ZBrushCentral

3D layer bugs

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

I am trying to erase poly paint information from a 3d layer. I have tried both filling the layer with white and using the “alt+left click” method to erase the color from the 3d layer.

Both of these methods work fine for the initial erase but when I go to paint new color over the “erased” parts, I get a dark outline of the previous color showing up. This renders erasing polypaint on layers useless.

Here is a video showcasing the issue on the standard zb cube.
http://screencast.com/t/T1cenvPze

Does anyone have a fix or a workaround?

Thanks,

#2

The workaround/fix I found for this is that you have to MANUALLY fill a layer with new color before you start.

“Color > fill object” will not work, you have to just physically paint color on the entire object.

This does kind of defeat the purpose of multiple color layers though. Anyway, after you manually fill the layer with a color you can add and subtract color information and it will not have any artifacts with the previous layers or previous colors.

#3

haha

Okay, so I have found a 100% fix for this bug/issue that makes using multiple color layers actually 100% usable.

  1. Create a layer, turn it on, hit record.
  2. Fill the entire object with 100% RBG color with white or any color, it doesn’t matter.
  3. Use the “alt+left click” to erase all of the color that you just painted. This basically makes every vert on the layer “dirty” and now you will no longer have any artifacts if you paint/erase any new color.

fix outlined in video below.

http://screencast.com/t/TVHXmEbs

#4

Nice trick!!! I had the same problems with dark artifacts on erasing 3d layers. In fact, I think there is still a black halo around your red strokes, but I´m not in front of Zbrush now. I´ll try it the next time to confirm it!

Thanx!!!

#5

I found three more issues in regards to 3d layers and poly painting in zb4r2b

Bug 2 - Polypaint from texture will not work on a new layer - Able to reproduce 100% of the time.

Steps to reproduce:

  1. Load any model
  2. Create a 3D layer, turn on record
  3. Make sure RGB is set to 100
  4. Load a texture onto the tool via - “tool > texture map”
  5. Click on “polypaint from texture” under “tool > polypaint”

You will notice that the 3d layer gets filled with 100% white as does the base layer which makes no sense.

Here is a video showcasing the issue.
http://screencast.com/t/OD7FmjKvaiT

A workaround for this is to first manually fill the entire 3D layer with any color first (since “color > fill object” will also do nothing). The same fix for the first issue in this thread.

Bug 3 - Polypainting from one layer can be baked into the base model undesirably - Able to reproduce 100% of the time.

Steps to reproduce:

  1. Load any model
  2. Make sure RGB is set to 100
  3. Load a texture onto the tool via - “tool > texture map”
  4. Click on “polypaint from texture” under “tool > polypaint”
  5. Create a 3D layer, turn on record
  6. Make sure RGB is set to 100
  7. Manually fill the entire layer with any color first (since “color > fill object” will also do nothing).
  8. Load a different texture onto the tool via - “tool > texture map”
  9. Click on “polypaint from texture” under “tool > polypaint”
  10. Turn off “RGB” and turn on “Zadd”
  11. With the 3d layer record still on make a edit on your mesh with zadd
  12. Turn the 3d layer record off
  13. Turn the 3d layer record back on and make another edit on your mesh with zadd
  14. Turn the 3d layer record back off and turn the 3d layer visibility off.

You will now notice that the polypaint information from the 3D layer you just turned off has been baked down into the base models polypaint destroying your base polypaint information.

Here is a video showcasing the issue.
http://screencast.com/t/VHeUxcU08e

I have found no workaround/fix for this, as it is just an issue of working on a layer and turning record on and off which will happen to anyone dozens of time during a sculpting session.

Bug 4 - “Tool > Layers > Split” does not accurately split shape and polypaint information. - Able to reproduce 100% of the time.

Steps to reproduce:

  1. Load any model
  2. Create a 3d Layer
  3. Make sure RGB is set to 100
  4. Manually fill the entire layer with any color first (since “color > fill object” will also do nothing).
  5. With the 3d layer record still on make some drastic and noticeable a edit on your mesh zadd
  6. Turn record off on the 3d layer.
  7. Hit the “Tool > layers > split layers”
  8. The newly created “shape” layer will only correctly show the shape information if “record” is turned on. If record is not on but the layer is visible, you will only see a very subtle change in the geometry, basically an artifact. This is useless.

