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Prepare your models for 3D printing with ZBrush, the popular program for 3D modeling and digital sculpting. Learn how to measure your models with real world units, so everything prints at the right size; save on material costs by hollowing out your models; and make sure your colors print true. Author/artist/3D aficionado Ryan Kittleson also shares some advanced tips and tricks for getting the best results from your particular printer.

This course was created by Ryan Kittleson. We're honored to host this training in our library.

In ZBrush 4 Essential Training, Ryan Kittleson introduces ZBrush to artists making a transition from another sculpting program or who may just need some help with the finer points of this powerful digital arts package. The course covers the most popular tools and techniques for digital painting and sculpting in ZBrush, and explains how to export the models and texture maps to other programs for use in games, film, fine art, or 3D printing. The course also highlights the new features in ZBrush 4, such as ShadowBox, clip brushes, and LightBox. Exercise files are included with the course.

ZBrush 4R8 adds several powerful new features that make the process of creating digital art faster than ever. Gizmo 3D provides new ways to move, rotate, and scale models. The enhanced ZModeler brush gives you greater freedom for polygonal modeling, including extremely low-res modeling. Live Boolean mode lets you add, subtract, and overlay objects in real time, while some of the smaller new features—straight line strokes, inverse masks, and the vector displacement map brush—make drawing and sculpting in ZBrush even better. Watch this course to learn the basics of how the new features work and get professional results with them every time.

Starting from design sketches, this course covers the 3D sculpting and modeling of a product concept in ZBrush. Discover techniques and workflows that can help you design efficiently. Then, find out how to take 3D models from ZBrush to KeyShot, where photorealistic renderings can be made for presentation purposes. Learn the steps and processes for setting up materials, using shaders and lights, and configuring helpful render settings.

Not all CAD packages excel at the same tasks. But moving models between them can be difficult. In this course, you can learn a workflow for moving models between ZBrush and CAD packages that use SubD (subdivision surfaces), such as Rhino. Instructor Jean Gorospe shows how to build incredible designs that take advantage of both their strengths-and prepare for an exciting 3D printing process known as stereolithography (SLA). Follow along and discover how to build a modern task chair in Rhino, transfer the model to ZBrush for high-res detailing, send the mesh back to Rhino to convert it to NURBs, and finalize the design for printing. Jean even shows you what the results look like coming straight off an SLA printer, and after they've been washed and cured.

Not all CAD packages excel at the same tasks. But moving models between them can be difficult. In this course, you can learn a workflow for moving models between ZBrush and CAD packages that use SubD (subdivision surfaces), such as Rhino. Instructor Jean Gorospe shows how to build incredible designs that take advantage of both their strengths-and prepare for an exciting 3D printing process known as stereolithography (SLA). Follow along and discover how to build a modern task chair in Rhino, transfer the model to ZBrush for high-res detailing, send the mesh back to Rhino to convert it to NURBs, and finalize the design for printing. Jean even shows you what the results look like coming straight off an SLA printer, and after they've been washed and cured.

Using the kitbashing technique, you can speed up your ZBrush workflow by quickly producing detailed concepts in 3D. In this course, instructor Pablo Muñoz dives into the topic of kitbashing in 3D, sharing its benefits for rapid prototyping in ZBrush. Pablo explores multiple methods for creating organic and hard surface models using custom kits. Throughout the course, he shares various techniques for reusing resources to create completely different objects.

Using the kitbashing technique, you can speed up your ZBrush workflow by quickly producing detailed concepts in 3D. In this course, instructor Pablo Muñoz dives into the topic of kitbashing in 3D, sharing its benefits for rapid prototyping in ZBrush. Pablo explores multiple methods for creating organic and hard surface models using custom kits. Throughout the course, he shares various techniques for reusing resources to create completely different objects.

ZBrush offers a new way to make hair and fur with its FiberMesh tool. In this course, ZBrush artist Ryan Kittleson introduces the features of this mesh generation tool, and gives step-by-step examples of how they can be used in practice. Ryan goes over how to properly prepare your model before you start making hair, initialize the basic hair parameters for setting length and thickness, and use the Groom brushes to tame and style hair. To wrap up, he explains how to make other kinds of hair including eyebrows, eyelashes, and stubble.

Digitally sculpting a shoe in ZBrush can sometimes seem a bit daunting. The finished product should be precise, but follow the natural curves of an organic shape. In this course, learn how to leverage the unique tools in ZBrush to digitally sculpt realistic footwear. Ryan Kittleson takes you through the steps of accurately modeling a shoe, explaining how to create the sole, cut the tread pattern, make the upper basic shape, and create the laces. Plus, he shares how to add fine details such as stiches and leather and fabric textures. Upon wrapping up this course, you'll be equipped with the tools and techniques you need to create nearly any kind of footwear—not just the shoe sculpture shown in the course.

