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FJTools - ZBrush plugin

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greentooth
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floon greentooth


Hey fellow Polycounters!
FJTools is a Plugin for ZBrush, that will help you to organise your Subtools and speed up your workflow in general. It does so by automating repetitive tasks, or solving them intuitively.
You can find the plugin on ArtStation, Gumroad and Cubebrush.

Disclaimer:

The plugin is designed for ZBrush 2019/2020/2021/2022/2023 and was thoroughly tested on a Windows machine. Mac support was verified as well, but as I do not own a Mac, I could not test it myself.
Previous versions of ZBrush are NOT supported.





Feature breakdown:

All features are explained in a mini video series, which can be found on the plugins’ ArtStation page or YouTube!


Installation:

To install FJTools simply copy the "FJTools_1_5.zsc" file, along with the "FJTools_1_5_Data"-folder into the Zplugs64-folder of your ZBrush 2019/2020/2021/2022/2023 installation. The path should look similar to this:

...\Pixologic\ZBrush 2019[2020][2021][2022]\ZStartup\ZPlugs64

...\Maxon ZBrush 2023\ZStartup\ZPlugs64

Done!


Upgrade:
Should you be upgrading from a previous version, make sure to delete the old .zsc file AND the corresponding data folder first. After that just follow the installation above.
Also be sure to check out thehttps://youtu.be/0ZDVoJCECyY FJTools 1.5 — Feature Highlight video, to see what has changed!



 Special thanks for helping to find a nasty bug:


Replies

  • floon
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    floon greentooth
    Version 1.5 is live now!

    I recorded a short video featuring some of the highlights:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZDVoJCECyY
    Be sure to check out ArtStation, Gumroad or Cubebrush, if you are interessted.
  • commonormal
    Hello all   works fine and nice/ But i have a big trouble when use  it with another ZAdjustor (2.1 ver)  plugin.  After any button  FjTools Zbrush (2020.1.4) don't see any input from keyboard or mouse or do it but in ugly way - when  press "A" they read as "alt+S" and all in this way.  And cursor is hidden. Debug after this attached.
  • floon
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    floon greentooth
    I am very sorry to hear about your issues. I installed the plugin as well and could reproduce the behavior you were describing.
    From what I can tell, this is an issue with ZAdjustor though. I ran into the exact same issue when using Ctrl+v as the ZAdjustor Hotkey without running any other plugin.
    I know this doesn't really help you, so I fear you might have to decide which plugin is more important for your workflow. Sorry that I don't have better news for you :/.
    Have you tried to get in touch with the creator of ZAdjustor yet?
  • SZS
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    SZS polycounter lvl 3
    Hi there... Love the plugin! Osom job.

    I found that the QMask does no work... wonder why. Using 2021.1.2 Zbrush.
  • floon
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    floon greentooth
    @SZS happy to hear that you like the plugin :). I'll get in touch with you via PM about your issue
  • torba
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    torba polycounter lvl 5
    I'm just popping in to thank you for the QMerge functionality @floon
    It's an awesome time-saver, thanks!
  • floon
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    floon greentooth
    @torba Happy to hear that you can still put it to good use :)

    I also got a report about an issue with coloring in 2021, so I'll release an hotfix soon
  • floon
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    floon greentooth
    I just released a small hotfix for FJTools!


    Changelog:
    • Fixed an issue that occurred in ZBrush 2021 when colorizing meshes that had layers in rec mode. Shout out to Sean Forsyth (https://www.artstation.com/sforsyth), who made me aware of this!
    • Added a possibility to adjust the ZRemesher settings, which are used in EasyExtract/EasyRebuild. Thanks to James K (https://www.artstation.com/jamesk1) who suggested this!
    • Fixed a bug that caused issues when using EasyExtract/EasyRebuild on meshes with layers
    • Improved the EasyExtract function to be more precise when used with thin masks
  • jekanev
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    jekanev polycounter lvl 2
    Hello all   works fine and nice/ But i have a big trouble when use  it with another ZAdjustor (2.1 ver)  plugin.  After any button  FjTools Zbrush (2020.1.4) don't see any input from keyboard or mouse or do it but in ugly way - when  press "A" they read as "alt+S" and all in this way.  And cursor is hidden. Debug after this attached.

    Hi i have same issue. i fix this issue with running any macro after using fjtools then i can resize brush with ZAdjustor and have no issues. its bit tricky don't forgot click any simple macro after fjtools  but work for me al last.   
  • floon
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    floon greentooth
    I just pushed a mini patch to 1.5.2, that fixed an issue that occurred in ZBrush 2021.5+ where the color features caused issues when used on Subtools with active layers!
  • floon
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    floon greentooth
    Time for another small patch!

    1.5.3 Changelog:
    • Fixed an issue that occurred in ZBrush 2021.7+ where the color features caused issues when used on Subtools with active layers.
    • Added Hide/Show All buttons to the visibility section
    • Added a Clear Mask function to the managing section

    Unfortunately did not manage to solve the issue with the ZAdjustor plugin.
  • Elithenia
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    Elithenia polycounter
  • floon
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    floon greentooth
    Just a small patch to make everything work again in 2022 :)

    1.5.4 Changelog:
    • Fixed an issue that occurred in ZBrush 2022 where the color features caused issues when used on Subtools with active layers.
  • torba
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    torba polycounter lvl 5
    Thank you Flo!
    On my end the updater still thinks there's a newer version after installing 1.5.4 . It's not an issue for me at all, just thought you might want to know about it.
    Thanks again for your awesome plugin;
    cheers
  • floon
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    floon greentooth

    Ahh right, thanks for letting me know @torba!

  • tsukumo


    Nice to meet you.

    Thank you very much for developing this wonderful plugin.

    Thanks to this plugin, I am able to work much more efficiently.

    I have one problem: I am using a 3D mouse called spacemouse, which is sold by a manufacturer called 3dconnexion.

    When I use ZBrush with FJtools installed and try to move the camera of the spacemouse together with the viewpoint movement of a normal mouse, a bug like the one shown in the video (https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1DtJfNwCNPEZq3RkDw50zBL3kqWRCwolp?usp=share_link) occurs.

    I get a bug like the one shown in the video (https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1DtJfNwCNPEZq3RkDw50zBL3kqWRCwolp?usp=share_link).

    It does not happen every time, but it happens when using certain functions of FJtools. For example, the Quickselect function and the Modeling function.

    As a first aid, I use Clean tool master to delete the undo history and the bug disappears, but it comes back when I use the specific function again.

    This bug happened a long time ago when 3Dmouse was first officially available in ZBrush, regardless of FJtools, and was fixed in a subsequent ZBrush update.

    I think the problem is on the ZBrush or 3Dmouse side, but if you have any suggestions on how to deal with it, I would appreciate it.

    I deeply appreciate your development.

  • floon
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    floon greentooth

    Hey  Tsukumo!

    Thanks a lot for reaching out and your kind words! I'm currently out of town, but will take a look at your issue once I'm back.

    It's also great that you recorded a video and I hope I'll be able to fix your issue quickly :)!

  • floon
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    floon greentooth

    Hey folks!

    I just released a patch of FJTools to version 1.5.5. The update includes:

    • ZBrush 2023 support
    • A fix that should improve competability with 3D Mouses, as well as other Plugins
    • Improved Startup time in rare cases
    • Fixed some typos

    Hope you can still put the plugin to good use :)! If you find any new issues, or have ideas for new features, please let me know!

  • floon
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    floon greentooth
    Hi y'all!
    I just released version 1.5.6 of FJTools!
    This is what changed:
    • Patched the plugin to be compatible with ZBrush 2023.2
    • added new Bake Layers feature, that allows to batch bake layers of present Subtools
    • Fixed bug in the log file creation
    • Updated to new ZFileUtils.dll
  • Pain
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    Pain polycounter lvl 9
    @floon: Just wanna say thank you so much for your amazing plugin, I wish I could have known this plugin earlier, it saves my time a lot. You are so amazing, dude! 
  • floon
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    floon greentooth
    Thanks man! I'm really happy to hear, that you can put the plugin to good use :)
  • shockobonss
    @floonHey, I just wanted to say that the plugin is great, I love it and thanks for it. But unfortunately I have one problem. In the modeling when tab when I want use Insert custom mesh for imm brushes + mesh per island it's not working. No matter what imm brush I use it always gives me the same result: gear. In fact there is as many gears as mask islands but it is always the same gear, nothing else :/
  • floon
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    floon greentooth
    Hey @shockobonss!
    I'm sorry you are experiencing issues with the plugin :/
    I did a quick test, but was not able to reproduce the problem you described.
    - Which version of ZBrush and which version of the plugin are you using? (You can find the version of FJtools by hovering over the Title Icon)
    - Did I do anything different in my setup then you did?




