QuickSave Plugin Button Set for ZB3 (replaces PSnap)

[Svengali]

QuickSave splash.jpg

QuickSave plugin for ZBrush3 replaces the old PSnap button set. Unzip and install QuickSave.zsc in the ZStartup\ZPlugs folder. Next time you startup ZBrush3 you will find seven buttons in the ZPlugins menu under the Svengali subgroup.

Image and I+ buttons
:b3:First, the Image button lets you save the canvas image as a .psd or .bmp file.
:b3:After that, the I+ button will save new versions of canvas image incrementing the original filename. Tree002.psd, Tree003.psd and so on.

Model and M+ buttons
:b3:First, the Model button lets you save the current model (tool) in the directory of your choosing. Models are automatically saved at the lowest SubD level. If more than one SubTool is present, the top SubTool is selected and given the file's name, after which the original SubTool is reselected.
:b3:Any subsequent saves with the M+ button will increment the root filename, assigning that new filename to the top SubTool.

Docum and D+ buttons
:b3:Here, you save the current Document (.zbr) to the directory of your choosing. Note that if a model is active, it WILL NOT appear in the document file, but will be restored afterwards, same location and size, in edit mode.
:b3:The D+ button will incrementally save subsequent document files.

The Seventh button, QS-Help?, elaborates on this info about each button and how it works.

To use QuickSave, I drag all buttons (except for QS-Help?) to my User Interface (as shown).


*** A CAUTION! ***
I strongly recommend that you TEST THESE BUTTON-SAVE OPERATIONS WITH NON-CRITICAL FILES UNTIL YOU ARE CONFIDENT THEY WORK AS EXPECTED. And please, if you find any problems report them here.


Thanks to Marcus Civis and Aminuts for extensive testing and various feedback... appreciate it guys!

Sven :)

[aminuts]

Yes!! 2 down about ummm 4 or 5 more of my favorites to go! :D

[ozone1979]

Halleluyah, BABY....

Been waiting for this one

[Leshiy3d]

:tu: :D

[highlander_72]

Yeeehaaa! Another one! Many thanks!:D

[Odysseus-XB-]

I knew this was coming!!
Thanks man!! :D

[marcus_civis]

Great work Sven, very useful. It's worth using this plugin for the subtool saving method alone. :tu:

[mr.BananaS]

Neat plugin,thanks.
But I'm wondering if it's spossible to make some shortcuts for it? Would be really nice to simply press a button on the keyboard instead of moving your mouse around.Or maybe I'm just lazy...

[zerodean]

Really nice! Love the functionality!

[Malleable man]

Thanks for the handy tool. I like new buttons!:tu:

[gothax]

Great job sven, very useful plugin. Thanks for sharing...

[watteville]

great plug-in! thanks svengali!

[Trurl]

Thanks for the update svengali!

[feureau]

Hey, the new one's out! I wouldn't have found this if I didn't look for updates in aminut's Z3 plugin site.

Thanks a bunch, Svengali. This plug's a lifesaver.

Addendum: And it works with my hotkey configuration from Z2 with the old psnap too! Thanks again, dude!

Addendum2:
Btw, how do I make it autosave to the folder where I have the ztool that I got open? It seems to keep saving to my ZStartup\ZPlugs folder.


I'm wondering if it's spossible to make some shortcuts for it? Enclosed is a zscript I use to bind the M+ to J key. (among other things) Use it as a template if you like to bind other keys to other functionality to this plugin. It should work as a temporary solution until marcus' hotkey editor is out.

[Scott Spencer]

Svengali you rule.


Psnap is a corrnerstone of my daily workflow and I am so happ to see this available for Z3 now.

Cheers!

Scott

[Svengali]

Btw, how do I make it autosave to the folder where I have the ztool that I got open? It seems to keep saving to my ZStartup\ZPlugs folder.


Save using the Model button first to establish a "save" folder and path. Incremented filenames should then save to that same folder.

I've noticed that ZB3 will occasionally override the current model's directory path when other types of files from other directory paths have been loaded.

Frankly, after two hair-tearing days trying, I'm not sure how to counteract that... hope it will be fixed in the ZB3 update.

In case this override happens, you can reestablish the intended path again by saving with the Model button. Hope that helps.

Sven

[edit: fereau, In light of what Marcus suggests below, you might try turning on "Use ZFolders" in the PREFERENCES:Misc submenu... :D

[marcus_civis]

I've noticed that ZB3 will occasionally override the current model's directory path when other types of files from other directory paths have been loaded.

Frankly, after two hair-tearing days trying, I'm not sure how to counteract that... hope it will be fixed in the ZB3 update.


Sven,
I'm not sure that it will solve this problem but I have found that temporarily switching on 'UseZFolders' will maintain a file path in [FileNameAsk. It can be switched back to whatever the user setting is afterwards.

[Svengali]

Sven,
I'm not sure that it will solve this problem but I have found that temporarily switching on 'UseZFolders' will maintain a file path in [FileNameAsk. It can be switched back to whatever the user setting is afterwards.

That I have not tried but I'll give it a shot. What frustrates most is the intermittent nature of the problem. Off hand, I wonder if most users turn "UseZFolders" on? I haven't, have you?

Reading the detailed popup help for the "UseZFolders" button I can see your thinking... I will definitely test it out. :p

Sven

[edit: Checking my ZB2 installation I did NOT have the "Use Zfolders" selected there either... but I don't recall ever having had a similar problem all the time I used PSnap with models in ZB2, so who can say...

