B UILDING & M ANAGEMENT
V OLUME 3 I SSUE 3 S EPTEMBER - D ECEMBER 2019
E VOLUTION OF DRAWING AND SKETCHING WITH THE USE OF ZBRUSH AND THE LIVE BOOLEAN TOOL
A. B ERROYA E LOSUA , M. E CHEVARRÍA A GUIRRE AND D. A RTEAGOITIA G ARCÍA (2019). B UILDING & M ANAGEMENT , 3(3): 34-41
process. Thanks to the Live Boolean tool incorporated in
ZBrush, several processes can be performed simultaneously
while obtaining a real-time preview.
production pipeline. For this reason, this process deviates from
the focus of this article and will not be discussed in depth.
Fig. 10: Finished conceptual figure.
Kitbashing brings various elements together quickly to results
in highly complex models and shapes, like that shown in Figure
10, which was created in less than two hours of working time.
These powerful processes can be leveraged to conceptualize
and previsualize 3D spaces and buildings, making them useful
earlier in the building design pipeline than they are currently
utilized.
Finally, to demonstrate the usefulness of this methodology,
Figure 10 exhibits how elements of the previously pictured
ship can be used to create an entirely different object. To do
this, parts of the ship, such as the wings, have been extracted
and cuts have been applied with the Trim tool. The objects
have been modified with the deformation tools to adapt them
to the new concept, as seen in Figure 11(a).
Fig. 9(a) and 9(b): Previsualization of Probooleans.
At this point, all the previously-mentioned techniques are
combined. The Live Boolean tool is a powerful resource for
Kitbashing elements to combine and subtract from existing
volumes. The user can manipulate and deform the original
shape to his or her liking without having to take into account
the mesh or base topology of the objects involved.
Keep in mind that the objective of this technique is to create
and search for shapes intuitively, which allows one to reach
advanced design phases quickly. This technique has a
drawback in that it requires a powerful computer to run the
program and allow it to perform complex calculations
simultaneously and in real time. Additionally, the resulting
geometry of the 3D mesh will not be of final production
quality; the topology can be chaotic and therefore difficult, if
not impossible, to incorporate into film or video without
retopologizing it first. This process, however, is more typical of
3D artists and professionals at more advanced stages of the
Fig. 11(a) and 11(b): Tower composed of parts from the previously pictured ship, and resulting 3D object.
After creating different modifications of these pieces,
subtracting parts through Live Boolean, and cutting the pieces
with Trim tools, a new volume was generated that could be
suitable for a science fiction project. In the end, a complex
shape, pictured in Figure 11(b), was generated in less than an
hour.
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