ZBrush Tip: Topology Brush — Fast Quad Retopology Directly on Sculpt

Use the Topology brush to sketch clean, production-ready quads directly on any surface. It’s fast, intuitive, and ideal for patching problem areas, building clean retopo over scans, or crafting precise hard-surface panels.

• Access: Press B, then T, then O to select the Topology brush.
• Reference Surface: Make your high-res sculpt the active SubTool. Enable PolyFrame (Shift+F) to visualize flow while drawing.
• Draw Size = Density: The brush’s Draw Size controls quad density. Smaller size = tighter quads; larger size = broader strips.
• Symmetry: Turn on X symmetry before drawing to generate mirrored topology automatically.

Workflow

• Sketch guides: Click-drag to lay down curves. Intersections form quad patches; keep strokes clean and logical.
• Edit quickly:
  • Alt+click a segment or point to delete.
  • Click on a curve to insert a point and refine corners.
  • Click-drag from existing points to extend flow.
• Preview mesh: Press A to preview the generated topology. Press A again to return to curves for adjustments.
• Accept: When satisfied, press A to preview, then click on the surface to commit. ZBrush creates a new SubTool with your topology.

Thickness and panels

• For thin shells or panels, open Brush > Modifiers and set Thickness above 0 before previewing with A.
• Great for rapid hard-surface paneling directly on a concept sculpt without leaving ZBrush.

Clean topology tips

• Favor quads: Keep strokes forming four-sided patches whenever possible to avoid pinching.
• Guide the flow: Align strokes along natural muscle flow, panel seams, and curvature changes.
• Use polygroups: New patches typically respect flow; assign polygroups afterward for easy isolation and ZRemesher KeepGroups refinement.
• Density strategy: Use lower density for broad forms, then add localized higher density in high-curvature or deformation-prone areas.

Integrating with the rest of your pipeline

• Project details: After accepting the new mesh, subdivide and use Project All to recover high-frequency detail from your original sculpt.
• UVs later: Block topology first, then run ZRemesher (with Keep Groups) if needed, followed by UV Master for quick unwraps.
• Export assets: Generate normal and displacement maps from your subdivided retopo for efficient rendering in DCCs.

Troubleshooting

• Gaps or overlaps on preview: Clean intersections, delete stray points (Alt+click), and ensure continuous loops.
• Unexpected density: Adjust Draw Size and rebuild small areas; it’s often quicker than forcing edits.
• Surface adherence issues: Make sure curves snap to visible geometry and avoid hidden/overlapping subtools during drawing.

Pro moves

• Mix with Slice/Trim brushes to define sharp boundaries before topology sketching.
• Combine with Live Boolean panels built via Thickness for quick concept variations.
• Create modular patches you can reuse across similar assets.

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