ZBrush is the industry standard digital sculpting software. The latest version features an updated Anchors Brush system which provides an intuitive way to deform meshes by applying anchors onto a mesh while allowing for actions to be performed. The Knife Brushes gain increased design dexterity with a Split to Parts feature set allowing parts to be cut off and retained. Insert Mesh brushes are now compatible with Stroke menu options providing a wild range of visual possibilities. Designing surface details and adding secondary elements to models is now more easily achieved with the Repeat to Similar functionality, and the new DragStamp stroke option helps to advance surface details while buttons like Crease UnMasked and Uncrease UnMasked set the stage for dynamic edge control. The Gizmo and Transpose functions include topology masking for both tools while allowing snapping on perfectly masked areas. The Gizmo is now capable of snapping to the center of masked regions, and the addition of Cinema 4D noises provide robust methods for detailing assets. ZBrush provides access to diverse workflows and limitless creative possibilities.
This bundle contains some of the most wanted and top plugins for Zbrush thats definitely gonna boost your workflow. Names of all plugins with their descriptions have been mentioned below.
1. Spider-Z. v1.4- ZBrush 2023
Spider-z is a Plugin for creating cobwebs and orb-weaver meshes on top of existing geometry within ZBrush.
Features:
Precompute Distance Field. Creates a distance field based on the selected SubTool.
Cobweb from Distance Field. Creates cobweb threads based on the stored Distance Field.
Cobweb on Mesh. Creates cobweb threads on the selected subtool. Doesn’t require Distance Field.
Cobweb on cobweb. Creates cobweb threads on the selected Web subtool. It works on any subtool but it’s optimized for Web meshes. Doesn’t require Distance Field.
Cobweb Weaver. Creates an Orb Weaver style Web either from the precomputed Distance Field or the Selected SubTool on a plane defined by the transpose line.
Transpose Web. Generates the catenary curve between the origin and end points of the Transpose Line.
2.ivy.pro: Zbrush 2023
Ivy.Pro is a Plugin for ZBrush that generates Ivy or other climbing plants on top of a polygon mesh.
There are many variables to play with but it might be hard to understand what each of the sliders do to control the plant growth, leaves orientation, forces etc… The intention was to make it easy to use without paying too much attention to the settings panel. Loading presets and maybe tweaking a couple of things, like the amount of branches or the overall scale, should be enough to get good results.
If you don´t get too intimidated by the settings panel you can create your own species and model your own custom leaves or flowers.
You can also export just the data relative to transformations (rotation, scale and position) in case you want to use instances in other 3D software or Game Engines that supports it. You will have to write your own importer…
I will add a importer for Blender in the future and release it together with a Blender Add-0n.
In Blender the leaves are simply instantiated from collections while the ZBrush version doesn’t use instances. A new SubTool is added for every leaf type but it’s just plain geometry so meshes can get quite heavy.
In the ZBrush version you can generate a zsphere branching structure with no leaves associated with it.
3. Stage Folder v2.1 – Zbrush 2023
Stage Folder ZBrush Plugin
Make the new Stage tool available with all subtools in a folder with one click
Solo Folder – Free ZBrush Plugin
Setting up subtools without losing the ability to work symmetric
4. EaZyRemesh v2 Zbrush 2023
It’s designed to give you more controllable loops in ZBrush. The developers write: “It also has some other features, such as clean extraction and retopology from masks and slices. It’s by no means a replacement for manual retopology, but it can help you troubleshoot problems and even do a quick cleanup of a “game asset model.”
5. Zwisstools – Zbrush 2023
Zwiss tools is a collection of small scripts and utilities that I have been using for a while and I compiled as a Plugin for Zbrush. It’s intended for windows only, although some functionalities are ZScript and should also work on Mac.
Reference.
Append a rigged stylized character as a new subtool.
Quickly explore character design, proportions and poses.
Sliders for ZSphere a Mesh layers.
Randomize layers.
Works on Win and Mac.
6. SoMuchBrush
SoMuchZBrush fast tracks these workflows
-Create clean, lower density meshes with all of the original detail in one click.
-Rapidly prototype game resolution meshes
-Dynamesh with polycounts in mind instead of obtuse resolution values.
-Auto-bake in Substance Painter and Marmoset Toolbag 3
-Quickly mirror geometry, polypaint or both.
Compatible with PC versions of ZBrush 2018, 2019 and 2020. Limited functionality in earlier versions.
