{"id":6542,"date":"2021-06-26T07:24:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-26T07:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/renderguide.com\/?p=6542"},"modified":"2022-01-01T20:49:28","modified_gmt":"2022-01-01T20:49:28","slug":"blender-cloth-brushes-tutorial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/renderguide.com\/blender-cloth-brushes-tutorial\/","title":{"rendered":"Blender Cloth Brushes Tutorial [2024]"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This Blender Cloth Brushes Tutorial explains step by step how to use Blender brushes. We will cover several simple examples to learn the basics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cloth Brushes in Blender<\/a> are a part of the Sculpting Editor<\/strong>, so this article expands the Blender Sculpting Tutorial<\/a> and accommodates our next article – Blender Cloth Simulation Tutorial.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A cloth Brush is a simulation of a Cloth<\/strong> in real-time on the part of the object<\/strong>. It can be described as the best of the two features: it has the power of simulating<\/strong> that Cloth Simulation has and at the same time it gives you the same amount of control over it<\/strong>, as Sculpting does. Though it is not the best thing ever and does not replace either of the features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Use a Cloth Brush<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

First of all, to use a Cloth Brush – we need an object<\/strong> for it to be used on. This object must have a high polycount<\/strong>. I have chosen a simple subdivided plane for this. It should resemble a piece of cloth <\/strong>in action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"blender<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Next – we proceed to the Sculpt Mode<\/strong>. You can just change the mode of your current window or open a Sculpting workspace<\/strong>. Here among all the tools and brushes, we find the Cloth brush<\/strong> that is presented as an icon with a piece of cloth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"blender<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

And you are now ready to use the brush<\/strong>. We can click and drag the object to apply come cloth simulation to it. Just like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"blender<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Blender Cloth Brush Interface<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Most of the needed information that you need about the brush is situated on the top of the Sculpt Editor<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"blender<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

If you want more settings and information<\/strong> – you will need to open the Active Tool tab<\/strong>. It can be accessed both <\/strong>from the side menu > Tool tab and from the Active Tool tab in the Properties Editor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"cloth<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

They are the same window<\/strong> that just can be accessed from different places. There is no need for both of them to be open, so you can choose one<\/strong> that you like more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here we change the most important settings<\/strong> for any brush – the radius and strength<\/strong>. And also a lot more additional settings. Moreover, here we change the type of the current Cloth Brush<\/strong>, but we will return to this later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now I want to turn your attention to the brush crosshair <\/strong>itself. When you mouse over the object – you see something like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"cloth<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Four circles. Two orange circles in the center and two grey ones that are further out. Two in the center are the same as for most other Sculpting Brushes – faded one is the center of the force<\/strong> – the strongest point of the brush. And the brighter one is the falloff <\/strong>of this power, so closer it is to the line – less force<\/strong> is applied. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the grey circles in the area of the simulation<\/strong>. When you press on the object – it dedicates only the part of the object<\/strong> that is in the grey area for simulation<\/strong>. Everything outside it – can\u2019t be changed until you stop changing the current part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"cloth<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The screenshot shows how everything inside the grey outer circles was changed<\/strong> with the simulation, but nothing outside<\/strong> is changed. With the most changes seen inside the faded grey circle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you try to apply simulation outside<\/strong> of the grey circle – Blender will show you the same outline, this time in red<\/strong>. This indicates that you need to return your mouse into the circle if you want to make any changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"cloth<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

