Adding Surface Noise in ZBrush

Adding surface noise to a model can create a stone like texture as shown in the above picture. This texture can be very useful and helpful to learn when sculpting anything involving stone. Below I will go through the basics of adding of surface noise to create a crumbling stone texture to the model to make it look more realistic. Surface noise is added to the entire model and works like an alpha. If you do not want the surface noise to effect the entire model you need to mask out were you DO NOT want surface noise.

To start adding surface noise to your model, search the scrolling sidebar for the surface tab. Click the Noise tab to open the window below.

What I needed for the crumbling texture could easily be done by just moving the Noise Scale slider up a lot. You can, however, experiment with the Strength and Noise Curve to get different results.  When you've gotten to look the way you want it, press OK and the noise will APPEAR on the model. Once this is done the noise is still not technically applied to the model and can still be edited if needed. To APPLY the noise to the model you have to click the Apply to Mesh tab shown below.

Something to note, if the noise you apply does not show up on your model or shows up very soft it means you need to raise the poly count as there are not enough polygons to show all the detail.

Final Comparison

(The final image also has cracked stone alphas added for minor detail)

Another way surface noise can be used to add detail to a model is to use it with an alpha. Opening up the Surface tab and clicking Noise to bring up the same screen as before, instead of moving the Noise Scale slider, click on the Alpha On/Off tab in the lower left corner of the box. See image below.

Clicking the tab opens up your files allowing you to add an image to work as an alpha all over the model. I was adding detail to a shirt so I loaded an shirt texture image. Now that you are working with an alpha you do not need to move the noise scale slider. Instead focus on the Alpha Scale slider; with changes the alpha's size, the Strength slider; with decides how strong or soft the alpha is, and the Mix Basic Slider which focuses the contrasts in the image, the black standing out and the white digging in as an example. Like the explained previously when you are done click OK and apply it to the model. Below is an example of the before and after adding the clothing texture alphas to the character with surface noise.

 The detail is minimal but definitely adds to the model. Included are the images used to create the Texture on the model.

Hopefully through this example of ZBrush surface noise, the tool is also called the Noise Maker, you've learned how to add believable stone texture to your model. And also saw how adding a texture image to the noise maker can evenly spread an alpha over the the entire model. The shirt texture was just an example and this way can also be used to add scales, patterns, and etc. a models evenly. Surface noise is a simple tool to learn in ZBrush that can be quite useful to add detail.