Blend Shapes Export - Information, Installation and FAQ

[aurick]

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Blend Shapes are a key element to animating models in Maya and ZBrush provides a powerful method for creating them. Now, Blend Shapes Export takes this to the next level by allowing you to easily convert sculpted layers in ZBrush into blend shapes for Maya 2008 and above.

Allows you to build blendshapes inside ZBrush using 3D Layers.
Layers are automatically transferred directly to Maya.
Multiple layers and multiple SubTools can be used as desired.
Quickly see how your blendshapes perform in Maya.
Layer names you assign in ZBrush become blendshape names in Maya.



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:b3: This plugin requires ZBrush 4.


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:b3: Installation


Quit ZBrush
Download the latest version of Blend Shapes Export from the Download Center (http://www.pixologic.com/zbrush/downloadcenter/zplugins/).
Extract the zip file in a temporary folder.
Copy the BlendShapesExport_4.zsc to your ZPlugs folder. With a default Mac installation this will be in /Applications/ZBrush 4 OSX/ZStartup/ZPlugs. With a default PC installation this will be C:\Program Files\Pixologic\ZBrush4\ZStartup\ZPlugs.
Also copy the BlendShapesData folder and its contents to the ZPlugs folder.
Launch ZBrush.
Open the Zplugin palette where you will find the Maya Blend Shapes menu, containing the plugin buttons.


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:b3: Frequently Ask Questions

Q: I don't see Maya Blend Shapes in the Zplugin palette.
A: Check that you installed the plugin correctly.



© 2010-2011 Pixologic, Inc. All rights reserved, Pixologic and the Pixologic logo, ZBrush, and the ZBrush logo are registered trademarks of Pixologic. Various patents pending. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.





BlendShapes-Icon.jpg

[Godfishb16]

Not sure this would be any use for games. But possibly for the film industry. Seems like this tool is just another button clicking saver. But if you have a file thats already got blends hooked up to it this tool would probably be useless. Good For possibly testing though?

cool plugin though

[1 soul]

Incredible! I cant wait to try this when i get home. :tu:

[SolidSnakexxx]

This IS Awesome!

[SolidSnakexxx]

Hello, I think you currently have the links to the Plugin....swapped... MAC <-> PC. :D

[Jawadh]

its really awasome....

[SuperHer0]

Great! looks like we have a new toy to play with ;)

[cbostjan]

This is really awesome! the only thing you need now is to be able to split the shapes with normalized masking. Then explode those into more layers and then export to maya.

[Deathmetallist]

any max version coming ? it looks damn amazing ... as a matter of fact ... I have long dreamt about such a tool ... and now it's there ... it gives incredible possibilites ... just waiting for a max version ...

[fogr]

many many thanks

[mxhaunted]

Just what I have been waiting for!

[dosa]

I was just thinking about this today! thanks!!

[bomoh]

Thank you pixo :)

[skaale]

Nice plug-in for Zbrush - Maya

I'am a Max user just found out that...

1. Zbrush to Maya with blend shapes exporter

2. Just save right away In a FBX format

3. Drag and drop FBX file into max viewport

4. Blend shapes animation now appers in the Mopher modifer:p

[Doqpelgänger]

Very useful... waiting for a max version however

[RenoAnimations]

wow, this is amazing :cool: :tu: :tu: :tu: so super cool :rolleyes: !!!

[chindian]

Hmm awesome! This could be very useful... :D

[loki_22]

that is sweet!

[HaloAnimator]

i would love to have this for XSI :)...it would definitely save me some work :)

[GCastro]

Awesome plugin. Thanks a bunch!

-George

[Jerick]

Not sure this would be any use for games. But possibly for the film industry. Seems like this tool is just another button clicking saver. But if you have a file thats already got blends hooked up to it this tool would probably be useless. Good For possibly testing though?

cool plugin thoughUnreal Engine 3 packs blendshape support last I checked. It packs with your skeletal model export under languages like "morph meshes" or something like that.

[sculptor.zb]

WOW!! SUPERB! ..... THANKS! PIXOLOGIC ;) :tu: ... I LOVE YOU ALL :)

[Maya4fun]

Great script, thank you aurick. :tu:

Emmanuel.

[fanatique]

Waoooow Awesome, congretulation ViVa PiXo

[snakes23]

looks like a really useful plugin, could potentially save me a lot of time with a project im doing at the moment.

Considering this exporter works using the different layers in zbrush, is it in any way possible to create morph targets from multiple versions of the same ztool?

