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Sculpt Tool properties

The following section describes the properties for items on the Sculpt Tools tray (that is, Sculpt, Smooth, Grab, Pinch, Flatten, Foamy, Spray, Repeat, Imprint, Wax, Scrape, Fill, Wax, Smear, Bulge, Contrast, Freeze, Mask, and Erase.

NoteSome tools only use a subset of the properties listed below.

General

Size

  Sets the radius of the tool. Size is measured in world space units (for example, by default a Size of 100 = a radius of 100 centimeters). Hotkeys: press b + left-mouse-button and drag the mouse, or use [ (to reduce size) ] (to increase size).

Strength

  Determines how much the sculpt tool affects the surface. Depending on the tool, this property is represented either as a percentage of the maximum power available or as a height expressed in world space units. Hotkeys: press m + left-mouse-button and drag the stylus/mouse, or use ; (to reduce strength) ' (to increase strength).

Mirror

  Reflects a stroke from one side of a model to the other, along the specified axis:

  - Off - strokes are not reflected.
  - X - strokes are reflected across the world space X axis.
  - Y - strokes are reflected across the world space Y axis.
  - Z - strokes are reflected across the world space Z axis.
  - Local X - strokes are reflected across the local space X axis.
  - Local Y - strokes are reflected across the local space Y axis.
  - Local Z - strokes are reflected across the local space Z axis.
  - Tangent - strokes are reflected across the topological center line of a topologically symmetrical model. To use tangent space mirroring on a model, you must first identify the model's topological center by selecting two faces that straddle the center line and then pressing Edit > Set Topological Center. For models with n-sided faces this procedure needs to be repeated on level1.
Invert Function

  Inverts the function of the tool. For example, the primary function of the Sculpt tool is to pull vertices up, and its inverse is to push vertices down. Not all tools have an inverse function. Default hotkey: press Ctrl to invert function while sculpting.

Use Stamp Image

  Turns on the selected stamp for the tool. Stamps modify the strength of the sculpt brush according to the gray scale values in the stamp image. The darker the overall values the lower the strength of the tool. Not all sculpt brushes work with Stamps.

Orient To Stroke

  Orients the stamp such that its top points along the direction of the stroke.

Rotate

  Rotates the stamp image clockwise.

Horizontal Flip

  Flips the stamp image horizontally.

Vertical Flip

  Flips the stamp image vertically.

Randomize

  Turns on the randomize features for the tool stamp.

Random Horizontal Offset

  Randomizes the horizontal position of the brush tip dynamically through the stroke.

Random Vertical Offset

  Randomizes the vertical position of the brush tip dynamically through the stroke.

Randomize Rotate

  Randomizes the rotation of the brush tip dynamically through the stroke.

Randomize Scale

  Randomizes the size of the brush tip dynamically through the stroke.

Randomize Strength

  Randomizes the strength of the brush tip dynamically through the stroke.

Horizontal Flips

  Randomly flips the position of the brush tip along its X axis dynamically through the stroke.

Vertical Flips

  Randomly flips the position of the brush tip along its Y axis dynamically through the stroke.

Stamp Spacing

  Controls the stamp frequency/continuity on a stroke when using a sculpt or paint tool. Depending on the Size and Falloff settings for a tool, the Stamp Spacing can be set to a higher value to refine the tools behavior and improve the appearance of the resulting stroke. The default setting is 6.25 and ranges between 0 and 100. The higher the setting, the more visible gaps occur on the stroke depending on the tool settings.

Steady Stroke

  An option that helps to produce a smoother tool stroke by filtering mouse/stylus movements. When Steady Stroke is turned on a vector displays on the tool cursor and the stroke is not drawn on the model until the mouse/stylus has moved a distance equal to the length of the vector. The length of the vector is controlled by the Steady Stroke Distance property.

Steady Stroke Distance

  Sets the length of the Steady Stroke vector on the tool cursor. This distance limits when the stroke will be drawn when the stroke is made on the model.

Buildup

  Specifies the rate at which the brush deformation grows to reach the Strength value (assuming a constant pen pressure).

Flood

  Applies the tool's function uniformly across the entire surface. Flood does not apply the function to areas of the surface that are hidden, frozen or concealed by a stencil.

Falloff

Falloff

  Specifies how the sculpt tool has a diminishing effect (or not) from its center point to its outer edge. The falloff is represented as a curve that can be edited.

  Falloff presets are available in the Falloff tool tray.

  The following options describe items that appear when you right click in the falloff image within the Properties window:

  - Insert Point - inserts a new point under the cursor.
  - Select Point - selects the point under the cursor (when the cursor is hovering over a point).
  - Delete Point - deletes the point under the cursor (when the cursor is hovering over a point).
Snap

  Constrains points to the grid.

Store To

  Saves the current falloff curve to the tray.

Advanced

Remember Size

  Preserves the size of the brush after use. When Remember Size is turned off the brush inherits the size of the brush previously used before it.

Orient To Surface

  Orients the tool ring display (in the 3D View) along the normal of the face under the center of the ring. Orient To Surface does not influence the effect of the brush on the surface -- only the display of the cursor.

Affects All Layers

  Specific to the Smooth tool. When Affects All Layers is turned on, all sculpt layers are affected by the tool. When turned off, Smooth affects only the current active sculpt layer.

Update Plane

  Specific to the Flatten, Wax, Scrape, Fill, and Contrast tools. Causes the tools’ underlying plane (that affected vertices within the brush ring move toward) to be re-calculated for each stamp in a tool stroke. When turned off, the underlying tool plane is determined by the initial stamp and remains fixed for the duration of the stroke.

Whole Stroke

  Specific to the Flatten, Wax, Scrape, Fill, and Contrast tools only when Update Plane is turned on. Causes the tools’ underlying plane (that affected vertices within the brush ring move toward) to be continuously re-calculated from all the vertices affected during the current tool stroke.

Smooth Values

  Specific to the Freeze, Mask, and Erase sculpt tools. Switches the current brush from applying freezing or masking (depending on which tool is selected) so the tool blurs the color per vertex information on any existing freezing or masking wherever the brush is stroked. This only works if the Smooth & Paint Values setting is turned off. Hotkey: Shift.

Smooth & Paint Values

  Specific to the Freeze, Mask, and Erase sculpt tools. Applies freezing or masking (depending on which tool is selected) while simultaneously blurring the color per vertex information wherever the brush it stroked.

Pen Pressure

Min Size

  Specifies how small the tool size is when the lightest pressure is applied to the pen. Min Size is expressed as a percentage of the primary tools’ Size property. For example, a Min Size of 100 indicates there is no size variance, regardless of the pressure applied.

Min Strength

  Specifies how weak the tool strength is when the lightest pressure is applied to the pen. Min Strength is expressed as a percentage of the primary tool Strength. For example, a Min Strength of 100 indicates there is no strength variance, regardless of the pressure applied.

Direction

  Specifies the direction vertices are moved when affected by a tool:

  - Center Normal - moves vertices in the direction of the normal of the face directly under the center of the tool.
  - Averaged Normal - moves vertices in the direction of the average of the normals of all affected faces.
  - Vertex Normal - moves each vertex in the direction of its own normal.
  - Forward - moves vertices in the direction of the stroke.
  - Right - moves vertices perpendicular to the direction of the stroke.
  - X - moves vertices along the X world space axis.
  - Y - moves vertices along the Y world space axis.
  - Z - moves vertices along the Z world space axis.
  - Camera - moves vertices toward the camera.

Related topics

Sculpting basics

Sculpt tool presets