ZBrushCentral

Crazy high polygon problem

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

I’ve encountered a very frustrating problem on the high subdiv level (2.5 million)on my latest project. It seems a small cluster of 3 or 4 of the polys behind the character’s ear have decided to migrate to a great distance away from the model. These show up on renders and in the viewport as a straight line coming out of the model.

This did not appear to happen when the subdiv level was created, but after Projection Master was used. Although I wasn’t using PM on the head area and I had hidden all areas I wasn’t working on.

In case you think I might have just moved the polys in error this shot shows how far they have moved from the model. The tiny blob in the topleft is the model and the errant vertices are highlighted in the bottom right!!!

This view is a closeup of the hole in the earlobe where polygons are from. Drop down to the Subdiv level below and the surface is perfect.

Interestingly I had the exact same problem happen on my last model…A spike of polys also coming out of the models ear.

I’ve tried using smart resym etc and it doesn’t seem to fix it. Whats happened and is there a solution?

#2

Has anybody else encountered this or know a solution? It’s preventing me from doing anymore work on this model till I know it can be fixed.

Thanks!!!

#3

I have had the same problem as well. The closest link I can refer you to is this one http://www.pixolator.com/zbc-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=4&t=002119
I have had artifacts like this happen alot when using PM. I wonder if skycastle has had this issue.

#4

hmm with your polys hidden I don’t see how that happened… the only bugs I know are going over an edge in projection master and blur brush in projection master tend to damage my model… I tried bodypaint 2 recently and it works so much better plus you can switch to painting the texture directly while viewing the uvs… z rules for sculpting but full 3d painting in it is not the best out there, just very good

#5

If this happens to you after picking up the model with Projection Master, the quickest solution is to press the Undo button. This will restore the model to the state it was in before using Projection Master.

#6

Thanks for the responses. I try and be careful with masking as I’ve had problems with things happening on the reverse face of the mesh.

Aurick, unfortunately I seem to notice the problem long after it has happened. In this instance I had worked on the torso a lot with PM…then go to the head and notice this spike coming off the ear!

Any suggestions on how to fix this model? I tried deleting the highest dubdiv level but ZB wouldn’t let me resubdivide again to create a fresh level.

The model is nearly finished except for this spike!

Thanks
3DP

#7

Try using Edit>Move to move the stray points back close to where they belong. Then use the Smart ReSym feature to finish the job.

This feature normally works best if you go to a lower subdivision level and use it, then work your way back up one level at a time, reapplying the deformation at each level.

#8

Ok, I’ve found a way to fix this problem. Here’s a step-by-step guide. Feel free to redirect anybody with a similar problem to this post maybe it will save them a lot of aggravation!! It’s a longwinded guide but I’ve tried to keep a lot of detail so a zbrush beginner could follow it.

  1. Go to the subdiv level at which the problem is apparent. (usually highest)

  2. Press Delete which zooms the view out to encompass the whole model. The main model will be on one side and the naughty polys on the other.

  3. Ctrl+drag a mask around your model. This will allow you to move the polys into place without affecting the rest of the model.

  4. Select the move tool and adjust the size to about 150. Wave it around the edges of the document until it highlights the polys. Drag the polys towards the model. This will probably have to be done in several moves, gradually shoving the polys home.

  5. When you have dragged them near the model, press delete to resize the view. If the view zooms in filling the frame with your model the polys are in the right general place, at least from this angle.

  6. Rotate and press delete a few times to check that the polys are near the main model in 3d Space. If the view zooms out as before with model on one edge of the frame- repeat previous steps.

  7. Select Smooth tool max out the size and strength and smooth over the whole frame. This will only move the polys back to their home…everything else should still be masked off. :smiley:

  8. Remove sections of the mesh surface (ctrl+shift+drag) if the polys have moved somewhere inside the model. Switch local on, this will allow you to rotate the model around the polys. Even if you can’t actually see them you will know where they are as they will now be at the centre of the rotation. Keep using the smooth brush over this point until the polys move to their old home on the mesh surface.

  9. That should be it! If you inspect the surface of the model you should see a grey spot showing up against the black(masked off) model. When you are happy clear the mask.

Hope that helps. Now I can finish the model. I’ll post a link here to it when it’s done!

3DP

#9

Nice workaround 3DP :+1:

You could also do 1-3 and then apply Tool : Deformation : Smooth at 100, multiple times. That will bring the stray vertice home no matter where it ran off to :slight_smile:

#10

Yes that might be easier.

Here’s a link showing the finished model:

The Incredible Hulk

#11

I’ve just run into this problem myself.

Does anyone know the cause? I am also seeing the problem on my highest subdivision level (level 5) and my model is aroud 2.5 million polys, I am also seeing this problem after using projection master.

A also have a great deal of my model hidden when this happens.

I wanted to try this as a work around as well.

  1. Before I use projection master, save a morp target.

  2. Use projection master.

  3. If the problem occurs, use the Morph brush in the problem area.

I wish I could try this out but for some reason at this subdivision level my morph dot and morph brushes are greyed out.

Anyone know why this is happening? Is there a poly cap for the morph tools?

Thanks for the help,

NickZ.

#12

The Morph and Morph Dot edit mode brushes are only available at the subdivision level where you stored a morph target. Morph targets are bound to a single subdivsion level and you can only store one at a time.

Try going up or down in subdivision levels until you see the other Tool > Morph Target buttons appear. That will be the level you stored at.

I am not sure why the stray polygons appear, I have only encountered it once. From what I have read, using Projection Master seems to be the cause.

#13

They also seem to happen around holes in a mesh. I have had them appear when trying to pose a character. Sometimes you can just smooth them out of existence.Although I really do like the idea of using a mask on the hole character and fixing it that way.

Projecting mesh details can create them too.

#14

Hiya.

Still a youngling with ZBrush, but I agree with what’s been said above. I actually don’t mind the interface, but I can definitely see why some say it needs a change (just look at Blender, for example).

The two things I’d like to see done are:


  1. Texture/Normal/Bump/etc Map Creation made a LOT easier. What I envision is this: You work on your model, sculpting it just right…you hit a button called “Texturizer”. A window pops up with various check boxes…like Name, Size, Base Color, Texture?, Bump?, Specularity?, Normal?, Displacement? (etc)…you pick what you want, say, 1024x1024, Base color of tan, Texture, Bump and Specularity maps. Hit OK, and ZBrush creates three textures (monster_clr, monster_bmb, monster_spc, for example…all extensions customizable, of course) which show up on the side somewhere. You can then simply choose which to paint on (kinda like choosing a subtool to work on). After painting, you export…which brings me to…
  2. Easier Export Map Exports. In all honesty, I pretty much never need all the bells and whistles of exporting maps…keep them in for when I do (or others do)…but give us a “Simple Export” solution. I envision, after creating all my textures as above, a button like “Export Maps”. This brings up a window that lets me choose which maps to export, what format to export them in, where to put them and flipping options. Just the basics. Most of the time I just need the basic stuff; I don’t need to fiddle around with 90% of the other stuff found in the current export options for normal maps, for example. Oh, for the nitty gritty times where I need the options, add more 3d programs to the list of ‘settings’ (like Houdini, Lightwave, Cinema4d…maybe even Blender, trueSpace, Silo, Mudbox, etc.). I rarely use Maya or 3ds MAX; it would be nice to have some other apps ‘pre-set’.
Those are the two that immediately popped into my head. :slight_smile: