ZBrushCentral

Create Normal Map Button - Expected Behaviour?

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

Sorry for the trivially simple question:

Under 3.5R2, when I click on the “Create Normal Map” button - - I BELIEVE it’s supposed to create the normal map, and then store it in the textures panel.

Mine does not seem to do that automatically, and I find myself clicking on it multiple times, and doing what we scientists call ‘fiddling about’ and eventually it will show up there.

Has the process changed in 3.5R2, or (as I currently assume) am I getting something wrong in the order of operations? If that part of the workflow is different just let me know, so I don’t assume it’s something weird with Vista or my machine.

EDIT: Also, when I get results, they seem to be based on tangent space…is that the default? (I would have guessed Object) – I’m not near the machine now so can’t check if the button is pushed by default, but they ‘look like’ tangent space maps.

ANOTHER EDIT: I think it’s just incorrect/outdate info here:

http://www.pixologic.com/docs/index.php/Creating_Normal_Maps

where it says that this happens when you click Create NM…when in fact I think you have to click CLONE NM…or is this doing something I shouldn’t?

#2

In 3.5, each subtool can have texture/displacement and normal maps. When you create any of these, it will be added to the corresponding subpallete in the tool palette.

If you exporting to Maya, simply use the .MA export format and all will be exported at once (including auto-shading network). If you want to export the normal map manually, press the Clone NM and you’ll see a copy of the normal map in the texture palette.

#3

So if I’m using Max I’d want to use Clone NM and do it manually? Would this be accomplished via exporting the map, or do I need to export the whole tool?

I guess it’s the Max workflow that’s throwing me. I use FinalRender if that makes a difference