This post contains notes on how to customize UI in Zbrush to maximize efficiency and productivity. It includes creating a custom interface, custom menu and setting up custom hotkeys.

This is an important step before doing any work because constantly digging into Zbrush menus and sub-palettes is simply time-consuming and counter-productive.

Customize Interface

Customizing your interface will allow you to place buttons and sliders to preferred spaces within the interface where you can quickly access them.

To start creating your custom interface, first, go to Preferences>Config palette. Then press Enable Customize. It is highly recommended to drag and dock the Preference menu on either side of the screen for this session.

Drag and dock by dragging the white circle on the upper-left-hand side of the menu

Doing this will open up areas in the Zbrush where you can start dragging certain buttons and sliders to your desired locations.

With Enable Customize turned on, hold 'Ctrl+Alt' while dragging buttons or any UI elements to any one of these locations.

With Enable Customize: ON and Holding 'Ctrl+Alt' while dragging a button to one of the preferred locations.

If you want to remove the button or slider you just place to any one of these spaces, hold 'Ctrl+Alt' drag that button to the document.

Holding 'Ctrl+Alt' while dragging to the document deletes the button.

If you are already satisfied with the custom interface you just made, go to Preference>Config>Store Config. You can also go to Preferences>Config>Save UI if you want to use your custom interface to another PC.

Use either Store Config or Save UI to save your custom UI.

Customize Menu

Creating a custom menu will allow you to have your own menu that will contain your most used buttons, sliders and other commands in Zbrush.

To create a custom menu, go to Preferences>Config>Enable Customize.

Next, go to Preference>Custom UI. Press Create New Menu. Give it a name as this step will prompt you to give it one. Type the name and press Enter.

By default, a subpalette will close if you open another subpalette within the same menu. Press 'Shift' when opening another subpalette so the previous one will remain open.

The previous step will add a new menu to the Zbrush existing menu.

Click the new menu and drag and dock it to either side of the interface.

As an example, I renamed my new menu FasterWorkflow

Now that the custom menu is docked on the side, you are now ready to customize its contents.

With your newly created menu still empty, hold 'Ctrl+Alt' while click-dragging any buttons and sliders you want to include in your custom menu.

With Enable Customize: ON

Use Custom SubPalette to be more organized and have a collapsible container of your personal buttons and sliders. Hold 'Ctrl+Alt' click on the Custom SubPalette to be able to rename it. You will only be able to rename a Custom SubPalette if there are already contents inside it.

'Ctrl+Alt' drag the UI elements to the SubPalette the same way

If you happen to struggle in placing items inside the Custom Menu and Custom SubPalettes, 'Ctrl+Alt' drag them on the menu name or the SubPalette name.

The fillers (empty bars) within the Custom UI sub palette are just for organization purposes.

To remove items, hold 'Ctrl+Alt' while dragging items into the main document.

When you are done creating your custom menu, turn off Enable Customize, then go to Preference>Config>Store Config. If you want to carry your custom menu to another PC, go to Preferences>Config>Save UI.

Saving and Loading Custom UI to another PC

If you decide to use your custom UI to another PC, copy your custom .cfg file to other PC's location. The usual path is:

C:\Program Files\Pixologic\ZBrush[version]\ZStartup\UserInterfaceLayouts\

Load the custom UI from that directory by going to Preferences>Config>Load Ui .

When it's loaded, go to Preference>Config>Store Config and restart Zbrush.

Customize Hotkeys

Assigning hotkeys for your mostly used menus and brushes in Zbrush results in a much faster workflow than constantly digging into levels of sub palettes and menus.

Keep the Enable Customize disabled. We don't need to have Enable Customize enabled to create a hotkey.

To create a hotkey for a specific command, hover over any button or menu in Zbrush.

While the cursor is hovering on top of the button, hold 'Ctrl+Alt' and click on that button.

I assigned a hotkey to the newly created Custom menu. Enable Customize should be turned OFF

A message will appear to press any key combination to assign a hotkey. Press any key combination to assign a hotkey.

Do not hover out of the button while doing this step as you will be unable to complete the process of assigning a hotkey. If this happens, you need to start over.

Store Custom Hotkeys as Default

Once you are done assigning a hotkey, go to Preference>Hotkeys>Store to make it your default set of hotkeys every time Zbrush opens.

Using Custom Hotkeys to Another PC

If you want to bring the custom set of hotkeys you made to another pc, save its .txt file by going to Preferences>Hotkeys>Save.

Where you save the file doesn't matter as long as you know where to load it when you need it.

This step will enable you to save the hotkey .txt file for the custom hotkeys you just made which you can take to another PC.

When in another PC, load that custom hotkeys .txt file by going to Preferences>Hotkeys>Load.

If you want that custom hotkey to be the default set of hotkeys every time Zbrush opens, go to Preference>Hotkeys>Store. This step stores the information on this path:

C:\Users\Public\Documents\ZBrushData[version]\ZStartup\Hotkeys\StartupHotkeys.txt

This .txt file and will be overwritten every time you store a new hotkey file.