zbrush

# 1 10-04-2013 , 03:46 AM

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Can anyone suggest tuts to learn the basics of zbrush where I can make it through at least the first lesson without wanting to cut out and eat my own liver?

I mean how the hell does anyone learn this program? It only has a million billion tabs and each tabs has a million billion commands and each command has a million billion sub commands....

Just trying to get basic screen / camera movement options has me in screaming to the point the neighbors are ready to call the police thinking I am murdering someone over here!

I tried to follow a couple tuts on the pixologic page and all I can say is - OMG! They all seem to be written for like version 1.0 of zbrush and you cannot even get to step 1 because the interface and commands have changed like 45 times since the tutorials where made and all the current tutorials assume you have been using zbrush 45 hours a day since it was in BETA and they use all kinds of hot key commands and so things just pop up and blink into existence and you have no clue how it's all happening???

"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Isaac Newton, 1675

Last edited by ctbram; 10-04-2013 at 03:50 AM.

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# 2 10-04-2013 , 06:04 AM

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i started learning Zbrush about 6 years ago..still haven't used it successfully once. I have many many video tutorials and i can tell you it doesn't get any easier if you know the commands. It's one of those pieces of software that requires patience, a lot of practice and more practice and 1 million GB of Ram...oh and some luck that its doesn't crash..lol

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# 3 10-04-2013 , 09:05 AM

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Try typing in 'introduction to zbrush' on youtube - you may get some ok tutorials. I got a book called zbrush essentials from 3d World that has a training dvd with it you can order online, but I find watching people more helpful than trawling through a book.
Good luck.

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# 4 10-04-2013 , 11:50 AM

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I haven't used one in ages, but the gnomon "Introduction to Zbrush x" was good. They used to re-release and update with each new version, so I'd make sure I got one that matched your version of Zbrush if you decide to get it.

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# 5 10-04-2013 , 01:20 PM

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I kind of figured it out. It's still a really bad ui in my opinion. The clipping tools in particular. Whoever decided on the goofy key combination that require you to be a triple jointed contortionist needs to be flogged.

"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Isaac Newton, 1675

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# 6 10-04-2013 , 01:57 PM

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It's certainly quirky. For people who use it a lot, it becomes second nature though. But they did change the controls for masking and isolating a version or two ago, which was very confusing.

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# 7 10-04-2013 , 05:21 PM

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You have to practice....

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# 8 10-04-2013 , 11:58 PM

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My biggest frustration when starting to learn it is the many changes since even recent tuts were put out. It's just so hard to follow them. Patience is really key and stick with it.

DT has a 6-7 hour introduction to zbrush 4r5 (can't get much more recent than that). I know they have some drawbacks, but one thing for DT is just the volume of tuts they put out and the very frequent updates.

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# 9 11-04-2013 , 02:49 AM

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It's the constant and really quite radical changes to the UI that makes trying to follow many tutorials nearly impossible that has been my biggest complaint.

I am sorry but I still think the ui is just terrible! I mean take zoom forinstance - press alt-right-click, start to translate, then let go of alt to initiate zooming! Seriously!!! Why not add and then stand on your left foot and press your elbo into your left butt cheek and whistle dixie...

I am assuming the reasoning has to do with accommodating tablet use but I have to believe they could have still come up with someone less involved.

Also, have you ever watched a video of someone trying to use the cut with curve tool? I have not tried to use it yet but I am almost terrified at the thought of learning the contortions I am going to have to go through to use it.

But I huess since maya has been borked for me for quite some thime I thought i'd take the time to try and learn this darn thing.

"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Isaac Newton, 1675

Last edited by ctbram; 11-04-2013 at 02:52 AM.

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# 10 11-04-2013 , 05:19 AM

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All I can say Rick...is I agree. The UI in this program is CRAP and I dont care what the gurus say...its CRAP. Sculpting is great when you get the hang of the basics...the cut delete tools are CRAP. 3DTotal have a tutorial which is a RAR file Rick on modelling a human skull. Not difficult and I actually learned a few brushes so it wasnt all sculpting...moving topo etc...try it out

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# 11 11-04-2013 , 05:31 AM

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I will say it took "years" for me to get it. I also tend to only use the pen with one hand and then my other hand is always on the keyboard for all hotkeys and other functions. I have remapped quite a bit of the functions to accommodate my own workflow. What about Kurt's video? Doesn't he have a series. Imho though the tutorials on Pixologics site are quite decent if you know the UI. But I struggled with learning the UI and basic flow at first as well. Just a tough nut to crack.... Much like some of the C++ I have been doing. But now that I have been coding daily for about 1 1/2 years now I can look at any language and pick it up quick... Just don't give up and you can do anything. Persistence is the secret to success. Then once the persistence continues you reach toward automation...

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# 12 11-04-2013 , 10:24 AM

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If you really hate it, probably best to take a look at mudbox.

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# 13 13-04-2013 , 07:33 PM

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i started learning Zbrush about 6 years ago..still haven't used it successfully once.

Originally Posted by jsprog

Same here, except I started it about 3 years or so ago. Finding the time to sit down and use it is the problem for me.

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# 14 13-04-2013 , 08:22 PM

Acid44

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Can anyone suggest tuts to learn the basics of zbrush where I can make it through at least the first lesson without wanting to cut out and eat my own liver?

I mean how the hell does anyone learn this program? It only has a million billion tabs and each tabs has a million billion commands and each command has a million billion sub commands....

Just trying to get basic screen / camera movement options has me in screaming to the point the neighbors are ready to call the police thinking I am murdering someone over here!

Originally Posted by ctbram

Sounds like me when I first started learning Maya user added image

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# 15 13-04-2013 , 08:25 PM

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But... there is a lot of power in the back end. *Phrasing... boom!*
I've often thought that there's lots of possibilities that things like dynamesh and retopo etc. can offer beyond the obvious sculpting workflows. One of the things I love about maya is the opportunity to exploit tools in non-traditional ways, and I think Zbrush offers that, moreso than mudbox perhaps.