ZBrush 3.5 R3 is now available for all the ZBrush registered users.. or for the new ZBrush customers!

This R3 is not just a bug fix release, but add several new features and enhancements which brings the sculpting software to a new level, especially in the hard sculpting field, making this R3 what should have been (IMHO) ZBrush 4.5 while ZBrush 3.5 should have been ZBrush 4.0

With the 3.5 R3, you will have some nice new additions like:

• Quicksketch, a 2D sketching plugin, to draw your ideas in a click. Just try it, it’s very addictive!
• A huge set of new features for the polygroups creations: new groups from polypainting or masks, GroupsLoops to create loops around the polygroups, export polygroups as polypainting, etc…
• The Remeshing, to create new object based on the combination (or subtractions / intersections) with the visible SubTools. It’s a kind of boolean solution, but to create new basemeshes.
• Tons of new brushes, included the new h/m/sPolish which will become your new favorite brushes for sure: with a low pressure, it will polish your surface and a high pressure will create hard edges on the border of the stroke, while protecting the surface angle. A real joy
• Various new additions on the brush settings: stabilization of the brush, angle masking, brush tilting, etc….

Just check the new ZBrush 3.5 webpages on Pixologic.com for a new feature overview, view the presentation video on these same pages and don’t forget the ZBrush 3.5 car design tutorial by Pixolator himself

Don’t forget that ZBrush 3.5 R3 is a free update for all the ZBrush customers. Which others company do that?

I bought modo 201 some time ago, because I was looking for an alternative modeler for Amapi and Hexagon because these software in a short future will “die”: Amapi 8 development has been stopped 1 month before its public beta, with less than 3 months of development to have a full product ready to be shipped, and Hexagon is no more developed by DAZ, or nearly not, except adding content specific stuff (well, let’s hope I’m wrong!)

I also needed a new render engine as an alternative of the also “dying” and restricted  Carrara, and too expensive 3DSMax (thanks for the license of my job!). Then modo was a good choice: company with a strong background in 3D, new architecture, full feature set Sub division modeler, very good UV editor, a killer renderer at a price that a freelance, a small company can afford. Another important point: finding resources. modo have a great community and Luxology, the editor, provides a lot of learning content, free or not.

But hell! It was and it’s still hard to learn modo and I’m far to be a beginner in 3D and with 3D modelers. But i’m still thinking that I did a good choice and I will post on my blog my progress, my learning and what I find weird or crazy in this package!

Because I  lack of free time and because I always have 2457 projects at the same time, I try to focus on a simple project which will makes me see all kind of features that modo 302 (my current version while waiting the release of  the 401): A simple robot, freely inspired from the movie Robots from Dreamworks. It will be basically some hard modeling, but with traditional modeling, copies, I will have to see how the hierachy and rigging (for the 401) will work, spend some time on UVs, work on the shaders and lighting and finally, the render. When all that stuff will be done, I will be able to start on the animation!

At the same time, I’m checking, redoing the videos I bought on their website to learn again and again. Then you will see a mix of various projects while I provide the feedback about how I’m progressing with this software

This is some screenshots, which will be commented later, in another post about my progress in modo:

And the beginning of an Austin Mini Coper (you may recognize the Digital Tutors tutorial