Tutorial: ZBrush normal maps and 3dsmax v8

[CvH]

http://www.microcan.nl/ZBrushTutorial/TrollNormalMapB.jpg
http://www.microcan.nl/ZBrushTutorial/TrollNormalMapA.jpg

Video tutorial: ZBrushElephant.wmv (3.075 KB) (http://www.microcan.nl/ZBrushTutorial/ZBrushElephant.wmv)

Hear are some guidlines for using ZBrush normal maps is 3dsmax. Generate you normals maps with the ZMapper tool, remember to use the right configuration file. Download it here: 3dsmax8modifiedE.zmp (http://www.microcan.nl/ZBrushTutorial/3dsmax8modifiedE.zmp). The default 3DS Max7_TangentSpace_BestQuality.zmp file causes artifacts at the seams. Export the normal map to a file, use the *.bmp file format if you want to use the realtime preview in the 3dsmax viewport.
Import the mesh into 3dsmax and assign a material. Assign a Normal Bump to the bump map slot.
http://www.microcan.nl/ZBrushTutorial/TrollNormalMapRO.jpg
For a realtime preview in the viewport you use the DirectX 9 Shader material. (You must have DirectX 9 enabled). Use the RTTNormalMap.fx DirectX 9 Shader. Comment: mental ray doesn't support DirectX 9 Shaders but for the scanline renderer you can use a standard material. If you don't have a diffuse map (yet) you can assign a single color bitmap.
http://www.microcan.nl/ZBrushTutorial/TrollDirectX.jpg
This is a screendump of the Troll with the DirectX 9 realtime shader.
http://www.microcan.nl/ZBrushTutorial/TrollRT.jpg
This is a screendump of the Elephant with the DirectX 9 realtime shader. The Elephant uses AUV mapping.
http://www.microcan.nl/ZBrushTutorial/ElephantRT.jpg

[upham]

Thanks again CvH! This is good info!
Just to let you know that Eblondin over at CGTalk has a Max 8 ZMapper ZMP preset. ....found here.... (http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?t=305466) that you might be interested in. I havent tried it myself yet.
Appreciate your tutorial!
Cheers
Upham :)

[CvH]

Thanks again CvH! This is good info!
Just to let you know that Eblondin over at CGTalk has a Max 8 ZMapper ZMP preset. ....found here.... (http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?t=305466) that you might be interested in. I havent tried it myself yet.
Appreciate your tutorial!
Cheers
Upham :)Thanks this is exactly what caused the seams in 3dsmax. I have tried it in 3dsmax and it works. :D ;) This is realy great. I will edit the above post and remove the part with the seam problems.

[Jhotun]

Hey guys, be sure to check out this HSLS shader made by Ben Cloward ,instead that the one which comes with max.

http://www.monitorstudios.com/bcloward/shaders_NormalMapSpecular3lights.html

Despite sometimes it crashes (be sure to save or hold your scene before loading into the material editor), most of the times works very good. The support for specular channel and three lights makes it really good for previewing normal maps.

Cheers

[ztilldend]

hey Cvh, it doesn't seem to work for me on my 3ds max 8 with sp1,am i requiered to meshsmooth or torbosmooth my model like with displacement mapping?! is there any mapping procedure needed in zbrush or in 3ds max prior to import/export? is there any importance to bump numeric value in 3ds max ?!

hope for your help, and thanks for all taking the time to write down this tutorial and supporting this awesome community, i can't wait for you'r next post :D

and like all i'm still waiting for the zbrush to 3ds max pipeline...

thanks/

[CvH]

hey Cvh, it doesn't seem to work for me on my 3ds max 8 with sp1,am i requiered to meshsmooth or torbosmooth my model like with displacement mapping?! is there any mapping procedure needed in zbrush or in 3ds max prior to import/export? is there any importance to bump numeric value in 3ds max ?!

hope for your help, and thanks for all taking the time to write down this tutorial and supporting this awesome community, i can't wait for you'r next post :D

and like all i'm still waiting for the zbrush to 3ds max pipeline...

