ZBrushCentral

"Error has been encountered while trying to load a Tool."

ZBrush Usage Questions
#13

Magic pixol dust. :wink:

My thought was maybe my file isn’t getting completely saved to the network drive… thought that’s what I use exclusively for all my work. FWIW, the network drive is actually a hard drive plugged into the computer I’m actually working from (though it is mapped as a network drive to a specific directory on the drive and given a drive letter different than the letter of the actual drive as it’s plugged into my PC). I just have another computer sitting next to it, with more drives, and so on…

And I, too, thought about opening a .ZTL file, but I suspect you can’t… not without the magic key.

So far, my new method of working, saving, and then immediately loading the file I just saved appears to be a safeguard (I think)…

It places what seems like a copy of the new file in the tools menu next to the one I was working on…but they both share the same name and details…

I don’t know what will happen when I encounter a corrupt file though… if it does save a corrupted file and I go to reload it, I don’t want it to somehow mess up the version I just saved (and still have “live” in ZB).

If I do get the error and it doesn’t mess with my live model, then I can just keep resaving/repeating the process until it loads correctly…I hope. :slight_smile:

#14

if ya know someone with z3 …see if they can load your “corrupted” mesh…oops i mean ztl.

#15

Hmmm… I don’t know if this helps, but I’ve got a file open right now… 1 mesh, 1 layer, no subtools. Attempted to save the tool, seemed to work ok, then did my load the tool after save to make sure, and I get the “error has been encountered”.

My current tool is still up, so at least I’ve got that (nope, lost it - won’t render, ZB froze). I’ve since tried to save and re-save the tool, but each time, it won’t load.

At the same time as this (this hasn’t happened before), I keep getting “Memory Error - Unable to read virtual memory file” errors popping up. Again, I don’t recall this hasn’t happening before, but maybe its related.

Currently using 412MB ram with 1037 indicated as free. Model is at 1 SubD (where I put it at to save, equaling 6,082 polys), but has 6 subD’s, I believe, bringing to to around 6.2 million polys, I think.

Last major thing I did to the file was add a bunch of alpha sculpting (skin texture).

Still trying to save the darn thing, but I’m not sure it’ll happen.

  • I’ve tried going to Preferences > Mem > compact now, but no change.

  • I’ve reduced the size of my canvas to 480x360, no change

  • I’ve made a clone of the tool and tried to save that, no change

  • I can still perform actions in ZB, even change my canvas size, etc, but this virtual memory error pops up several times in a row every few seconds and my object won’t save (without loading as corrupt)

  • Tried to render. ZB froze and I can’t take a screenshot (printscreen didn’t take, and clicking away from ZB to come back, ZB won’t popup/screen refresh, appears to have frozen explorer, except everything else works)… so more progress on a model down the drain. :frowning:

  • Under task manager, Applications, ZB3 isn’t even listed. Under processes, however, it is, taking 00 CPU.

  • End process successful :frowning: Sad, very sad.

  • Restarted ZB, still doesn’t show up for me under task manager > Applications.

  • reloaded last working version of tool. ZBrush states 284.16 MB memory used. Task manager contradicts this with 375.8 MB used.

  • Previously saved working version, 3:09pm, 15,651KB

  • 7 save attempts, starting at 3:44pm and stopping at 4:03pm, all exactly 138,962KB, even the cloned version.

  • Estimated total loss of productivity due to this bug at this point, 3-4 hours.

#16

Ok, so I essentially redid the work I did on my previous model.

But this time, when I created a new layer, I did so at the lowest level. That’s the only difference.

I went up to 6 subD’s and applied alpha deformations. Saved the file. Reloaded the file. It works.

Interesting to note:

File size before edits: 15,651KB.
File size after edits on the working saved file: 47,768KB.

File size of the corrupt files of this model that wouldn’t load: 138,962KB.

#17

As far as I am aware a layer is basically a clone or a morph target of your mesh (same in mudbox). So creating a layer at sub d level six probably isn’t going to yield the most stable results.

Creating a lot of layers on high sub d levels can cause your file size to grow quite large because of this. And also can create instabilities in your tool when trying to load because its so complex.

