Release: ZBrush 2021

ZBrush 2021 is shipping. In general it…

* “sculpts more fluidly” and “speed has increased across all sectors”.

Among the new feature list…

* “the ability to open native-format files created by ZBrushCoreMini”. Mini being their cut-down non-commercial version, that’s been made relatively easy-to-use.

* The iMage 3D format. This is a single .GIF or .PNG for website posting “where it will appear as a regular 2D image”. But once this image is “opened in ZBrush [it is] the complete model with all its SubTools and ready to edit.” Nice idea, and presumably done via steganography. This should open up the possibility of easily posting smaller 3D models on blogs, social media etc without the need for third-party file-hosting. Presumably this could also be done in such a way that it also works as a 360 on Facebook?

* Collada (.DAE) import/export. Not sure if this was in already, but the ‘new features’ list makes it look like a new thing.

* Lots of focus on cloth draping and ‘pinned’ cloth sculpting (think: making hats and headwear), along with a set of new Cloth brushes. Also a new way to make chain-mail, hairy canvas, rough denim surfaces by ‘pinning’ a bit of geometry to each polygon.