ZBrushCentral

3d printing exporter problem

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

Hello,

I am unable to export stl files correctly. After troubleshooting and nothing working, the only thing I could get to export properly in stl format was a zbrush default sphere.

I understand that there can be no errors to make a printable file, however even simple zbrush primitives I had worked on (with nothing complicated done to them) and decimated will not export properly. I am wondering if anyone has had similar problems, and if there is a tool in zbrush which can locate problem areas?

Thank you for your help,
mike

#2

Also, I forgot to mention I am using zbrush 3.5 r3.

I have brought the objs and checked them in Maya, the normals, lamina faces are fine, and there are no open holes.

The steps I have taken are decimation master to get around 2,000 points, then using the 3d printing exporter. Is there perhaps a step I am missing?

thanks,
mike

#3

i am also having issues. i only end up with 1k files! whats up?

#4

I think it’s just not working on ZB3.5r3. There is nothing wrong with the models, I exported the pieces as objs from zbrush and opened them in maya. Then I exported the .stl out of maya and checked out its integrity by loading it up on shapeways.com.

I think some places will except a ztl file for printing, so you might not even have to send them an stl.

I downloaded the .stl exporter plugin from creative crash, here is the link

http://www.creativecrash.com/maya/downloads/scripts-plugins/utility-external/export/c/mayaexportstl

hope that helps,
mike

#5

I’d like you to do the following:


  1. Go to your Control Panel>Remove Programs and select ZBrush 3.5 in the list. Click on Change (above the list) and use the Modify feature to remove 3D Print Exporter.
  2. Download 3D Print Exporter again from http://www.pixologic.com/zbrush/downloadcenter/zplugins/ and install it through the normal plugin installation method rather than the R3 installer.
See if that fixes your problem.

#6

I’ve PMed you.

#7

No I haven’t.

I have a ticket raised about this that has a fix which is not what you are suggesting. I have already did what you suggest before, so unless the download is a new version of the exporter, it wont make any difference.

#8

has anyone found a resolution to this. I too am having the same issues but only with modles I have made. the models that come with ZB export just fine.

#9

If you decimate a model and then export it through 3DPrint Exporter, you must download the last version of these two plugins at the Download Center. The plugin have been updated recently.

#10

Thanks, I didn’t think to check that there was a new version.

#11

Yes, updating to the new version does work. Prior to this ONLY models created within ZBrush would export properly. Any model that I had imported (and saved as a ZTL then re-opened) would create a VRL file of only 1K in size (a couple of file headers only in the file). Once updated it worked fine.