ZBrush's Polypaint feature allows artists to paint directly on a model's surface without first assigning a texture map. Simply create your texture map at a later time by transferring the painted surface into a texture. Polypainting is much faster and much more fun than the standard workflow—and you can easily change the size and resolution of your map and remap the UVs. Join Michael Ingrassia as he shows how to use Polypaint for advanced texturing in ZBrush. Learn dark-to-light painting techniques, how to set up meshes for colorizing, and how to create various texture effects, including metallic finishes and stippling.

To learn how to sculpt the 3D pirate journal featured here, check out Michael's previous course, ZBrush: Stylized Sculpting.

Take your ZBrush projects to the next level. Learn how to refine your models in programs like Maya and Photoshop. In this course, Michael Ingrassia walks through several ZBrush rendering workflows for modifying the shape of a model and exporting texture maps for painting outside of ZBrush. First, find out how to export elements for UV layout in Maya or use UV Master to lay out UVs right in ZBrush. Then learn how to export texture maps for refinement in Photoshop, where you can adjust colors, hand-paint texture, and add filters and effects. Chapter 3 shows how to adjust the overall shape of your model in Maya and reassemble the final sculpt back in ZBrush.

Join digital sculptor Ryan Kittleson as he shares his approach to sculpting realistic faces in ZBrush. By combining traditional anatomy with observation and digital techniques, this course provides a foundation for sculpting engaging human portraits. Ryan will show you how to interpret a photo reference, build the basic facial structures, achieve the likeness of the subject, sculpt facial expressions, and much more.

If you are new to ZBrush and looking for practice, look no further. Explore these interesting and easy sculpting techniques for ZBrush designed specifically for beginning and intermediate users. Artist Michael Ingrassia covers many of the basics that can often be confusing when first learning ZBrush's unique interface. He also shows how to "think traditional" and translate analog sculpting techniques to ZBrush tools. Along the way, he demos his favorite brushes and introduces techniques for masking, creating alpha maps, moving and duplicating geometry, and stamping shapes and textures. Each technique is showcased in a fun and multifaceted project that takes full advantage of ZBrush's powerful features, and the materials, brushes, and concept art are all included with the exercise files.

Are you ready to take your ZBrush-ing to the next level? In this weekly series, ZBrush artist Ryan Kittleson shares his personal approach on how to make ZBrush work for you. Ryan demonstrates how to set hot keys so that ZBrush operates more like your other favorite software. He shows you how to customize the interface, so that the features you use the most are placed front and center, and how optimize the setup of a custom scene to achieve maximum workflow efficiency. He demonstrates how to create macros to simplify complex and repetitive tasks into single-click solutions. This series is designed to help you go from spending time fussing with software to having more time to make great, new things with ZBrush!

Designers are always looking to streamline handoff to development. Zeplin might be your next great shortcut. Zeplin is a popular UX design tool for asset management, team collaboration, and documentation. In this course, Natalie Schultz shows how to build and share up-to-date design specifications using Zeplin and Sketch. Natalie shows how to move Sketch designs into Zeplin, create style guides using Zeplin's automation and style generation features, and export assets to share with your team.

Equip yourself with the knowledge to build, test, deploy, and scale Node.js web applications in production on Amazon Web Services. Kevin Whinnery helps you gain the skills you need to build a Node.js production environment that's productive in development and won't fail under a modest load. He walks through a sample project which uses a structure that's similar to what you might find in a production Node.js application, and which you can build on as a template for your own apps. He provides a general overview of several modules including Express, Sequelize, and Grunt, to help you understand the different pieces involved in application deployment.

Note: This course was created by Frontend Masters. It was originally released on 12/28/2016. We're pleased to host this training in our library.

Zoon Engineering is responsible for many signature projects in the San Francisco Bay Area, including the Bay Lights—a feat of engineering involving 300 suspender cables, 25,000 LEDs, and 100,000 feet of wire. Zoon founder Nabil Hissen and his partners use tech (like 3D modeling) and time management skills to resolve construction problems before they start, and collaborate with designers, regulators, and city officials. But what do they look for most in young engineers? People skills! In this short documentary, Nabil, project manager Saeed Shahmirzai, and Zoon's engineers talk about some of the challenges and highlights behind their biggest project ever, and explain the diverse skills it takes to join a premier firm like Zoon.