3ds max system units and GoZ

system · April 11, 2012, 5:07pm

Hi all,

When I send models from 3dsMax 2012 toZbrush they are very big once inside Zbrush. This means that I cantreally use dynamesh as even the lowest resolution will give me a verydense mesh. It also gives me problems with the move brush thatappears completely unresponsive on the large surfaces.

My Max System Unit Scale is set to cm.If I change the Max System Unit Scale to meters things are muchbetter once I get my models exported to Zbrush. But this is not acool solution, as it is a pain to work with small objects inside maxwith the system units set to meters (Snap and view-port clippingproblems).

Is there anything I can do tomanipulate the scale conversion when exporting to Zbrush withouthaving to change my System unit scale inside Max?

Zeddicus · April 12, 2012, 10:16pm

Use Tool:Deformation:Size (with X, Y, and Z turned on) to decrease the size of your mesh until it fits within the Tool:Preview window in ZBrush. This seems to be the size ZBrush likes best. After editing your mesh, use Tool:Deformation:Size to increase by the same amount you decreased it, then GoZ it back to Max. That is the only thing I can think of right now that is sure to work. Tool:Deformation:Unify will automatically size the mesh so it fits in the preview window too, but then it won’t be the correct size once sent back to Max.

system · April 13, 2012, 5:33am

HiZeddicus,

Thanksfor the advice. Much appreciated. However its not quite working forme though. I have several sub-tools that I am working on and I needto scale them all down, preferably in on go, and way more than whatthe maximum of the size slider is doing. If I scale down more thanonce, sometimes my objects are being replaced with a star(Polymesh3D19) and there is no way to undo. This is a littleannoying.

Iguess I have to scale everything down inside max before export tozbrush. I know its probably being naive, but I was hoping that therewas a way to do things as smooth and effortless as it is done in theGOZ promo videos ;).

Howdo all you character guys go about this?

Zeddicus · April 15, 2012, 2:07am

I created a maxstart file where my units and home grid are set up so that my grid in perspective view is the exact same size of the preview window in ZBrush (200x200 deformation units based on the offset slider) which gives me a good guide to work from. If I export from Max manually as an OBJ with a scale of 1.0 and export from ZBrush with a scale of 9.9999 (it won’t accept 10) my mesh will always fit within the preview window. Perhaps changing the scale in the OBJ exporter as well as in ZBrush might be the solution you need? Just need to figure out the best settings that work for you, provided you don’t mind forgoing the use of GoZ.