For a clean installation:
"IMPORTANT:
You are using the latest ZBrush version.
You have a ‘clean’ ZBrush install. i.e. remove any items which you have added (such as older ZScripts and other startup items) which may result in unexpected - and difficult to resolve - problems.
You did not increase the PreferencesMax polygon count or Compact Mem to a level which can not be supported by your system specs."
Andreseloy
thanks for the tute norman3D. But in my case zbrush 3.1 worked for the kind of workflow you mentioned doesnt work, when i tried countless times to do it for exporting displacement maps correctly. But after upgrading to 3.1, it just worked! I thought it was the problem with how 3dsmax managed obj file when i had the problem with zbrush 3. But after trying days searching for it to work,i was disappointed. But after upgrading to 3.1, i just tried the same thing all over again and strangely it all worked…
OMG! I totally forgot about this thread. In the meantime I’ve been able to install Zbrush on another PC (at work :D) and I have installed XP here at home again, and it’s working fine now. I have no idea why it didnt work before.
computers - u cant blame them 
hi,
I hope you can help me. your thread was a little helpfull but my problem is still there.
I´ve no problems to reimport obj into z-brush 3.1 with new UVW created in UVLayout V2 pro.all looks fine in ZB.
but when I then export the displacement map and the basemesh in the way you posted here, the final render in max 9 kooks bad. I use Vray without any smoothing on the object. the picture below shows all settings. hope you can help.
hmmm… I dont really know whats happening there. Is it possible that those errors were in the zbrush tool aswell? Also, try to use 3D mapping instead of subdivision, it’s a lot faster as far as I know.
pitchepuck,
Try setting Vray: Default displacement Edge length to 2 pixels.
By the way, I just did it the opposite way and it worked: Renamed the Zbrush 3.1 folder, and installed 3.0; they both work now.
Thanks for the tutorial.
Ok folks, here is the deal. Zbrush 3.1 will change the vertex order (If you let it) For those of you out there with exploding meshes, you need to go into your preferences and under importexport, turn everything off. (This is what is changing the order and giving you a headache) Then export your obj and wander over to wherever you are unwrapping UV (Headus works great by the way) and then reimport your obj with the new Uvs, no problem. Oh and one last thing be sure to save this has your configuration as well. Please note that the obj may be flipped in external programs. (Though if you have spent hours of research and wasted time this should be something that you are willing to except.) I hope this solves this issue and please remember that your computer is stupid, it will only do what you tell it to and besides do you really want it to think for you? Try getting married.
Oh yeah one last thing, let me know if this helps.
thanks for these informations. but there was no solution for my problem. It´s still there…
I turned in z-brush I/E presettings all off. tried all kinds of export settings. it didn´t help.
maybe my mesh is simply to bad modelled…
now I have changed VRay disp mod to 3d mapping with turbo-smooth mod. this works perfect. but I have to understand why it does not work with subdivision disp type !!!
when I export an UV map generated in Z-Brush, subd.-disp.-type works perfect without any smoothing… WHY IT DOES NOT WITH HEADUS UVWs ???
what ever… thanks
Agree. I am using Max & UVLayout 2 (also RoadKill before i got UVLayout) mainly, with ZBrush 3.1 - never seen exploded obj. I suggest max users to use gwOBJ Exporter, its has built-in zbrush profile. Ouh, in preferences - import\export in zbrush is better to turn all “flip” buttons off - its change vertex order.
it doesn´t help ;o( but thanks !!!
thx help:lol:
I’m struggling with this problem too and I don’t believe it is a problem with vert order.
Yesterday I did some sculpting in ZB, the model I worked on was created and UVd in Modo. I exported from Modo and imported to ZB. Even at this stage 2 verts were moved way off into the distance but I carried on anyway. I stored the morph target, subdivided to level 6 and did my sculpting. All OK so far, back down to level one and swapped to the original mesh and exported my displacement map. Still all OK. The thinking I might tweak the sculpt a bit more I increased the subdivision level and the mesh explodes. Back down to level 1 and even that is now messed up with a chunk of geometry in the wrong place. Note I haven’t reimported so the vert order cannot have changed.
This is driving me nuts!
The same thing happend to me. The only solution I found was to install Zbrush on a fresh installed Windows XP. Very, very weird, but it worked.
I mostly have no problems with reimporting my UV-layouted Subd-1-obj that I UVed with Roadkill, but sometimes it happens (exploding meshes after the reimport).
