• assign hotkey to a brush
  • press ctrl+alt and click the brush, then release ctrl+alt, then set the “key combo” for it
  • once done, press the “key-combo” to activate the brush

• standard brush, move brush, clay brush are good easy brushes

• dynamesh is good at sub-div level 4

• ZScript is a script language for ZBrush automation, mainly on interface setting get and set, and button/slider based interface interaction. It is line by line action command based script, the function is limited to what ZBrush can do, like Javascript for Photoshop Actions.
• Zscript is a text file ends with “.txt”, by running it in ZScript menu > Load, it will compile a “.zsc” file, and you can put the “.zsc” file in ZBrush App/ZStartup/ZPlugs64 folder to let it load the script by default.
• zscript cmd code reference:
  • http://docs.pixologic.com/user-guide/customizing-zbrush/zscripting/command-reference/
  • video tutorial:
    • MadPonyInteractive: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_dWlm9jz7xc4wJQp05Nrag/videos

• my ZScript for render current viewport and export jpg with name of current sub tool name.

  makeSubToolJPG.txt

  // 2019.11.14 - Ying - ZBrush Make subtool jpg at same folder. and pass file to bat file to handle publish process
  // note: it create a UI button in bottom of Tool menu
  [ISubpalette, "Tool:zAI Plugins"]
  [IButton,"Tool:zAI Plugins:Ying_ZB_DailyBPR2","Press to play this ZScript. ZScript can be aborted at anytime by pressing the esc key.",
  [ISet,Render:BPR Shadow:FStrength,1]
  [ISet,Render:BPR Shadow:GStrength,0.75]
  [ISet,Render:BPR Shadow:Rays,12]
  [ISet,Render:BPR Shadow:Rays,100]
  [ISet,Render:BPR Shadow:Angle,60]
  [ISet,Render:BPR Shadow:Res,8240]
  [ISet,Render:BPR Shadow:Blur,1]
  [ISet,Render:BPR Shadow:VDepth,1]
  [ISet,Render:BPR Shadow:LDepth,-5]
  [ISet,Render:BPR Shadow:Max Dist,10]
  [ISet,Render:BPR Shadow:DistFalloff,0.1]
  [IPress,Material:MatCap White Cavity]
   
  [VarDef,fileName,""]
  [VarSet,fileName,[StrMerge,[GetActiveToolPath],".jpg"]]
  [FileNameSetNext,fileName]
   
  [ISet,Render:BPR RenderPass:SPix,5]
  [IPress,Render:BPR RenderPass:Render Best Preview]
  // [IPress,Render:Render]
  [IPress,Document:Export]
  [Note,"Ying.AI Has Exported the Image for you.",, 3 ]
  [NoteBar, fileName]
   
  [VarSet,toolFolderPath,"R:\Pipeline\PyZBrush\SubToolJPGDaily"]
  [VarSet,folderExists,[FileExecute,"R:\Pipeline\PyZBrush\SubToolJPGDaily\ZFileUtils64.dll","FolderExists",#toolFolderPath]]
  [If,folderExists, 
      [Note,"Daily Tool Folder exists.",,3]
      [ShellExecute, [StrMerge,"R:\Pipeline\PyZBrush\SubToolJPGDaily\zAImakeSubToolJPGDaily_exe.bat ",fileName]]
      ,
      [Note,"Daily Tool Folder does not exist.",,3] ]
   
  ]/*End of ZScript*/

other common useful zscript code

• get subtool name

  [VarDef,subtoolName,""]
  [VarSet,subtoolName,[IGetTitle,Tool:ItemInfo]]
  [VarSet,subtoolName,[StrExtract,subtoolName,0,[StrLength,subtoolName]-2]]

• get last file browsing file name

  [VarDef,lastName,""]
  [VarSet,lastName,[FileNameGetLastUsed]]
    * message dialog <code>
  // add code above
  [MessageOK, lastName, "Last Path"]
  // sub tool path
  [MessageOK, [GetActiveToolPath], "Active Tool Path"]

• define a path holder

  [VarDef,filePath,""]
  [VarSet,filePath,"D:\z_sys\xTool\resZBrush\"]
  // set full path
  [VarSet,fileName,[StrMerge,filePath,subtoolName,".jpg"]]
  // set only name path, then it will use zscript path as parent path
  [VarSet,fileName,[StrMerge,subtoolName,".jpg"]]