ZBrushCentral

NOOBIE Question - ZIP FILES

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#1

Hey!

How do I use zip file info? Where should they be saved, opened or extracted? If I save them to the hard drive and try to open through ZBrush I have no success. If I extract them and try to open them I get error messages.

Thanks!

~S.~

#2

Please define “zip file info” as I am confused…
Lemo

#3

Snark

it depends on what the zipped file is for. If it’s zipped up materials and lights then you would unzip them them and place the resulting .zmt and .zlt files into the appropriate folders under zbrush.

if you are referring to the .pdf files then you would need Adobe Acrobat to read them and you could put them anywhere. I keep all of mine in one handy folder for ease of use.

you might find it useful to unzip zipped files…say one called Models.zip to a folder called Models that way you can take a look at what all is in there and then move the files to their appropriate places.

if that doesn’t answer your question…please be more specific.

#4

Hey!

I have downloaded a number of files from the forums that sounded like great tutorials but have only been able to open and use one. Ron Harris posted a ZScript on building a head from a cube that downloaded into ZScripts and plays great. I love this one and have memorized his demonstration. But there are others I cannot seem to get to play.

There’s a two part tutorial by ‘Caroline Delen’ from Siggraph I’ve downloaded as a zip. When I look in Properties it says it’s a zip file. (UPDATE: This file originally registered as ‘corrupted’ but I have re-downloaded this file four times and it now plays fine. No problem here).

There’s a head tutorial by Bas Masur, a .ztl file - where do I put this so I can open it? There’s a Ken Brilliant Tutorial on UV mapping. When I look in Properties they are all listed as zip files. I don’t know how to tell what the suffixes are, .zsc or whatever.

When I come across a download in the forums that I would like to study, how do I approach the download so that the file goes to the appropriate subdirectory and will extract in a way that I can use?

Rick Z. posts an .obj file and an .mtl file. Where should I install these for study?

Thanks!

~S.~

#5

Snark,
A “.zip” file is a file that has been compressed to save space and must be uncompresed before being used. It is also used to make downloads smaller. Text files like scripts can be greatly reduced in size this way saving bandwidth when being used for a download. Whenever you download from the net, someone is paying for it. When uncompresed the actual files will be displayed. You can unzip directly into the correct folder or move them by hand after unzipping. A utility to unzip is built into Windows XP, but you will need another utility in earlier versions. Read the help file. If your using a MAC, I’m not familiar with it so I can’t help. For more info type zip into google and you will find many thousand of articles and utilities for unzipping including ones for a MAC I believe.
Hope this helps?

#6

Thanks, Blaine!

I’m starting to get the hang of it. What is a .ztl file and when I am in ZBrush, where should I put this so that I can open it? Rick Z. posts an .obj file and an .mtl file. Where should I install these for study?

~S.~

#7

.ztl is a ZBrush Tool and .OBJ/.MTL belong together and are a tool as well in a different format. Just make a directory you call ‘MyObjects’ or ‘Znark’ or ‘Fufu’ whatever your preference might be for those and further objects. Then copy the .ztl a,d .obj and .mtl files there.

In ZBrush then go to the TOOL section and press ‘LOAD TOOL’ , navigate to your created folder and you will see the .ZTL file. Select it and it will show up in the tool bar. Select it and you can draw it onto your canvas.

You can also save tools the same way. Then you can load them later in another session at another time.

To import the .OBJ you do the same thing except for ‘LOAD TOOL’ you have to press the ‘IMPORT’ Button and that format will be understood by ZBrush.

Enjoy
Lemo

PS:When you ‘hover’ over a button with the mouse press the CTRL Key and an explanation window pops open. That will explain a lot to you.

#8

Lemonado!

Thanks so much. Exactly what I was looking for.

When I access a .ztl file through the tools palette, and after I draw a single instance of the model on the palette, I thought my next step would be to activate Edit Mode so that I could rotate and examine the model. However, the Edit Mode button is greyed out and unavailable. What am I missing?

Cheers,

~S.~

#9

click-drag a tool on the canvas. Then either click on edit (don;t worry about the grey square, it will turn orange) OR press T on the keyboard for the edit mode.

The above works a few thousand times a day around the globe! Or the forum would explode with that topic if it would not work.

Cheers
Lemo

#10

Just to add: when importing an .obj polymesh it’s a good idea to select the ‘Star’ PloyMesh3D tool before pressing the IMPORT button. There are two reasons for doing this:

  1. It means that the options for importing a polymesh are available under Tool:Import.
  2. The imported model will replace any other polymesh (either .ztl or .obj) in the tool palette if you happen to have one selected and you might not want to do that.

Cheers,

#11

Much thanks to Marcus and Lemonado.

~S.~