To clarify... im working with multiple 3d scans of a face. iv applied the neutral face scan information to a basic head in mudbox via displacement, and taken the resulting mesh to zbrush to sculpt and retopologize. I then need to apply the scan data of other expressions to this to act as morph targets. is there a way to do this inside zbrush as different layers so this plugin works? its important that i use the scan data to construct the new expressions as the project revolves around the accuracy of laser scanning technology.

My initial idea was to take the new topology base mesh to mudbox and apply the displacement again for the other expression, then bring that mesh back to zbrush to sculpt again. But that will mean its a new tool and there will be no layer information relating to the neutral face mesh. Is there any way to work around this so that i can utilize this plugin?

cheers

[nimajneb]

Max users: Morpher, at least to my recollection, doesn't do additive blending. It averages targets. I believe both Maya and Zbrush use additive blending, so your results of using multiple targets will be different in Max. Morpher's behavior would be one reason Luminox (http://www.lumonix.biz/index.html) created MorphX2 (http://www.lumonix.biz/morphx2.html). MorphX2 is a freebie, but you'll still have to do the setup manually and not be able to rely on FBX to do your dirty work for you with this plug-in, if you want your morphs to work exactly like Zbrush's layers at least.

[JinV]

Thx 4 the new plugin!

amazing work Pixologic:tu:

[bignewf]

SWEET!
Thanks for this cool plug in.
Can't wait to try it.

[Deathmetallist]

nimajneb ... what about messiah ? I'd be interested to know about this one ...

[Godfishb16]

Unreal Engine 3 packs blendshape support last I checked. It packs with your skeletal model export under languages like "morph meshes" or something like that.Yeah it does. I'm using it right now on a project. Not sure if it would be worth it though to do blendshapes on a lowpoly head fillled with triangles though in zbrush. Would make more sense to just stick to maya for that. But don't know...never tried to use zbrush for something like that.

[nimajneb]

Deathmetalist:
http://www.eggswhyzed.com/messiah_docs/interface_animate_morphblender.htm

Messiah let's you choose which you want. Maya might too, don't know it well enough to say. I know however that Max doesn't, a fact I discovered trying to work through Mr. Osipa's facial animation book, Stop Staring (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0470609907/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0782141293&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=13SVXP0ZKYCRBJC80R71), which I highly recommend. With regards to the new plugin though, M:s still doesn't do FBX import, so the Maya to FBX to Messiah workaround wouldn't help.

[LY]

Of course Max is using additive morphing...

[koyima]

Of course Max is using additive morphing...correct.

[nimajneb]

Heh, just double checked this and I stand corrected. I swear this used to average but it is obviously adding targets.

[koyima]

no, don't think so. adding something negative might of given you that impression.

[Deathmetallist]

so , it can be implemented in max ?

[triplepen]

i dont see any use of this plug-in. ok procces automated but not good for animation. it is already hard to animate this kind of high poly mesh and i can't imagine the scene a few more high-poly blendshape meshes. Besides even if they are low poly it is more accurute to sculpt blend shapes with maya to see the results with normal maps .you will probably need in-between blendshapes for more accurute muscle movement and it is nearly impossible to adjust that kind of high poly mesh with maya.
but maybe this can be helpful managing painting layers. that is what z-brush need but hasn't accomplished yet. layer modes they need, more realistic paint brush they need.(not point point)

[nimajneb]

Ayep, DM. Should work just fine. And thank you, koyima & LY, for correcting me. I don't like to lead folks astray.

[Deathmetallist]

and is there any chance someone will code that baby ?

[jacquesBroquard]

Could you upload a higher resolution version of this tutorial video. 720 or 1080 would be great.

[koyima]

Click saving is key to iteration, so this is a welcome addition, of course 3dsmax version would be appreciated

[koyima]

as well as automatic map export or similar. Mudbox is certainly moving in that direction.

[Beneto]

I am definitely looking forward to try that plugin.

[reinforce]

nice nice nice

[Ross_DD]

Hi, sorry for my bad english language, does it will be possible to use this plugin with XSI and|or Modo? XSI had blend-shapes functions too and Modo had morph maps that are simillar to blend-shapes...
Thanks.

[Ronny Penko]

oh, so nice, another plugin.

there also should be released a plugin called "respect" , that would allow users to receive a reply when sending a message to the link " contact us " below on the bottom of this page. I don't know why that link exists, honestly.

[koyima]

If answered here though everybody get's the answer.

