ZBrush Jewelry Basics: Flower Eternity Ring

[@hyplerai]

You are a fantastic teacher. I never got zbrush, it seemed clunky but powerful- very hard to learn. I’m intrigued now.

[@CRyanBurg]

Wow wow wow!! I've been using ZBrush for a year now and this is easily the most comprehensive tutorial I've seen yet. How you explain the use of the gizmo is glorious. Using the scale as a clipping mask is trick one that I won't soon forget. I'll be doing this tutorial several times to get the lessons to sink in. Many, many, thanks.

[@FerocarTutorials]

Thank you Kat this is the best tutorial of ZBrush i have seen, i love the way you explain everything in the tutorial very easy to understand. thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@MARIIANFOX]

I agree. So well explained and in good speed.

[@oueuc2]

Holy cow! Thank you very much! I've struggled to learn ZBrush off and on for a few years. I would quit, use something easier, and forget what I learned, but it's finally sinking in. I spent 3-4 hrs following this 45 minute tutorial, and made my first "useful" 3d model in ZBrush, and Shapeways is making it in 925 silver for only $32.00 after shipping and taxes! I'm having it made for my wife. I'm hooked! I got so excited, and also I never knew about Shapeways, until I heard you mention it! I already do cnc machining, and use Vectric Aspire for 3D, but I really want to know ZBrush, and you taught me a lot! Array mesh, the arc tool, sizing. Even things like "Making 11 flowers will equal 10 in the end. I'll probably do some skulls or dragons next, lol. You unlocked a whole new world for me, and I'll be watching all your jewelry tutorials :)

[@월화수목금토요일]

best zbrush tutorial ever seen in youtube. Thank you

[@KatAdair]

Thank you!

[@EsWarNotwehr]

Thanks for the Video and the googledrive link. Even though I would do some parts of it differently with the updated 2022 version, I did learn a lot in watching your workflow! Greetings from Germany and stay healthy!

[@parinazfarin9963]

Thank you so much....it s awesome zbrush tutorial.....you explain great with your sweetie voice .

[@kpc9506]

Just started using Zbrush. Couldn't ask for a a better tutorial to start with. I have been a jeweler for many years and very familiar with Rhino. Learning Zbrush has always something i have wanted to do. Hope you will continue to make tutorials. Thanks!

[@andrewgonzales4131]

No joke, there are some incredible tutorials out there but I am in love with your method. thank you for all the help. You are the best. God bless!

[@nefwaenre]

i've been testing the waters with Core mini but i always found Zbrush to be daunting. But OH MY GOSH!! Your tutorial was an absolute gem! Not only did you clearly introduce everything, but you got me sculpting along with you!! Thank you!!!

[@mrk0per]

this is a really good tutorial! I always struggled with zbrush tutorials, but you are clear with the information. Thank you

[@dylanjj]

This was my first time using zbrush. Very easy to follow! I messed up a few times but you were so clear I was never in any real trouble!

[@rafaelsot01]

Oh wow... you're so good working with Zbrush....keep doing more videos please, I need your tutorials so bad!...

[@riceyumyum]

thank you from Korea! you are literally good at explain!!

[@benthk3dprt136]

verry good tutorial! I like how you repeat functions, quick tip: if you mark the cillinder to "not visible" instead of "subtract" then click the "merge visible" tool. you wont have to re- dynamesh the object and the cillinder will dissapear instantly.

[@KatAdair]

I have actually redone this tutorial using a Subtools folder with Merge Boolean. I need to re-update the tutorial. I also now use Polygroups with the slice function to get that cut edge really nice and neat. I’m currently down at the coast in Texas for the month, but I brought my recording equipment. It’s probably time to update this one! I just updated to 2022, and some of my tried-and-true techniques have changed a little bit… Thanks so much for the tip, also!

[@calm2348]

Just started with Zbrush for jewelry design and your videos are the best I've found so far on KZbin. Hope to see more!

[@KatAdair]

Cal McNamara, thanks so much for your kind words! I’m currently remodeling my parents’ house, but finishing up soon. I’ve got a lot of new topics that I’m looking forward to sharing. Let me know if there are any specific topics you’re interested in!