For users of QuickSave, it's good to know about the potential problem, AND, I'll test further this week to see if your suggestion resolves it forZB3. Again, thanks for your suggestion Marcus.

[marcus_civis]

That I have not tried but I'll give it a shot. What frustrates most is the intermittent nature of the problem. Off hand, I wonder if most users turn "UseZFolders" on? I haven't, have you?

Reading the detailed popup help for the "UseZFolders" button I can see your thinking... I will definitely test it out.

It may be to do with the persistent nature of some paths between ZBrush sessions. Importing a texture or OBJ will mean the same folder is opened next session, next time import is used. I've not tested exactly how this works but when wanting to use a particular path for file saving with [FileNameAsk I found UseZFolders had to be on.

No idea whether people turn on 'UseZFolders' or not. I think it's off by default now though(?).

[feureau]

Yeah, it's off by default.

Thanks you guys. I'll try uzing zfolders termporarily for a few days and see how it goes.

Thanks again for this life saving plugin, Svengali! ;)

[Scott Spencer]

where is useZfolder? I seem to be overlooking it.

S

[Zwebrush]

In Preferences and select Misc and there you have the option to use ZFolders.

[eldee.s]

where is useZfolder? I seem to be overlooking it.

SPreferences->Misc->Use ZFolders

[Marsyas]

Thanks for this. :) Looks like a great time-saver.

[Scott Spencer]

Svengali this is by far my favorite ZScript!!

I have a requst though - can you make a button that pauses the current movie recording, saves, then begins recording again? I make a lot of videos for classes and tutorials...

It may also be cool to make a model/movie save button that does both at one press?

S

[Svengali]

Hi Scott,

If I add Video and V+ buttons to QuickSave, I'll post a new version in a few days for testing. :)

Sven

[Scott Spencer]

Thanks Sven!

Scott

[Opeth]

Great plug! Cheers :)

[Svengali]

To anyone visiting this thread on QuickSave: AN UPDATED VERSION HAS BEEN POSTED...

Update for QuickSave as of August, 2007 in THIS LINK (http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/showthread.php?t=49080)

Sven

[Scott Spencer]

This is one of my top three ZBrush plugins - its a lifesaver! If you haven't downloaded this one GET IT! : )

S

[PrayingMantis]

Really cool plug-in.

But I have a suggestion, is it possible to get a cyclic save.
For example, you save your file with the incremental feature (M+) but you can also save with an other feature this file in a cyclic way.
You got MyHead.ztl, you push M+ and got MyHead001.ztl and if you push the cyclic buton, you got MyHead001_1.ztl and after you have reach the maximum number (MyHead001_5.ztl or anything that could be choosen would be better) the save go back to the first save and it save on it.
Like that you are saving disk space.
You can get an incremental save for critical change on your model, and get a cyclic save to be able to go back to previous file if Zbrush crash.

It's a kind of autosave but you have to do it by yourself.
Because if you are saving very often it will become really space consuming.

[BlueSpawn]

I'm not sure I understand. How does the M+ function autosave? It appears to simply save into a new file. That's great, but a little misleading since the autosave function typically means that the software is backing up your file automatically every five minutes or what not.

[Svengali]

Autosave? NO. QuickSave? YES. Provides a one button (M+) incremental save of a work-in-progress.

As explained elsewhere, a reliable ZScripted solution for autosaving is not possible.

Hopefully ZBrush 3.5 will provide an autosave option.

Sven

[rv_el]

I love this plugin - but one problem i'm having right now is that after i use it (M+) i am no longer able to mouse over my subtools and get the polycount read outs.

Basically whne i load a model all is well and all seems well if i save by hand. but when i use the plugin,.. i hit M+ and then forever after that i cannot mouse over sub tools for infomation, until i restart zbrush and load my tool up again.

Is this a common problem? is there a way i can check that information with out the mouse over?

Cause i can't live with out this plugin now :). its so awesome

Thanks...

[Svengali]

rv_el,

Sorry, I've never had this problem (if anyone else using QuickSave who reads this does HAVE this problem too, could you please confirm?)

In the meantime rv, you might considering downloading the most recent update which you can link >>> HERE <<< (http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/showthread.php?t=49080) to see if that fixes the problem for you.

Beyond that I don't know what to recommend.

Sven

[CastorPT]

I have the same exact problem that rv_el mentioned. Im using your plugin in Zbrush 4.

[Svengali]

Castro,

I'll have to blow the dust off this script (been working in other software for some months.) Let me see if I can get an QuickSave update for ZB4 together and while doing that, see if I can find the reason for the problem you're having. May take a little while...

Sven

[marcus_civis]

Sven,

I know what can cause this issue - will write you soon.

[DDS]

this is one of my top 3 plugins. The current version works in ZB4 but it would be great to get compatibility with zprojects as well.

Good to know you're on top of things though, thanks very much :)

[CastorPT]

Thanks guys for being on it!

We had to stop using it since you can't use Undo anymore and doing manual saves without the increment is making us save less because it takes so long :P

[gillianreynolds]

I'm a bit in the dark as to how this might be resolved... 1) I developed QuickSave on the PC - I'm not Mac savvy at all. 2) Also, I haven't actually tested the PC version on a network - I'm not really sure ZScript is meant to deal with network file operations and would have to defer to other ZScripters who might have some informed input here about that.

The error message is generated by a routine that follows each save operation using a simple "fileexists" test - displaying the warning you are seeing if it cannot confirm that the file was actually written on the path used for the save.

Sorry I couldn't be more help. :confused: