Turning off Dynamic Subdivision in ZBrush is a straightforward process found within the Tool palette. This feature, as noted in the reference, provides the appearance of a higher subdivision level without actually adding extra geometry to your mesh. This allows you to preview smoothing or detail application without committing to the extra polygons, which can impact performance.
To disable this visual effect and return to displaying your mesh at its true subdivision level, follow these simple steps:
Steps to Disable Dynamic Subdivision
- Select Your SubTool: Ensure the SubTool you wish to modify is selected in the SubTool palette.
- Navigate to the Tool Palette: Open the main Tool palette located on the right side of the ZBrush interface.
- Locate the "Dynamic Subdiv" Sub-Palette: Scroll down within the Tool palette until you find the Dynamic Subdiv sub-palette.
- Uncheck the "Dynamic" Option: Inside the Dynamic Subdiv sub-palette, you will see a checkbox labeled Dynamic. Simply click this checkbox to uncheck it.
Reference Point: As the reference mentions, Dynamic Subdivision "is giving us the appearance of having subdivided... without actually creating the extra geometry." By unchecking the 'Dynamic' option, you turn off this appearance and view the mesh based on its real, current polygon count.
Once unchecked, your mesh will immediately revert to its current subdivision level display. If your base mesh has very few polygons, it will appear blocky until you either subdivide it using the Tool > Geometry > Divide button or apply the Dynamic Subdivision effect again.
Why Use and Turn Off Dynamic Subdivision?
- Use it for: Previewing how smoothing or details will look at higher resolution without the performance hit of sculpting on millions of polygons initially. It's excellent for visualizing results during the blocking-out phase.
- Turn it off to: See the actual mesh density you are working with, confirm polycount, or prepare the mesh for operations that require viewing the base geometry.
This method allows you to toggle the visual effect on and off as needed during your sculpting workflow.