[Framedworld]

Where was this a year ago? Haha could have saved me a bunch of time

[Xsmoke]

I absolutely love it...
Another great way to save lots of time...

[HaloAnimator]

One way i could see this working for XSI is if we create clusters for the heads of our models (eyes, forehead, mouth, cheeks, nose<qtlend></qtlend>), then use the GoSoftimageLite plugin on a clone, export it to Zbrush at base level, sculpt as desired, export it back to XSI and apply the blendshapes. But without this awesome plugin, it would get tedious QUICK<qtlbar id="qtlbar" dir="ltr" style="display: inline; text-align: left; line-height: 100%; padding: 0pt; background-color: rgb(236, 236, 236); -moz-border-radius: 3px 3px 3px 3px; cursor: pointer; z-index: 999; left: 209px; top: 43px; opacity: 0.9;"><img src="http://www.zbrushcentral.com/pixo/atn.gif"> (http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/faq.php?faq=vb_read_and_post#faq_zbc_display_image s)<img src="http://www.zbrushcentral.com/pixo/atn.gif"> (http://www.google.com/search?q=face%20and%20trunk)<img src="http://www.zbrushcentral.com/pixo/atn.gif"> (http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/faq.php?faq=vb_read_and_post#faq_zbc_display_image s)<iframe id=\"qtlframe\" src="" style="display: none; border: 1px solid rgb(236, 236, 236); background-color: white;"></iframe></qtlbar>

[Urchinator]

The one where he is giving a "razzberry" is refreshingly priceless. It isn't often you see an orc making any other face than "GRWARRRH!"

[mokthemagicman]

Just tested it and wow will this save me a TON of time! Gotta love those killer plugins!

Woot!

[Deathmetallist]

although no one seems to want to provide a clear answer ... keeping my fingers crossed for max , or even messiah version ... endomorph + displacement woul be nice ... especially since messiah is better at morphing displacement ... IMHO ...

just hoping for other versions ...

hooo and GOZ for modo 501 ...

( I'm not the first to turn my post into a personnal wishlist ... but I'm gonna stay cool and open minded about it ... that's gonna set me apart ^^ )

[uaun]

Please add Blender SHAPEKEY support Pixologic. Shapekeys are just vertex morph targets like Blendshapes. And while you're at it GoZ would be great for blender too. Our studio has recently switched to Blender, no more Maya, Lightwave, etc. Blender is great, fits all our needs, but support natively for blender by Pixologic would be great.

Nonetheless, this is an awesome plugin for Maya users!

[AVTPro]

Thanks. I have multiple versions of Maya on my OSX so I had to restablish the path through GoZ and it worked fine.

Can it have multiple targets to one blendshape?

[rouncer]

blend shapes are total genius, especially with vector displacement mapping, you can literally tween between the 2 shapes and they get all the artistic integrity the zbrush artist can put into it.

[TrappedInFlesh]

Hi
about the high poly counts. how would one manage these blendshapes in Maya with the high poly counts? specially if the machine being used is not all that powerful?

[love7zl]

I like this,very funny.:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[JuanVal]

I will be also very happy about a GOZ and blendshape-exporter for Blender.

[polarthebear]

*Edit: Problem solved. I just downloaded ZBrush yesterday and needed to connect the GoZ to Maya (Under Preferences)

Hi,

I'm trying to use the Blend Shapes program (Windows) and am getting this error message.

"Sorry, cannot launch Maya. Cannot find path to Maya application"

I also get this error message when I click the "GetMaya" application in the BlendShapes folder.

I have the BlendShape files in the correct locations so anyone know what's happening here?

Thanks!

[koyima]

and in an instant the troubleshooting thread is no longer relevant or emailing support for that reason.

[DizzyDKOS]

thanks sooo much. this is awesome. I have a 3ds max class and the final obviously needs to be in max not maya...you just made my life a little easier. now i can create all of my morph layers in zbrush....much faster......thanks again

[MatthewTardiff]

Unreal Engine 3 packs blendshape support last I checked. It packs with your skeletal model export under languages like "morph meshes" or something like that.

Also if you follow the way Jeremy Ernst is handling facial on GOW3, blendshapes are not a problem because it gets baked back to joints in the end and the other shapes never make it into the engine. Check out the GDC lecture. It's very easy to reproduce if you have some sort of insight into rigging. My only problem is the Blendshape aspect crashes Maya 2011 on OSX but not on Win7.

Anyway, this is a great feature.

It was crashing because of some history BS! Rock on Zbrush Blendshape plug in

[mimesys]

thanks zbrush