ZBrushCentral

Help needed: Baking MatCap onto existing Painted texture (Mac ZB 3.12)

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

I have a model that I need to bake texture with matcap for use in Second Life. This is the model (subdivided to make it smooth) with my painted texture and a metal matcap on it. This is how I need it to look in Second Life.

CaptAmericaTank-ZB.jpg

I have tried following the directions I have found in a few different threads, but any map I save is color only and that is the same as the one I painted and applied. No metallic reflections whatsoever.

I finally found a thread which explained I wasn’t crazy, my texture menu on the Mac IS different than on the PC. My friends kept saying col>txr…and I kept saying “there is NO SUCH THING!”

My problem is that I am just learning about all of this and so, while I appreciate the wonderful tutorials, I am guessing no one, who isn’t on a Mac, even knows of the difference in menus and options, so it’s very difficult for me to figure out what to do with what they are saying.

I found a great tutorial on baking matcaps but it uses Image Plane and that isn’t available for the Mac yet. (So many things arent’.)

So…my question is: can anyone familiar with the Mac ZB 3.12 version, please explain how I would bring in my model (I use the 3D Polymesh tool and import it), and apply my painted texture, apply a matcap or material (and is there a difference), and bake those textures and materials to a texture map for use in another program (Second Life).

Any help would be much appreciated.

Thank you,
Cris

#2

There’s a quick-and-dirty way which may work for you:

  1. Your model must have UVs, so apply these at the lowest subdivision level if necessary. Set the size of UV map you want in the Tool>UV Map submenu.

  2. In the Tool>Texture Map submenu, press New From Polypaint. This will transfer the polypainting to a new texture map.

  3. Position your model on the canvas so that the line of symmetry is in the canvas plane. For a good result, make sure the model fills the canvas, as far as possible.

  4. Apply the material you want to transfer, if you haven’t already done so.

  5. Now enter Projection Master. Turn off Perspective if you have it on and then press the Projection Master button or hit ‘G’ on the keyboard. In the PM options select:

  • Colors
  • Shaded
  • Double Sided
  • Fade

All other options OFF.

  1. Once dropped in PM, immediately pick up again. Your model will appear darker. Switch to the Flat Color material to see how the material has transferred.

  2. Your texture map will have a seam that needs careful painting, either in Projection Master (be sure to turn off Shaded and Double Sided), or in Photoshop.

HTH,

#3

There might be a problem with using the double-sided option because you’ll get gas-cap bake thru and the star pattern projected on the back will be kinda funky.

Baking appearance in ZBrush is an on-going problem… you might try marcus’ suggestion… just leave the double-sided option unchecked on the first capture, then roll the tank 180 degrees and repeat the process, though the results will still need touching up.

Sven

#4

Thank you, Marcus. That worked! I did a clone so that I could save the texture out. I very much appreciate it…I think I finally got the hang of it. Thanks so much.

Cris