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FBX with Layers aren't accessible in 3dsmax

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

EDIT: ZBrush 2021.6.2 (same thing on previous I tried) / 3dsmax 2020 / Windows10

Alright, first of all I tried all format extension from 2009 to 2020 and in bin as in ascii the problem is still there.

Currently when we export an fbx file from a subtools with multiples layers as blendshapes and import it back to 3dsmax (but not only I think) everything works perfectly but…

Actually what we get is the base mesh set with an Morpher Modifier and all layers are input in this Morpher modifier and everything works. However all the meshes from the layers are not really on the scene.
Actually, if you check the properties of them, everythong looks ok we can see vertexcount and visility is set to 1 but you can’t see the meshes in your scene.
Even more weird, they are visible in the Layers (I mean the Layers wondows from 3dsmax) but not in the outliner so it’s look like they are not in the scene…

When I create an object like a simple box and attach one of the mesh from the layers form ZBrush to this object it actually show back but of course that’s not efficient.

Do you have any thing to tell me about that? :slight_smile:
Let me know if I am not clear enough.

Thanks

#2

All ZBrush is doing is filling the “BlendShape” portion of the FBX file with the relevant data from each Layer. That only requires vertex points as that is all that is necessary for the BlendShape to work. If you don’t like the way 3ds Max handles the BlendShapes when importing an FBX file then that’s really a 3ds Max problem, not a ZBrush problem.

#3

Hi Marcus, first of all thanks for your reply.

You are totally right, like I said it works perfectly but only for geometry morphing purpose but if I want to modify a little bit the mesh or even just add a “Morpher shader” I will be limited that way.
Since it works with Maya you are probably right, 3dsmax doesn’t do the job (even if apparently blender does the same thing than 3dsmax (I didn’t try myself though)).

Anyway, just in case my previous message looks mean (I’m not a native English speaker so maybe I didn’t use the right words) it wasn’t my goal at all, I love ZBrush so much :slight_smile:
I just wanted to be sure I wasn’t missing something and it was also for me a way to know if it would worth it for me to write a script for exporting Layers from ZBrush (that’s my plan).
Max

#4

Hi Max,

I apologise if my reply came over as a bit abrupt - I didn’t mean it that way (and I am a native English speaker so should know better!). Anyway, I’m glad you love ZBrush! :slight_smile:

The problem with any complex file format is trying to give the best options without overloading things. It is strange but 3ds Max is not the best at handling FBX, and Autodesk are responsible for the format! For example, for vertex color (polypaint) there are basically two ways of handling the data in FBX and Max can only deal with importing one!

For exporting Layers through a script, I can help with that if you want to message me.

-Marcus

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