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ZBrush

ZBrush

Overview

What is ZBrush?

Pixologic in Los Angeles offers ZBrush, a digital sculpting and painting program for the 3D industry. Built within its interface, ZBrush offers tools for digital artists with an arsenal of features that have been developed with usability in mind, to…

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Recent Reviews

TrustRadius Insights

ZBrush is a powerful tool for a variety of 3D sculpting tasks, highly recommended for those using a Mac and iPad setup. Users have found …
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Pricing

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Individual

$39.95

On Premise
per month

Individual

$179.95

On Premise
per 6 months

Individual

$895.00

On Premise
perpetual license

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services
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Product Demos

zbrush 4 r3 FiberMesh demo

YouTube

Zbrush - Matcap Baker Plugin Demo

YouTube

Sculpting Demo with ZBrush Core & the Wacom Intuos 3D // Part 1/2

YouTube

Blender Broke My iMac, but, I'm Still Impressed!

YouTube

ZBrush 2019 Quick Demo

YouTube

086 Zbrush 2021.7 - Bevel and Knife Brushes Demo! Creating a lightweighted mech component

YouTube
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Product Details

What is ZBrush?

ZBrush Technical Details

Deployment TypesOn-premise
Operating SystemsWindows
Mobile ApplicationNo
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(8)

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

ZBrush is a powerful tool for a variety of 3D sculpting tasks, highly recommended for those using a Mac and iPad setup. Users have found it useful for exploring different design possibilities, creating organic models, and painting textures using polypaint. The software's UV unwrapping tools streamline the process of preparing models for 3D printing, making it essential in the visual effects and feature film industry. ZBrush is widely recognized as the industry standard for high-resolution sculpted geometry, enhancing workflow efficiency by reducing the time it takes to go from concept to a high-poly character model. It is also used for creating new characters, product designs, and other designs. The accuracy in sculpting, subtools and layers functionality, and approachable modeling options make ZBrush a popular choice among artists.

ZBrush's versatility extends beyond creating detailed 3D models. It is also useful for solving various creative direction and visualization challenges. Users rely on ZBrush to fix unusable meshes, sculpt characters and poses, and quickly realize character concepts. The software's ability to create high-production value models and textures is highly appreciated. ZBrush offers capabilities that cater to different artistic requirements, whether it's retopology of 3D scans or the creation of complex organic models. It allows for quick and drastic changes in 3D designs while providing additional options for UVs, textures, rendering, and fixing modeling problems. Artists also find value in using ZBrush for personal use or portfolio creation due to its ability to produce high-quality models. ZBrush's customization options and the ability to add a personal touch in character and monster creation are highly regarded. Although other software may be better suited for specific actions, ZBrush remains beneficial for bespoke 3D sculpting challenges, character creation, and concept development. Its capabilities find applications in industries such as architectural visualization, marketing art illustrations, 3D printing, digital manufacturing, and scientific modeling. Overall, ZBrush is recognized as a powerful sculpting software that helps artists and designers save time by eliminating compromises in design work and allowing for more detail and professional-looking renders.

High-Quality Detail: Users consistently praise ZBrush for its ability to provide high-quality detail in sculpting. Many reviewers have stated that the software allows them to create intricate and realistic models with precision and control.

Intuitive Features: A significant number of users find ZBrush to be highly intuitive, with features that make it easy to address and solve modeling design problems. The software's painterly brush paradigm and intuitive interface contribute to a natural workflow for most artists.

Wide Range of Tools and Features: Reviewers appreciate the flexibility of ZBrush, which offers a wide range of tools and features for various creative needs. From 2D rendering to 3D printing, the software provides extensive capabilities that cater to different artistic requirements.

Difficult interface: Some users have found the ZBrush interface to be difficult to learn and navigate, leading to a steep learning curve. The non-intuitive layout, numerous menus, and confusing navigation system have been mentioned by several reviewers as barriers for beginners. While some users acknowledge that the software becomes useful once they become familiar with it, improvements to the interface and aesthetics have been suggested.

Crashes and instability: Several users have experienced crashes while using ZBrush, which can be frustrating. Strange bugs and frequent crashes have been reported by some reviewers, although the autosave feature helps mitigate this issue. Working with high-polygon models has been specifically highlighted as a potential cause of crashes for some users.

Limited rendering capabilities: According to one user, ZBrush is not suitable for rendering realistic 3D models compared to its competitors. The pipeline and drawing capabilities are considered inferior in comparison. Additionally, some users find the lack of options for animations and unfamiliar user interface as disadvantages, especially if they are new to 3D modeling.

Users commonly recommend the following for ZBrush:

  1. Start with small projects and tutorials. Many users suggest starting with small projects and tutorials to get familiar with ZBrush's overwhelming interface and tools. This approach allows beginners to gradually learn the software and build their skills.

  2. Invest in ZBrush for high-end 3D sculpting. Despite its high price, users consider ZBrush worth the investment, especially for high-end 3D sculpting. They appreciate its versatility in 3D modeling and recommend it as a must-have tool for serious artists.

