How do you use the new layer system? Are there any video tutorials on the proper methodology for using it?
It seems to be radically different than before. I can only create layers on the highest subdivision level. Even if i turn that layer off and try to go back down to say, subd level 2 to create a layer there it says i need to go to the highest.
Am I doing something fundamentally wrong or is it true that you can only create layers on the highest subd level now???
as far as I know you can only create layers at the highest subD now… 
I’ve been dumping out objs of my “layers” so I can import them in at lower levels to maintain poses and such.
Someone please tell me that this is a bug that slipped through before the final shipped? Was it like this throughout the beta cycle??
Not being able to go to whatever subdivision level and create layers makes for a very linear style workflow which is BAD. It just surprises me that Pixologic would implement the layers in such a fashion as they’ve been making great strides towards non-linear workflow enhancements the last few releases in a row.
Is it possible for one of the devs to respond and let us know that this is either the new workflow for layers or a bug that made its way through?
My fear is that they changed everything from the old layer system that I loved and relied on, in order to accommodate animation tools I will never use.
Currently you have to create Layers at the highest subdivision level but you can edit them on any level.
As far as I know, Layers were changed to incorporate new functionality for Layers, and nothing to do with the Timeline.
Thx for the reply Marcus. For some reason, I wasn’t able to edit any layers that didn’t reside on the highest subd level. Turning the Rec button on any layer would result in it turning itself right back off unless I was on the highest subd level.
It appears to be working now in the way you described though so not sure what happened there. Has anyone else experienced this bug?? Harbottle??
Obviously, being able to create the layers regardless of what subd lvl you are on would be optimal for the workflow. Would you happen to know if that’s the projected path feature wise Marcus?
Btw, you have a Private Message Will 
In 3.5 r3 I had a head with 6 subd-levels and I added 3 extra layers in which I imported 3 new head shapes at highest level and they came in fine and inherited the subd levels.
In Zbrush 4 when I import a new head into one of the layers it simply replaces the original one - nothing happens if I turn layer on and off - it keeps showing the new imported head? :rolleyes:
Ok so - I found out about that one - simply keep the REC button on when importing - I had no idea what it did so by default i turned it off.
Hehe, aye, I know - I was in the ZONE! I needed to post! :lol: Thanks!
So I am having a problem with baking ONLY one layer down. The Zbrush Info says the “Bake all” button only bakes the visible layer, which is true however it deletes my none visible layers as well. Anyone know how to bake one particular layer? Thanks
Not sure what triggers it and don’t have time to repro right now as I’m at work but there is indeed a bug with the new layers. I cannot edit any previous or newly created layers unless I am on the top subd level. Trying to toggle REC on any other layer results in it toggling itself right back off, thus forcing you to work at your highest subd level
update
This has occured when I’ve tried to reproject using masks to mask off certain parts of the mesh I do not want detail projected to. Even when I have cleared/disabled the mask it still seems to be invisibly there because when I sculpt on the mesh it will not sculpt where it was previously masked. Perhaps ZB thinks there is a mask still on so will not allow for layers to be edited on any layer except the top most??
One thing I have been able to do to actually sculpt where it thinks the mask is was to do a Mask ALL then Clear that mask. It would then allow me to sculpt where the previously masked areas were. However, the layers are still only createable/editable on the top most subd lvl.
Have any of you noticed that the Make 3D option in Layers is missing? So far I have found no substitute for this that works as well as it did.
Could it possibly be true that you can no longer mirror something with layers (and append it as a new subtool with subtool master) unless you first bake the layers? The new layer setup requires many many more steps to do what were once the simplest things.
(Edit) Okay, so you don’t have to bake it, just turn off record, but still!! I thought you had to bake because after I tried it the first time, I tried different methods and kept getting the same result: no mirroring. I didn’t realize that I was again falling victim to the old ZBrush renaming problem, wherein you keep trying different things, but because ZBrush renames your original subtool, you just keep trying to append the same problematic one over and over again without realizing it.:rolleyes:
That’s been my experience as well Will. Gotta bake em’ down 
…Followed by another crash while trying to use layers!! And then the realization that you haven’t saved in an hour. Ugh. I firmly vow never ever ever again to use the new layers. If you see me doing so, please punch me in the face. With extreme prejudice. Thank you.
LOL! Now try turning on Auto-Recover and then try to Load a Tool…any tool…be sure you are wearing your crash test dummy costume and are unbuckled first though 
That feature does actually work so I hear…but you have to load tools via lightbox…but you can’t paste paths anywhere in that browser…so you have to create shortcuts to folders you want to browse to and put those shortcuts in the installation folder of ZB :rolleyes: Talk about janky as hell!
I’m just forcing myself to save every 10 minutes or so in hopes of avoiding loss of work as I’ve got that same instability action going on here man. One subtool’s got about 700k polys and cant even TOUCH any layers on it or zb crashes. Oddly enough, every release since v3 has been like that for me…initially it would be VERY unstable and crashing all over the place and then it slowly burns in. Not sure how or why, but it’s happened on multiple different boxes using different operating systems.
As for my issue earlier Im thinking that if you have a mask on and a layer is recording DONT create a new layer with that layer still in REC mode…otherwise ZB seems to gets confused as to which layer the mask was created on and tries to keep it active even after you have cleared the mask. This confusion leads to the layer system itself just breaking down and not allowing you to edit layers except on the highest subd lvl…which is obviously NOT good. I’ll check tomorrow and see if that creates a reproducible bug so the devs can squash it sooner rather than later.
Holy Smokes! I’ve never been able to get Auto Recovery to work. I’ll try your method. Thanks! It may be roundabout, but I’d do anything to have that safety net. I live on ZBrush Central, don’t know how I missed that one.
Thanks again. I owe you.
Will
(EDIT) Nevermind. Don’t bother. Not only do you need to open things through lightbox to get it to work, you have to import through lightbox as well. Otherwise it freezes up. Only problem is, I can’t figure out how to import an obj through lightbox. They don’t show up. Thus no appending. Thus no good.