ZBrush 2 Practical Guide
ZBrush 2 is a huge leap forward in speed, performance and technology. Modeling, texturing and painting features have all benefitted from unprecedented code enhancements. New tools and options provide even more versatility in all areas, boosting the artist's productivity and streamlining workflow in surprising ways.
To help you get on the fast track toward mastering Z2, we have created the ZBrush 2 Practical Guide.
The Practical Guide is comprised of nearly 500 pages of tutorials. Introductory tutorials teach the ZBrush 2 interface, including such topics as the new curve controls and creating a startup document.
These tutorials are followed by increasingly advanced walkthroughs which teach the concepts of 2.5D painting, creating complex shapes from primitives, ZSphere mesh insertions, crease features, and the creation and use of displacement and normal maps.
For artists using ZBrush 2 in a production setting, tutorials have been provided for integrating Z2-generated models and maps with many leading animation packages.
Most tutorials are written as projects, making it easy to learn techniques by applying them as you go. All are laid out in a clear, step-by-step fashion with an explanation for why each step is performed. You can skim just the steps, or take time to read the more detailed texts that follow them. Icons are also provided to help draw attention to features that are new in Z2. In short, the Practical Guide has been carefully and attractively laid out to present an abundance of information in a clear, concise manner.
Many of Z2's beta testers have also contributed tutorials. We'd like to express our thanks to them for providing expert advice, information and images. Above are a few of the many images included in the Practical Guide.
The Practical Guide supplements the online help which is built into Z2. Some of the tutorials mirror ZScripts that are built into ZBrush 2, providing a way for you to see the tutorial in action as well as read it and follow the steps yourself. Reference material about the various features used in the tutorials is also available in Z2 simply by holding down the Ctrl key and moving your cursor over interface items. The Practical Guide therefore integrates with ZBrush 2 itself to form an integrated suite of learning features.