4R6 Adds Trim Curve, Bridge Curve and Creasing Brushes

Pixologic upgraded ZBrush again last week, releasing version 4R6 for Windows and Mac with the new ZRemesher, an automatic retopology feature that's tuned for speed.

The company said the new tool can quickly and automatically analyze the curvature of a PolyMesh3D object and convert it to a retopologized model with natural polygon flow — with the option of drawing control curves on the original model with the ZRemesher Guide brush to further define polygon flow and edge loops. A Freeze Border option allows the tool to be used effectively on multi-part models by making sure the edges still line up perfectly while retopology is performed elsewhere. And the Adaptive Size slider defines polygon distribution in a model, which can increase the quality of topology, at the risk of increasing the number of polygons required.

With sufficient system memory, ZRemesher can work with models containing up to eight million vertices, but Pixologic recommends that steps be taken to reduce the total polygon count of a model — by reducing the number of levels of subdivision, using Decimation Master, and/or running a Smooth or Polish deformation — before using ZRemesher in order to improve speed.

Other additions include new sculpting tools, including Trim Curve, Bridge Curve, and Creasing brushes. Existing PolyGroups will be preserved when DynaMesh is applied to a model, and the Panel Loops feature has been expanded with new options.

ZBrush 4R6 is a free upgrade for registered users. For new users, ZBrush 4R6 costs $699 through July 26. After that, the price increases to $795 per license.