Faceting in max...with smooth Zbrush normal map...SOLVED

[system]

Sorry if this is a repetition of problems I have read constantly for the last 4 days, but I can’t seem to find where my problem lies.

I seem to ba able to export a smooth map out of zbrush, and I though Oh WOW!!! how COOL!!! but then I put it into max and the normal map seems to get all faceted on a smooth mesh.

As much as I realise this could be a max issue, as it’s FROM Zbrush I’m hoping another max user will hear my plight and have mercy on me I’ve tried reading as many tutes and issues and threads as possible, and they all seem to point to the same areas. Higher divisions, Adaptive and smooth UV’s, switching to the original mesh, exporting the NEW base mesh and trying it on that, and all manner of other buttons…but to no avail…

But as noted, it’s probably maxes fault for not being able to read a relatively normal normal map in! I’ve attached the normal maqp and the rendered head for your consideration.

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[system]

OK, I’m STILL playing around with this thing to get rid of those facet effects in max and to no avail.

However I’m still playing around as I really REALLY want to be able to export a normal map directly from ZBrush onto a max mesh as that would save TONS of time in the long run. So trial and error it is.

However, as it stands my last ditch effort with this method is to redo my base mesh in max making sure there ar NO tris in there at all…well, maybe one…and map it there, import it into ZBrush and see how we go from there as it does seem that the facets seem to be forming around heavily triangulated areas…so heres hoping.

I’ll post my results…if this doesn’t work, I might try out the displacement to normal map plugin thing.

and if THAT doesn’t work…I’ll try the import high poly model into max with texture and displacement map from ZBrush and then make the normal map all in max…messy, time consuming, but still probably better than modelling all the fine details in max and photoshop alone

[aurick]

Don’t forget that ZMapper is coming out very soon. It got delayed a bit because Pixolator thought of some really cool new features he wanted to add in, but we’re getting close to being able to roll it out for everyone.

[system]

I’ll look into that…and hold my horses…after a ‘few’ more tests maybe

thanks for the info

[system]

OK, after aforementioned ‘tests’ I have realised something.

Read the frickin’ manual! hehe

Looking over the practical guide just a tad more closely I made sure I had my export settings from max EXACTLY the same as it is shown in there. Either I got my info on that somewhere else and it was wrong, or somewhere along the line I just decided my settings were right…this, in truth, was not the case.

So turning off a few bits and bobs that I had on, EXPORTED the model from max ‘correctly’ thus doing something much more interesting for the import in Zbrush, thus EXPORTING information better…how, I dunno…but it works!

I’ll post my results soon, from both Zbrush and Max…(as the Zbrush looks way cooler in high res

Only catch is I saved my tool after doing some cool stuff and now I have this weird specular patch on his cheek…and as I haven’t looked into materials all that much I have no idea how to get it off.

I also had the interesting problem of when I reloaded the tool and turned up the subdivisions (that I presumed were saved from the original) the vertices/polys go CRAZY! Like a meshsmooth with each iteration adding 20 levels of noise!

HOWEVER, all is not lost as I then reimported my ORIGIANL .OBJ file into SUB 1 and it seemed to figure itself out again…although I do have an amzingly shiny cheek now…well I don’t, but HE does…

Either way, it’s a start on the road to Zbrush greatness! What a mad program! And it sounds like it’s only getting better! Renders coming up shortly for my first foray into Zbrush!

[system]

Here’s those renders I mentioned…as you can see I still have to work on my conversion process as the normal/model could be HEAPS closer to the original, still need to look at what works best where etc.

…and I’ve only really just begun on the diffuse texture etc…but yeah, it’s a good start in my mind.

What do you think?!

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