[@calm2348]

​@@KatAdair Hi Kat, boy - that's a ton of work! Best of luck with that project. My burning questions in terms of "how-to" in Zbrush would be: 1. How to make bypass, knife-edge and split shank engagement rings 2. How to lay out small recesses for pave 3. How to make a trellis setting There's my wish list! haha Really enjoy how to-the-point and concise you are in your videos. I think tutorials on those techniques I mentioned would garner a good amount of views, in addition to helping me out a ton!

[@YahyaNjami]

Very helpful. Thanks alot. I was struggling with z brush for 3 months and you made it easier for me a big time

[@miajaeggli]

One of the best zbrush tutorials. It's nice to move beyond creature sculpting videos. Your process and directions are easy to understand and I learned a lot. Thanks too for the additional files.

[@fazalansari6413]

Very clean and helpful tutorial. Thank you. I learnt many tools of ZBrush in a single tutorial.....

[@mariahaha7814]

I love your way explaining zbrush . Really nice to Unterstand thanks so much ❤️❤️❤️

[@SanjayDhanda.]

Hey Kat It sanjay from the vertexschool Sam Greenwell course we took... this is great stuff, subscribed :)

[@dhavalvaishnav9166]

Really greatly appreciated, Wow for you kat

[@modeling300]

Wonderful Tutorial, thank you so much!

[@skad0f]

That's amazing. Thank you so much ☺

[@sambora.jewelry]

great video! please come back with zbrush tutorials!!!!!

[@KatAdair]

Sambora Jewelry I am working on more right now...is there anything you would like to see or something you’re trying to do specifically? You can send an email through my website, too. Either katkramer.com or katadair.com. Thank you for your kind words!

[@sambora.jewelry]

@@KatAdair anything jewelry related would be great. How to apply the textures, mate finished background. No idea how to do this in zbrush, but I know how to do it in real life with a bur though:)))) Your blog is awasome!!!!!

[@sambora.jewelry]

@@KatAdair also I think the findings tutorials would be very helpfull. I know you have done bezel and a basket settings. Thank you !!!!

[@muqeetking9895]

@@KatAdair beautiful ring amazing work Kat. Plz more rings videos uploaded

[@markduck4989]

Brava! your simply amazing and your voice is so soothing and warm

[@KatAdair]

Mark Duck thank you!

[@MARIIANFOX]

Thank you very much for your time and detailed tutorial!

[@silvaazarian4296]

Thank you Kat . Very clear explanation . Love your videos .

[@narminayaverova5510]

Hello! Great tutorial! Thank you so much,. I have a problem with loading your interface, when i press load button and pick the file, my laptop just freezes and if i click smth on the screen it terminates zbrush session. Would be glad if someone can tell me what is the problem

[@v3gp45ty4]

Thank you Kat that was very enjoyable and hugely valuable

[@KatAdair]

simon deane-cutler, thank you! I’ve got some more coming out this week...stay tuned.😁

[@curiouscollectiblesAU]

Cool. Just came to find out about bend arc. Pixologic mean that the merging and is undoable with merge down operation. In other words, can’t get the original subtools back separated. Although there is the workarounds. Save a seperate zpr file and load it later or split to parts. Also, you sound like Joseph Drust with your outro “happy zbrushing”

[@henrivee]

hello Kat, i just stumbled upon your videos as i'm new to z brush as a jewelry student could you show how to do pendants for names, zodiac signs, monograms? thank you

[@miralbacolonjorge]

Spectacular! Thanks for this tutorial. Use the graphics table Wacom Intuos for work in Zbrush ?

[@chronosmeister]

bravo , fantastic tutorial

[@ZwiOronar]

thank you for this great video!!!

[@arsenart648]

Great tutorial! had never touched the ArrayMesh section. So the size bar indicates always mm.If i go to zplugin at 3d print hub and export it as an stl will it keep the measurements i did?

[@KatAdair]

