Hi my displacements in C4D do’t look as good as in Zbrush; I’ve tried the multi map exporter, creating and exporting individually, but want to avoid bring in a high res model to C4d. One model in particular is about 4-5K and I’m afraid if I export a higher mesh, I won’t be able to render. I am using Arnold render. I also have tried to " project" a displacement from a high res model to a lower, I am selecting the low res in subtotal palette. Can someone please give me a simple process to export maps ? also, why does one use “projection” anyway , doesn’t using a displacement map serve that purpose,? thank you for all of your time, Craig
2019-07-15T04:00:00Z
Hi Craig!
Have you tried using GoZ for C4d? It should set up all this stuff for you, if your technique is fundamentally sound. I recommend reading the documentation fully though, as it contains important information on how to set GoZ up for C4D.
As for why you would project the detail from a high rez mesh to a low rez mesh, this is usually done so that you can create maps for low rez mesh based on a high rez mesh that is too dense to export in itself, or does not have the multiple levels of subdivision that allows Zbrush to create high detail normal and displacement maps for a low poly mesh that could otherwise not support that level of detail with its low poly count.
A typical situation might involve a user creating a mesh at a single level of subdivsion, so as to be able to quickly use features like Dynamesh. You would end up with a medium to high density mesh that is in itself difficult or impossible to unwrap for UV, and will not perform well in most other programs.
So you would duplicate that subtool, and use ZRemesher or another topology tool to create a new low poly version of that mesh with nice clean and evenly distributed topology. You’ll lose detail doing this because a low poly mesh cannot display the detail of a high rez mesh without a textural solution, but that’s ok. The duplicate is then subdivided up to the necessary level to hold the incoming detail that will be projected from the original mesh onto the new multiple subdivision level subtool. The resulting tool will match the original at the highest level of subdivision, while now having a low poly base that can be UV’d and exported with texture maps based on the highest level of SubD.
Did that make any sense?
PS, sorry, I was told that GoZ is unpredictable with C4D R20, so I have not tried-one more thing please, do you very knowledgeable folks have a target polycount for importing models, as to not get too large, maybe 5-7K, would love a recommendation, thank you
Hello Spyndel, I can not thank you enough!!! I have followed everything that you had said here. In my y experimenting, C4D /Arnold, I noticed that if I change my Arnold tag subdivision from 1 to 3, the mesh looks much better, about the same as in Zbrush. I Have done what you expressed here, I make a hi poly model, duplicate, lower the duplicate, and export that to C4D as a obj-then, go to displacement palette section on the right most tool bar ( sorry if I am using wrong names here ) , and create displacement. to export.
I believe that I have done all of this correctly. Sorry if I was not clear, but aside from wha t I have described above, my question had more to do with the" project" command in subtotal pallet , how is that different from what I mentioned , and what you so expertly detailed in your response. I really do appreciate your very timely response, and yes I need to look more throughly in the doc. Anyway, if you find a spare moment to respond, I’d love to hear, if not I understand. Best, Craig
PS-I do sometimes wish I had a “Zbrush pixey l” on my shoulders guiding me! 
I’m assuming you are referring to the “Project All” function in the Tool > Subtool > Project menu? If otherwise, please correct me here.
That is the core function by which detail can be projected from one mesh to another, although the “Freeze Subdivision levels” in the Tool > Geometry palette automates this process for some situations. If you read the article I linked above on transferring detail between meshes, it describes both approaches.
This is the kind of information you’d be better served looking for in a resource dedicated to your target application. Other C4d users would be better able to tell you the optimal polycount for that specific program.
I think 5-7k would be fine, but it depends on what you want to do. If the target application can handle it, increasing the polycount sufficiently to be able to generate an accurate silhouette and relying on normal maps for surface detail is one way to avoid potential displacement hassles.
thank you sir, and yes, your assumption is spot on, Best , Craig
That’s for the best. I gave you some bad advice. Apparently GoZ only officially supports up to C4d R17. So that would have given you even more issues to confuse you.
Sorry about that!
No worries, Spyndel, you are well meaning, and that is most important, enjoy your day, CZ