Coquette,
It’s kind of funny, I was just watching Gonomon’s ZBrush Production Pipeline DVD. Disk 1 Lecture 5. I too am a new Zbrush user and have been watching these videos over and over again. So, I am very happy that I can help you out with your question.
Several days ago, there was a similar question on my friend’s forum pages. However, it was in reference to forgetting to save a morph target and not having his original base mesh to be able to go back down to. So his normal maps were not aligning up. The fix listed below was a solution to his problem. I think this will also help you out with your dilemma.
(Question from another forum page)
So, you said that you started modeling before you saved a base Morph target. Now you want to be able to go back down to your lowest sub-division level so you can export out you Normal and Displacement maps and not have any issues with them aligning up correctly.
According to the DVD there are two ways to fix this issue.
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If there is not an issue with using a new base level as a starting point, save out your tool under a new name like new base model. You can go down to the second sub-division level and delete the lowest sub-division level. You now can export out the new lowest level as a starting base level that you can use in Maya. Then apply all of your Normal and Displacement maps to the new base.
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If, the above fix is not a possible solution and you must have
your mesh exactly the same as your original base mesh that you
started with try this. Go down to the lowest sub-division level
then go to tool / import and import the original base mesh you
started with. This will overwrite the base mesh and put you right
back to ware you started from. Don’t worry this will not impact
any of the above sub-division levels and keep all of your work
intact. At this point you can save out a new morph target and
continue with your modeling as needed.
So, I think that the solution to your problems would be similar to solution number 2. So, try this. Save out your model I.E your tool and save twice. One you should name it something like High rez, and the other as low rez. Now on your low Rez model you will want to go down to the lowest sub division level and delete the higher levels. Now, you will want to export out your tool as an OBJ object. Now you should be able to take this new OBJ mesh and layout your UV’s in Max like you want. Resave as an OBJ again in Max with you new UV’s.
Then back in Zbrush you will want to load your High Rez tool and go down to the lowest subdivision level and Import you new Low Rez model with new UV’s. You should now have a tool that has all of your work intact and have your UV’s as well.
Note: The above information I have not tried myself. It was just info that I ran across while re-watching my DVD’s for the millionth time. Please take this info with a grain of salt and try at your own risk! Remember always save a copy of your Tool before you try this. The two solutions that were given from Gnomon were more intended to fix a problem with not having a morph target. However, I think that this will prove as a viable solution to your problem. At least I hope it will. Please just save out a copy of your mesh with everthing intact that will not possible be harmed in the process. I don’t want you to loose any of your hard work.
Please let me know if this works for you!
Brian Bouffard