ZBrush Tip: Project All Best Practices: Preserve Sculpt Detail, Polypaint, and Topology

Efficiently transfer sculpted detail and polypaint from one mesh to another in ZBrush using Project All while avoiding artifacts and preserving clean topology.

Preparation

• Keep both meshes in one Tool: append the source mesh as a SubTool of your target (or vice versa) so they share the same scene scale and transform.
• Match density: subdivide the target until its polygon count meets or exceeds the source at each level (Tool > Geometry > Divide). Start projecting from lower levels upward.
• Store a Morph Target on the target mesh (Tool > Morph Target > StoreMT) to enable fast cleanup with the Morph brush after projecting.
• Visibility matters: hide any SubTools you don’t want to influence the projection. Project All looks at all visible geometry.
• Thin shells: if the target has thin or overlapping surfaces (lids, lips, nostrils), isolate and project one side at a time to prevent cross-surface hits.

Core workflow

• Start low: go to the lowest subdivision level on both meshes. Run Tool > SubTool > Project All with modest Dist (try 0.05–0.2) and PA Blur at 1–3 to soften harsh ray hits.
• Iterate upward: step up one subdivision level at a time and Project All again. This cascaded approach reduces spikes and preserves forms.
• Polypaint too: if transferring color, ensure Colorize is on for both meshes. Project All will include polypaint with the geometry.
• Local control: in tight areas (eyelids, fingernails), use the ZProject brush for manual projection. Align your view to the surface, set RGB/ZAdd as needed, and brush details from source to target precisely.

Cleanup and safeguards

• Morph Brush eraser: lightly paint back problem areas to the stored morph state where projection overshoots occurred.
• Backface masking: enable Brush > Auto Masking > BackfaceMask when working on thin parts to avoid pulling from the opposite side.
• Relax between passes: a tiny Smooth (Shift) or Deformation > Relax can help before the next projection step, especially on dense meshes.
• Edge protection: if you must preserve hard borders, temporarily crease or mask them before projecting, then uncrease/unmask after.

Troubleshooting

• Spikes or explosions: lower Dist, increase PA Blur slightly, hide distant SubTools, and re-project from the previous subdivision level.
• Missed cavities: temporarily Inflate the target a touch (Deformation > Inflate 0.5–1), Project All, then deflate back.
• Misaligned scale: if two separate files were used, append one Tool into the other rather than importing independently to avoid mismatched scene scales.
• Noise preservation: project at the highest level only after primary and secondary forms are accurately transferred at lower levels.

Result: you’ll retain sculpt fidelity, color, and forms while keeping the target’s topology and UVs intact—a dependable way to move details across retopologized, cleaned, or re-parametrized meshes.

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