Yes. If you work with ZBrush and use the XYZ slider as if it were mm, when you export as an STL or OBJ, it should export with really precise dimensions. A quick test is to create something in ZBrush, write down the dimensions, then import the model into the slicer. You should see that the dimensions match exactly. However, printing may vary slightly depending on shrinkage in the resin, and if you’re casting, when the metal cools, it shrinks even more. Polishing and finishing might remove additional metal. This might be 3% or more. I will tend to print a 10mm test block that I create in ZBrush and send to my slicing software, then print. Use calipers to measure. It can be slightly off because of the curing or shrinking of resin, but you can determine a factor that can be used to adjust the print size in the slicer to make a perfectly precise print. Always work in ZBrush as if the XYZ size represents actual size, and make this adjustment in the slicer if necessary. It can vary by resin type, but should be consistent for all prints of a particular type of resin. (Some types of casting resins can shrink a bit more than standard resins.) The best solution is to print and cast a piece, and compare the size of a finished piece to the original size in ZBrush. You can then determine a factor that you can use in your slicer to accommodate. For example, if your finished piece was 3.5% smaller, you can use the scale function in the slicer to increase the size of the model with a scale factor of 1.035. Also, there is something called an “Export Factor” that is in the right tray of ZBrush, all the way at the bottom in the Export Section…if this Factor is 1, then the XYZ size is actual size. If you import a file into ZBrush from another program, and the size is larger than “2,” this factor will change, and the XYZ Size does not reflect actual size. I do not use any of the scale plugins or adjust any size preferences in the Preferences menu. I just work with the size in the XYZ Size section. In the beginning, I tried to adjust calibration in preferences, but it was really frustrating and didn’t work well. If you start a project in ZBrush and work only in ZBrush, using XYZ Size is really straightforward. Let me know if you have any other questions. 😃

[@arsenart648]

@@KatAdair thanks for the fast responce.. subscribed to your channel.

[@KatAdair]

@@arsenart648 many thanks!! If you are new to ZBrush (not just you, but anybody), there are several preview videos on my course page about installing the custom interface, navigating, and getting started. Go to www.zbrushjewelry.com and scroll to the bottom under Course Outline, end you’ll see those videos have previews. There are also links to my custom interface in one of the lessons, and I believe there are also handouts. I’m also about to put out an updated version of this tutorial that uses Polygroups to slice the end flowers more easily, so you’ll be notified since you’re subscribed. I love Polygroups…they are amazing. I haven’t figured out how to separate my channel into multiple sub channels, so you might see CAD tutorials also pop up on SketchUp and an iPad CAD program called Shapr3D. So many CAD programs, so little time!!

[@pennyduplessis5304]

Hi there! Love your video... I’m interested what MacBook do you use? And do you use a Wacom to draw on? I’m looking to buy a new laptop to start using zbrush and am thinking about getting the MacBook Pro with core I.5?

[@sayefmandal1859]

Helped alot mam ! Keep posting bless you 🥰

[@MrShadyMustafa]

thank you kat from Egypt ^_^

[@KatAdair]

S M W S very cool! Thank you. My parents lived in Oman for four years back in the 1990s, and one of my treasured life experiences was spending winter break there. My mom had arranged for me to hang out in the souk with a jeweler for a day. He taught me how to make name necklaces and how to solder. We spent that evening at an area where jewelers lived and worked, making diamond-cut gold pieces...piles of small bits of gold on the floor was pretty mind-blowing. I brought home a beautiful pure silver necklace with a bicycle reflector as a souvenir. We also went camping at a beach where the sea turtles came to lay eggs, and on the road were invited in by a nice Egyptian couple who told us next time we could stay with them. I would love to go back someday...the people were very kind. I think when we get out to see the world, it changes us. So nice to meet you!

[@sachrws]

wao thanku for such helpful video

[@GrzegorzBaranArt]

Thanks Kat, you are awesome :)

[@KatAdair]

Grzegorz, you’re welcome! 😁

[@khakonhossain3588]

Thank you kat Adair

[@zbigniew-nastalek]

Fantastic! Thank You.

[@AlVarVideo]

Perfect tutorial !!!! Thanx a lot!

[@cheeeeeeeesecake]

Awesome tutorial. Thank you so much! keep up the good work. :)

[@carmitzehavit2597]

Hi. Thanks for what you do. I am trying to workout the same issue on another one of your tutorials. I have tried contacting you for some additional help. Is this a good place to reach out? Thanks so much.

[@KatAdair]

Hey Carmit! I have been in the middle of a major remodel on my parent’s house and haven’t had good access to the internet for a bit. I took a weeklong break and made a couple videos. I’ll take a look at my email here in a bit. What issue is it? I can also try to answer here just in case anyone else is having the same issue.

[@carmitzehavit2597]

Kat Adair hi! Thanks for helping me work through this! You are the best!!

