The XYZ Adjust script definitely has my vote to become a core feature of the next version of ZBrush like the way Projection Master did. For ZBrush to be taken seriously as a good low poly modeling solution it really needs something like this. I’m glad TVEyes saw that need and did something about it.
I usually block out a model with ZSpheres with all the usual ways you see everybody else do then when the ZSphere layout is about 80% complete I’ll start using this script to modify certain problem areas that have too little or too much mesh density. Usually hands and feet need this the most since because I keep the IRES slider kept at a value of 1 most of the time, I end up with a little too much detail in places like that.
Any sphere that needs adjusting I’ll start off by setting the XYZ resolution to 1 for all 3 axis then experiment with adding a little more resolution along one axis or more. This can add more loops at joints or along the lengths of arms or legs without having to resort to box modeling methods to cut more loops for detail.
I’ll also keep an eye on the contours of the model while I’m working and use the membrane slider in this script to fine tune the tightness or looseness of the skin in different places for a more natural look. That’s a nice finishing step for tweaking the aesthetics of the model. Just that fine control of the membrane settings alone makes the XYZ Adjust script worth using by itself.
A word of warning to anyone using XYZ Adjust: Beware of symmetry problems. Sometimes it seems that XYZ Adjust can cause the model’s symmetry to drift pretty far out of alignment if you don’t catch it early. If you let it go too long such problems may be a bit difficult to untangle later. When I first started using the script that frustrated me a bit and lost me some modeling time until I got used to it. Now I’ve gotten into the habit of checking the symmetry frequently so I can catch potential problems early. I don’t mind this problem one bit since this script is so damned useful in keeping the polygon counts nice and low and helps finetune nicely the contours of a model at the ZSphere level.
Now if we had a good script or two that would improve and enhance the box modeling capabilities of ZBrush I’d never have to use any other 3D program again for modeling tasks. (hint hint)