Zbrush Image planes, need help setting up references

Hoopla!

hey pc, looking to set up some image planes behind my ztool for reference. having trouble finding a method will work in zb 3.5r3

i want to have an image plane with my reference art behind my tool so i can sculpt the semi transparent tool to fit the reference. thanks in advance.

cryrid

3.5 R3, I'd make an L-shaped mesh (two planes), slap the texture onto that, and use it as a subtool.

V4, I just use spotlight to quickly line things up.

Hoopla!

omg, im an idiot, thanks cryid. i kept trying to use the layers to do it. i forgot abt trans/ghosting subtools.

Hoopla!

ok, so im in zb 4 now, been trying to figure out how to make spotlight work for me. i found out a ton of features i didnt know it had but i cant seem to get it to work like an image plane should. i want to line it up with my ztool and have the transparency adjusted so i can see both the reference and the tool and be bale to sculpt while the reference is still up. the problem im having is i cant seem to make the reference become inactive so its not affected by my sculpting.

i pull up the image, load it into spotlight, move it into place and load my tool, but when i go to sculpt it constantly selects the reference image or the spotlight gizmo rather. how can i keep the image up while sculpting? thanks in advance.

cryrid

I just use shift+z to toggle it on and off (with some slight opacity when it is on to see how the model matches up under it). No need for it to be constantly on otherwise.

'Z' will drop it though, so that you can use the move / standard brushes to work things into place. Use lower subdivision levels for standard brushing though as it will otherwise project some of the details from the image onto the mesh as if it were an alpha/stencil (which you may or may not want). Other brushes might work as well, but I find they have a bigger risk of crashing the program. Make sure rgb is off or you'll be painting the spotlight onto it as well.

Hoopla!

awesome again, thank you cryid, can we just hang out for a week while i pick your brain?