[@zin5371]

When I installed the custom UI all the options are faded I cant seem to access them can you tell me why that might be happening

[@KatAdair]

It could be that there is no object on the canvas/stage that is in the correct format to edit, so none of the features are available. Be sure to go through the startup sequence…select the yellow “S” on the right, which is the SimpleBrush, then choose Sphere3D. Click and drag on the stage to place the sphere, and press the T key to enable the Edit mode. Then look in the upper right corner for a “Make PolyMesh3D” button. Once you click this button, the sphere should be editable and most of the buttons in the custom UI should appear. There are a few other buttons that will appear once you make the sphere into a DynaMesh object. Let me know if this doesn’t fix the issue…I’m by my computer today.

[@zin5371]

@@KatAdair Let me try rn cause I was following along this tutorial and all the options are greyed out let me do it again

[@KatAdair]

@@zin5371 Keep me posted! It’s also a few years old, and ZBrush has changed a bit, but it should still work fine. It’s definitely a challenging piece of software…I’m trying to follow the iPad version and it’s like completely starting over with a new piece of software…

[@zin5371]

@@KatAdair So I followed all the steps and after clicking make poly mesh 3d option the greyed out options are flickering to be active and then again getting greyed out .

[@zin5371]

@@KatAdair I should try it without the custom UI then but man the UI is really good, u r an absolute legend for that T_T makes me sad I will reach out to you on insta maybe if that is fine.

[@MrMo7emad]

thank you so much you re great

[@EJSVARZ]

hi, can i transfer a vector logo to this software and make it 3d so i can send to 3d printer and cast?

[@KatAdair]

WILD X WEST yes! You would want to make sure it’s an SVG format, which can be exported from any vector-based drawing program. You’ll use the Text & SVG plug-in from the ZPlugin menu, and look for the SVG options. Slide the resolution slider in the plugin all the way to the right to make curves clean, and check the PolyFrame to see the totally goofy mesh this makes...if you try to smooth, it can’t because the mesh is so weird. I would DynaMesh right after importing the SVG. Try a DynaMesh resolution that will result in at least a 500,000 ActivePoints count. The casting house should be able to resize it for you...keep me posted if you have any questions.

[@EJSVARZ]

@@KatAdair Can you please make a tutorial ? I will try this out either way. Thank you!

[@v3gp45ty4]

Hi Kat just out of interest before I get in too deep, how much does Shapeways charge for printing out a ring like this? Thank you.

[@v3gp45ty4]

Do you use a pen and graphics tablet?

[@KatAdair]

Simon, I’m headed to Home Depot, but when I get back I’ll throw it up on Shapeways and check. A lot will depend on the thickness and the width of the band. But I’ll make a sample ring and record the process of uploading, and we’ll check! Great question. Also, on the graphics tablet...it makes it soooo much easier. I have several Wacom Intuous tablets in both small and medium sized. I actually prefer the smaller size, which fits in my laptop case...I like to design on my laptop in restaurants. I think they run about $100 on Amazon, but a friend recently commented that after purchasing the software that was a little out of his budget. I found him one on eBay for $22! So check eBay first to save a little...probably enough to offset the cost of printing at Shapeways. 😁

[@KatAdair]

Also, KZbin alerts me whenever someone asks a question, so if you get stuck, just post a question and let me know. Right now I’m finally working on a full-blown ZBrush course for ZBrush jewelry artists, after finally finishing the remodel at my parents’ house for the past 14 months, so I have my screen recording set up and ready to go. What type of jewelry do you do, or are you looking to do? Is there a particular style?

[@v3gp45ty4]

​@@KatAdair Thank you Kat, your help is invaluable.

[@terrybiegert3919]

do you have a download for a PC and instructions n how to load into zbrush

[@KatAdair]

Terry Biegert let me double check...I know the files should work the same for Mac or PC. For example, the hotkeys file is a .txt file. On a PC you would look for your Applications/Programs folder, then look inside the ZBrush folder for the ZStartup folder. Anything you want to load at startup, like custom user interfaces, brushes, materials, and hotkeys will go here. The link here will route you to the files. Looks like they are not compressed, so it is platform dependent and should open just fine on your PC. Let me know if you have any questions.

[@KatAdair]

drive.google.com/drive/folders/1kHPGqGPaWqL-T0dJsCyr4EoWoWBrh-4f?usp=sharing

[@DigiFootageFX]

Beautiful ring. Great work.

[@marcosanchez1626]

❤

[@timedriverable]

When you went to dynamesh I see most artists bring "blur" down to zero in the settings.Is this a major factor?

