ZBrushCentral

is it possible to add a morph AFTER working with a tool?

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

Ok, here’s what I did…maybe someone knows if this is possible?

I loaded a obj, added some sub divisions to it, sculpted a displacement and saved a displacement texture.

I then saved the tool.

I looked at it in the target program, but there are some displacement issues and I’d like to remove displacement from the map.

Preferrably, I’d like to load the saved tool into zbrush, and then load the original obj as a morph, so I could “un sculpt” the issue locations back to the original mesh shape.

Is this possible?

#2

It’s very easy and you don’t even have to load your .obj back

Here is what to do

1-Go to your highest subd level and add a new layer in the layer subpalette
name it “unsculpted” (and be sure you don’t toggle off that layer visiblity
accidentaly)

2-Go down a lower subd level where your sculpting isn’t visible
(like probably 1,2 or 3)

4-Press delete higher in the geometry subpalette(I know this part sounds crazy)

5-Now divide your model to the same level it was and return to see the
layer subpalette :surprise!! the layer is still there! hehe.

6-Press Store morph target in the morph target subpallette.

7-Toggle the layer visibillity off.

8-Now take the morph brush(zadd 100) and paint to ward off whatever sculpting you made.

(I wrote eight steps but it’s really a 30 second thing.)

#3

Thanks MUCH! That should do the trick, and simple steps in order are excellent help!

BTW, I posted another question you might be able to answer… I used the fast shader basic texture when projection painting, but the result in another program needs more of a 3d “oomph!” to it… I can use the cavity map in photshop over the top of it, but is there a better shader to still allow me to use projection paint, but also get a “truer” feel for how it will look without the excellent zbrush lighting effects?

#4

Actually, the steps described above won’t resolve your issue, which has to do with getting your original base model back in a format that hasn’t been affected by multi-resolution editing.

Here’s what you should do, and it’s even easier than what’s described above:


  1. Go to level 1.
  2. Press Tool>Morph Target>StoreMT
  3. Press Tool>Import and load your original mesh.
You now have a morph target stored, and have restored the original base mesh. At this point you can create an accurate displacement map. If you wish to return to higher levels, switch to the stored morph target first. This puts you back in exactly the same position as if you’d stored a morph target in the first place.

#5

OOo glad you popped in here!

Thanks again, aurrick!

#6

I really don’t understand why Aurick is telling you this.It seems he didn’t understand that you just wanted so take off some of your displacement sculpting at different locations on your model.

#7

Well wouldn’t both methods work, so long as the morph target is stored, so sculpting can be reduced/erased?

#8


  1. Go to level 1.
  2. Press Tool>Morph Target>StoreMT
  3. Press Tool>Import and load your original mesh.
With this,when you go back on your highest sublevel the switch morph target isn’t even avaible.Because the morph target was stored at level 1.So you can’t use the morph brush to remove parts of your sculpting.What he is telling you is the best way to make an accurate displacement map from your original
lowres model and I really don’t understand why he is telling you this.

#9

aurick is telling him to use that method because he believes that if he generates a displacement map off of his original mesh geometry that it will produce a displacement map with no errors in it. Which is the problem that Garee is having with his map.

#10

Thanx E now I understand that he has a problem with his whole displacement map.I was just too focused on answering his question on how
quote:"“unsculpt” the issue locations back to the original mesh shape."

Yeah,it’s sure that if he has to correct those location because his displacement map is off from his original model what Aurick is telling him is essential,I just thought he didin’t like some part of it and wanted to revert some changes .

#11

Actually the displacement map is fine… Poser7 has a bug with displacement maps, and while the generated displacement looks fine in zbrush and lightwave, there are some minor issues with poser. So my hoped production flow would be to preview it in poser, see where the problem issue are, and then reduce the amount of displacement in the problem areas.

#12

Looks like aurrick’s solution was what I needed, but there’s still a problem for some reason. When I try to import the original model back, I get the message that the number of points no longer match up.

So I’m still back to the original question again.

Is there a way to hack a ztl to force it to allow importing of the original model?

I’ve already texture painted based off the original sculpt, and if I have to resculpt it, then I’ll have to redo the texture painting again.

#13

auricks original post allows you to import your original model.


  1. Go to level 1.
    2. >
  2. Press Tool>Morph Target>StoreMT
    3. >
  3. Press Tool>Import and load your original mesh.
    4. >
You now have a morph target stored, and have restored the original base mesh. At this point you can create an accurate displacement map. If you wish to return to higher levels, switch to the stored morph target first. This puts you back in exactly the same position as if you’d stored a morph target in the first place.
if your secondary program is giving you an error about point order changing that it is most likely either your export/import options out of that program are incorrect or you changed the model some how in that program.

#14

Ok, found a solution! It requires lightwave, or a 3d application that can duplicate what I did.

I exported the mesh out from zbrush.

Loaded that into lw modeler

loaded the original into lightwave as well, putting it in a background layer

then I selected ther original layer, an applied bgconform.

It forced the exported mesh to match the original mesh.

I then saved the exported adjusted mesh back out, and using aurrick’s method, used the fixed exported mesh to restore the morph of the original mesh

>WHEW!<

Hmmm… something still not right though. I saw my layer 1 change to the proper shape, and that should be my morph target, but if I select the morph brush, nothing is sculpted back to the layer 1 shape.
I’ll search the forums here, since I haven;t used that tool much, but I think it should be working now as expected.

#15

–e--: I can create the displacement map with no issue… but I want to change it slightly using the morph tool set at the original mesh shape, to “erase” previous sculpting.

I’ve found that some programs have issues with small detail areas, and rather then erase them from the previously created deformation map, I’d rather “unsculpt” them, and create a new deformation map with parts of the model undeformed.

Ok, managed to get the morph brush working as “advertised”… it on;ly works on the level it was created for, right?

So even though I can “unsculpt” level 1 sculpting, when I go back up to level 5, I’m back at the sculpted tool, without the unsculpted new changes.

Um… what’s scary is I actually understand what I’m asking about… LOL! A month ago I would have been clueless.