ZBrushCentral

Can I turn Blender Shape Keys or Subtools Into 3D Layers?

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

Hi!

I have an mesh in Blender with multiple shape keys, and I’d like to bring the mesh into ZBrush to refine those shape keys. I can imagine multiple ways to bring the shape keys into ZBrush, but

  1. Is there any way to import a mesh into ZBrush and have the shape keys turned into ZBrushes 3D layers? (I’ve tried GoZ and FBX import, and neither seem to bring in layers.)

  2. If not, I could import each shape key into ZBrush as it’s own subtool. Is there a way to turn subtools into another subtool’s 3D layers? Or how about using another subtool as a morph target?

  3. If not, is there a way to snap a vertex to another subtool’s vertex? I’m willing to import into ZBrush the basis mesh, then create new layers, then manually move each vertex into place by snapping it to another subtool, but I can’t find any snapping features in ZBrush. Is there a place I’m not looking?

  4. Or, if there is another way to do this, what am I missing?

Thank you so much,

–Saib

#2

Hello @AltCetera!

If the shapes can be exported individually as .OBJs and have the same topology, you can import them into ZBrush and convert them into layers.

If the meshes occupy mostly the same space, and just need detail transferred, you can import the mesh, append it, and project it onto your main tool with a 3d layer active and in recording mode.

If the shapes are posed differently, you can capture that pose on a 3d layer active in Recording mode by dropping to the lowest subdivision level (the mesh topology on any exported OBJs should match this base level topology), and following this process which GoZ automates in other situations. Basically just import the posed OBJ via the Tool > Import function into the live mesh at base level, and it will update the pose on that mesh while that layer is active.

#3

Oh my god, you just solved everything. And it turns out I didn’t have to even resort to objs; I can just use GOZ when a subtool’s layer is recording, and that will copy the new information from Blender to the layer. Thank you so much!!!