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ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

Hi all,
what’s the workflow you use to pose a model? Importing a posed model into Zbrush to sculpt details or sculpting a symmetrical model in zbrush and pose it in any 3d package?

Problem:
I imported a low-res (symmetrical)model from Maya to zbrush for sculpting details, and then bring it back to Maya for posing the model, and then import it to Zbrush for doing asymmetrical feature details (of cpurse, I kept the original tool alive in zbrush. But the geometry messed up when I going up a higher level. Both of these two geometry has same number vertexes and faces.)

Any help would be much appreciated!!!

#2

ive got exactly the same problem and didn’t find out why so if anyone know the right prossess it would be fantastic to share it with us :slight_smile:

#3

Im bumping this one because im having the same problem. Here is the process im following. Found this on another forum a while back.
“basically what you do is sculpt as you would when you are fully finished
go back to xsi(or maya) and pose your character, take that geometry and import it back into zbrush (just a regular import from the tool menu) since the verts are the same it will simply pop to your new mesh and keep your detail on simply turn your slider back up and see how all the detail propagated to the new mesh changes. What works is also right before you import your new posed mesh, store a morph target that way you can click “switch” and pop between neutral and posed in zb…
hope that helps.”

#4

the vertices have to remain in the same order if I am not mistaken. this is all explained in the zb-maya pdf I believe as well as the rest of the workflow that works.

#5

try this in maya import options “create multiple objects” is turned to false

#6

I dont see a “create multiple objects” option in maya 6.5?

I’ll check the zb-maya pdf to make sure I didnt miss anything. The wierd thing is ive gotten this to work once or twice in the past, using the same procedure. Hmmm. =P

Thanks,

Sparty

#7

hh

#8

its not in the normal maya preferences its in the file menu
file, import, import options. if you do not have this set to false maya will change the vertex order which could be what is causing your problem.

#9

I figured out what happened to me. Obviously I made a mistake, when posing my model. I thought a model has the same toppoly means the model would has the same vertex order. However, it came out I was wrong. If you guys doing the following, the geometry would mess up though toppoly is the same.

I selected a edge loop of a arm and splited vertexes and after posing the arm I merged those splited vertexes. Although this way toppoly looks the same, vertex order is changed.

In conclusion, maintaining the same toppoly doesn’t guarantee you wouldn’t change vertex order. For example, the other mistake I made is:

I started modeling a rough cage in Maya, and took it to Zbrush detailing.

And then I brought a level1 model from Zbrush to Maya for doing UV. I deleted a half of geometry and only arranged a half of UV. Later I duplicated the half of geometry and I got the whole UV map. After I’m done those stuff, the vertex order is secretly changed though I have the same toppoly model.

There is a script for maya to reconstruct vertex order. Only for maya 5.

Basically the script would only help you to reconstruct a whole new set of vertex order among different models(same toppoly), but it can’t help you maintain the same vertex order.
http://www.highend3d.com/maya/downloads/plugins/modeling/misc/2644.html

#10

Heres is a screen cap of the import options im seeing in maya 6.5 and 7.

Attachments

import.jpg

#11

The only thing im doing when posing the geometry is moving the vertices.
Theres a little tutorial that I followed in the zbrush practical guide. Basically its the process that I posted above, and still no luck for me and any of the models ive tried.
When i re-import the posed model, its snaps to the posed model and looks like it worked, but when I go up a subd, the geometry gets all crazy.

#12

io.jpg try the setting as pic when importing and exporting

#13

Well, damnit, I feel rather foolish. That did the trick. Just had to have obj picked, and then I found that option. Thanks for all the help!