Paul, Yes it is hybrid paint/3D app. But paint tools is what you need to model a character with finer detail. It has hybrid displacement map and 3D that allows you to draw very detail like wrinkles hair pores. You can decrease polygons and export the displacement to other 3D apps that will take it. Julien made a plug in that can take this map. ZSphere is god's gift in ZBrush. You can build a character very fast than any other modeling app that I know!! It has scaler for number of polygons on character and allows you to move any of it without messing with smaller detail. It is just all awesome. I only know one tool that it is missing but I always get around to it. But ZBrush have alot to offer than any other apps I know and most complete.