--- title: "Polygroups Essentials" url: "https://help.maxon.net/zbp/en-us/Content/html/5_sculpting-and-painting_polygroups-essentials.html" section_path: "Sculpting | Modeling | Painting > Polygroups Essentials" description: "A polygroup is a colorized group ID that can be assigned to polygons. Polygroups can be isolated with modifier key selections to support efficiency in …" --- # Polygroups Essentials A polygroup is a colorized group ID that can be assigned to polygons. Polygroups can be isolated with modifier key selections to support efficiency in editing a contiguous surface. > **Note:** Polygroups are visible when the Polyframe option is active in the right canvas toolbar. ![Image: 2024-5-sculpting-painting-polygroups-essentials-header.png](https://help.maxon.net/zbp/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/2024-5-sculpting-painting-polygroups-essentials-header.png) ## Polygroups Menu Polygroup creation and editing options are offered in the Tool palette > Polygroups menu. ![Image: 2024-5-sculpting-painting-polygroups-essentials-polygroups-menu.png](https://help.maxon.net/zbp/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/2024-5-sculpting-painting-polygroups-essentials-polygroups-menu.png) Palettes > Tool > Polygroups menu > **Note:** Learn more about polygroup options in this guide's [Polygroups](https://help.maxon.net/zbp/en-us/Content/html/4_palettes_tool-10-polygroups.html.md) section. --- # Create Custom Polygroups Custom polygroups can be created with masking or selection features. ## Polygroup From Mask Create polygroups from a mask applied to a surface. ### Quick Steps: [Video: 2024-5-sculpting-painting-polygroups-essentials-polygroup-from-mask.mp4](https://help.maxon.net/zbp/en-us/Content/Resources/Videos/2024-5-sculpting-painting-polygroups-essentials-polygroup-from-mask.mp4) 1. Select the MaskPen brush. 2. Hold Ctrl/Cmd and paint a mask shape on the model's surface. > **Note:** Learn basic masking applications in this guide's [Masking Essentials](https://help.maxon.net/zbp/en-us/Content/html/5_sculpting-and-painting_masking-essentials.html.md) section. 3 . Open the Tool palette > Polygroups options. 4. Tap the **Group Masked** button to create a new polygroup. > **Note:** The new polygroup is now the shape of the painted mask. > **Tip:** With a keyboard, press Ctrl/Cmd + W to create a polygroup from a masked surface. > **Important:** Polygroup shapes are stored to the base subdivision-level topology. We recommend creating polygroups on a subtool at its lowest subdivision level. Polygroups created at higher subdivisions lose their shape when you adjust the subdivision slider. ## Polygroup From Selection Create polygroups with selection brushes by isolating portions of the model to which you wish to assign polygroups. > **Note:** Learn basic selection brush workflow in this guide's [Selection Brush Essentials](https://help.maxon.net/zbp/en-us/Content/html/5_sculpting-and-painting_selection-brush-essentials.html.md) section. ### Quick Steps: [Video: 2024-5-sculpting-painting-polygroups-essentials-polygroup-from-selection.mp4](https://help.maxon.net/zbp/en-us/Content/Resources/Videos/2024-5-sculpting-painting-polygroups-essentials-polygroup-from-selection.mp4) 1 . Choose a selection brush from the left canvas Brushes library. > **Note:** The above example demonstrates using the SelectLasso brush. 2. Hold Ctrl/Cmd + Shift and draw an additive selection over a portion of the surface. 3. Release pencil or touch pressure from the screen to apply the selection. 4. With a portion of the model visible, open Polygroups options in the Tool palette. 5. Tap **Group Visible** to create a polygroup from the visible selection. > **Note:** **Group Visible** creates a new polygroup for the visible portions of the model. Where the model has no hidden surfaces, **Group Visible** assigns a single polygroup to the model. 5. Hold Ctrl/Cmd and tap the canvas to reset the model's visibility. > **Important:** As described for polygroups created from masks, polygroup shapes are stored to the base subdivision-level topology. We recommend creating polygroups on subtools at its lowest subdivision level. Polygroups created at higher subdivisions lose their shape when when you adjust the subdivision slider. ## Selecting Polygroups Select polygroups by using the Ctrl/Cmd + Shift modifiers. ### Quick Steps: [Video: 2024-5-sculpting-painting-polygroups-essentials-selecting-polygroups.mp4](https://help.maxon.net/zbp/en-us/Content/Resources/Videos/2024-5-sculpting-painting-polygroups-essentials-selecting-polygroups.mp4) 1. Activate the Polyframe option in the right canvas toolbar. 2. Hold Ctrl/Cmd + Shift and tap a polygroup to isolate the group surface. > **Note:** SelectLasso offers a secondary feature to Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + tap on an edge to isolate a connected edge loop. This may affect your ability to successfully select a polygroup. For this reason, we recommend using the SelectRect brush to select polygroups. 3. Hold Ctrl/Cmd + Shift and tap on the canvas to reset model visibility. > **Tip:** Hold Ctrl/Cmd + Shift and tap a vertex point that is shared by multiple polygroups to select all groups at once. > **Note:** ZBrush for iPad's polygroups functionality works the same as in ZBrush desktop. Learn more in our external ZBrush [Polygroups](https://help.maxon.net/zbr/en-us/Default.htm#html/reference-guide/tool/polymesh/polygroups/polygroups.html) documentation.