thanks/No MeshSmooth or TurboSmooth is needed for normal maps (as long as the normal map is computed with the right algorithm). You probably forgot to enable the DirectX 9 driver. Of course you must have DirectX 9 installed before you can enable it. DirectX 9 is on the 3dsmax installations disks. Check your settings in the Customize/Preferences.. menu from 3dsmax.


http://www.microcan.nl/ZBrushTutorial/Preference.jpg

[--E--]

Just to let you know that Eblondin over at CGTalk has a Max 8 ZMapper ZMP preset. ....found here.... (http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?t=305466) that you might be interested in. I havent tried it myself yet.
Heh. Thanks for giving me credit man :cool:

I posted those presets here on zbrush central as well.

Rock on guys. good tut CvH

[ztilldend]

thanks CvH for the quick reply. i did set my display to directx that part is fine, i can also see the normal compute correctly as i move over it with a light source' i can see the shadows act like they sould, base on the added information taken from zbrush, my problem is that unless i apply mesh smooth to it or turbosmooth it keep resulting in the same low res mesh that i import from zbrush prior to the normal map,it seems to lay the normal map information correctly but it seems more like standard bump map it doesn't seem to deform my geometry...:confused: i do all the settings as illustrated, when using directx i dont see the proper high res mesh in the viewport,all i see is my low res mesh colored in blue :rolleyes:

i'm sure that there is something very basic that i'm missing,but i have no idea what it is...did any one encounter any such problems with 3ds max 8 sp1?! maybe if i was to remove it it would work?!...i heven't had the opputinty to test normal mapping before...i'm new to normal mapping...

thanks for your time CvH, and any one else who is willing to help:tu:

sorry for my english

[CvH]

ztilldend,

Now I know what you mean. When you import the mesh you get a mesh with facets. The normals at the vertices are wrong. To solve this without increating the number of polygons I converted the mesh to an EditablePoly enabled the NURMS subdivision and set the number of iterations to 0. The elephant on the front is probably what you get. Normal mapping in 3dsmax does't deform the geometry.

http://www.microcan.nl/ZBrushTutorial/ElephantRT2.jpg

[ztilldend]

hey CvH, yes that is exactly what i'm getting !!! ...i tried your suggestion and it got me even more frustrated:cry: your mesh seems so smooth in the viewport with iterations set to 0 :confused: at my viewport with iteration set to 0 it looks crappy...the only thing is to set render iterations to 2 ,which pretty much does exactly the same thing as meshsmooth.....so i don't know. i hoped that it wasn't just my problem and that maybe other users will say they face the same issues,any way it's remain a mystery to me....

i can think of one way that might help to signal out if the problem is with me specific,and that is if you'll wouldn't mind sending your 3ds max file,and then to see if i get the same results as you in viewport/render.

i do apologize for bugging you like this,it's just that this is a real pain in my :eek:

anyway thanks for your time, i won't bother you again(alreay hijacked your beautifu tutorial thread).

[CvH]

Maybe this will help. Remember to do something back for the communitie. http://www.microcan.nl/ZBrushTutorial/Elephant.zip

[andreseloy]

Thanks again for your contribution..
im confuse with the second step related to DirectX9 shader, how i can load from the fx file?
Thanks
Andreseloy

[CvH]

Thanks again for your contribution..
im confuse with the second step related to DirectX9 shader, how i can load from the fx file?
Thanks
AndreseloyTo answer you question I made this little video tutorial.

Video tutorial: ZBrushElephant.wmv (3.075 KB) (http://www.microcan.nl/ZBrushTutorial/ZBrushElephant.wmv)

[ztilldend]

that was awesome!!! thanks allot for the video:)

now all we need is the video for inside zbrush export/import procedure and we are all set ;)

it seem that we will not need the official 3ds max to zbrush pipeline after all:cool:

exellent :tu: :tu: :tu:

[andreseloy]