Here is a video showcasing the issue
http://screencast.com/t/ArOAW4JcTjE

Also, just to get all of this infromation in one place here is an older thread with 3d layer bugs that I have found that are still in zb4r2b
http://www.zbrushcentral.com/showthread.php?157721-3d-layer-corruption-bugs-issues

#6

ok i’m here and i get same trouble 2 any idea for fix ? plz

#7

I have posted 4 different bugs and I have also posted workarounds for several of them. Which bug(s) are you running into that you need a workaround for?

#8

I have re-verified that these issues/bugs in regards to 3d layers still exist in zb4r4

polypainting and layers bugs 1, 2, 3 and 4

Bug 1 - Polypaint information on a layer is not fully erasable by default - Able to reproduce 100% of the time.

Steps to re-create:

  1. Load any model
  2. Fill the base layer with a color
  3. Create a 3D layer, turn on record
  4. Paint some color on the layer with RGB set to 100
  5. Erase the poly paint information that you just applied via the “alt+left click” method
  6. Set your RGB down to a low level (around 5) and select a different color
  7. Paint over the area where you initially laid down color

You will notice that the first color will show through, creating an artifact thus rendering erasing it in the first place useless.

Here is a video showcasing the issue:
http://screencast.com/t/T1cenvPze

The following steps are a workaround for the above issue:

  1. Create a layer, turn it on, hit record.
  2. Manually fill the entire layer with any color first (since “color > fill object” will also do nothing).
  3. Use the “alt+left click” to erase all of the color that you just painted. This basically makes every vert on the layer “dirty” and now you will no longer have any artifacts if you paint/erase any new color.

Fix outlined in video below:
http://screencast.com/t/TVHXmEbs

Bug 2 - Polypaint from texture will not work on a new layer - Able to reproduce 100% of the time.

Steps to re-create:

  1. Load any model
  2. Create a 3D layer, turn on record
  3. Make sure RGB is set to 100
  4. Load a texture onto the tool via - “tool > texture map”
  5. Click on “polypaint from texture” under “tool > polypaint”

You will notice that the 3d layer gets filled with 100% white as does the base layer which makes no sense.

Here is a video showcasing the issue:
http://screencast.com/t/OD7FmjKvaiT

A workaround for this is to first manually fill the entire 3D layer with any color first (since “color > fill object” will also do nothing). The same fix for the first issue in this thread.

Bug 3 - Polypainting from one layer can be baked into the base model undesirably - Able to reproduce 100% of the time.

Steps to re-create:

  1. Load any model
  2. Make sure RGB is set to 100
  3. Load a texture onto the tool via - “tool > texture map”
  4. Click on “polypaint from texture” under “tool > polypaint”
  5. Create a 3D layer, turn on record
  6. Make sure RGB is set to 100
  7. Manually fill the entire layer with any color first (since “color > fill object” will also do nothing).
  8. Load a different texture onto the tool via - “tool > texture map”
  9. Click on “polypaint from texture” under “tool > polypaint”
  10. Turn off “RGB” and turn on “Zadd”
  11. With the 3d layer record still on make a edit on your mesh with zadd
  12. Turn the 3d layer record off
  13. Turn the 3d layer record back on and make another edit on your mesh with zadd
  14. Turn the 3d layer record back off and turn the 3d layer visibility off.

You will now notice that the polypaint information from the 3D layer you just turned off has been baked down into the base models polypaint destroying your base polypaint information.

Here is a video showcasing the issue:
http://screencast.com/t/VHeUxcU08e

I have found no workaround/fix for this, as it is just an issue of working on a layer and turning record on and off which will happen to anyone dozens of time during a sculpting session.

Bug 4 - “Tool > Layers > Split” does not accurately split shape and polypaint information. - Able to reproduce 100% of the time.

Steps to re-create:

  1. Load any model
  2. Create a 3d Layer
  3. Make sure RGB is set to 100
  4. Manually fill the entire layer with any color first (since “color > fill object” will also do nothing).
  5. With the 3d layer record still on make some drastic and noticeable a edit on your mesh zadd
  6. Turn record off on the 3d layer.
  7. Hit the “Tool > layers > split layers”
  8. The newly created “shape” layer will only correctly show the shape information if “record” is turned on. If record is not on but the layer is visible, you will only see a very subtle change in the geometry, basically an artifact. This is useless.

