ZBrushCentral

Zbrush 4r6 Blendshape Plugin and Maya

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

Hey All.

I’ve done a test of blend shapes, 4 in total, that I used the export blendshape plugin. It opened a new Maya scene with the mesh, hid the 4 blendshapes and opened the blendshape control window. GREAT.

Now, here’s the question. How do I get this whole system into my exiting Maya file that I originally exported my mesh from(as an obj)?

Do i import it all as an obj back into the original scene?

Thanks!

Sean

#2

Hey all,

To a follow up on my post. With Zbrush 4r6.2, I did find that if I had my original scene that the mesh came from opened, that Zbrush, instead of opening a new maya scene, inserted it into my opened, old, scene.
Only problem is that the blendshapes are now attached to mesh that was imported into zbrush. So I now have 2 meshes; one that is the original Maya scene with no blendshapes but all the textures and maps, and the new one, from Zbrush, with all the blendshapes and no materials.

I deleted the old Maya mesh, and will attach that to the bind joints.

Anyone know of a way to “merge” the two meshes, or was this the only way to resolve the duplicate meshes?

I’m proceeding with the process that I explained, it’s due Sunday :).

Just thought I’d put this out there. Hopefully someone from Pixologic will see this and perhaps give me some advice :).

Where are you Paul !!!

Thanks.

Sean

#3

You can do it like this:

  1. Export the Blendshapes from ZBrush but make sure Maya is not running so that you get a clean file.
  2. In Maya, export the scene as FBX format.
  3. Load your original scene into Maya.
  4. Make sure that the object is named the same as it was in ZBrush. So for example, if the object is named Dog_1 in ZBrush, in Maya it should be Dog_1 with the mesh Dog_1Shape etc. This is important otherwise the next step will not work.
  5. Now you need to Import the FBX file you saved at (2). In the File dialog, make sure that only FBX type files are showing. Highlight the file in the left pane of the box. You will then get FBX specific options on the right of the box. Scroll down until you find the ‘Include’ bit and then from the File content drop-down select ‘Update animation’. This makes sure that no new mesh is added to the scene.
  6. Click Import. Your BlendShapes should be added to the existing mesh.

Maya-FBX-import.jpg

#4

For some reason that window you show, the import, I do not have those settings. I’ve reset the import window but I don’t have those settings. ???

I tried it but so far a no go. If you’d like I will include my files so you can give it a whirl :)…

Thanks again!

Sean

#5

I’ll take a look if you can save the Maya file as compatible with 2012 (the version I have). The options may only appear if you select the FBX format in the file drop down as opposed to ‘All Files’. (That’s what happens in Maya 2012.)

In case it’s useful, here’s an fbx file of your ZBrush model, with its blend shapes:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/tr2rfauov8lezo8/head_exportB.fbx