This plugin is a collection of tools I have made to automate, expand and add some much needed features to Zbrush.
To install:
Place "NicksTools.zsc" file and "NicksToolsdata" folder in your *\ZStartup\ZPlugs and ZPlugs64 directory.
Discussion and Support on Polycount and ZBrushCentral threads.
Material Cycle
- With these set of buttons you can "store" up to 6 materials on the "Material" slider numbers. Start by picking a number and a commonly used Material. Then click "Set Mat." That Material is now set to the slider number.
- You can either move the slider manually or use the "<>" keys. For best use assign those buttons to hotkeys. To remove a Material from a number you can use the "Clear Mat" button or overwrite it with a new material.
**Note 1: If a number is "blank" the "<>" buttons will not skip it. The Material will not change but you will have to press the buttons to move on to the next number.
**Note 2: Stored Materials must be loaded for the script to assign them to your mesh. Please use Materials in your ZStartup folder or load them before hand.
Visibility
- Define Group: Sets a "keyword" that appears in the name of all subtools you want in a group. This keyword is set to the number on the slider.
- Check: Displays the keyword assigned to the slider number.
- <-G/G-> : Buttons to move the group slider up or down. Use these if you want to hotkey changing the group number.
- Hide/Unhide Group: Hides/Unhides each subtool with the keyword that is assgined to the current slider number.
- Send Group to Top/Bottom: Each subtool with the keyword that is assgined to the current slider number is moved to the top/bottom of the subtool stack.
- Add Visible to Group: Will add the keyword from the current slider number to the name of each visible subtool.
- Isolate Group: Checks if the subtool name has a keyword in a group and hides all subtools that are NOT in the same group.
- Hide Above/Below: this script hides Subtools above or below the active Subtool in the Subtool menu. This DOES NOT hide Subtools above or below based on the canvas position, only based on menu order.
- Store/Restore Visibility: when you press "Store Visibility" the current visibility status of all your Subtools are stored. You can hide/unhide subtools any way you want and then recall the stored visibility later.
This is saved in between ZB sessions.
** Note: It is very important you do not add/delete or rearrange subtools after storing. It will give you an error and you will have to store the visibility again.
- Set Subtool: Picks a subtool to use in the "Quick Select" and "Quick Hide" buttons.
- Quick Select: Toggles between the current subtool and the one selected with "Set Subtool."
- Quick Hide: Toggles the visibility of the subtool selected with "Set Subtool."
Quick Load/Save
- Load Stored ZPR: This button will load a project stored with the "Open" button to the right.
- Open: This button will open the browser for you to select a project. This button also automatically stores the project you open. So after you "Open" a project once its forever stored until you open other with this button.
- Save 1-3: These buttons will save over the mesh saved with the corresponding "Store Tool" slot. If a different mesh is selected or the mesh has a different name than the one saved a warning prompt will appear. This is so you don't accidentally Overwrite a file.
- Store Tool 1-3: These buttons will store the current tool you are on. You can have three different tools stored at once. Clicking it again will overwrite the previous save. If you CRTL-Click the button it will display the path of the tool saved so you know which Tool is assigned to which button.
- Load Tool 1-3: These buttons will load the Ztools assigned to the neighbouring buttons.
**Note: To get optimal use out of these scripts I HIGHLY recommend making a custom menu with these buttons and docking it above the "Tools" palette so that it will be close to your other Save/Load buttons.