ZBrush Alphas

FedPete · May 24, 2020, 6:39pm

The problem I have with using the ZBrush Alphas, is that the ones using in this lesson are in Adobe Photoshop format. I don’t have those Adobe applications any more. I switched over to open source. Krita, GIMP, InkScape, Blender, etc.

I understand as a professional that you use Adobe applications. But not all people has access to Adobe, so provide Alpha brushes by different means. Maybe, create them by yourself, with Blender, as part of this course. We did this also in de rabbit challenge. Creating an iris.

Wordofcurse · May 27, 2020, 5:07pm

Hey man, I’m also working my way through the course and didn’t have any issues with downloading the alphas and opening with gimp/blender? Worst case you could just download, extract, open in gimp and export as a different file? (try to keep it at 32bit if possible for cleaner brush results).

If you want some more cool brushes, check these out that I found. They work quite well and are free.

FedPete · May 27, 2020, 6:43pm

I was too quickly with my statement. I can not open .PSD files, but blender can.
But then why .PSD. There are open standards, Blender is open. So why ?

Wordofcurse · May 27, 2020, 5:41pm

I’m not sure, I’m still fairly new to a lot of the technical stuff - especially file types and hex docs etc… But maybe because its on the official pixologic website which is probably working with adobe to force people to have to use adobe if you want to use their brushes? Just make your own from textures , also check out this program to help quickly make alphas.

http://boundingboxsoftware.com/materialize/downloads.php

Good luck!

Jaco_Pretorius · June 13, 2020, 12:03pm

Guessing the fact that Photoshop brushes do open in Blender justifies the course using them.

After experimenting on making alpha brushes, it is understandable why the course didn’t go there… it would break the flow.

The experiment:
Starting with a plane and going through the process of baking this shader

to make this image (256x256, or sculpting was way too slow)
test

Quick dyntopo test sculpt:

… it works, and I can use this brush in other projects/apps without any issues as it is a .png
Still, probably better to use generated or pre-made textures as suggested above as it requires the least amount of setup.