The desktop edition of ZBrush is finally getting a new interface
The recording of the livestream from day two of this weekend’s ZBrush Summit. The reveal of the new user interface for the desktop edition of ZBrush is shown at 08:50:20.
The legendarily idiosyncratic interface of the desktop edition of ZBrush is finally being redesigned, Maxon has revealed.
The firm showed a teaser video for the new UI, which is based on the interface for ZBrush for iPad, during ZBrush Summit 2025, the recording of which is embedded above.
Maxon hasn’t announced which version of ZBrush the new interface will be rolled out in, but it’s still some time off.
Redesigning one of 3D software’s most idiosyncratic user interfaces
For years, learning to navigate ZBrush’s defiantly non-standard user interface has been a rite of passage for anyone aiming to master the industry-leading digital sculpting software.
The idea of a redesign seemed an intimidating one for a developer, partly because of the scale of the task, and partly because of the muscle memories that long-time users have built up.
However, Maxon – which acquired ZBrush from original developer Pixologic in 2022 – was effectively forced to do so, for last year’s release of ZBrush for iPad.
The new tablet edition of the software reimagined core ZBrush workflows for a smaller, touch-sensitive screen.
New desktop UI will follow the design principles established in ZBrush for iPad
According to Maxon, the new desktop interface will follow many of the UI and UX design principles that it established with ZBrush for iPad.
They include the concept of modes, with users able to switch between core brush types with a single toggle, and a contextual interface, with the tools displayed tailored to the task in hand.
The new desktop UI will also be much more customizable than the current version, with users able to tear menus off and stack them in new places, or leave them floating over the viewport.
According to Maxon, its ultimate aim is to make the interfaces of the desktop and iPad editions identical, or at least very similar, so the UI of ZBrush for iPad will also be updated.
For long-time users, the old desktop UI design will still be available, at least initially, with artists able to switch between the two.
So when will the new UI become available in a public release of ZBrush?
Maxon 3D Product Development Manager Paul Gaboury describes the redesign as “one of the biggest projects ever for ZBrush”, and “up to the level of putting ZBrush on the iPad”.
As a result, don’t expect to see the new UI design in a public release any time soon, even though development has already been going on for over a year.
During ZBrush Summit, Maxon previewed other features in development: a Send to Substance button for transferring assets from ZBrush to Substance 3D Painter, and the new UV Editor.
Both were described as due for a public release in 2026, with the new UI becoming available some time after that.
If we had to hazard a guess – and if Maxon sticks to its current release schedule – we’d say that means it might roll out in ZBrush 2027.0 next fall, or even some time after that.
Read more about ZBrush on the product website
(No information about the new UI at the time of writing)
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