  • shockobonss
    Hey. @floon
    I have got the newest possible version of FJTools, 1.5.6 and 2022.0.8 (latest for 2022 year). I tried every other combination.. with brush size turned on, diffrent imm brushes, etc but nothing helps... I noticed that gear name is FJIMM_1. And with every next try it gets FJIMM_2...3 and etc. I dont know if it is a clue. Setup is the same.

  • shockobonss
    ok, I found the solution. This may sound ridiculous because I don't know what connection it could have. On the "2" key I had a shortcut
    assigned to the clay buildup brush. When I removed it, the problem disappeared and all imm brushes work. Do you know how to get around this problem? I want to leave this shortcut because it is very convenient for sculpting
    Edit: I tried assign there any other brush and this problem still appears so it must be a problem just in this key "2". I can't have there any shortcut.
  • floon
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    floon greentooth
    Ah!
    That was super helpful. Thanks for investigating!
    I was able to reproduce the issue and found the code that's responsible. I'll try to find a solution and hope to get back to you next week!
  • floon
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    floon greentooth
    I actually might have found a workaround. Could you overwrite the "FJTools_1_5.zsc" in your ZPlugs64 folder with the attached file in the .zip and let me know if this works for you?

  • shockobonss
    Wow, it really works! Thanks for your all effort and that fast help. Wish you all the best <3
  • floon
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    floon greentooth
    Awesome! Really happy to hear. Unfortunatly this is just a bandaid and you might actually experience triggers for hotkeys "1" & "2" quite regularly when working with my plugin. In other cases this should not cause too much issues with your setup.
    But I'd advise not to bind "Delete All" to either "1" or "2" :P
  • lcq784848515

    Hello, your FJTools plugin is really great!

    But when we were using batch naming, we thought it would be nice if we could specify a color for batch naming, so what you see is what you get.

    Example:

    I have 50 subtools,

    If I need 5 create folders to batch name it means I need to drag and drop 50 times into these 5 folders.

    And if I match these 5 folders to the colors, then I just need to set

    1.red=(name1)

    2.blue=(name2)

    3.green=(name3)

    4.black=(name4)

    5.whtie=(name5)

    Then by clicking on 50 subtools to give them these 5 colors, you can complete the batch naming.

    red=(name1) 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8

    blue=(name2) 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8

    ...

    Isn't that easier?!

  • floon
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    floon greentooth
    Hi!
    Thanks a lot for reaching out and the great proposal :)! I'm a big fan of visual guidance, so I think it's a great idea.
    While it might actually be possible from a technical perspective, the script would be fairly slow and the association between name and color would be very challenging from an UX perspective.

    Therefore I want to propose an alternative method, that you can already try with everything the plugin (and default ZBrush features) have to offer:



    ZBrush allows you to quickly setup folders by utilizing the multiselect feature. It's part of the transform gizmo and you can see it in action here:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7Y7vwkDXzY

    While having multiple Subtools selected this way, you can then quickly create a new Folder by pressing Ctrl+F!
    Once you are done you can then use FJTools to rename all your Subtools and while you are at it you can then give them a color to quickly identify the groups.

    Would that work for you? Or did I miss your point?
  • lcq784848515
    floon said:
    Hi!
    Thanks a lot for reaching out and the great proposal :)! I'm a big fan of visual guidance, so I think it's a great idea.
    While it might actually be possible from a technical perspective, the script would be fairly slow and the association between name and color would be very challenging from an UX perspective.