[@KatAdair]

Hey David! Sorry for the delayed reply...I just saw your message. To be quite honest, I don't touch the blur setting, and leave it at the default of "2." I could see if you were doing extremely detailed work, and you didn't want to lose that detail, turning that down might be helpful, but it doesn't seem to make a difference unless you toggle the little white dot to the right...even then, a difference of 2 isn't a lot. I have used "Polish" to make the mesh more evenly distributed, but other than that, I don't use anything else in the DynaMesh palette. I could also see that toggling that dot "on" and sliding the blur over to 100 would be a nice way to really round edges, but you'd have to remember to turn this off when you wanted to retain detail. I accomplish that task by a combination of DynaMeshing and using Polish Crisp Edges from the Deformation palette.

[@timedriverable]

@@KatAdair Thanx for your detailed response.

[@marcwilliams4188]

Hi, great video!! I sent you an email thru your website about doing some classes. By any chance did you get it?

[@KatAdair]

Thanks so much for your kind words! I’ve been out of the loop for a few months while remodeling my parents’ house to get it on the market. Can you drop me a quick note at kat at katkramer dot com? I will also look for your other message. I look forward to chatting with you!

[@spoonnn....]

Is it possible to undo the merge?? After merging it deletes the sub tool layer and then if I undo the merge nothing happens.

[@KatAdair]

Mr Kim, Undo won’t work after you use the Merge Down command, but in *most* cases you can use the Split to Parts function (towards the bottom of the SubTool palette) to separate the SubTools. However, if you have used DynaMesh on the piece, that will merge the tools into one mesh. You can try using the Undo function to go back to the point where you merged the tools, then use Split to Parts to separate them. If you see a sharp line where two SubTools meet, instead of a pixelated line, Split to Parts should work.

[@spoonnn....]

@@KatAdair Thanks for your answer!! That makes more sense now.

[@KatAdair]

It is a little counterintuitive. There is s specific warning that tells you a Merge is not undoable, which, although technically correct, doesn’t mean you can’t get the SubTools back. So thankfully there is a workaround. Let me know if you have troubles with that.

[@KatAdair]

One other thing...I will frequently make a ring or charm that has multiple SubTools...for example, with a bezel setting or jump ring...and I’ll merge them together, then save the SubTool. Then later, if I want to make the charm larger, I’ll separate the SubTools, then enlarge the charm while keeping the jump ring the same size (I usually make mine 3.5mm outside diameter by 1mm thick). With the bezel setting, I can separate a ring from the bezel, the enlarge either the ring, or the bezel, or both. Before exporting, I’ll merge the parts back together. If I am done with the piece, let’s say, I’ve made a size US7 ring with a 4mm stone, I’ll merge them, re-DynaMesh, then save the SubTool (at the top under the Tool palette) in addition to exporting the file. My 3D printer’s slicing software imports the merged OBJ file more quickly than if the SubTools were separate. I always save a “master” SubTool when I’m done creating, before I start merging. That way if something goes wrong, I have a backup. That way your pieces can be infinitely resized.

[@spoonnn....]

@@KatAdair Thanks again for your tips!! Split to parts works great. Lots to learn today.

[@MiguelVivo]

Genial!!!!

[@3dgraphicworkz463]

I tried to load your custom UI but your config file doesn't work. I'm on windows 10.

[@KatAdair]

3dgraphicworkz, it should work on either Mac or PC...I know folks who are also using it on Windows machines. Is it just not loading, or is the file/file type not recognized? Also, what version of ZBrush are you using? Are you by chance using ZBrushCore?

[@3dgraphicworkz463]

@@KatAdair When I load it in pref>config load config nothing happens to the ui and no custom button appears at the buttom. I'm on win 10 zbrush 2018.

[@MsLostboysforever]

Did you get custom UI working?

[@StudioNicomedia]

Zplugin- Pre Process Current not reduced my active points, you guys know why ?

[@KatAdair]

Studio Nicomedia, yes, there is a second step, which is to click the “Decimate Current” button right below that. The Pre-process Current does all the hard work, so the next button performs quickly.

[@StudioNicomedia]

@@KatAdair oh thanks Kat im glad

[@bijuks6041]

NICE

[@jack13041313]

omg you're really amazing...

[@KatAdair]

Thank you, Jack!

[@manojmehra8947]

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