Here is a video showcasing the issue:
http://screencast.com/t/ArOAW4JcTjE

Geometry issues with 3D Layers, bugs 5, 6, and 7

Bug 5 - Model explodes

Steps to re-create:


  1. Select any model.
  2. Create a layer and turn on record at highest level
  3. Move down to lowest sub d level
  4. Make an edit
  5. Change layer intensity slider to 0.
  6. Go back up to the highest sub d level of tool
  7. Change layer intensity slider to
  8. Model will explode.

Here is a video showcasing the issue.
http://screencast.com/t/citQf54z

Bug 6 - Layer artifacts left over even when layer intensity is at zero. This issue has been in zbrush since the implementation of layers.

Sets to re-create:


  1. Select any model.
  2. Create a layer and turn on record at highest level
  3. Make an edit
  4. Go to the lowest sub d level.
  5. Change layer intensity slider to 0.
  6. Go back up to the highest sub d level of tool
  7. There will be artifacts left over from the layer even though the layer intensity is at 0.

Here is a video showcasing the issue.
http://screencast.com/t/znEvFIbY

Bug 7 - Toggling layer visibility or changing layer intensity while not at highest sub d lavel causes corruption.

Sets to re create:


  1. Select any model.
  2. Create a layer and turn on record at highest level
  3. Make an edit
  4. Turn off record.
  5. Go to the lowest sub d level.
  6. turn off the eye indicator on the layer
  7. Go back up to the highest sub d level of tool
  8. There will be artifacts left over from the layer even though the eye is off

Here is a video showcasing the issue.
http://screencast.com/t/4igw2d4GY9

Furthermore, I have found that doing any of the following things while not at the highest sub d level will produce drastic artifacts on the model, rendering layers useless.


  1. Changing the layer intensity slider at any level but at the highest sub d level

  2. Using the timeline to adjust layer intensity at any level but the highest sub d level.
  3. Turning the layer visibility on or off at any sub d level but the highest sub d level.

An easy fix for these issues (if Pixologic can’t fix the bugs) is simply to disable turning a layer on or off or adjusting a layer intensity while the tool is not at its highest sub d level. Simply grey out the layer eye icon and the layer intensity slider. That would fix all of these issues.:wink:

#9

Layer on hair give black result

#10

Just giving an update to some of these issues.

Layers are completely useable, there are just a few caveats when using them:

1. Never ever turn a layer’s visibility on or off while you aren’t at the highest sub d level.
2. Never ever use the bottom layer adjust slider. Basically if your main layer slider is greyed out, its’ greyed out for a reason and if you use the bottom layer slider you will get artifacts. *Edit - You can use it, but pushing a layer’s intensity beyond what the top layer slider can do will cause artifacts IF you change sub division levels. Just keep it between 0 and 1 and you won’t have issues, but it’s really easy to go beyond 0-1 with the bottom layer slider so I would just say don’t use it unless you are staying on the top sub d level.
3. Never change a layer’s intensity while not at the highest sub d level if you are in record mode. You can actually change a layer’s intensity while not on the highest sub d level as long as you aren’t in record mode. Going by the rules stated in number 2 above. If the layer intensity is greyed out, don’t use the bottom layer slider to adjust the intensity.

I really wish Pixologic would just remove that bottom layer intensity slider, it would solve a lot of the problems people are having.

Untitled-1.jpg

#11

just adding info:

polypaint only works on layers when zadd is active.zsub wont work as polypaint.

correct me if iam wrong.

if you turn off the layer - you even can use the alternate color… :frowning:

bad bad—

#12

Alt in sculpting is the opposite to zadd or zsub, depending what we are using. With RGB only without layers alt is the alternative color and with layer erase.

In painting with layers zadd + rgb always add color and zsub always erases color.
If we choose zadd and use alt it will erase rgb and zsub geometry. If we choose zsub and use alt it will zadd the geometry and use the alternative color.
It is not exactly a bug but rather a no practical configuration for those that want to use simultaneously sculpting and painting. As you say you cant use zsub and paint.

#13

thanks for clearing that up.
So basically it does what we expect with “no layers”, but acts a bit strange with actve layer. (only paints on zadd)

i work in a company using zbrush with my kolleauge, he also is a bit confused by the layer system.Its not so easy to see through it.:stuck_out_tongue:

#14

You need to learn so many exceptions that it is a bit like black magic. Powerful and obscure at same time.