You could try sculpting one, then extracting that as it's own subtool, line it up with the next tentacle and project the detail from the new subtool to the old one. So you could do that for each on one side then smart symmetry to do the other side.
Or, a bit like you said, delete the others and copy the sculpted one as subtools. Then you can use something like the clay brush to blend the bases with the subtool of the main body.
Ah, cheers Mongrelman, the Project All from the extracted tentacle has worked. I've not recalculated the symmetry yet, I'll do all the projections first.
It's also a handy technique for kit-bashing. You can just take a bunch of ztools together, hide all but what you want from each, bring in a new mesh that encompasses them all, then project the detail from all the tools to the new one. Then clean up. Usually storing a morph target before projection is good, as you can then just use the morph brush to fix the bits that went nuts.
I've used this before to transfer clothing folds from one model to a new one and it can save quite a bit of time.
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Or, a bit like you said, delete the others and copy the sculpted one as subtools. Then you can use something like the clay brush to blend the bases with the subtool of the main body.
It's also a handy technique for kit-bashing. You can just take a bunch of ztools together, hide all but what you want from each, bring in a new mesh that encompasses them all, then project the detail from all the tools to the new one. Then clean up. Usually storing a morph target before projection is good, as you can then just use the morph brush to fix the bits that went nuts.
I've used this before to transfer clothing folds from one model to a new one and it can save quite a bit of time.
As a side note, this thread http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/showthread.php?t=58729&highlight=kraken is where a guy used the clay brush to blend different subtools together with no (or barely noticable) seams.
I'm pretty much a tech artists these days, but love picking up packages and learning cool little techniques like this. Punching holes will be next.
And that thread is great - Brandon has got some amazing work posted there.
create one, that you detail, then pose the rig differently to get different shapes