Building a Helmet - Using Alphas

First Alpha created with a Boolean

1. Dip shape into a cube and subtract using Boolean technique.
2. Face shape parallel to screen.
3. Select RGBZGrabber under Tools palette.
4. Drag over negative shape to create Alpha.
5. Invert Alpha under Alpha palette.
6. Go to master too project and apply alpha to mesh using the Standard Brush-Drag Rec-Newly Created Alpha.

Second Alpha Grab Doc

1. Make a square doc make sure it's entirely visible.
2. Create mesh that fits the square doc.
3. Click 'Grab Doc' at the very bottom of the Alpha palette.
4. Make adjustments to the setting and graph in the Alpha palette to desired effect.
5. Go to master too project and apply alpha to mesh using the Standard Brush-Drag Rec-Newly Created Alpha.

Building a Helmet - CurveLathe

1. Create a basic Plane to start.
2. Pick the Curve Lathe brush to draw a curve with Symmetry on to create a dynamically editable Lathe mesh.
3. When design is finished, click 'Split Unmasked Points' To separate from original Plane.
4. Use brushes and a a high setting with Radial Symmetry to edit the Nurnie.
5. Append Lathed shape to the Helmet when finished editing.
6. Move, Rotate and Scale into place.
7. Done!

Building a Helmet - Shadow Box

1. I created a black and white alpha in Photoshop (Literally ALPHA).
2. Imported into ZBrush.
3. With the Helmet Tool open, select 'Shadow Box' under Geometry tab.
4. With Drag Rec selected and the 'ALPHA' image selected for an alpha, drag out the alpha on the back wall of the Shadow Box.
5. Without Drag Reg and no alpha, drag out a basic Rectangle Mask on the side wall to create the desired thickness.
6. ZRemesh to clean up desired design.
7. Edit into place with Deformer tools.
8. Done!

Building a Helmet - Initialize Gear

1. Created basic default gear and played with the settings to design a greeble to add to the helmet.
2. When design is finished, click 'Make Polymesh 3D'
3. Select Helmet Tool and Append to the Helmet.
4. Move, Rotate and Scale into place.
5. Done!

Building a Helmet - Projection Master

1. Using Projection Master to emboss Alphas into a mesh.
2. Line up mesh perpendicular to the mesh.
3. Select 'Projection Master' within ZPlugins menu.
4. Click Drop now when prompted.
5. Pick your alpha under the brush.
6. Use Drag Rec.
7. Adjust brush intensity and drag at desired location for the graphic extrusion
8. When finished select 'Projection Master' within ZPlugins menu.
9. Click 'Pick Up Now.'

Building a Helmet - Dynamesh Subtract

1. Creating a sun visor.
2. Subtract a cube from a Flat Sphere using the Dynamesh Subtract method.
3. Make sure Flat Sphere is in Dynamesh active mode.
4. Place cube layer (selected subtract icon) under flat sphere layer (selected union icon). 
5. Merge the Flat Sphere layer down into the cube layer.
6. ReDynamesh layer.

Building a Helmet - Clip and Trim Brush

1. Repeatedly used the Clip and Trim brushes to cut away shapes and quickly create complex bevels.

Building a Helmet - Sculpting with Brushes and Transpose

1. Organized parts by using 'Autogroups' under Polygroups palette.
2. Used the Lasso mask to select parts to be Extracted.
3. Used the Lasso Mask tool and HPolish brush to add detail to the glass portion of the helmet.
4. Created a Alpha Mask to draw out the text, Eureka onto the helmet, then used the Polish by Feature under Deformations to clean and sharpen the Text extrusion.
5. Used the Transpose tool to 'clip' the ends of the ear panel of the helmet by selecting the Move Transpose and holding the CTRL and dragging the inner circle of the start of the Transpose.

Building a Helmet - Panel Loops

1. Use Select Lasso, hit CTRL-W to change polygroup.
2. Repeat for all regions that you want to add the effect to.
3. Under SUBTOOLS-EXTRACT menu, adjust the thickness then hit the 'Extract'.
4. Use a large Move brush to make adjustments the Polygroups.
5. Tip: Under the Brush Palette, adjust the 'Mask By Polygroups' to, isolate, and move specific polygroups.
6. Tip: If you want to simplify the number of polygroups, go to the Tools-Polygroups- then select 'Autogroups.'

Tri Insert MultiMesh Brush

Tri Insert MuliMesh Brush

1. ZBrush crashed during movie recording of modeling process.
2. Created a Mesh Brush of a chain in ZBrush.
3. Imported into KeyShot renderer and made a turntable animation.

Building a Helmet - Morph Target Feature

Helmet- Extracting Shape using Morph Target Palette. 

1. Create a very Basic shape to extract from. 
2. With Shape selected under Subtool, select the 'StoreMT within the MorphTarget Palette. 
3. Build up your desired shape using ClayBuildUp brush and Layer brush. 
4. Once satisfied with built up shape that you'd like to extract, Select 'CreateDiffMesh' button within the Morph Target Palette. 
5. A new tool is created. You must append it to your current scene if you want it to be a part of the original Tool.

Building a Helmet - Extract Feature

Helmet- Extracting Meshes. 

1. Create a very Basic shape to extract from. 
2. Mask out a form on the basic shape. 
3. Select the 'Extract' button under the SubTool Palette after adjusting preferences. 
4. Click 'Accept' if satisfied with the result. 
5. After clearing the Mask... Under the Deformation Palette increase the 'Polish by Group' to smooth out the edges of the new mesh.

Bar Text

Created extruded text in ZBrush and rendered the material and animation in KeyShot.

Alpha Brush Midvalue

I took another shot at creating an Alpha Brush. this time I messed around with the Midvalue setting which is located under the Alpha menu. This allowed me to make the edges flush with the basic sphere shape while still having an inset that cuts into the sphere.

MRGBZGrabber.

Created an Alpha using the MRGBZGrabber. After creating the Alpha I used the Drag Dot setting for the Stroke and the newly created Alpha to add that shape onto a Sphere.

Tri Curve MultiMesh Brush

I followed a tutorial from Michael P. to create a stylized octopus tentacles incorporating Tri Curve Brush process to create and save an Insert Mesh Brush.

First KeyShot Render

Created a simple cube shape using the ZModeler and rendered out using Key Shot renderer.

Shadow Box

Used the Shadow Box to create the base model of a generic ring.

Extract Polys Helmet

I used a generic Bust provided in the ZBrush Lightbox to extract polys that became the base of a very simple Helmet.

The main things learned was to...
-Duplicate base mesh
-Mask area of interest
-Change Polygroup
-Delete excess polys
-"Mask by Feature", "Border" then invert selection
-"Polish Feature" under Deformation
-"Extract" under Subtools
-Massage using a variety of brushes to polish shape

ZSphere Rigging

I stripped away the muscles from anatomy provided in ZBrushes Lightbox to practice using ZSpheres to rig the bones and moving into a basic pose.