ZBrush Tip: Generate Targeted Masks from Polygroups in ZBrush

Polygroup-based masking is one of the fastest ways to isolate meaningful sections of a model without painting masks manually. It is especially effective for armor plates, clothing panels, facial regions, mechanical components, and other meshes already organized with clear Polygroups.

To generate a mask from existing Polygroup boundaries:

• Select the required SubTool and confirm that its Polygroups are visible by enabling PolyFrame with Shift+F.
• Open Tool > Masking > Mask By Feature.
• Enable Groups and disable unrelated options such as Cavity, Crease, or Border when you want the result to depend only on Polygroup structure.
• Adjust the Groups influence, then click Mask By Feature to calculate the mask.

This method is useful when you need masks generated along multiple Polygroup borders. For greater control over a single region, isolate the Polygroup first:

1. Hold Ctrl+Shift and click the desired Polygroup to hide the others.
2. Apply a mask to the visible geometry through Tool > Masking > Mask All.
3. Hold Ctrl+Shift and click an empty area of the canvas to restore all hidden geometry.
4. Use Tool > Masking > Inverse, or Ctrl-click the empty canvas, when the opposite portion must be protected.

Once the mask is active, you can safely transform or sculpt the exposed area. For example, use Gizmo 3D to reposition an armor panel, Inflate to raise grouped details, or Move to alter a silhouette while neighboring Polygroups remain protected.

For cleaner results, refine the mask before editing:

• Sharpen Mask: Use Tool > Masking > SharpenMask to tighten transitions around Polygroup edges.
• Blur Mask: Use BlurMask, or Ctrl-click the masked model, to create a softer deformation falloff.
• Grow or shrink: Use GrowMask or ShrinkMask when the protected area stops slightly short of—or extends beyond—the intended border.
• Check topology: Polygroup masking follows polygon organization, so coarse or irregular topology may produce visibly stepped boundaries.

A practical hard-surface workflow is to assign separate Polygroups to panels, mask the surrounding groups, and then use Gizmo 3D or deformation controls to inset, scale, or offset the exposed panel. Because the separation is based on polygon membership rather than a hand-painted edge, revisions remain fast and repeatable.

Remember to clear the mask with Ctrl-drag on an empty canvas area before switching tasks. Also save a project version before making destructive changes, particularly when combining masking with extraction, panel loops, or geometry deletion.

If you are building or upgrading a professional sculpting workflow, explore ZBrush solutions at NOVEDGE. NOVEDGE also provides a broad selection of professional design and visualization software for modeling, rendering, and production pipelines.

You can find all the ZBrush products on the NOVEDGE web site at this page.