ZBrush 2027.0 adds a UV Editor and Selection Sets; iPad gets Spotlight

Maxon has released ZBrush 2027.0, its digital sculpting software, with a new UV Editor as the main addition. CG Channel reports that Maxon previewed the editor at ZBrush Summit last year. It uses the same underlying technology as the UV tools in Cinema 4D, and is meant to let artists do more UV work while iterating on a sculpt, with less round-tripping to other DCC applications.

The editor offers three options for automatic UV unwrapping, including Unwrap by Polygroup, which CG Channel says is unique to ZBrush. Other functions are similar to Cinema 4D: manual layout editing, UV packing adjustments and texel density control. It supports UDIM-based workflows, common in VFX, and trim sheet workflows for games artists.

The other major change is Selection Sets. In other DCC applications these store alternate vertex or face selections. In ZBrush they go further, storing alternate versions of a SubTool's Polygroups, masks, Polypaint states, UVs and morph targets. Suggested uses include switching between Polygroup layouts for UV work and for posing, or between color schemes during client reviews.

Smaller updates include a Delete option for clearing stored images in Spotlight, ZBrush's projection texturing system, and an option to bake the current 3D Layer. ZBrush for iPad 2027.0 picks up the desktop Spotlight and 3D Layers systems, the latter used for organizing sculpts and editing them non-linearly.

ZBrush 2027.0 runs on Windows 11 and macOS 15.0 or later. It is rental-only, at $49/month or $399/year, and the subscription includes ZBrush for iPad. The iPad app needs iPadOS 17 or later and an A12 Bionic or newer processor. The base app is free, while the full feature set requires a subscription at $9.99/month or $89.99/year. Full details are in the online release notes and the App Store changelog.