Project reference image onto object, same as zbrush feature. This keeps the image projected onto the surface of the object even whilst rotating the camera angle, like the image is “painted” onto the surface. This feature is very very helpful when creating bas-relief work.
Thanks.
What does the feature look like in Zbrush, is there perhaps a link to a video where you can see it? (I don’t have Zbrush).
Because it is possible to project an image with Nomad onto another object - via reproject. And there are a few other possibilities.
More specifically it’s called the Floor Grid> Project on mesh. It’s about half way down the page.
https://help.maxon.net/zbr/en-us/#html/reference-guide/draw/floor-grid/floor-grid.html
It works just like a film projector, projecting any image onto any surface but in the sculptors case, clay or a mesh.
So instead of the reference image positioned behind or in front of the mesh it lays directly on it. Similar to a texture but anchored to the floor grid beaming onto any mesh that is placed in its path.
Ah, seems to be a useful thing. 
As a workaround you can project an opacity map as a reference with a light…
Just kidding.
Basically an improvement to the reference feature in Nomad.
Yep this is the concept. I see you’re using the beta to do it?
Yes, an additional reference image option. I create a lot of relief work from paintings and portraits directly. This features i find very useful.
Yes, but it also works with older versions.
I think something similar has been asked before. Blender has a feature where you line up an image with the model and then vertex paint the image onto the mesh using the screen projection. I guess the idea is to paint the image onto visible mesh that you can see in the view.
This can be achieved using a plane with an image in it, but using a reference image would be really flexible. Plane projection currently causes image bleed (as Holger has previously shown a workaround with masking etc)
Not painting but rather projecting the reference image onto any mesh surface that’s in its way/projection path. The mesh vertices move independent of the reference image which is locked to a grid plane. Blender has no such feature.
Imagine a real world projector, projecting a reference image onto a real wall. Now lay clay onto that wall using the image as your guide. Far quicker and accurate than sketching and measuring reference by eye.
I understand your request. I think it’s similar to how it works in blender projection function, although you’re hoping to sculpt the clay and not have the image painted on it, but projected in real time. Sounds tricky to achieve.
I think it could also be implemented as a texturing feature rather than a reference feature.
Planar X/Y/Z UV projection using the object boundary as procedural UVs. Which you can “validate” to get real UVs (after that the image would shift if you move vertices sideways)
Could also be extended later to have Cylindrical or spherical procedural UV projections maybe even use the Gizmo on the procedural UVs
Does this method account for multiple mesh objects using the reference if it’s tied to UV’s? The image shifting would defeat the point of a reference image overlay.
The light method > Instead of picking a single colour projected onto the mesh objects which a standard light does, allow the light to project multiple colours (an image) onto the mesh objects in view.
Add some specific settings like contrast, opacity, plane lock, size etc.
add it to light or a specific section under references.
Does this method account for multiple mesh objects using the reference if it’s tied to UV’s? The image shifting would defeat the point of a reference image overlay.
You would do your bas-relief sculpting before the procedural UVs are validated so there would not be any shifting.
This would be per object so just one object, but you could just join several objects and then apply the procedural UVs to the merged object.
This would probably require a few changes to Nomad’s scene tree though. Something like a “Texture projector” object that is always parented directly under the mesh object until it is validated. Question is this goes a bit too much into DCC area already and might be out of scope for a sculpting software.
By the way, for BAS reliefs I only need the reference for the alpha.
Meanwhile there are such good AI tools for the depth map (e.g. Depth Anything 2) and other tools, so that you get the finished BAS relief - only minimal manual sculpting adjustments are necessary.
My workflow is now so good that I can create an almost finished BAS relief with the generated alpha + a few tricks from a photo using the stamp tool.
AI is of course only for lazy sculptors like me 
.
Nevertheless, it would be useful to be able to project a reference image.
I’m not sure what you’re talking about.
In my own experience there is really no shortcuts to making a good relief at any height whether it be ultra-low, medium, or high relief using any type of heigh mapping or ai. I could be wrong with the AI as it’s changing on a daily basis. I have no idea how github works or how to make the Depth Anything 2 work. How do I get that to work on my mac?
90% of the work is sculpting the basic forms. If an AI can speed that up that would be very interesting but IME iv’e found these tools/depth maps create more work to fix than doing it from scratch.
Here is an example for this BAS Relief thing: The AI makes the heightmap and with Procreate you can adjust a few fine details such as contrast etc.
Then you get something like this if you use the stamp in Nomad Sculpt. Of course you can still sculpt a few fine details yourself, but the main work is done in any case.
Image 1:
So that height map was made in a separate process after the image was generated using depth anything 2? That’s a great result actually
Yes, I’ve made a video about it, maybe you’ll find something useful in it.