But I think you are not right saying the fault lies in ZB3.1, I think it’s a fault of the UV-Layout-Apps.
I personally think most apps including C4D have lumpy programmed obj-import/export-routines, that’s the reason why the Riptide-Plugin exists for C4D-Users. It’s the only way for us C4D-Guys to get a proper handled wavefront-file.
And ZBrush 3.1 seems to be a little critical with unpropper created wavefront-files.
Anyhow, a very easy solution in that cases for me is, that I export two subd-1 obj from ZBrush 3.1.
One is used for the UV-work in Roadkill, the other one is left untouched.
Then I load both meshes via the Riptide-plugin in Cinema 4D.
I can then easily take the UV-Tag from my RoadKill-obj and transfer it to the untouched mesh, then I store this one again via the Riptide-Plugin.
Now I can import the obj with the transferred UV-Layout into ZBrush 3.1 without problems and all works fine.
senario: For whatever reason your mesh ‘frags’ when re-imported into Z3.1, how do you fix this?..quite simply! 
import your obj and add it as a subtool to the original model.
subdivide it to the same level as original, then go back to the 1subD lvl.
With the obj as the selected subtool and on it lowest subd lvl hit the “project all” button, do this for each subd lvl.
If you get stray verts use the “project” brush to fix.
99% of the time this works off the bat, except when the orig model have holes in it or overlapping geometry or many seperate pieces i.e a car or character with clothes.
If this is the case then clone all the pieces and insert into one mesh then deal with the strays.
Also you could retypo the mesh once it is all in one piece to make it airtight but this would be an extreme case.
Cheers
I’ve been fighting with this problem, as I know a lot of people have. It’s certainly not specific to any external UV prog. I don’t know what the issue is, but I tried all the solutions above and got explosions ( the original idea works, but I would love to find a way with just Zbrush3.1 . I do enough importing/exporting as it is ).
I have a semi-solution where you WILL NOT get an exploding mesh. Doubt it is to do with point order, since, in Maya, I chopped the model in half to save time doing UVs then mirrored geometry. even added a couple lines which I removed later.
The problem with my method, is you lose your xyz position relative to your other subtools, which sucks I know. But some stuff it’s not so bad to use the transpose tool to move it back into place. Other than that, it works great. Maybe someone knows something I can change to make that happen too.
These are the steps:
exported subD1 to Maya2008. Went crazy doing the UVs with little regard for point order and such.
Export as .obj and bring into Zbrush3.1
Divide your Low Rez UV mapped model to have the same amount of SubD as the detailed model.
Unify both models. Obviously this is what messes up the xyz co-ordinates ( and sometimes scaling ), but it’s also what will keep your model in one piece.
Append the one model as a subtool on the other model ( it doesn’t matter which one is appended, just which you have selected when you do the next step ).
Put both models on highest subD, and hit ProjectAll.
You should now have the UV mapped model with your High Res detail intact.
Add it as a subTool onto your main model, and use the old non UV piece of the model as a reference for scale and position.
A tip for anyone who will touch the Deformations menu and use that for scale or positioning. Make sure all your subtools are on lowest subD ( easily done with subTool Master plugin ) and Zbrush won’t crash every time you touch one of those dials. I used the Deformations menu to scale, and the transpose tool to move, but it doesn’t really matter, whatever you like best.
Anything to add, change, correct, improve, is most welcome. At least I can paint on my model now. I would be quite happy with just using AUV in Zbrush to do UVs, but this model is for my reel, for modeling and texturing, so I gotta do it oldschool ( the long way ).
[i]“The problem with my method, is you lose your xyz position relative to your other subtools”
[/i]1.Export all subtools to ext 3D app (in my case maya).
2.Create 8 cubes in maya and place them around your tools, like a bounding box.
combine these cubes so it is one object. Now duplicate the bounding cubes for as many tools you have and combine them to their respective tools.
Export each new tool back into zbrush and in will maintain its origin and placement.
When done delete the cubes.
When a mesh frags it is due to the vertex order, where why and how seems to still be a mystery. Considering the problem happens randomly and when all precautions have been taken and then to make it more confusing it doesn’t happen every time, which makes it hard to pinpoint the where, why and how.
Morph Division,
Very clever. Thanks
![[ATT=]disp.JPG[/ATT]](http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:zb_insimg%28%27%27,%27disp.JPG%27,1,0%29){kind=link}