Basically the larger your file size the more likely it is that you will have problems when trying to reload it.

This may be the problem you are running into.

#18

Did a little more work on the current model…can’t save. Seems like every time i push the detail envelope. Hmmm.

#19

I am having a huge problem with my last work on zbrush!!

I was working on a pretty simple model, and I saved different versions of the same file to make sure that even if there is a problem with its latest version I could make some rework on a previous version… So I worked all day yesterday, and today when I’ve tried to open my file, zbrush displayed this message:

File Error

Error has been encountered when trying to load a tool.
Loading has been aborted.

And it happens with ALL versions of my model!!

I just lost all my work…

Please someone could help me??

Is there a way to recover my file??

Thank you guys

#20

i have the same exact problem. I save a few copies of my single zbrush work and tried reopen it again. It works during that time. But somehow it doesnt work again when i restart my pc. What could be the problem? its ruining my hard work and time spend… sigh… i really need some way to recover it. It will be a really really great help.

#21

I found out a weird thing about loading ztl.
Previously i have error opening a ztl file in Zbrush. I realized that this problem occur to me when i open this file from a mapped drive.

I tried again on the same file but this time from its proper directory. I managed to open it.

Zbrush somehow doesn’t take mapped drive as a proper link to the file?

Anyway this is how i managed to retrieve my error files:)

hope this may help

#22

I got the same error, working on zbrush 3.5r3 on windows XP on bootcamp on my mac. 4gigs of ram 2.8ghz. The main subtool is 3.7million poly’s and I was doing some fine details and saved it and now I can’t open the ztl. I tried a couple of machines and no dice.
Have they fixed this problem now or do I have to start all over?

#23

Getting this same error on a TON of older 3.1 .ztl’s im trying to open up in v4. I dont have 3.1 installed on this machine so cant check to see what the issue is. I really hope trying to open these in zb4 doesnt render them unopenable in previous version of zbrush!

#24

This error has just popped up for almost ALL my Zbrush files. I had no problems with any of these models prior to this.

I go away for a couple of weeks come back to Zbrush and BAM nothing wants to open.

This seems to be happening across platforms (I have a Mac). Does anyone have any solution to this problem?

#25

hey chinadrgn,
If you still have zb3.5 or 3.1 installed you should be able to open those .ztl’s up in there. Export the highest rez as an obj and import that into zb4. Reconstruct subdivisions to get back your subd levels. Sucks if you have a load of subtools (as I’ve had for numerous older models at work). You can possibly merge a bunch of your subtools and export that if there arent too many polys and group split/reconstruct subd’s in zb4 as well.

#26

Hey Wayniac, thanks for the info. I’ll give it a try.

#27

So… this is an old thread… but this HUGE problem still remains with even the latest version of Zbrush (as i’ve just experienced which is why i’m here looking for a solution)…
To my amazement it seems that no one “official” has answered or ONCE come up with any troubleshooting solutions other than the guy who posted about the problem in the first place… back in 2007?!!

Is unresponsiveness the pixologic way of saying “your screwed”?

#28

It’s more likely that there is nobody reading this that has encountered that issue and has a resolution for you.

#29

Heh Brojay cool:) i replied to your pm:) hope it helps

#30

Just got this error with my ZTL on zb4. My pc hung while i was working in zbrush so I hit the reset button. When i tried to open the ZTL after rebooting I got this error everyone has been reporting in here.

#31

I had the same problem and this isnt a fix but may be a help in the future. I lost about a full days work because all my back ups were over 4 GB. It seems to work fine untill you close and try to re-open.

My project is 50 subtools and around 200 000 000 poly. I always save it as low poly to keep the file size down but when I was detailing towards the end I was creating morph targets for each tool so it was none destructive.

I noticed before I added the morph targets it was 2 GB and when I added the morph targets it went to over 4 GB.

Something to keep in mind in the future. When finished with the morph targets delete them before saving.

When is Zbrush 64 bit coming??? Were all waiting

#32

Same thing here. File Size is 4GB. Last 5 Versions all corrupt. I tried rebuilding without Morph targets but it’s still 4GB and corrupt again.
Super annoying.