I"m currently using C4d and Rhino for modeling and rendering/animation. I’ve downloaded a Demo version of ZBrush and it doesn’t seem to have the .OBJ and .DXF features available. I was wondering if anyone here has experience in exporting to either of these programs. If anyone has simple model say done in zspheres that has been converted to .OBJ file format that would be available for me to look at, that would be great…
d.t.
I think that with the entiere version all works fine 
Pilou.
Here’s an Exported OBJ file from a Zsphere (Adaptive skinning used) The mesh is a lot cleaner originally but I already divided this one and started adding detail. I’ll make a new clean mesh when I have some time.
lizard.zip
Edit : Okay I’m sorry again , there is something seriously wrong with my browser. I get a lot of double posts lately 
Here’s an Exported OBJ file from a Zsphere (Adaptive skinning used) The mesh is a lot cleaner originally but I already divided this one and started adding detail. I’ll make a new clean mesh when I have some time.
lizard.zip
You can look at my post here Mixin it Up The figure in the image was a ZBrush model done with ZSpheres then skinned using the Unified Skinning process. It has quite a high poly count and slows down C4D quite a bit but it worked. In the future I will use lower poly count models when incorporating C4D into my workflow.
Here is a skinned ZSphere creature that has been exported from ZBrush compliments of Pixolator and can be used as a test in other applications such as C4D, LightWave, etc.
Enjoy!
Thank you. That helps alot. Couldn’t import the obj file into Rhino, but the DXF went fine. Since Rhino is only a Nurbs modeler, I didn’t expect too much. But I must say, the translations into both obj and dxf were very clean meshes. That alone is impressive. I’ve spent a lot of time dinging (since this is a hobby and I must maintain a real job) around with C4d,Rhino,Photoshop, I wanted to make sure that I could export to these programs. Some people might wonder why, but I’ve always discovered, that if you can’t then at some point you’ll want to… I have one other question. Painting on surfaces and exporting to Photoshop. It appears that you can export surfaces flattened out to photoshop, sort of like it works in Bodypaint, and deep paint. Then the other question is, can say a painted surface such as the dino be painted in zbrush and then exported, materials and all?. I’m thinking of it as a replacement for bodypaint, or deep paint…call me cheap, I can only spend so many dollars on this addiction… :D…
David T.
ZBrush, using the TextureMaster ZScript, will allow you to paint your textures directly onto the mesh and then export it as a flattened image for the color channel. You can also convert it to greyscale to export for the bump map.
Materials, however, are native to the program being used to render. For example, Body Paint can paint with material info for use in C4D, but those channels won’t all work in LightWave or Maya. Same goes for ZBrush materials. But ZBrush has something that the others don’t: the ability to “bake” the texture and convert the material-generated color into RGB color for inclusion in the color channel.
Finally, the bonus upgrade of version 1.5 will have another very exciting new feature: the ability to paint bump and displacement maps in ZBrush for use at render time – either in ZBrush or in another program that supports either channel. You can read about it here: Sneak Preview
ok aurick, are you a mind reader too? I just posted up on the new displacement painting feature, and here you are telling me about it before i even get a post done…Ok OK Ok I’m buying the Program, you’ve convinced me already… :D…
David
Ps. explain baking in the color channel. Say I imported into C4d the how does the color channel get affected by the import? It would creat an image map that would then carry right onto the model?..Oh now that might be interesting, now that I think about it…Sort of answered my own question I think.
aurick,
I’m keeping this under the export capabilities for continuity…I now have bought zbrush, figured out how to export regular primitives, but when I’m in the zsphere mode, NO EXPORT buttons. I’ve skinned em,(at least I think, but I can’t get the dang thing to export…HELP!!! Oh and I promise I won’t be constantly asking dumb questions. My goal is to actually ask smart questions. :D.
David
david…first, welcome!! Second, to answer your question: Once you have skinned your model, the newly skinned tool will appear (usually to the left) of your current zsphere tool in the tools palette. It is named the same as your zsphere with the addition of “_skin”. Example: Lizard becomes Lizard_skin
Choose the new skin tool, then the obj and dxf buttons will be active.
I’m just starting to do these things myself, using Lightwave. Tons of fun!!! Good luck, and happy ZBrushing.
Hi David,
Congrats on your purchase! And remember, the only dumb question is the one not asked. 
IT WORKED SLOSH. Very cool. I’ve already imported zsheres into Rhino and C4d, oh I’m a happy camper. When I get a bit better, I’ll post my results from working with both programs and zspheres… Off to play with my new toy, this program is now way too cool…
David