ZBrushCentral

Errors on UVs, Displacements and Normal Maps

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

Hey Guys,

This is the first time I’m really getting into Zbrush interactions with other 3d applications, specifically 3dmax9, Now I have this character model which I made on Zbrush, I created the UVs using the GUV Tiles method, calculated in a res of 4096 x 4096, and start making the details for the Disp and Normal Maps as well as the Polypaint.

Within Zbrush, I applied the polypaint and Disp Map as textures and everything seems to work perfectly as you can see on the first picture.

Trusting that everything was Ok, I exported the tool as OBJ, and also exported the textures as PSD in a res of 4096 x 4096, The Disp was generated with the Adaptative and Smooth UVs Buttons checked.

Now the model was imported into 3dsmax with no problems, but all the disaster came right after I applied the textures on it, the polypaint texture or in this case Diffuse Map has this horrible subdivisions which I pressume are the result of a bad UV calculation, as well as the Displacement map.

And if you compare the results of pictures 2 and 3 with picture 1 it makes no sense, since on picture 1 the textures where applied using the same UV coordinates, and I even took a printscreen showing the UV Check I made within Zbrush that shows that it has no problems with UVs. (Picture 4)

Now appart from this mess, The Normal map not only has the same problem as the polypaint map and disp map, but it also has a terrible “specularity” result which is nothing compared to other Normal Maps I’ve developed before using Photoshop, its behavior its Totally Different and I cant understand whats happening there, its not even showing the details its supposed to show. (Picture 5)

And as a final clue I took a screenie of the UVs View within 3dmax.

So with all this info I’ve provided I really hope someone out there will have all the answers for me, I’ve been trying to find a solution for almost 4 days to see if I didnt have the necessity of posting it, but I’m done, I cant figure out what is it, so please tell me what I’m doing wrong, whats the correct way of generating the UVs, or whats the correct way of expoting the maps, whats the matter with the normal maps strange behavior, all of this please I’m really frustrated and desperate at the moment.

I’ll really appreciate some answers since this is a really big mess for me.

Thanks in advance!

Attachments

Razor Zbrush Print.jpg

Razor Diffuse Map Error.jpg

Razor Displacement Map Error.jpg

No Overlapping Proof.jpg

Razor Normal Map Error.jpg

UVs View.jpg

#2

Have you tried flipping the maps vertically before you export them out of zbrush (FlipV button in the texture palette)

Richard

#3

Don’t know what version of ZBrush you’re using, but hopefully my video tutorial on this will help you.

http://www.vimeo.com/6674655

#4

Well I fliped the maps within Max, but I’ll try to flip them within Zbrush to see if something changes…

DustinBrown: I’m using the 3.5 version, I’ll watch your tutorial, I also hope it will help :slight_smile:

#5

Just wanted to tell you thats a really good tutorial, it helped me realizing many things about the workflow, the only problem I had with it is that I cant be sure what did you used to make the UVs, that small video was way too fast and small to see what it was, also what plugins did you used for the entire Zbrush Workflow.

As I told (but I think no body read it) I’m using Zbrush 3.5, my main concern is that I dont know if the plugins will work on my 3.5 version, and in that case, can I load the tool on Zbrush 3.1 again?
I used Headus UV Layout to make my UVs.

http://www.uvlayout.com/

I just had it sped up because making UVs wasn’t the focus of the video. Besides, people have access to ZBrush’s automagic UV tools if they don’t have the inclination to make them manually.

I didn’t use any third-party ZBrush plug-ins; everything I used comes standard with ZBrush 3.1. I used the Multi Displace 3 plug-in for displacement maps, and I used ZMapper for normal maps. I believe they did away with ZMapper in 3.5, much to the chagrin of many.

I would recommend you use 3.1 until there is more documentation, support, and plug-in updates for 3.5. I don’t have 3.5 installed, but my understanding is that you cannot open a 3.5 file in 3.1. In fact I’d be surprised if you could.

#6

Oh alright, hey thank you very much, now I have completed the whole tutorial with excelent results, I bet this will help me a lot for solving my problems with my cat proyect, Again thank you!!! :D:+1: