Zbrush is a fantastic piece of software but at a cost. For the full version of Zbrush you are looking at about $900 USD just to purchase. It is no wonder the prospect of a less feature rich version being available for a quarter of the price is enticing. But is it really worth it are you missing out on any core functionality of Zbrush.
From my extensive use of Zbrush I have a fair idea of the kind of functionality I would regularly use. In this article I will discuss the key differences between Zbrush Core and Zbrush and whether you are significantly disadvantaged by not having the functionality available in the full version. I will also discuss some ways you could help counter some of these differences.
What is Zbrush Core
Zbrush Core is a less feature rich version of the full version of Zbrush. It has all the key features Zbrush has, such as its sculpting ability without some of the more advanced features included. You can find a list of all the differences here.
You can use Zbrush Core for personal and commercial purposes with no limitations. A Zbrush Core licence is about a quarter of the price of the full licence and is aimed at beginners starting off in the software.
Key Differences
The following is the key differences I think you need to consider before making your final decision. Some of them are pretty substantial to the practical use of the software.
Cannot Open Zbrush Files
In my opinion one of the biggest disadvantages of Zbrush Core is that you do not have the ability to open full version Zbrush files. From a logical perspective this makes sense as they might have functionality implemented that Zbrush Core cannot.
This does not mean you cannot share models created in Zbrush it just means if you have a project created in the full version of Zbrush you need to export it to a standard file type for example OBJ and then import into Zbrush Core.
Users of he full version of Zbrush can open both full version and Zbrush Core files.
File Types
Another disappointing feature of Zbrush Core is the files you can import and export. Of particular note you cannot import/export FBX files.
As FBX is a fairly standard file type this can proove to be somewhat troublesome. If you want to use a FBX file you have to take it into another program such as Blender convert it to something like a OBJ and then import into Zbrush.
While this is just an extra step FBX files typically hold additional information such as Camera setups and animation rigs. This information can be lost when converting to a OBJ. This opens up a whole new range of problems.
Number of Brushes
One of the biggest differences in Zbrush Core is the amount of brushes available. Zbrush Core has a small 36 brushes where as the full version has 300+. While this sounds like a huge difference I commonly find myself using maybe 10 brushes out of everything, so it’s best to examine the brushes available.
Below are the brushes available in Zbrush Core
Personally I use Clay Buildup, Dam Standard, Smooth and Move. These enable me to accomplish most of my sculpting needs. The good news is all of these brushes are available in Zbrush Core.
I also regularly use the Trim and Clip Brushes. These unfortunately are not available besides, Trim Dynamic which works differently. These brushes are great for making cuts in your mesh particularly for hard surface modelling.
Looking at the brush selection I would say Zbrush Core would work great if you are planning to do organic modelling. There really aren’t any other brushes you would need.
In regards to Hard Surface modelling this can be accomplished through the HPolish and Trim Dynamic brushes, but with less accuracy without the other Clip and Trim brushes.
Number of Polys
Another difference is the amount of polys a single mesh can have. In Zbrush Core you can have 20 million the full version lets you have 100 million.
While this gap seems huge it really isn’t if you manage your project correctly you can easily limit this. In fact most programs outside of Zbrush simply won’t be able to handle so many polys so you will need to take steps to reduce this regardless.
Tools such as Decimation Master and Dynamesh are great in assisting with this as they retopologize your mesh and you can specify a poly count.
ZModeler
Zbrush Core does not have ZModeler. Zmodeler is a traditional type of box modelling tool within Zbrush with some extra functionality. If you are into hard surface modelling this is a big loss.
Many people do not use ZModeler in Zbrush and instead do their box modelling tasks in other programs such as Blender and import it. With this being the case it is not an essential part of Zbrush, however it is great to have.
This just reinforces that Zbrush Core is great for organic modelling but not so much for hard surface modelling.
ZRemesher
Unfortunately Zbrush Core does not have ZRemesher. This is a great automatic retopology tool that Zbrush has created. It does a reasonable job at retopologizing your model, one of the best I’ve used.
This tool is not essential however it is a very useful. Personally I think this is another one of the bigger differences between the full version.
You can still perform some automatic retopology in Zbrush through Dynamesh or Decimation Master but the output of these does not match ZRemeshers results.
Mesh Projection
Zbrush Core does not have Mesh Projection. Mesh Projection is a useful tool in Zbrush which enables you to as the name suggests, project the shape of one mesh to another. This is commonly used when retopologizing as you can project the shape of the high poly mesh to the low poly.
This is a very helpful tool however once again I would not say is essential. It can save time in the retopology stage as you can simply have a base mesh for a character sculpt on it and project the newly sculpted version to the original mesh.
Depending on your pipeline and what you are creating I find you vary rarely will need this function. Its nice to have but not essential.
UV Mapping
There is no ability to UV Map in Zbrush core. The full Zbrush has an automatic UV mapping tool called UV Master. This allows you to very quickly generate a UV.
This is by no means essential as most production pipelines would not use the UV that Zbrush creates. It is quite messy and you have limited control. It is however a great tool if you are prototyping, looking to get a quick render, or are not too concerned about the final UV.
Because this is not available if you wanted to create a UV it would require you to take the model into another program such a Blender to create. This is by no means a quick way to do things.
Decimation Master
Zbrush Core fortunately does have Decimation Master however it is less feature rich. Decimation Master is a tool that automatically reduces the amount of polys using the most efficient use of the polys. This usually results in really messy topology and something you wouldn’t your in a production pipeline.
With Zbrush Core you are limited to only preset options the lowest being 20k and highest 250k. 20k is actually quite high considering many models you may use this on could easily be less. In my opinion the changes to this tool barely make it worth it.
Below is all the options available in the full version
The best use of this tool would be to reduce the poly count so you can export the model into another program and perform retopology there.
Is Zbrush Core Worth It?
There is a lot missing in the Zbrush Core when compared to the full version, but if you cant justify the price of a full licence I would encourage you to give it a go. It is still miles better than any other sculpting programs available in my opinion.
I would say that Zbrush Core is aimed at people looking to do organic modelling, as much of the functionality for Hard Surface modelling is not available.
You can find the most up to date price here on Pixologics website. As I have mentioned it is about a quarter of the price of the full licence. However if down the track you decide you want to purchase the full version you are offered a discount to upgrade. With this option you do not recover the full cost of Zbrush Core but you can recover a large portion.
If you are still undecided Id recommend you look at the monthly billing options which are reasonably priced and give both versions a go. You are billed monthly and can cancel at any time.
If you are new to Zbrush regardless of what version you choose I’d recommend checking out a tablet. The Wacom One is a great choice. It comes with all the quality and reliability you would expect from a Wacom product at a very affordable price. If you are curious about the benefits of using a tablet for Zbrush please check out this article I wrote.
Conclusion
Now that your aware of some of the key differences I hope this has helped make your decision easier. Regardless of whether you choose Zbrush Core or the full version of Zbrush I highly recommend you give the software a go. It really will assist in your 3d modelling and can be addictive to use as its so much fun.