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ZRemesher problem

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

Hello, I have been through a couple of videos as I am just learning ZBrush. In one of the courses, Joseph Drust taking us through creation of a knife; it is called “Prop creation”. I like that course because it explains a couple of techniques in one place. Basically, the model is created using Boolean addition and subtraction.

Following the course I have made something similar and then I tried to use ZRemesher to optimise mesh of a final model. I can see ZRemesher can work really well but unfortunately whichever settings I try my model gets really messy after processing is done. Probably I am missing something obvious. Is it possible to optimise such comples topology? I can see each polygroup have different density and perhaps this is why ZRemesher cannot work. I would be grateful for any help.

Thanks.

This is the model:

knives
knives.jpg1340×1440 419 KB

#2

Hello @FranekW

Are you using the most recent version of Zbrush? If not, please update to the most recent version. This is free for registered users, and the new version of ZRemesher should do a better job with the topology if you enable the “keep groups” option.

Also make sure that symmetry is active when ZRemeshing if your mesh is symmetrical.

Otherwise, when you ZRemesh you are generally reducing polycount, and will therefore lose high poly detail. If you wish to retain your high poly detail, you will have to subdivide your new mesh, and project the detail from the original onto it.

#3

Hello and thanks for the answer.

I have updated ZBrush recently and think it already has ZRemesher v3.0

As to the other points, this model is symmetrical but I have not applied symmetry before using ZRemesher. And will search for projection and how to use it. It came out in one of the videos I watched but don’t remember which one.

Also, If the blade has low density, should I subdivide this subtool to increase number of polygons before remeshing?

#4

I linked the process for detail projection above. Click on the blue text.

The blade has low density because you re-meshed it, and that’s why you lose detail. ZRemsher’s output is typically much lower poly than a high resolution mesh with a lot of fine detail. ZRemesher is commonly used to simplify, or clean up and redistribute the topology of, a mesh with geometry that is too dense or otherwise problematic for sculpting or export.

Unfortunately, you generally lose the detail that points on a mesh were creating when you eliminate them. There are a number of tricks used to help a lower poly mesh retain the appearance of a higher poly mesh for external use, but much depends on your intended output. It’s a not a simple subject, but I outlined it in more detail in this post if interested.

In the meantime:

  • You can regain the lost detail by projecting it from the original onto the retopologized mesh via the process linked above.

  • ZRemesher will recreate form more accurately the higher of a target polycount you give it to work with.

  • If you have well defined polygroups, enable “keep groups” in the ZRemesher menu. This should improve the polyflow in relation to your polygroups.

  • Note that ZRemesher does not fuse or weld geometry together. If you feed it separate meshes it will give you separate meshes in return. If you wish to fuse meshes together, you should Dynamesh or Live Boolean them together first.

  • If your mesh is symmetrical across an axis, make sure symmetry for that axis is active. It usually improves results for symmetrical meshes.