Thanks a lot CvH
Andreseloy

[CvH]

that was awesome!!! thanks allot for the video:)

now all we need is the video for inside zbrush export/import procedure and we are all set ;)

it seem that we will not need the official 3ds max to zbrush pipeline after all:cool:

exellent :tu: :tu: :tu:I asumed al you guys already watched this video tutorial, it gives you al you need at the ZBrush side:
http://206.145.80.237/zbrush/zbcfiles/ZMapper_walkthrough_web.zip

[andreseloy]

Each time i try to load the DirectX Shader 3DMax crash!
Is there an explanation for this and how to resolve it?
Thanks in advance
Andreseloy

[Jhotun]

Be sure to have the latests drivers for your graphic card installed. Also, the latest directx is a must (Directx 9.0c).
Which shader are you trying to load? have you tried the one from Ben Cloward? (http://www.monitorstudios.com/bcloward/shaders_NormalMapSpecular3lights.html)

Good luck

[andreseloy]

Yes Jothun i have the 9.0C version installed.
Thanks anyway
Andreseloy

ps: directx 9 shader

[CvH]

andreseloy,

A crash with 3dsmax can have many causes, do you have DirectX 9c and the latest drivers for you graphics card installed? Does you graphics card support DirectX 9c and did you enable it. As you can see in the video tutorial it works at my workstation.

Jhotun,

The DirectX shaders of Ben Cloward don't work on my workstation.

[andreseloy]

CvH each time i load the Directx9 shader onto sphere to make a test for example,the laptop hold down.
I have a Laptop Toshiba, ATI Mobility Radeon 9000, 1GB RAM, i recently run the DirectX 9.0c version as you can see from the figure.
Thanks in advance for the help
Andreseloy

[Giantsun]

Big problems...only thing i can guess at is...could and "open" mesh cause problems for zmapper...cause it looks good inside zmapper, just looks like crap on max...even with the correct exporter, the nurms, insert wichever variation possible here. Anyone having big problems like that?

[CvH]

andreseloy,

At this moment I have no idea what is causing your problems. I think you have report you problems at autodesk.

Giantsun,

Can you post a simple example.

[el-d]

Have you tried using fx shaders that come with max to ensure they work.


...and on a side note. I notice you use PolyBoost, do you recommend it - does it speed up your poly modelling ?

El-d

[andreseloy]

Thanks for the advice el-d!
Yes, i strongly recommend PolyBoost is a powerfull modelling tool,the topodraw tool is outstanding, look this videos:
http://www.polyboost.com/videos.htm

Thanks
Andreseloy

[Giantsun]

Yes, CvH, will have to do it later cause not at work right now. :tu:

[andreseloy]

Thanks CvH, i will do it!

Andreseloy

[upham]

Wow! Polyboost is a HUGH and powerful script! I've just downloaded the 43 meg video clip on what it can do and I was really blown away! Thanks for putting me onto this!
Upham :)

[smokebox46and2]

hey CvH, yes that is exactly what i'm getting !!! ...i tried your suggestion and it got me even more frustrated:cry: your mesh seems so smooth in the viewport with iterations set to 0 :confused: at my viewport with iteration set to 0 it looks crappy...the only thing is to set render iterations to 2 ,which pretty much does exactly the same thing as meshsmooth.....so i don't know. i hoped that it wasn't just my problem and that maybe other users will say they face the same issues,any way it's remain a mystery to me....

i can think of one way that might help to signal out if the problem is with me specific,and that is if you'll wouldn't mind sending your 3ds max file,and then to see if i get the same results as you in viewport/render.

i do apologize for bugging you like this,it's just that this is a real pain in my :eek:

anyway thanks for your time, i won't bother you again(alreay hijacked your beautifu tutorial thread).




Use the Smooth Modifier with AutoSmooth checked and the amount at 100. This will smooth your mesh without adding geometry...

[smokebox46and2]

well, all goes well until I try with my own model...lol. The example files work great, but I'm not sure what the problem is with my model. Getting the banding. I'm not sure my displacement map creation settings are correct...

[el-d]

To remove the banding, set your blur offset to 0.01 in the displacement map coordinates rollout in your rmaterial.

That should clear it up.

El-d

[smokebox46and2]

To remove the banding, set your blur offset to 0.01 in the displacement map coordinates rollout in your rmaterial.

