How to create bandages in Zbrush: Using Slice Curve and Panel Loops

            

While working on my 3D model I experimented with multiple different ways to create my character’s bandages but in the end, most of them resulted in messy topology or it took up more time than I initially thought it would. After many attempts, I was able to find a quick and efficient way and workflow that gave me the exact look I was going for as well as clean topology.

First, mask off the area of your model that you’d like the bandages to be and extract it with 0 thickness. I found that using the mask lasso tool was the quickest way to mask the area I wanted, especially on areas with more organic shapes. You can sharpen the mask you’ve created by using the hotkeys cntrl+alt and continuously clicking on the model. After masking off your desired area, extract it with 0 thickness and accept.

After you've extracted your mask, ZRemesh your extraction with Half selected until you have a low polycount and clean topology to work with. If your extraction has messy edges, you can clean them up by going into the Deformation palette and sliding "Polish by Features" to about 50. At this point, use the slice curve brush (hotkey: B+S+I) to create polygroups for where you would like each bandage to be placed. 

Once you've created the polygroups for each bandage using the slice curve brush, perform a "Groups Split" under Split in the Subtool palette. After you've split the polygroups, you can Zremesh each subtool to get clean and even topology and merge your visible bandage subtools.

After, go into the Edgeloop settings under the Geometry Palette and apply the following settings to give thickness to each bandage polygroup simultaneously. You can adjust thickness to your desired outcome and click on Panel Loops.

After you apply Panel loops with these settings, group everything back together in the Polygroup palette by pressing "Auto Groups". At this point you should have clean topology for each bandage that you are able Divide and sculpt on as well as move individually by masking by polygroups.