This is important so that there would be no need to simulate physics on the whole object<\/strong>. This way it will be calculated much faster<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To avoid dealing with this, all you need to do is to constantly change small parts of the object. Alternatively, you can change the Simulation Limit<\/strong> setting in the Brush settings. Though as I have mentioned, this increases the time<\/strong> needed for calculation and thus can create quite some lag<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"blender<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Different Cloth Brushes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Even though it seems that there is only a single Cloth Brush <\/strong>that you can use – in fact, there are several<\/strong> different ones Blender Cloth Brushes. You can find all of them in the Tool Settings window, deformation <\/strong>option.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"cloth<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Technically, it is still the same Cloth Brush, which just uses different kinds of deformation<\/strong>. But it basically is used as several unique Cloth Brushes. Let\u2019s look at all of them one by one, starting from the bottom, as Drag is the default option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drag <\/strong>is pretty easy to understand – it works as if somebody would take and drag on the cloth <\/strong>with their hand. Usually, it just wrinkles <\/strong>everything a bit. But if you have a big enough radius – it can change the whole object.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"blender<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Drag Deformation<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Push <\/strong>Deformation – everything is there in the name. It works as if somebody has pushed on the cloth<\/strong> object from above. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"cloth<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Push Deformation<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pinch Point <\/strong>– pinching force is applied from two opposite sides<\/strong>, which usually results in a big wrinkle at this point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"brush<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Pinch Point Deformation<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pinch Perpendicular<\/strong> is basically the same thing as Pinch Point but works a bit differently. In most of the cases, I found Pitch Point to be more reliable<\/strong> and easier to use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"cloth<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Pinch Perpendicular Deformation<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next – Inflate <\/strong>brush. This one pushes <\/strong>on the object from the inside<\/strong>. On the plane, it looks like it envelops <\/strong>something when used on the more complex object – it does indeed look as if it was inflated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"blender<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Inflate Deformation<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are both the Inflate and Push<\/strong> deformation present at the same time. This is weird, as you can invert any changes by holding [CTRL] while doing them. Though on the close inspection you may notice that they have small differences between them<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"cloth<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Inflate(left) and Inverted Push(right) Deformations<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grab <\/strong>is very simple. It just simulates as if somebody grabbed the object<\/strong> and started moving it. Regular Sculpting also has a Grab brush<\/strong>, but it works differently. As it does not simulate cloth – it does not create any wrinkles<\/strong> too, just deforms an object. On the screenshot below you can see Cloth Grab on the left and regular Grab on the right. The difference is obvious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"cloth<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Grab Deformation<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Expand option is a good way to add some details<\/strong> to your fabric. It simply adds some random irregularities in the object, deforms it a bit, and adds details. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"cloth<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Expand Deformation<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last but not least – the Snake Hook<\/strong> brush. It is similar to the grab brush but much more gentle and subtle<\/strong>. Again, you also have regular sculpting Snake Hook, but it deforms the object a lot, so it is quite different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"cloth<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Cloth Snake Hook(left) deformation and regular Snake Hook(right) brush<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cloth Filter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You may have noticed, that except for the brush that we are using – there is another brush<\/strong> with the Cloth in its name in the Sculpt Editor – the Cloth Filter<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"cloth<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

This is basically the same thing as the Mesh Filter<\/strong> above it, just for the Cloth deformations. Let\u2019s look at it anyway. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What it does is it applies Cloth Simulation<\/strong> as the Cloth Brush does, but to the whole object<\/strong> simultaneously. This does not seem to work well on the Plane, so this time I will be using a high-poly sphere. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"cloth<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

In the Tool menu, you will have the Filter Type<\/strong> setting. Here are all the types of this brush<\/strong> that can be used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"cloth<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The gravity filter<\/strong> will just apply physics<\/strong> to the object and it will fall or rise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"blender<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Gravity Filter<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inflate filter<\/strong> – inflates an object. The sphere is already inflated, so instead, I have inverted the filter and deflated <\/strong>it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"blender<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Inflate Filter<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then goes Expand <\/strong>and it does exactly what was expected of it. When applied to the whole object – it also makes it a bit bigger<\/strong>, as goes from the name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"cloth<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Expand Filter<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pinch <\/strong>applied force from two opposite directions<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"cloth<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Pinch Filter<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion – Blender Cloth Brushes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A cloth Brush is a very useful tool<\/strong> that is enjoyable to use. But it is important to understand that you can\u2019t replace regular Cloth Simulation<\/strong> with this brush. It is best used combined <\/strong>with the simulation to add even more details and make it more realistic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope you enjoyed this Blender Cloth Brushes Tutorial. Don\u2019t forget to check out our other tutorials. For the new users<\/strong>, we have a Blender Basics Tutorial<\/a>. And to learn more about modifiers<\/strong> such as Cloth Simulation<\/strong> we have a Blender Modifiers Tutorial<\/a>.<\/p>\n