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Zbrush Displaying Problem (dont think its hardware) (answered)

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

I have been using Mudbox for a long time, but over the past few years I have been thinking about swapping over to zbrush (I hear it processes a little better, mudbox can quickly cap all 16GBs of my RAM and wont touch my processor).

I have been attempting to pickup on zbrush with a demo, but my problem seems to be technical. It could be user issues, but I could swear I have triple checked everything.

When I export objects out of max 2011 I use the Zbrush preset (I tried with Mudbox and various others but made no difference), I set to flip YZ-azis (assume irrelevent to zbrush), quad faces, texture, normals and smoothing groups checked, scale (assumed vertex scale) to 1.0, output to PC with precision of 6 (no idea what that is)and no write log.

When I load up the mesh on a tool (even a basic sphere for eyes from max) it is very low resolution in zbrush, extremely hard to makeout detail. If I use a innate tool it displays fine. It DOES get better if I MAX the document size which is evident that I am doing something wrong. My max units are in feet with inches - I try to model exactly to scale.

From my experience it LOOKS like this may be a scaling issue, but I would much appreciate anyones advice or input on this.

I have a 8800GTX vc and have NEVER had issues in mudbox, max, maya, alias, after effects, or photoshop, so I seriously doubt this is hardware related - the same is also true on all 4 of my other machines anyway.

#2

Posted by Locke2904:

I have been attempting to pickup on zbrush with a demo
I wasn’t aware that there was a ZBrush demo. Where did you get a ZBrush demo? :rolleyes:

Posted by Locke2904:

NEVER had issues in mudbox, max, maya, alias, after effects, or photoshop
Wow!..you are lucky!..I wish I could afford $14,000.00 worth of software.:rolleyes:

#3

ZBrush doesn’t use your video card at all (except the final display).

For your problem, can you post a screenshot? A polygon is a polygon, I mean, if your sphere is 256 quads in Max, you will have the same in ZBrush. Even if the scale change, ZBrush won’t affect it when you will export it back to the software of your choice. Just press “F” to frame the view and you will have a good scale to start working on it.

And when exporting from Max, don’t use ZBrush preset, uncheck all the optimizations. Just take care of having only tri and quads before exporting.

zber2 is right, no ZBrush trial available yet…

#4

I downloaded it online just with a google search, brothersoft.com or something; so it does exist somehow. It says “Zbrush is running under a grace period, please activate soon or w/e”.

With Zbrush and Mudbox so popular, I do not see why my college has not implemented it OR mudbox… I CHOSE to pickup MB because I feel that as an aspiring modeler/animator, no one will take you serious sticking to nothing but block-outs and low detail animations.

The problem was that I did not realize that scaling the screen is a little different than scaling the object. This is not like other packages I have experience with.

$14,000? My licensing (non-commercial) was under $1k for 3 years for Autodesk and Adobe (CS4 student, about to upgrade to CS5). When I am out of school and have a complete portfolio, I will pursue commercial licensing or w/e, assuming that life as a modeler/animator or freelance can keep my family above water given my location.

My advice zber2, enroll in college… I think it is restricted to stateside for adobe or autodesk, cant remember which one.

I am under a student license for 3ds max/mudbox and my adobe suite, I ran alias and maya for school under trials as well long enough to get a grade, but they ran fine, but were not of interest to me. It doesnt matter if I have a photoshop assignment or a essay to write, I always implement as many apps as I can to work my skill.

It isnt very likely that the industry is going to move where I live anytime soon, despite the incentives to do so, so my degree looks more like a grocery store manager ticket, but I love to model and animate regardless of the time and money (college) I waste on it. Online tutorials, passion, dedication, and experience seem to be way more important than a washed education, with exception to gnomon… but thats too far and too expensive.

#5

I checked Brothersoft’s website and I see that they are still allowing download of ZBrush 3.1 trial. I don’t think that Pixologic even supports version 3.1 anymore.