Issue: Model Starts Duplicating Itself All Over the Workspace

If you find that your model suddenly cannot be sculpted and each brush stroke instead places a new copy of the model onto the canvas, the application has exited Edit mode and entered 2.5D drawing mode.

In ZBrush, when Edit mode is turned off, brush strokes draw new instances of the tool onto the canvas rather than sculpting the existing model.

Normally, this can be resolved by pressing the Edit button at the top of the interface. However, in some limited-interface versions or situations where Edit mode cannot be easily restored, the following workaround can return you to a sculptable state.

Restore Sculpting Mode

1. Make sure your model is selected in the Tool palette.

2. Press Tool > Copy Tool. This copies the selected tool into memory.

3. Load a new project from LightBox. For example, you can load a default sphere project.

4. Press Tool > Paste Tool. This replaces the currently loaded tool with your copied model.

5. Save your project and continue sculpting.

Why This Works

Loading a new project ensures that ZBrush is properly in Edit mode. When you paste your copied tool into that project, it replaces the default model while remaining in Edit mode, allowing you to sculpt normally again.

To Avoid This in the Future

• Be careful not to click outside the canvas while in Draw mode.
• If the model appears “stamped” multiple times, immediately press Ctrl+N to clear the canvas and then re-enter Edit mode before continuing.

If this issue happens frequently, please let support know which version of ZBrush you are using and the steps leading up to the behavior.