ZBrushCentral

Need help merging sub-tools without seams

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

I am working on a project that another artist did that was not done properly. What they did was divided and sculpted the character model as several different sub-tools. Like the head is one sub-tool, the main body another, the arms, etc. This has caused some major issues here where the mesh has seams. When you go to polypaint, they really show up.

While you can use UV master to correct some of this so you don’t see the seams, how should I go about trying to fix the mesh itself to smooth out the areas where the different sub-tools connect that causes this? I know there has to be some way to blend them together because I have see others sculpt a head first, then a body and attach the two sub-tools with no seams.

Thanks for any help or advice.

NOTE: Using ZBrush 4.3 for this.

#2

You either need to use Dynamesh to merge them. Simply merge all tools to one layer, then switch on Dynamesh and remesh. You’ll want Project on, and will need to tweak the resolution. This will loose all your subdivision data so you’ll have to retopologise.

Or, you need to retopologise. Just merge them all toe the one layer, and retopologise them togoether.

#3

Since this thread deals with the issue I raised in my recent thread, I’ll repost the solution here as well.

Here’s the solution, courtesy of Frank Gravatt from ILM.
In the interview about the making of Rango, he mentioned using separate subtool “bridges” between two subtools. The pattern was applied to the bridge-object, and then details were reprojected onto both subtools from this bridge, thus creating a seamless transition. It’s a bit tricky, but hey, whatever gives increased polycount )))

#4

i found this topic whilst searching for a problem that i made myself of the same nature.
I found that dynameshing doesn’t really work so well but if you mask/visibility/deletehidden to the ends you want to join they should merge up nicely when dynameshing.

this way does require that the subtools are still seperate, although i’m sure you could seperate parts
dunno if this was any help