Scenario Zbrush Sculpting

ZBrush sculpting (core forms, scripted strokes)

Expert sculpting goes big to small with gates: light meshes raised in resolution only when the forms ask, clay built across the form in thin low-intensity layers, sharpness last and never on weak shapes. An agent has no pen: it uses exact operations first (primitives, ZSpheres, DynaMesh, masks plus Deformation sliders), then strokes planned from model-space forms, aimed through the view, measured in volume and reviewed after every pass (scripts/zb_sculpt.py). If a sibling skill named here is missing from your available skills, ask the user to install it (npx skills add scenario-labs/skills --skill <name>); unattended, proceed from tool schemas and flag the gap.

REQUIRED BACKGROUND: scenario-zbrush-expert (bridge, stroke engine, review loop, 2026 traps).

Stance (the expert delta)

• Pressure is the hidden setting. Henning Sanden blocks at ClayBuildup Z 20 with "maybe 30%" of his pen pressure (0PaYUUvgwYM 00:04:58); a scripted stroke has constant pressure. Start clay at Z 6, refine at 2 to 1, calibrate once per session (zs.run_calibration), and dial a whole pass after review: a partial Morph value softens it, a negative one exaggerates it (Drust, B_wKwXwjcZs 00:05:20); layer intensity does the same on levels.
• Clay across the form, lines along it. Henning: across puts a peak in the center that fades to the edges; along is "drawing the shape" (0PaYUUvgwYM 00:02:13, 00:30:39). Pablo Munoz Gomez builds long masses along first, then smaller strokes across, never a muscle in one stroke (tbQqC6tyDBQ 00:06:32). Each form is a center line plus a width.
• Standard sets edges, clay builds, ClayBuildup erases. Standard pushes what is there, so it gives specificity (Henning 0PaYUUvgwYM 00:27:26); ClayBuildup replaces what is under it, never after detail (TpS0QdlfHWU 00:07:44). Pablo sets a hard edge with Standard at raised Z, then blends it with clay (tbQqC6tyDBQ 00:10:27).
• Refine instead of smoothing, except on low-res blockouts. Henning removes marks with passes of falling intensity and smooths once at "good enough" (TpS0QdlfHWU 00:22:26, 00:22:58); Pablo smooths freely during blockout (tbQqC6tyDBQ 00:02:29). Low-res S1: a Polish slider; skin from S2 on: the descent.
• DynaMesh while the forms move, levels once they settle. A high DynaMesh early is a "lumpy mess" (Pablo tbQqC6tyDBQ 00:04:38) and resolution is relative to object size (FrqUnna1jns 00:13:40). Never Divide a DynaMesh: its triangles and star poles become lumps no smoothing fixes (rArw79xEpvE 00:09:44). ZRemesher a copy, Divide, project.
• Level discipline. Big moves at SDiv 1 (at the top a push "looks very wonky"); secondary forms blocked at SDiv 2 or 3, then refined upward level by level; never all the work at the top (Pablo rArw79xEpvE 00:12:28, 00:14:16; tbQqC6tyDBQ 00:12:26). Details never change the silhouette (tbQqC6tyDBQ 00:13:27).
• Strokeless first. Pablo builds a whole blockout "without even actually using any of the brushes" (gitoJ7B8FmY 00:05:26). For an agent these are exact: primitives placed by number, ZSpheres by code, masks plus Deformation sliders, Mirror then Mirror And Weld.
• Mid frequency is where a sculpt is won. FlippedNormals call it the backbone of detailing; pores added early put you "two levels behind" (G2o6fdoACIQ 00:05:46, 00:08:17). Details "won't fix a weak sculpt" (Pablo tbQqC6tyDBQ 00:12:50).

Establish first

Workflow

Every pass: Scene.capture, plan (clay_pass, move_pass, crease_pass), preview_plan (look at it), run_plan, pass_report, zb_review.review, then name the ONE weakest item and fix it. Save a versioned ZTL at every gate.

0. Session. zb_launch.start(), neutral state (P1), calibration (P2). Every pass turns perspective (Draw:Perspective) and LazyMouse off: its radius swallows the start of a synthesized path (Pavlovich AdkZe1yKFTU 00:03:31). GATE: document zoom 1, calibration present or the v02 prior noted.

1. S0 base. One of: a sphere DynaMesh at 128 (about 43k points); a ZSphere armature (zsphere_code) with an Adaptive Skin at Density 1 or 2 and DynaMesh Resolution 0 (Pablo), then DynaMesh 64; primitives appended and placed with Geometry Position and Size (P3). GATE: the silhouette reads front and side; points within S0.

2. S1 primary blockout.

   • Move then re-DynaMesh (move_pass, remesh_due, then remesh_code, P16: Draw mode, mask cleared, polypaint off so polygroups survive, proof that it remeshed).
   • Clay across the forms (clay_pass, preset clay_block); sockets as carve forms (sign=-1); TrimDynamic planes (preset="trim"). Symmetry on: plans cover the +X half.

   GATE: stage_gate("S1") passes; the sheet shows right proportions, every element present (G2o6fdoACIQ 00:02:50), big simple masses.

3. S2 primary refinement.

   • Resolution up: head by the square law (next_dynamesh_resolution) toward 400k to 800k points; creature: MergeDown the pieces (in place; MergeVisible makes a new Tool; its confirmation may block the bridge [verify], so ZTL first), DynaMesh 256.
   • Descent passes Z 6, 3, 2, 1, zooming in on each region (descent, P7); TrimDynamic on junk bumps.
   • Eyes (P17): eyeball spheres placed by number, each turned 3 to 7 degrees outward (Costa j5XLtLMN0P8 00:29:10); lids cut with Dam_Standard, then moved out so they wrap the ball (Henning TpS0QdlfHWU 00:18:33). Henning shapes them with perspective on (00:17:28): strokes stay orthographic, the read is persp_snapshot_code.
   • Checkpoint risky passes and dial them (P8) before any re-DynaMesh, ZRemesher or Divide: a point-count change destroys the Morph Target, and dial_code(..., expect_points=) refuses.

   GATE: clean shapes under Red Wax, no stretched faces, stroke marks falling.

4. Leave DynaMesh when the forms are settled and S3 needs levels, retopology is coming, or later big changes must survive detail. Henning's DynaMesh-only ladder to 648 suits a concept still: state which route and why. Levels (P11): versioned ZTL, Duplicate, ZRemesher the copy, Divide until projection_ready, then the toolkit's zb_ops.project_all(checkpoint=...), which carries the safe order (versioned save, StoreMT and a New Layer at the top level, PA Blur lowered, a gate, morph_repair); never re-implement it.

   GATE: target points at least the sketch's, volume within 1 % [added], the sheet unchanged, eyes and mouth checked level by level (repair: scenario-zbrush-retopology-export).

5. S3 secondary.

   • On levels (P15): level_for("secondary") (SDiv 2 or 3), then "refine" one level up at a time; big fixes return to level_for("big") = SDiv 1; the top level only for tertiary and layers.
   • Symmetry off for the asymmetry pass; pattern="two_direction" on long masses; preset clay_secondary.

   GATE: mirror_asymmetry above zero, the mid band above S2, the sculpt reads at thumbnail size without detail.

6. S4 contrast. Dam_Standard along the creases (crease_pass), deeper than feels right (0PaYUUvgwYM 00:19:49); Standard at raised Z on lids, lips and brow edges (preset="standard"), blended with clay; fill_between two cuts. GATE: shape IoU against S3 of at least 0.98 [added]; crease depth varies along the line.

7. Hand off S5 and S6 to the domain skill with the P14 package.