Okay… I’m posting this because I felt a little proud of myself for figuring out a problem with the 3DS Max/GoZ connection that, after an exhaustive Googling, just couldn’t find an answer.
So when I figured things out, I felt compelled to share the knowledge. So let’s begin …
The Goods: Windows 7 64-bit, ZBrush 4 and 3DS Max 2010
The Bads: When exporting to Zbrush through 3DS Max via GoZ, the function works fine. However, when exporting back to Max through GoZ, you get one of two things… 1) Either a blank screen and nothing exported at all. 2)3DS Max opens another instance of the program.
The Goals: Naturally, to switch back and forth effortlessly in one Max program.
Interestingly enough, the Maya fix with a similar problem was an easy fix with all of it’s supported assistance from the Maya community (yes…feel the hate! LoL).
So here’s my ‘get-over’ fix that helped me out:
1) Do yourself a favor and ‘force re-install’ the GoZ Brush program through ZBrush.
That’s when I discovered something interesting. Apparently, Windows 7 has not been closing my 3DSmax.exe each time I shut it down. Meaning, when I attempted to force re-install, GoZ was kind enough to tell me Max was still open even when I closed it.
That leads me to …
2) Go to TASK MANAGER (Ctrl-alt-delete) and shut down any and all running instances of 3dsmax. Depending on how many time you tried to export, like I did, you might have four or five running instances and not even know it!
From this point forward, you have to be prepared to abandon the idea that the GoZ-Max connection is a smooth process and, until they get a real, honest to goodness fix, this in my opinion is the best alternative to get your work done … without going to Maya.
3) Load up your object files and or start in 3DS Max modeling as you see fit.
4) GoZ to ZBrush with all or half of your objects by selecting what you want to send over … Walla! It works. But you know that already.
5) Save and Close Max. VERY IMPORTANT.
5a) For the paranoid like me, check to make sure max is closed through Task Manager…just in case.
6) Sculpt and do your thing in ZBrush. Be sure if you are exporting textures/displacements/normals that they are created in the first place and they are active. I hear that doesn’t have to be the case, but again… just to make sure, I like to keep Textures/alphas, etc ON.
7) GoZ Brush all of your SubTools to 3DS Max.
8) Holy Cow! It worked! Textures in the Material editor. Displacement in the Mental Ray Connections section as planned (Somebody get at me with a Vray alternative, please! Hint … GoZ Gods.)
So now your saying … that’s all well and good, but what about the rest of my stuff in the original 3DS Max file (i.e., camera and lighting settings).
9) In 3DS Max, MERGE from your original file to the currently Untitled New File (That ZBrush opened to export your objects) the excess stuff (Camera, lighting, etc).
And you are done!
Side note: If you have special rendering settings, I would save them as well in the original file so you can load them later in the new file.
Basically, you want to cheat the bug and perform a new workflow that ‘moves with the force’ and not against it until a real-time fix comes along.
In section #4 above, I suggested half of your objects to export to ZBrush because if you have a super layout with crazy multiple objects, you’ll only slow ZBrush down with hundreds of Subtools. By the way …
MAKE SURE GOZ SETTINGS IN ZBRUSH ARE SET TO OPEN A NEW SUBTOOL ON IMPORT!
If you only imported half of your objects, just repeat the steps and merge everything later into one 3DS Max file as your ‘final gathering’ (sort of speak. Mental Ray humor. You’re not laughing.
)
So there you have it. Slightly out of flow but you’ll get your work done. Maya/GoZ is so much smoother with the click of a button but what do you expect? 3DS Max users are slowly becoming the SoftImage/Cinema 4D step-children of the industry.
Anyone with knowledge of GoZ hooking up Vray with instant material settings? Let a brother know.
Peace.