Setting the scene scale in ZBrush is an important step in any digital sculpting project. It ensures that all elements within your scene maintain accurate proportions and sizes relative to each other. This is particularly important when working on detailed models or when precision is required, such as in product design, or character creation.
Here's a quick step-by-step tutorial on how to set the scene scale in ZBrush.
Step 1
Launch ZBrush and open a new document. This will be your canvas for sculpting. You can save it as .zbr for later use after you have set the environment scale. OR if you have worked on a file, you may perform the same steps on a working file but make sure that you have selected the 3D cube.
Step 2
Go to the Tool Palette and navigate to the SubTool tab. Click on the Insert button and select 3DCube from the QuickPick menu. This cube will serve as our reference object for setting the scene scale. By default, ZBrush sets the scene scale based on the dimensions of the last inserted object. Since we've inserted a cube, the initial scale will be set according to the cube's dimensions.
Step 3
Press the ZPlugin located at the top of ZBrush UI. And from the dropdown menu find the Scale Master plugin and expand it. This plugin will allow us to adjust the scene scale precisely.
Step 4
Within the Scale Master plugin, click on the Set Scene Scale button. From the dropdown menu, select the desired scale. For example, if you're working on a miniature model, you might choose 2.00 x 2.00 x 2.00 mm. For this tutorial, I will set to 2x2x2 millimeters.
Step 5
Still within the Scale Master plugin, adjust the scale values to 25.4 x 25.4 x 25.4 mm which is 1 inch. Click the Resize Subtool button to apply the changes. This action resizes the cube (and thus the scene) to the new scale.
Step 6
To ensure the scene scale is correctly set, click on Set Scene Scale again in the Scale Master plugin. This step is important for confirming that the scene scale matches your intended dimensions. Once confirmed, click outside the Set Scene Scale window to exit and finalize the settings.
With the scene scale now accurately set, you're ready to begin sculpting. All future actions, including adding details or modifying the model, will adhere to this established scale.