    Therefore I want to propose an alternative method, that you can already try with everything the plugin (and default ZBrush features) have to offer:



    ZBrush allows you to quickly setup folders by utilizing the multiselect feature. It's part of the transform gizmo and you can see it in action here:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7Y7vwkDXzY

    While having multiple Subtools selected this way, you can then quickly create a new Folder by pressing Ctrl+F!
    Once you are done you can then use FJTools to rename all your Subtools and while you are at it you can then give them a color to quickly identify the groups.

    Would that work for you? Or did I miss your point?
    Thank you very much for your reply!! I am so excited!!



    I tried this, but you create folders by selecting multiple subtools after you have already colored them.



    I have tried your plugin, it seems that it does not support color giving when multiple subtools are Selected, because after I have selected several subtools, clicking color: Selected in your plugin still only works for a single selected object.



    Therefore, I selected 5 subtools to give a red color to facilitate my observation. I could not use FJtools to give color when I selected 5 subtools.

    Because I can only select these subtools by pressing ctrl+F to create a folder, and then giving them a red color based on the overall folder.



    The downside of this is that if I want to choose 5 subtools and I choose 6 subtools, I won't find out until after I've created the folder and colored them all in red. I have to move the wrong subtool out of this folder and give it another color to avoid confusing it with the correct five reds.



    Therefore, I hope that the color step can be selected to give the color of the whole folder before creating the folder, so that I can correct the error in time! Instead of creating a folder and then modifying it!

  • floon
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    floon greentooth
    You are absolutely correct!
    Renaming/Coloring does unfortunately not work with the multi select feature, as you already noticed.
    What you can use the ZBrush feature for though is to quickly create folders, which you then can use for the different FJTools features. This way you can "save" a selection in a folder and I would advise this workflow if you want to repeat actions of the same set of Subtools!


    If you only want to do an action a single time, there is another feature of the plugin I want to
     highlight :). It's called QPick and also is a "Quickselect" feature. Therefore you need to bind a hotkey to the big QuickSelect button and can use all associated features by hovering over the meshes and pressing the assigned hotkey.

    (I talk a bit more about the feature in this video: https://youtu.be/4PpNq5CMEI8?si=jRKlMsECHoUtyG6p&amp;t=70)


    Below you can see, how you can use QPick alternativly to Create Folders/tint, or rename your Subtools:

    Is this more what you are looking for?


  • lcq784848515
    Thank you very much for your explanation, I will try this feature.



    In addition, I also want to write the Zbrush plugin by myself. I have python foundation, but I don't know how to write the Zbrush plugin. Do you have any learning materials?



    I also wanted to create incredible tool plug-ins like FJtools.
  • floon
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    floon greentooth
    Way to go :D!
    I'm sure if you have general understanding of Python, you should have no issues creating your own plugin! I learned everything I know, from:


    Other then that, I would recommand to use Visual Studio Code (https://code.visualstudio.com/), because there you can add ZScript language support
    (https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ouelletjonathan.zscript&ssr=false#review-details) which helps A LOT.


    Below I also attached a super basic setup which you can use as a starter to play around. 
    Just drop it in your ...ZBrush 2022\ZStartup\ZPlugs64 folder and load it from within ZBrush via Zscript>Load. 
    Then the a "MyFirstPlugin" category will appear in your ZPlugin tray :)
    You can then edit the txt file and reload the script via Zscript>Reload to see if your changes work.


    You can of course PM me here or on Artstation if you hit a Roadblock!
  • lcq784848515
    Thank you so much!

    I will study hard, if I do not understand will contact you immediately!

    Thank you for your selflessness and generosity!
  • shockobonss
    Hey, I have a problem with this 3 buttons. None of them working for me, is this a bug ?
  • floon
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    floon greentooth
    Thanks for reporting the issue @shockobonss! Will be fixed with the next update :)
  • floon
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    floon greentooth
    I just released the version 1.5.7!
    • Patched the plugin to be compatible with ZBrush 2024.0.1
    • Fixed an issues that caused errors on IOS
    • Fixed Hide All/Show All/ Invert Visibility in the Quick Menu

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