Im having a bit of trouble using Multi Displace 2 and displacement exproter. I am trying to create one displacement map for an entire mesh using AUVs but the resulting map seems to be a completely flat grey. I have followed the settings for displacement exporter explained by Scott but still can’t get it to register any detail. I have done a search for this but haven’t found any solutions after almost a full day of searching.
I had read that it may be impossible to perceive the variations in grey on a 32 bit image but I find this really hard to believe.
If I render out the displacement map the ‘old’ way (from the tool: displacement settings) using AUVs I get and obviously tiled image.
Does anyone have any suggestions for me? I am making a short film and haver so many deadlines to hit, I really need to start animating soon. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.
32 bit maps aren’t always discrenable to the naked eye. Try rendering it and see if you get your details. The range supported by this format is beyond the levels of gray you can pick out with the naked eye, the computer however has no problem.
Thanks for the reply Scott. Sorry if my previous post seemed a little tetchy, I’ve just spent the last few days trying to overcome a series of problems which seem to have no logical answers.
In regards to the naked eye not being able to see any detail in the 32bit map would that also extend to it not being able to percieve the separate AUV blocks as well? Because as it stands I can’t seem to make out those either. I will give it another bash in Maya with some different settings though.
Thanks for the help, it means a lot
Edit: Just tried it and it didn’t work
Am I right in assuming that you don’t need to render out the displacement map the old way and then export it using the displacement exporter? Rather you just need to click ‘create all’ in the MD2 window (once all the seetings are entered) even if you are using AUVs and only want one displacement from a mesh?
I need help! I’m having terrible luck trying to get displacements from Z to Max 7. Scott, I have your document on how to get the MD2 map to Max, but the trouble is, when I bring in an OBJ (following the settings in the PDF) and check ‘GetMeshINfo’ under the MultiDisplacement plugin area, it shows that I have 0 tiles. However, I definitely have UV’s in MAX, 0-1 as usual.
So…when I am exporting displacements per the tutorial with all the settings, I get nothing.
Also, when I export the tool just to check the UV’s, the UV’s are all unwelded, even though I imported them into Z welded.
Well, it won’t show tiles if all of your UV’s are in the 0-1 space. “Tiles” by definition means multiple UV spaces. 0-1, 1-2, 2-3, etc. This is what MD2 requires in order to be able to create multiple maps.
MD2 can still make a map with only the 0-1 space, provided that none of the UV’s overlap. But it’s not going to show any tiles because the UV’s aren’t tiled across multiple spaces.
Thanks Aurick! I thought I was doing something wrong. I’ll stop worrying about that (until I have more tools in the scene) and see if I can get MD2 working.
Well…I’m still working on it…but no luck. When I export my level 1 model from Z (a sphere primitive with 0-1 mapping), the mapping comes back from Z all unwelded? Why is this, and how do I fix it? Also, when my displacement comes on with the 220 setting as recommended by the PDF I am following ‘ZBrush to 3DSMAX8’ by McCarthy and Spencer, it basically goes nuts…I have a huge bloated model or a spiky mess. Dialing down the extrusion strength doesn’t fix anything, and the model appears to be all broken apart, like a bunch of separate triangles. I’m using Meshsmooth in the stack (iterations 1 or 2) and nothing helps.
With OBJ export, I am making simple, UV-mapped models and exporting them as recommended in the PDF, with # of digits set to 6 (I’ve tried 10 as well). I know I am exporting UV coords and importing them as well.
I have checked and double checked my settings in Z and Mental Ray and have taken pains on several models to make sure no UV’s are overlapping.
Any idea what step I am missing? I’m exporting my MD2 displacement map from Z with quick code DE-LBEK-EAEAEA-R32. I can see the displacement map preview in MAX, but it doesn’t appear to work very well, or I am missing some crucial step(s)? Ok, it’s clear I am missing something here, but any idea what? Maybe I shouldn’t bother with 32 bit and stick with 16 bit alphas, but then should I be using MD2, ADE or Zmapper? I’m confused. :o
I know about the UV being unwelded. Edges in the UVs are not stored in the obj. Max knows where the edges are untill you put the data in a “non-max”-format.
you can weld the uvs in the UVW unwrap modifier. This will create uv-edges along all your “UV-islands”.
Thanks Rajder, at least I won’t worry myself silly about the mystery surrounding this. It’s easy enough to weld the UV’s again once I’m back in MAX (with a low tolerance in Unwrap UVW).
So…now I am still trying to get a map exported…this displacement phenomenon has been a trail of dead-ends for me thus far…
I keep getting this annoying error:
Anyone know how I can get rid of this? I can’t even export a displacement map. Very strange. The file does not exist there, and it’s not letting me name it myself. I am trying to export a TIF from MD2 using standard MAX quick code. Ideas? My model was a clean sphere with a standard UVW map from Max, imported in, sculpted and I am trying to export a displacement map from the lowest res model (1).
UPDATE: Ok, the strangeness continues. I found that ZBrush isn’t writing the R32 Displacement map to where I point it, it’s writing to another directory…WTF? Also, sometimes it writes a tiny 42k file, and other times it comes out seemingly correct at about 50MB’s. Also, when I go to my export options, the export active button isn’t erhm, active.
Any ideas? This is all very weird…in the meantime, I’ve been exporting regular displacement maps from Z and they seem to be working…does the MD2 setting affect the regular Z-Brush displacement map export? Seems to work fine the old way…or…maybe that’s what I should have been doing all along?
Hi, please help me with the problem (I stuck with it for weeks already and no one seems has this problem):
Multi Displacement Exporter 2 wont export map to the directory that I would specify.
Whenever I hit “Create All” button, the plugin just ignores the name and the path that I select and dialog window comes up saying :
"1.–D32.tif
File already exists in this location.
Cancel. Replace."
So, my feeling is the exporter2 saves the file somewhere… (tried to search for it with no results).
PS: This problem occurs in Multi Displacement Exporter2 (Original Multi Displacement Exporter works OK).
Plugin was installed as manual required L:\Program Files\Pixologic\ZBrush2\ZStartup\Zplugs with DispExporter.zsc file and DispExporterData folder in it.
Using Windows OC/P4/3.20Ghz/3GB Ram/ Legal Zb2 version
I have had the same issue before but I never ddid come up with a fix for it. I just set my output directory to the desktop or some other location and generted the map as usual. It isnt a fix, per se, but it did allow me to get the job done and save the troubleshooting for another day : )
What caused it is that my work files where on Remote drive.
Solution was to duplicate folder with work and put it to local drive C:
That sorted it, now I can save displacement maps with different names and where I want them(except remote drives)! Yay!
My problem is when I click “Create All” it seems to run smoothly but when I open the tiff file in photoshop all I see for my displacement map is flat grey. Whats the deal?
What were the steps that you followed? Did you return to level 1 and restore your base mesh before creating the map? Or did you stay at the highest level? ZBrush creates the map based on the difference between the current level and the highest. If you’re at the highest already, there are no differences and your map will be flat gray.
As with any troubleshooting, though, the more info that you can provide the more easily we will be able to assist you. Without knowing what steps you went through, we can’t spot where an error might have taken place.
oh sorry:o Actually I did it exactly as you mentioned, went to lowest subdiv level and in my exporter options the only thing i messed with was the “flip vertical” and I hit “create all”
Hello, I have the same problem with Displacement Exporter.
I have applied and checked the UV settings ( no red, overlapping etx).
I can normally create Disp map ( without plugin ) but every time i try this with plugin it gives me an error.
Im using ZBrush 3.0, WinXP Pro SP2
Exporter settings set for 3ds Max
My Specs:
AMD Sempron 3000+ S939
GF 6600 GT
512 Dual Channel Geil Ram
Asus A8V-E SE Motherboard.
These are my screenshots:
Subdiv settings, uv etc ;
Exporter options:
And the error itslef:
BTW. Paths :
C:\Program Files\Pixologic\ZBrush3\ZStartup\ZPlugs to the .zsc file
and this for the rest
C:\Program Files\Pixologic\ZBrush3\ZStartup\ZPlugs\DispExporterData
Everything should be fine with this.
I would be very grateful for any reply and advice.
Regards.
Hello, I have the same problem with Displacement Exporter.
I have applied and checked the UV settings ( no red, overlapping etx).
I can normally create Disp map ( without plugin ) but every time i try this with plugin it gives me an error.
Im using ZBrush 3.0, WinXP Pro SP2
Exporter settings set for 3ds Max
My Specs:
AMD Sempron 3000+ S939
GF 6600 GT
512 Dual Channel Geil Ram
Asus A8V-E SE Motherboard.
These are my screenshots:
Subdiv settings, uv etc ;
Exporter options:
And the error itslef:
BTW. Paths :
C:\Program Files\Pixologic\ZBrush3\ZStartup\ZPlugs to the .zsc file
and this for the rest
C:\Program Files\Pixologic\ZBrush3\ZStartup\ZPlugs\DispExporterData
Everything should be fine with this.
I would be very grateful for any reply and advice.
Regards.
Hello, I have the same problem with Displacement Exporter.
I have applied and checked the UV settings ( no red, overlapping etx).
I can normally create Disp map ( without plugin ) but every time i try this with plugin it gives me an error.
Im using ZBrush 3.0, WinXP Pro SP2
Exporter settings set for 3ds Max
My Specs:
AMD Sempron 3000+ S939
GF 6600 GT
512 Dual Channel Geil Ram
Asus A8V-E SE Motherboard.
These are my screenshots:
Subdiv settings, uv etc ;
Exporter options:
And the error itslef:
BTW. Paths :
C:\Program Files\Pixologic\ZBrush3\ZStartup\ZPlugs to the .zsc file
and this for the rest
C:\Program Files\Pixologic\ZBrush3\ZStartup\ZPlugs\DispExporterData
Everything should be fine with this.
I would be very grateful for any reply and advice.
Regards.
Yogal, displacement exporter doesn’t work with ZBrush 3. Please download the ZBrush 3.1 update. It includes the correct Displacement Exporter as well as ZMapper.
I am still going through this process right now, but one step that I am already foreseeing trouble is the merging of the pieces together back in Maya. Even if I did create a displacement map for each polygroup, I would have overlapping geometry which is bad, right? The only solution that I can think of is deleting the overlapping geometry from either one piece or another. Consequently, there would then be another seam going all through my geometry. How does this workflow actually work? I’m sure I could get a nice displacement on one area of my geometry, but then that’s all I’ve got…a piece of my whole character. Please help!