That should clear it up.

El-d I get the banding in Bump maps as well, and if you set the blur on that it just ruins all of the detail...
Didn't have to blur on the test files either, so there must be some export setting or alteration that can be made when creating or exporting the displacement map from ZB.

[capu]

Hello and thank you so much for your great video tutorial.
All works fine with a Standard Material.

I´ve tried to do the same with a Vray Mtl. or a Brazil Mtl.
Hmm, and well, after rendering there is nothing to see.

Would be great if someone do you how to place the normal map in these materials.

thx for every little help and suggestions !!!!!

[Prayer]

hm....

it seems that i see squares on my model when rendering and also the material previuw dosnt deform..
any one had the same problem ?? this is what i mean...


Fast qualety tangent space 3dmax7
witf.JPG

[Muntz]

Hi there.
Looks as though you havent exported a mesh that contains the same UV co-ordinates as the zbrush model that you created the texture on. Either that or in Max you didnt change the V value in the material editor for that texture to -1.

[Prayer]

what i did was export the mesh on sub 1 and then imported the mesh into max8
i also created the the normals on sub1 with Zmapper using the fast 3dmax7 tangetspace configuration i didnt alter any thing or what so ever i just exported it as bmp

i tryd negative 1 value on V but didnt work out created some distorted seams but thats it

btw the normal bump dose work i just get all these seams from the UV its like theyr not welded together.

also when looking at my material in max i dont see the bump on the material previeuwer like in the movie.
i have the same thing using just a sphere deforming it and making a normal in Zbrush.

[smokebox46and2]

You need to use the configuration file found via the link at the beginning of this thread.

Here it is if you're feeling lazy and don't like starting at the beginning of threads...

3dsmax8modifiedE.zmp (http://www.microcan.nl/ZBrushTutorial/3dsmax8modifiedE.zmp)

[Prayer]

ooh man do i feel stupid !:cry:
realy srry guys when i saw the movie link i got to exided i guess my bad my apollogies

[PabbiPabbi]

The http://www.microcan.nl/ link doesn't work for me. Even the images on the first page for the above link doesn't work. Maybe it was working before, but not anymore. Can anyone please check and let me know?
Thanks!

[CvH]

PabbiPabbi,

I checked they links on page 1, but everything is still there and it still worked for me.

[Rom6]

hiii thnx man..i need this.. :idea: :idea:

[ZNEL]

Thanks, great tutorial...


:tu: thanks.

[P.ONeill]

Hi there, Im new to the fforum. How do you load the max8 configuration?

Sorry If this is the most stupid question ever asked, just starting!!

[Zanrok]

wow.. thats all i gotta say.. ive been searching for somethign as easy as this for a while.. practically all night killing myself.. thanks sooooo much man.. this will make my project render a lot better once i tinker with it more.. !!

thanks again!

[phucdv]

Thank you very much !
Good Tut
:lol:

[endbored]

theres a problems here, i dont see the directx 9 shader!?

directx is enabled in the 3dsmax viewport preferences, im using the dx 9.0c in windows and a fresh gpu driver

however i dont have this directx 9 shader in the materials..
what i have is a directx shader! (but not directx9shader)

what can i do, any help is much apreciated!!

cheers

[Zoanoid]

Yo CVH,

When you put the 3dsmax8modefiedE.zmp in the Zbrush directory with the others, do you have to activate it, or is putting it in the Pixologic\ZBrush3\ZData\ZPlugs\ZMapperData directory enough.

thanx for the tut :)

[safe05]

you will need to click on "open configuration" inside of ZMapper to actually use the preset. So, just put the file somewhere you can easily find it.

[Giantsun]

On the topic of the weird seams, under max, only get those if texture blur is set to anything but 0,001, think the default is 1.

[spikqy]

I have zbrush 3 and 3ds max 9, Im really new to zbrush infact I just bought the software like last week. Could anyone please tell me does zbrush 3 and max 9 compatible and what abt 3dsmax8modefiedE.zmp, would that work for 9? Thanks alot..I didnt wanna start a whole new topic just because of this.
PS: Those videos are helping me so much thanks alot!

