Tips & Tricks: Duplicate Meshes that Seem Frozen

One of the most frequent questions I get from new ZBrush students is about a situation where duplicate meshes appear on the stage. The solution is a pretty easy one.

ZBrush has a mode called "2.5D mode," that is used by character artists—we won't be using it. But when you forget to press the T key in the beginning of your project, you inadvertently end up is this other mode. Each time you click and drag, thinking you're going to navigate around the model, another model is added to the stage.

The quick fix is to use ⌘-N or Ctrl-N for a new document, and the duplicate will disappear.

To avoid this issue altogether, be sure to follow the Startup Sequence each time you start a new model.

1. From the SimpleBrush icon, select a primitive. Alternatively, you could select one of the other objects in the ZTool Corral, such as Sphere3D, PolyMesh3D, or Cylinder3D.
2. Click and drag on the stage to place the primitive.
3. IMMEDIATELY press the T key.
4. Click the Make PolyMesh3D button in the Tool palette in the right tray.

We will learn an alternative startup sequence here shortly, but for now, this will work.

Downloads:
Startup Sequence Notes