New Version Adds Quick Save and Auto Save, Dynamic Brush Sizing, a See-Through Mode, and More

Pixologic announced another new release of its Zbrush sculpting and painting program, adding a broad array of features.

Improvements to general workflow and usability in ZBrush 4R5 include new Quick Save and Auto Save features, which should help make it much harder for artists to lose their work, as well as a new See-Through Mode that makes the ZBrush window semi-transparent, revealing the contents of a web-browser window or other program running on the same desktop. ZBrush now supports assignment of mouse-wheel scrolling to any slider, and the Control or Command key can now be used to switch between Selection and Masking Brushes. And the Dynamic Brush Size feature allows the brush to grow or shrink along with the model's distance from the camera, making sculpting easier.

Topology and Geometry tools have been expanded to include the Delete Loops command, which discards unnecessary polygons from a given model, and Panel Loops, which allow a model's PolyGroups to be converted into panels of polygons (think armor and other metal surfaces). Speaking of PolyGroups, a new Merge Stray Groups function will clean up the results of ZBrush's automated PolyGroup creation tools. The new Polish by Feature option helps artists better shape their meshes, and the Curves Frame Mesh option generates curves based on PolyGroups, creased edges, or outlines that can be used with curve-based sculpting brushes.

New Posterize render features help users generate a cell-shaded look, either by building an effect onto a 3D model or applying it to renders in 2D. Materials and Curves can also be Posterized. Check out the ZBrush website's ZBrush 4R5 feature pages for illustrations showing how many of the new features can be used.

ZBrush 4R5 is available for Windows or Mac for $699 (single-user license) in the Pixologic Store. Individual users can get a second, cross-platform, license (say you want to run ZBrush on your Windows workstation as well as your Mac) at a 50 percent discount.