I spent a little time looking into this today, and if you’ll indulge me, I’d like to clarify a few of the overlapping issues here.
- Subtool Master. I hardly ever use this older plugin, as most of the functionality seems redundant with core zbrush features these days, but it appears as if the “mirror” command, simply means “mirror” in the way it’s used elsewhere in zbrush–in other words, it simply flips the geometry from one side to the other, although the plug in lets you mirror multiple subtools at once and specify whether you want the mirrored geometry to appear in the same subtool, or be appended as an entirely new subtool. There is no “weld” or symmetry component to the command.
So, if you used this command on a roughly symmetrical mesh centered on the axis plane, it’s going to create overlapping geometry as it creates a new flipped version within the same subtool. The command seems more intended to be used to create an entirely separate object on the other side of the axis plane (for instance an eyeball), not to symetrize a centered object.
However, I am confused why it also creates an entirely new tool entry in the tool palette for a flipped version of the geo, as well as creating the geo in my tool. I can’t say for certain whether it’s working correctly. Anyone please feel free to correct my limited knowledge of the plug in.
- Smart Resym. Smart Resym should have worked for you, assuming topology that’s mostly symmetrical, though it only mirrors form from side to side, not actual geometry. If it took an inordinately long time to work for you, either you’re working with extreme levels of subdivision, or you are working on overlapping geometry as a result of the STM mirror command (this is my guess).
Select that subtool, and hit Tool > Polygroups > Autogroups, and see if it shows you some overlapping meshes in polyframe mode.
- Freeze Subdivision Levels. Freeze subdivision is working like normal, however it’s important to understand that to the best of my knowledge, Freeze subdivision is simply automating the multi step detail projection process in Zbrush. This allows you to freeze the highest level of detail, then make changes to geometry at the lowest level of SubD, resubdivide, and project the high level detail back onto it.
http://docs.pixologic.com/user-guide/3d-modeling/topology/zremesher/transferring-detail/
If you freeze the subdivision levels on an asymmetrical mesh, you’re going to be projecting that asymmetrical detail back onto a mesh you just mirrored and welded, which will conflict in those areas and cause artifacts if the differences are significant enough. The correct procedure here then would have been to use smart resym first to duplicate the form from side to side on the high rez mesh, freeze subd and mirror and weld the low poly topology from side to side if necessary, then unfreeze.
So basically, the OPs real solution to this issue would be to use Smart Resym. You need to troubleshoot that subtool, and figure out why Smart Resym is choking on it.
