ZBrushCentral

How can I save my p-groups???

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

Hi!

I’ve just finished the z-sphere structure of a character that I want to sculpt, and made the adaptive skin my current tool, edited as much as I could at lowest SUB-D inside ZB, but now I’d like to go inside max with the low poly mesh and edit it some more in there…BUT:

Is there a way to keep the poly groups, so when I import the MAX Edited *.OBJ file back into ZBrush I still have them the same way I did before exporting ???
Do I have to use some special exporting->importing->re-importing settings?? both inside ZB, and MAX?
Are there any limitaitions, such as I can’t add/remove any polys inside 3d Max or smth like this ???

Please, if anyone knows… I would really apreciate it !

Thank you!

#2

C’mon guys !!! I need help with this…

#3

Im watching this thread and hoping that someone with a bigger brain than I have answers with a more elegant solution. Being able to hold on to a models creasing despite re-importing would also be great.

You could convert your groups to masks and save them as alphas. As I said: Im waiting for the elegant solution. Mines the elephant solution: galumphs, but gets there:D

Cheers,

R

#4

In the Tool>Export menu, make sure that Grp is turned on. This will ensure that the groups are exported from ZBrush. I can’t tell you what settings you need in Max, however. Just make sure that you’re using settings that import and export the groups.

When you load the model back into ZBrush, the groups will remain the same unless they have been changed by Max. The colors will be different, but this is a cosmetic difference rather than actual geometry.

#5

Step 1: I export with groups from ZBrush
Step 2: I import the model inside max making sure multiple is selected…
Step 3: I re-import the model inside ZBrush, and I have all the groups as I want them, BUT there’s one problem… they are individual objects now…

When importing into MAX as multiple groups object it wil break up the mesh so now individual groups become objects…

I don;t know what to do… I really dont :(:td:

#6

Try also turning on the Mrg switch (next to Grp) in ZBrush. Does that do the trick? If not, you’re going to need to check with a Max forum (or documentation) to find out how to prevent Max from unwelding a mesh’s groups during import.

#7

I could be totally wrong on this but.

With working with max and zbrush there are two ways that polygroups are created and maintained. The first is with the way that you have already stated. By using zpsheres and then setting or adding in polygroups by hidding parts of the mesh and creating them manually in zbrush. The seccond way that zbrush gets your poly groups is off of your uvs, (when you import your object into zbrush) so if your uvs for your polygroups are in separate regoins then when you import your mesh back into zbrush you will have a separate polygroup for every uv shell in a separate regoin.

However if all your uvs in max are in the 0 - 1 region then you will loose any custom polygroups that you had previously set in zbrush, every time you import your mesh back into zbrush. As far as I am aware anyway. and there is really no way to get around that… other than separating your uvs into separate regions in max. But again these different uv shells most likely wont be the same poly groups that you set in zbrush unless you do them very carefully. :smiley:

#8

Actually, that’s not quite true. ZBrush only assigns grouping based on the UV’s if you press Tool>Polygroups>Uv Groups. Otherwise, it will use whatever grouping is already present in the OBJ.

#9

one solution. and it’s not that elegant. is to create some texture files ( black on white ) of the areas you would create polygroups of. load the texture. hit : Masking > Int ( creates a mask based off texture intensity ) and then : HidePt ( hides the unmasked area ). create your polygroup

it’s a bit of a dick around. and depending on how fiddly your groups are it may not be worth it. but it can be useful if you’ve spent a lot of time creating polygroups of tricky areas. maybe give it a crack

.

#10

Originally Posted by aurick
Actually, that’s not quite true. ZBrush only assigns grouping based on the UV’s if you press Tool>Polygroups>Uv Groups. Otherwise, it will use whatever grouping is already present in the OBJ.

Yeah I forgot to mention that part, but the point is that the groups are there and that is the only way (that I know of) that you are able to maintain your polygroups when importing your model from max to zbrush.