# Flatten/Layer Brush question **URL:** \ **Category:** Bug Report\ **Created:** [February 6, 2021, 5:09am UTC](https://forum.nomadsculpt.com/t/flatten-layer-brush-question/1430 "2021-02-06T05:09:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ErikaCasab](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forum.nomadsculpt.com/erikacasab/32/1299_2.png) [@ErikaCasab](https://forum.nomadsculpt.com/u/ErikaCasab)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2021, 5:09am UTC](https://forum.nomadsculpt.com/t/flatten-layer-brush-question/1430/1 "2021-02-06T05:09:08Z")
Hi again! I want to ask what does the option ‘Lock plane’ of the flatten tool does. I can see the pattern of evening surfaces if you start on a flat area but I am not sure how to put into words uneven/round surfaces. It kind of reminds me of how the Layer Brush works defining a max displacement height. Which takes me to another question, what practical uses would you give to the Layer Brush. Thanks 😃 ---
**Author:** ![SporkFuMaster](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forum.nomadsculpt.com/sporkfumaster/32/1935_2.png) [@SporkFuMaster](https://forum.nomadsculpt.com/u/SporkFuMaster)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2021, 6:55am UTC](https://forum.nomadsculpt.com/t/flatten-layer-brush-question/1430/2 "2021-02-06T06:55:20Z")
For the lock plane, you need an object that’s kind of lumpy to really visualize what it seems to do. It seems to take the first voxel/polygon it detects when you touch the screen and orients the flatten process to the rest of the model based on the plane it is aligned to. So, imagine using a giant box and placing it anywhere on the surface of your sculpt. Where it touches, reorient your imaginary box so it is now flat against the surface of the voxel/polygon that it’s touching. Now make your imaginary box as large as it needs to be to cover any intersecting portion of the rest of the sculpt. Anywhere you move your Flatten tool will now cut off those portions and keep them on the same plane as that original voxel/polygon without having to cut everything on that plane. I really haven’t thought of how it can be used for anything I might need yet since I mostly focus on organic stuff, so I’m not sure how to explain it with a really good example…lol. I guess if you needed something with a more hard surface base to have the same height and angle for the cut on the new surface but you also needed it to end in a curve (which a Boolean would remesh the entire object you were working on, so that might get rid of some of the harder edges). Layer brush on the other hand, no idea. Haven’t used it yet. ---
**Author:** ![stephomi](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forum.nomadsculpt.com/stephomi/32/19583_2.png) [@stephomi](https://forum.nomadsculpt.com/u/stephomi)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2021, 11:02am UTC](https://forum.nomadsculpt.com/t/flatten-layer-brush-question/1430/3 "2021-02-06T11:02:51Z")
The flatten tool simply works by computing an average plane from the surface and then projecting the vertices on it. By default the plane is updating continuously, Lock plane simply compute it once at a beginning. You can take a cube and start experimenting on flattening the edges to see what’s going on. I’m not convinced on how it feels though, so I’ll probably tweak it on day. — The layer brush is probably best used when you are sculpting on a layer. That way you can make the heigh limitation is enforced across strokes. ---
**Author:** ![knacki](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forum.nomadsculpt.com/knacki/32/1297_2.png) [@knacki](https://forum.nomadsculpt.com/u/knacki)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2021, 3:34pm UTC](https://forum.nomadsculpt.com/t/flatten-layer-brush-question/1430/4 "2021-02-06T15:34:58Z")
Is there a way to lock layer height as well? Like in new zBrush? That you only put one layer height, no matter what you do? ---
**Author:** ![ErikaCasab](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forum.nomadsculpt.com/erikacasab/32/1299_2.png) [@ErikaCasab](https://forum.nomadsculpt.com/u/ErikaCasab)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2021, 9:48pm UTC](https://forum.nomadsculpt.com/t/flatten-layer-brush-question/1430/5 "2021-02-07T21:48:06Z")
Thank you @SporkFuMaster & @stephomi this is very helpful. @knacki The Layer Brush used with an active layer will have a similar behaviour to what you are describing, even if you sculpt higher it will be pushed back to the limit set. If you change the intensity of the layer the max height also changes. There is a short video showing how it works in the manual: [Tools | Nomad Sculpt](https://nomadsculpt.com/manual/tools.html#layer) Do you have a practical example of what you use it for in Zbrush? I understand the function but not quite an application. Cheers everyone! ---
**Author:** ![knacki](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forum.nomadsculpt.com/knacki/32/1297_2.png) [@knacki](https://forum.nomadsculpt.com/u/knacki)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2021, 11:14pm UTC](https://forum.nomadsculpt.com/t/flatten-layer-brush-question/1430/6 "2021-02-07T23:14:54Z")
@ErikaCasab I didn’t find an example for zBrush, but one for blender. No visible overlapping. [Blender layer brush different settings](https://blender.stackexchange.com/questions/42892/settings-for-zbrush-like-layer-brush) ---
**Author:** ![ErikaCasab](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forum.nomadsculpt.com/erikacasab/32/1299_2.png) [@ErikaCasab](https://forum.nomadsculpt.com/u/ErikaCasab)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2021, 11:48pm UTC](https://forum.nomadsculpt.com/t/flatten-layer-brush-question/1430/7 "2021-02-07T23:48:02Z")
Ah that’s great, thanks mate! ---
**Author:** ![knacki](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forum.nomadsculpt.com/knacki/32/1297_2.png) [@knacki](https://forum.nomadsculpt.com/u/knacki)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 10:04am UTC](https://forum.nomadsculpt.com/t/flatten-layer-brush-question/1430/8 "2021-02-10T10:04:29Z")
Ok - test, then request! With “use layer offset” active, Nomad does exactly what I was looking for = awesome 🖖 ![image](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/uploads/nomadsculpt/original/2X/7/772ca3b9a48cc0f58aff0c956d21dadd0e6a1e2b.jpeg) Oh man! Better read before you say you need… 😳 > [@stephomi](#): > > The layer brush is probably best used when you are sculpting on a layer. > That way you can make the heigh limitation is enforced across strokes.