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2nd Instance of ZBrush

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

Hi.

I have a dual monitor set-up and often have ZBrush on one screen and Maya on another.

Sometimes, I would like one instance of ZBrush on one screen and a 2nd instance on another screen so I can compare versions of models. How can I open a 2nd instance of ZBrush?

Thanks,

~S.~

#2

Hi SNARK,

I don’t think it’s possible. As soon as you 2click the .exe, it just opens the same instance. It would be nice if ZBrush had dual monitor support though and you could tear away the palettes and stick them on the other monitor.

#3

Thanks, Zber.

My workaround is to save the Ztool as an .OBJ and open Maya with the .OBJ at same time as Ztool. That way, I can compare model versions.

~S.~

#4

I don’t have Maya so I’m not sure but can’t you use GoZ instead of exporting .obj?

#5

I believe you can run two instances of Zbrush; just separate versions, e.g., z4 and z4r2. However it’s not recommended as there can be some issues with things like GoZ.

There are a couple of ways to get the result you want. One is to drop the model on the 2.5D canvas. Another is to append the separate models together. You could also look into using layers for differences. There’s also some workaround with the animation timeline.

Running multiple instances is not something I would try to do.

#6

Thanks, MentalFrog. Good options. ~S.~