Can't trust ZPR files :(

[zenonithus]

Hey all. I have to say zbrush 2020.1.3 is the most unstable version to date. Had the most crashes than other versions. Though something to day really hit hard.

I did about 30 mins work on a sculpt and saved the scene ZPR file. Went back to it today and a completely random ztool I have never loaded up was in place of my sculpt! There was another ztool I was using that appeared in the scene as reference that was still there, though my actual working ztool Was gone and in its place a random file I worked on months ago.

I have had occasional issues like this with ZPR files in the past where the sculpt I worked on was just not in the scene. I usually save a ztool version due to the unstable nature of ZPR files though unfortunately didn’t this time. I’m so unsettled saving zbrush files that as an extra precaution I save out an obj from a mid subdivision.

Has anyone else encountered an issue like this with ZPR files? I’d really know why it would randomly do this. Most of the time they are usually fine though you never no when it will mess up like this. 30 mins of my life I’ll never get back

[Spyndel]

@zenonithus

I have to say zbrush 2020.1.3 is the most unstable version to date.

Upgrade to the most up to date version–currently 20201.4. Obsolete program version are not supported, and you may be missing fixes.

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@zenonithus

I did about 30 mins work on a sculpt and saved the scene ZPR file. Went back to it today and a completely random ztool I have never loaded up was in place of my sculpt! There was another ztool I was using that appeared in the scene as reference that was still there, though my actual working ztool Was gone and in its place a random file I worked on months ago.

Be sure to understand the difference between saving a project file (.zpr>) and saving a tool. Zproject saves every tool loaded into a scene at the time of saving.If it was present in your open file at the time of saving, it is someplace in your tool list. Just find it, and enter edit mode with it. Make sure you’re opening the most recent Project file saved, and not some previous version of the file.

Tool files on the other hand, save ONLY the active tool, and must be manually loaded into any program session, via tool > load. If you load a tool into your into a session with a project file loaded but don’t then save the Project file, the tool will not be saved in the project file. If you save out a tool instead, then any changes are saved as a part of that tool file only, and must be reloaded into the program.

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@zenonithus

Has anyone else encountered an issue like this with ZPR files?

No. Nor is it a complaint I’ve heard in almost two decades on these forums, or at least since ZPRs were a thing. It seems more likely to me to be a misunderstanding of the way ZB works, but stranger things have happened.

However, if you’re certain that the program is not behaving as expected in this regard, you need to contact Pixologic Support. Be sure to be using the most up to date version of the program before doing so.

[zenonithus]

Cheers for the responses guys. I wasnt aware of the update so will get that now, thanks.

I’ve been saving out zpr and ztl for years and I’m aware of their differences. ZPR files I have found unstable in the past with similar issues saving random files in place of the ones in the actual scene or missing them out completely, This issue made no sense as my active tool I was working on should have been saved as it was in the scene and the last thing I worked on the night before. Also the tool in its place was never present in the scene as I always check the tools in my scene before saving so I am not adding to the file size with unnecessary tools.

As I said this hardly ever happens to get noticed, though it does happen occasionally, though I’m guessing not enough people save with ZPR to really run into this issue enough.

[Spyndel]

Shrugs. As I said, it’s not something I’ve ever experienced since the advent of the Project file over a decade ago on multiple systems and program versions, nor have I seen it reported (usage issues are common, though). It would indicate a significant problem with your installation or hardware environment. If you can document this happening, you need to contact Support as stated previously. The other users on the community forums wont be able to assist you with system-specific technical issues.

Good luck.