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5 Stage 5 of 6 · optional

3D Grooming

Place and shape generated UV Cards directly on an imported head surface. An optional stage, available on Professional and Studio.

Stage 5 is optional. You can bake maps, generate cards and export without ever opening the Groom workspace — but if you want the cards positioned on the character in HairStorm rather than in your DCC, this is where that happens.

The head

Import the head

Import a head model to act as the grooming scalp. Set the file's scale units correctly at import — centimetres for Unreal Engine, metres for Blender — because fixing scale afterwards means redoing placement.

Groom cards on an imported head, with one card selected. Selected and unselected cards are drawn differently so you can tell what a tool will affect. · select to enlarge

  1. Import the head mesh

    Click Import Head Model (Ctrl+I) and choose the scale units. HairStorm then builds a raycast surface cache in the background.

    The Head Assets control with the active head and its colour swatches. · select to enlarge

  2. Wait for the surface cache

    Grooming tools stay locked until the cache finishes. This is not a hang — the tools need a surface to project onto.

  3. Draw cards onto the scalp

    Press B for Draw Strips and draw card guide paths directly on the head surface.

    A card placed on the head surface by Draw Strips. The path you draw becomes the card's spine. · select to enlarge

  4. Set the draw parameters

    The toolbar parameters govern what each new strip looks like before you place it.

    Draw Strip parameters in the toolbar. · select to enlarge

  5. Shape the cards

    Select with Q, then use Twist (T) to rotate card normals, Width Size (W) for thickness, and Width Bend (E) for curvature across the card.

    The Width tool active on a selected card. Handles appear on the card being edited, not on the whole groom. · select to enlarge

  6. Use snapping to keep placement even

    Snap levels keep successive strips regularly spaced instead of drifting.

    Snap level controls while drawing strips. · select to enlarge
The Twist tool, rotating a card around its own length so it catches light differently. · select to enlarge
The Bend tool, curving a card across its width rather than along it. · select to enlarge
The vertical Groom toolbar. · select to enlarge
Groom workspace view options. · select to enlarge
Groom geometry type controls. · select to enlarge
Groom UV set selection. · select to enlarge
Groom profile settings, for reusing a card shape across a groom. · select to enlarge
Extra settings: snap increment and cube size. · select to enlarge
Environment HDRI lighting. Changing the light is often the fastest way to see whether a groom reads correctly. · select to enlarge
Tools

The six groom tools

Once the surface cache is ready, pick a tool from the toolbar or press its shortcut. Five of the six need the cache; Select always works.

Scroll horizontally to view all columns.

3D Grooming Tool Reference
Tool Name Shortcut Interaction & Surface Requirement
Select Q Select existing 3D groom cards for transformation. Always active.
Draw Strips B Draw new card strip paths on scalp surface. Requires Surface Cache.
Redraw Strip R Redraw guide path for selected card strip. Requires Surface Cache.
Twist T Twist card strip along local longitudinal axis. Requires Surface Cache.
Width Size W Adjust card strip width profile. Requires Surface Cache.
Width Bend Angle E Adjust transverse curvature angle across card width. Requires Surface Cache.
Reference

Formats and scale units

Supported head import formats and what each scale unit converts to.

Scroll horizontally to view all columns.

Supported 3D Head Import Formats & Scale Units
Format Extension Supported Format Scale Unit Option Conversion Factor to Meters
.obj Wavefront 3D OBJ Centimeters (cm) 0.01 m per unit (Default)
.gltf / .glb glTF 2.0 Binary / ASCII Meters (m) 1.00 m per unit
.fbx Autodesk FBX (Binary/ASCII) Millimeters (mm) 0.001 m per unit
— Imperial Units Inches (in) / Feet (ft) 0.0254 m (Inches) / 0.3048 m (Feet)
Validate

Validate the groom

Orbit the head and check the silhouette from front, side and back before exporting. Look for cards floating off the scalp, cards intersecting each other at the parting, and twist that makes a card disappear edge-on under the environment light.