[Giantsun]

Welcome spikqy. Yep the 3dsmax8modefiedE.zmp will work for 9. :tu:

[spikqy]

Thanks Giantsun.. I spent so much getting Zbrush I wanna learn it as much as possible. Oh I have one question, where do I post if I have a question?? Today I imported my head model from 3dsmax to zbrush but when I export it to 3dsmax again I cant open it, it took really long and my 3ds max crashes, I know it has something to do with the number of meshes/smooth thingy but I dont know how to lower it at all.
[If this is not the appropriatte place to post this question, Im apologize beforehand and you can move it] THanks in advanced!

[Giantsun]

If it was a high density mesh it probably made 3dsmax freak out. You see other apps are that way with a couple million polys...go figure. But you can export a lower res mesh plus your zbrush generated normal and import that in 3dsmax. The level of sub division is under Tool>Geometry>Sdiv. I didnt get the meshes/smooth thing. If you were talking about subtools or subdivisions like in TurboMesh under max I may be way off here. :D

[spikqy]

If it was a high density mesh it probably made 3dsmax freak out. You see other apps are that way with a couple million polys...go figure. But you can export a lower res mesh plus your zbrush generated normal and import that in 3dsmax. The level of sub division is under Tool>Geometry>Sdiv. I didnt get the meshes/smooth thing. If you were talking about subtools or subdivisions like in TurboMesh under max I may be way off here. :DThanks alot Giantsun, I really appreciate your help..I look under the tool>geomertry but I cannot find Sdiv ( Dont worry abt the smooth thingy I said, I just didnt know the term for millions of poly, ur on the right track ), I found reconstruct subdiv but nothing happens when I pressed it. Here is a printscreen just incase
http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/7218/printscreenmr3.jpg

What if I import it before applying meshsmooth or turbosmooth in 3ds max and would that freak 3ds max out when I import it back to it?? Thanks alot for ur help!!!
John

[Giantsun]

Sdiv is a scroller that will become usable after you use Divide to create a division level. Just try that.

[Deo1]

Just a quick question, witch is better for 4 million poly models to be brought into max9 I bring in my low end model at 16,000 and should I generate a displacment map or a normal map to get all the high end detail I did in ZBrush3?

[watereater]

hi, the link for 3dsmax8modifiedE.zmp is down, can someone upload an alternative link?

thnx.

[MATT_KB]

Are Normal And Displacement Maps Reliant On Uvs? I Ask This Because I Want To Take My Model Into 3d Max And Then Delete An Area, And This Will Of Course Disrupt My Uvs And Vertex Order Wont It?

[Giantsun]

Yep, you are correct, that would mangle it. Can you polyselect inside zbrush and cut it out there, at the lowest level of division?

[MATT_KB]

I Hide The Area I Want To Delete And Hit Delete Hiden But It Re-appears?? Do You Know Why? Really Struggling With This, Next Fri Is Hand In Date And Ive Still Gotta Sort Out The Hair And Maps For 3d Max. Little Bit Stressed

[Giantsun]

You deleted what is hidden while the model was at the lowest subdivision level? That is the only constraint I remember about it.
Your experience sugests the behavior is having no result...wich is weird.

[MATT_KB]

Yea, It Says Re Dividing Mesh Then It Comes Back. If I Do This In Any Other Area Of The Mesh It Works Fine, Just Not On This Lip Line??

[Giantsun]

I see. You should post that ztool so that the users and/or pixologic team can have a look at it. Or then again that could be some behaviour I have not seen. If that is the case that is over my head.

[Rom6]

thnx for the info dude:)

[Juanabang]

I tried clicking on the link for the 3dsmax8modifiedE.zmp but its not working... Does anyone have a working link for download?

Thanks

[emihich]

Same with me the ~&8%* link ! does not work. :evil:

[trainfender]

the same with me too..

[ne3go]

You can find a working link in this thread, in the second post of upham, behind the words "...found here..." ;)

[emihich]

Yes.Found it .thank you.:D