  3. Explore free tutorials and take time to learn the software. Users emphasize the importance of spending time learning how to use ZBrush effectively. They recommend taking advantage of the availability of free tutorials and being patient with the software's UI and tools. It is advised to thoroughly explore the tutorials and interface before diving into complex projects.

Overall, users suggest approaching ZBrush as a powerful toolset in a digital environment, concentrating on learning a few essential tools at a time. They also mention the continuous improvement of ZBrush through free upgrades and highlight the usefulness of online tutorials and responsive customer support from Pixologic, the company behind ZBrush. Finally, they recommend considering other 3D programs like Blender or Sculptris before investing in ZBrush, but ultimately view it as the industry standard for 3D sculpting, surpassing its main competitor, Mudbox.

Reviews

(1-3 of 3)
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Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We've employed Zbrush from Pixologic as a powerful digital sculpting program used by our digital artists. It has become incredibly useful for creating three-dimensional artwork that we have used it as part of a Non-Fungible Token (NFT) 3D Art Collection. What makes Zbrush an ideal choice for creating NFT art is its versatility and multitude of features, allowing us to produce almost any type of digital art.
  • Intuitive UI design.
  • Advanced sculpting capabilities.
  • Integration with other 3D software.
  • Slowdowns when using certain tools or features.
  • Difficulty to access certain shortcuts or commands.
  • Lack of a dedicated animation timeline system.
The comprehensive toolkit enables us to take advantage of its wide range of tools, such as customizable brushes, particles and materials, custom deformers, mesh manipulation tools, and more, to bring art creations to life with high levels of detail and realism. On the flip side, if an artist needs very specific tools tailored towards animation-type projects rather than 3D model design, then they would likely find programs like Maya or Blender more beneficial.
  • Comprehensive library of shapes, brushes, textures and materials.
  • Professional-quality rendering.
  • Export in various file formats including .obj, .fbx and .stl.
  • a single tool to quickly and effectively create 3D objects.
  • Highly detailed 3D models allow us to create a range of highly detailed NFT 3D art collections for our clients.
  • Setting up licenses across an entire team can become costly.
ZBrush’s Brush system allows our digital artists to quickly and easily apply various textures and details to their models with relative ease. This makes it easier for digital influencers to give their creations a unique look and feel while still achieving a professional quality finish. Another advantage of using ZBrush over other programs is its ability to manipulate geometric meshes on a micro level. This means that artists can adjust the shape of any object within a virtual environment, allowing them to create intricate designs with relative ease.
Jacquelyn Tolksdorf | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I've used ZBrush for 20 years and it's my go-to scalping software for digital characters, product design, and more. Great for lighting, color, material, orientation, and depth information for the points doing different creative projects. I still like this above all digital sculpting tools, apps, and other software. I also can't believe that I bought this 20 years ago and it's still just as great!
  • Best for sculpting characters even down to the smallest pore.
  • Great for points of light on a character.
  • So fast sculpting and crafting for product design.
  • I'm a Mac user, and the desktops/laptops don't have CD drives anymore...Hard to use on newer macs.
  • Painting could be improved.
  • Crashes a few times a year.
Blender is still behind Zbrush when it comes to production quality. But ZBrush is a bit on the expensive side. But again, I've used it for 20 years. So the $100s of spent back then have paid off many times over by now. Just something to consider when purchasing, though.
  • Easy, light to the tough 3D sculpting for characters.
  • Fast shape creation for product designs.
  • Great for lighting tests on characters and objects.
  • I've had it for over 20 years. It was expensive at first but paid off over time.
  • Ups my services list for 3D graphics.
  • Great for digital artists in general.
Even though it's 4x as old, ZBrush is still better in my opinion. Plus, I'm just so used to it by now after 20 years. Blender will indeed become better over time and the leading industry standard soon, but for now, ZBrush is still better for me for sure. Love it!
Salomi Rai | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Firstly, we create a basic 3D object in Maya or Blender. Then, we create its UVs and import that 3D mesh in Zbrush. And in Zbrush we sculpt that 3D mesh with [a] variety of brush or sometimes our own custom-made brush to create the perfect 3D model we had designed.
  • Sculpting
  • Custom made brushes
  • Noise sculpting
  • Detailed, high-poly work
  • Re-topologizing
  • Difficult and messy UI
  • Not well-suited for renders
  • Not suitable for animation and rigging
  • Expensive
Zbrush is a specific use software. It is the best software for sculpting a 3D object. So, you can use this software for 3D modeling, sculpting, and painting. It has [a] variety of brushes to sculpt 3D model[s] just like you wanted. Even more amazing is that you can custom-made [your] own brushes.
  • 3D sculpting
  • Re-topologizing
  • Poly paint
  • Expensive
  • Will create a 3D mesh exactly as you had designed
Zbrush is specifically used for sculpting the 3D object. Poly paint, Re-topologizing, and hard surface modeling are other great features of this software. While other mentioned software mainly focus[es] on animation, rigging, and so on.
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