

The question arises of how to ensure you get the maximum subdivision levels from ZBrush. Doing so increases the amount of memory ZBrush will use before starting to write temp files to the hard drive, which slows down performance. The MaxPolyPerMesh slider will show the value in terms of millions.If you raise the MaxPolyPerMesh value slider, be sure to raise the CompactMem slider to 256, 2048, or 4096. You can find the maximum subdivision level that ZBrush has set for the machine by choosing Preferences + Mem. A faster processor will allow you to move more polygons with less lag. The processor comes into play when you start to rotate and manipulate the sculpture onscreen. ZBrush uses the amount of physical RAM installed on the system to determine the highest possible subdivision level attainable. ZBrush is not concerned with graphics cards, and multiple processors are only useful when moving the model around the screen and sculpting. Physical memory is the most important deciding factor in determining your highest subdivision level, followed closely by processor speed. When loading a model into ZBrush, you must understand how ZBrush determines subdivisions levels and where the system limits are. The edge flows and topology have already been approved for rigging and animation. If your mesh is ordered and animation ready, or is part of an existing production pipeline, you may not have the freedom to lower the initial polygon count. When importing models into the Tool palette, it is important to be sure your mesh is optimized for detailing in ZBrush. Models are imported into the Tool palette where they become available with the other ZTools listed there. The ZTool format allows you to store far more than just an OBJ file. A ZTool can contain multiple levels of subdivision, high-resolution sculpting details, texture, and polypaint information, as well as alpha maps and layer data. A ZTool is ZBrush’s native file format for sculpted objects.

The difference between ZTools and models is that a model is just a 3D mesh file that contains polygons and UV information. In ZBrush, models are 3D meshes that are imported into ZBrush to become ZTools.
