuse the whole arm (triceps, biceps, deltoids, etc) into the torso. To do this you would first need to separate all the arm components into a different subtool (separate from the rest of the body) before doing any dynameshing. This way you can dynamesh just the arm and nothing else. Then you can visually isolate the arms using Solo mode, or by turning off the visibility of the body subtool. 

As for the fingers:

And the result is fine all parts are welded, but at some areas it seems like Zbrush didn't make the difference between two polygroups, here a screen so you can see clearly what's going on:

First make sure they're not overlapping and touching each other (the ring finger and pinky look like they might be, though that could just be the angle of the screenshot). When you dynamesh, especially at lower resolutions like you're using, you'll want to try and space your digits out so that they won't get fused together. Try having them span out wide as if they're trying to palm a basketball. Once you're done with dynamesh and have it turned off for good then you can always go back and pose the fingers closer together again. 

Alternatively you could use Live Booleans to fuse shapes together with a precision that doesn't rely on any resolution value. You could turn every polygroup into its own subtool and do it that way, or break it into more manageable pieces (maybe separate each finger into its own subtool, dynamesh the cylinders together, then live boolean those back into the hand). Once the pieces are booleaned together I'd use Zremesher to clean things up a bit, but if you plan on dynameshing it later on then you'll still run into the issue where the fingers are too close together. 

zippper4

@cryrid Okay thank you very much for your very long and fast answer that explains everything, i've got to try on my own now, thanks for helping me out!

Good day to you!

kanga

If your problem is that you are loosing too much shape on your subtools when you dynamesh them its because your resolution setting is lower than the writer of the book. Dynamesh works on a resolution you set but if your model size is much smaller than the writer's your resolution will be much lower. The lower your resolution the more shape you loose. That is also the reason why when the writer sculpts on the mesh it appears to be one form, because it is. The more you practice the less important this will be. If you have a general shape you can sculpt from that. The polygroups are only a handy way to show and hide parts of the mesh as you work on them. If you are working on a less powerful (laptop or notebook) machine than the writer then working on a lower resolution will mean you can work more quickly.

Your picture of the whole model looks fine. If they are separate subtools merge them  run dynamesh (with groups off) and start sculpting.

What cryrid wrote about the fingers was right on. Either raise the resolution of your dynamesh or spread the fingers out for sculpting. It doesnt matter if the fingers are separate polygroups, if the resolution of the dynamesh is too low and the meshes are too close they will join.

Have fun!

zippper4

@kanga Hey thanks again for your answer it's more clear now, i've noted everything got to test all of this and moving to the next step!

I'm going to continue my character now. I'll try to move the fingers a little bit too ahah.

Thanks have a nice day!

kanga

Here is a youtube vid I made a while ago that might help.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBnTUDXJhdc

zippper4

@kanga Thanks very much very instructive video!