Question for Carrara Users...

[AlchemicXII]

So this is the pipeline partner I've decided to marry Zbrush to. I've heard grumblings about Carrara's interface on other boards, but in my opinion it's not half bad and I like the concept of "rooms" for each aspect of working. My biggest gripe with the program is that it doesn't recognize the Mac OS X dock...WTF???

Any who, to the question:

Would it be possible for one of the Carrara users to post a quick step by step on importing and exporting ZB2 objects into Carrara? Some specific concerns:

What treatment should I give my high-poly ZB2 model before export?

When importing what options should I check and uncheck in the OBJ Import pop up window?

How do I migrate an object from the "Assembly" room to the "Modeling" room? Every time I try to make a new document in the Modeling room it sends me back to assembly

Why does my ZB2 object import into Carrara "upside down"?

Thanks in advance

[cosmic*f00l*]

http://www.3dxtract.com/cfforum/view...m=22&Topic=829

this link might have some info for you i use amapi and zb2 and they partner up nicely . i share your view on alt interfaces a lot of people are put off by things that are not "the norm".
i dont know if you have tried amapi or not (theres a free version)
the interface on amapi is something else in pro mode,
tool access is instant by knocking the cursor on the right of the screen (this might sound strange but its worth the free download just to see the interface)

hope link gets you closer to your answers

[AlchemicXII]

Oi...more money I'm soooo broke these days
Seriously, thank you though, definately looks interesting if I plan on doing all my finishing in Carrara...did I mention that I bought it primarilly to have something cheap to place bones in my objects? I'll pose them in Carrara then export them back to ZB for final render and such.

Thanks again *cosmic*. I've book marked the plugin. I'm still hoping for some instructions that don't cost me anything though

[Frenchy Pilou]

...marcel makes quasi all his renders from Zbrush in Carrara
Ask him some cool tricks
Pilou

[AlchemicXII]

Another weird thing happening with Carrara - when I try to take my zbrush object from Assembly room to Modeling room, I get prompted for a serial number for something called "Anything Grooves"

Does anyone have an explaination?

-----------------------------------------

Hey Frenchy, I contacted him waiting for him to get back to me
Thanks.

[Sequoia]

Hello Alchemic - I noticed your complaint about Carrara not recognizing the OS X dock. While it's true that you can not access the dock while in Carrara, you can always press command + H to temporarily minimize the window. Also, while you can not drag Carrara to the dock, the icon will be visible in the dock once you open it. Right click on the icon and in the little window that appears select "Keep in Dock". From this point on you should be able to open the program from the dock

[marcel]

hello!... I can't answer for mac os... I use pc... carrara , and mainly carrara3, "handle" heavy zbrush 2 objcts nicely... in fact, it's the only program, in versiuon 3, that I've found , where I can import 10 or 12 objects without problem; I hope than soon, version 4 will be as "quiet" than version 3 with weight; 3d sphere arrive , in .obj, under the 350000 polys range, without problem... if you subdivide much, just optimize a part (rear, for examplke), to come back to the 350000 polys; zsphrere objects have to stay mostly in the same poly range; there is NOT, actually, a displacement map in carrara, but as I've rendere scene with nearly 100 zbrush objects, I think it would be a waste of time to check displacement map, rather than just click "import"... if you want to importr a 2 millions object, it's another story, of course; I don't use so heavy objects, so I can't answer; for 3d sphere objects, flip the texture; a very very good tip (!!!) is that one: do a zsphere object, by unified skin; export and open in "uv mapper" classic, a free little software very "friend" of carrara (in fact, it was given on the cd of precedent versions of carrara; it's now free domnload on steve cox's site); choose planar map, 4096 square,; of course it's going to be a lot of overlapping, if it is for example a character, with the arms and legs; don't care; open the exported map (planar) in photoshop, and begin to paint; save; import the object, in .obj, in zbrush 2, and impiort his texture; now, you can use projection master to rework precisely the texture, but on a readible map, not an auv tile map; so, you can open, at the end, in toshop, and read again the texture... last thing for now, when there is a lot of zbrush object in a carrara scene, mauybe tghe program begin to be tired; just open a new scene, empty of course, import say 10 or so on new zbrush objects, group them, and save that group as a .car group; then re-open the main scene, and usually you will be able to import the .car group, and add more polys again... hope this helps... I've written more explanations on the very specific link between carrara and zbrush, but in french, I'm sorry!... try, if you have the 4 version, to get the 3, just to assemble the scene; it's what I do, then I open the 4 pro, and open thje saved scene, and add the 4pro effcets; (mainly the node render)... of course, eovia has one of my heavy scene, and I hope it will be possible to "match" the stability of the 3, fot thje 4 version...

[AlchemicXII]

Thanx Marcel! Good of you to reply. I'll give your suggestons a try.

[Xevious]

Let me clear up some confusion in this thread.

To use Displacement maps generated in Zbrush: You must use the plugin called Anything Grooves. Its available at the Digital Carvers Guild website or in the Powerpack add-on (which is a better value). The latter can purchased at Eovia's website.

To use Normal maps: You have to use the Baker plugin which is available at the Iganomi website (Did I spell that right?) or its available in the Advance Pack add-on (which again is a better value for your money). The latter can be purchased at Eovia's website.

Normal Maps and Displacement Maps are similiar. Normal Maps are generally used in games where as Displacement Maps are generally used in animation.

I hope this helps.

[marcus_civis]

Normal Maps and Displacement Maps are not really similar at all!

Normal Maps are essentially rather more sophisticated bump maps; in other words they create the illusion of geometry by purturbing the normals but the geometry remains the same. With Baker these work very well in Carrara.

Displacement Maps literally displace the geometry so that the effect is no different from the complex mesh that was used to produce them. Displacement can either be before or at render time. In Carrara (with Anything Grooves) the displacement is before render and needs a fair amount of smoothing of the low res mesh to give enough polys for the displacement. There's therefore little advantage over importing a higher res mesh direct from ZB without displacement.

[Xevious]

Normal Maps and Displacement Maps are not really similar at all!

Normal Maps are essentially rather more sophisticated bump maps; in other words they create the illusion of geometry by purturbing the normals but the geometry remains the same. With Baker these work very well in Carrara.

Displacement Maps literally displace the geometry so that the effect is no different from the complex mesh that was used to produce them. Displacement can either be before or at render time. In Carrara (with Anything Grooves) the displacement is before render and needs a fair amount of smoothing of the low res mesh to give enough polys for the displacement. There's therefore little advantage over importing a higher res mesh direct from ZB without displacement.

Perhaps I wasnt clear. Normal Maps and Displacement maps are generated by two different processes. But what I am trying to say is that that they have a similiar visual effect in certain cases.

Your explanation is excellent none-the-less.....