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Struggling to export zbrush model to substance painter

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

Hi everyone,
I’m a Zbrush Newbie but I’ve completed about 50+ hours of Udemy Zbrush tutorials. I have a few years experience in Blender and some experience in Substance painter. Decade+ professional experience with 2d design software like Illustrator.

I’m really struggling with getting my Zbrush models into Substance Painter for texturing and I’m looking to get some help.

I’ve been watching tutorials on Youtube for the last 5 days and trying to figure this out and it’s definitely a weak point for me. I struggled exporting from Blender to Substance as well but found a really helpful tutorial from Blender Bros that covered everything I needed to know. But I struggled for about 3 weeks before finding that video.

Does anyone know of any comprehensive tutorials on exporting Zbrush to Substance Painter? I don’t mind if they are paid tutorials.

It’s hard for me to learn this by stringing together information from 20+ YouTube videos that aren’t comprehensive. I’ve also watched some incredibly long, paid tutorials where they incorporate Zbrush and Substance but the tutorials are like 99% sculpting and texturing and they gloss over the exporting. Or the models are so radically different from mine that I can’t really apply what I’ve learned. (Maybe in the future I can, but I’m very lost with this initial go.)

Also, are there companies, teams, individuals who offer private lessons?

Thanks for any help in advance. I’m not a total lost cause. I swear! I can pick up design software very quickly. But moving importing/exporting files between different design software has always been my weak spot. Zbrush has ramped up the challenges I normally face to the nth degree.

PS- Am I the only one who’s noticed that there are mountains of great tutorials for learning any 3D software. But when it comes to learning how to combine one or more 3d softwares there’s basically like a gas station discount bin of VHS tapes that you can learn from?

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#2

Hi @mkelly108

I know it would be impossible for you to list all the tutorials you have watched as it would be impossible for us to know which ones you have watched. So, all I can do is offer you one that I think is detailed enough to get you through. Maybe you’ve seen it, maybe you haven’t.

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#3

Thanks, ZBer2.

I have in fact watched this tutorial several times. It’s still a bit of a loss for me.

I did just discover the UV Pro plugin. I’m going to have a go with this and see if I can my workflow to work that way.

Just out of curiosity, do you unwrap in Zbrush or do you use another tool like Blender or Maya?

#4

OK, so I’m guessing where you’re getting stumped is with UV’s? The UV Pro plugin looks really interesting whereas getting the seams exactly where you want them without having to do it in Blender. Seams with UV Master is usually a hit or miss deal. The $13.00 price tag isn’t too bad and I would get for myself if I wasn’t still on ZBrush 2022.0.8, but I refuse to pay subscription fees and I am not going to buy ZBrush again. Highway robbery as far as I’m concerned. I’m just a hobbyist so UV Master suits me just fine and, if I have to, I can refine the UV’s in Blender. If you are going to do them in ZBrush, you might have to still avail yourself to the ZBrush Multi Map Exporter plugin unless UV Pro takes care of that for you… Good luck!

#5

Thanks again, ZBER2.

I actually got it working!

I rewatched this tutorial, along with several others: https://youtu.be/DbSt35NhHd8?si=2A_9_hRffTmEUKg0

I didn’t realize you need to actually name your low poly as _low and high poly as _high in order for substance painter to be able to bake the high and low meshes. I thought the attached tutorial just said to do that to make it easier for the viewer to understand which files he was referring to. :rofl: