Core Skills: ZBrushCore

Pablo Muñoz Gómez uses Surface Noise to produce high-frequency details. It’s a quick technique for adding visual interest to any model

Quickly add visual interest to models in ZBrushCore, with Pablo Muñoz Gómez.

Surface Noise in ZBrushCore is a useful feature that enables you to create highfrequency details and patterns. This means you can simulate the texture properties of a variety of surfaces, such as wood, stone or fabrics.

Surface Noise is closely related to how Alphas work (it also uses a greyscale image to interpret high and low points). However, there are a couple of things that make Surface Noise the perfect tool for certain situations. You can apply the noise uniformly to an entire area and it also works in a preview mode. The upshot is that you can see the effect, but you can also edit the details as much as you want before committing to applying it to the model.

You can repeat a Surface Noise pattern across a surface. So if you want to use a custom image (or Alpha), it helps if it’s tileable. Surface Noise can be applied from the Surface subpalette within the Tool palette, by clicking the Noise switch. Once active, the settings of the Surface Noise are controlled from a pop-up window. To edit a surface noise, press the Edit button.