Does anybody know anything about a format called .map . It was mentioned to me by somebody over at the Vray forum. It allows you to export your displacement map with scale and alpha intensity embedded. The theory - well as I understand it is your setting always remain the same in your Vray displacement map. And your imported .map does the rest - it sounds too good to be true - as anybody heard know anything about it ?
Thanks in advance for your help.
Whats about Import from MAX.
Have made two Spheres little different dimensions, cut the inner one with boolen Substract and than substract on one side a cylinder and a cube on the other side of the hollow sphere. Export it to .obj (param. see picture). On Import into Zbrush 2 I get a hollow sphere where the outward skin seems transparent. What’s wrong with my Import?
Hi Wandrey,
Booleans in max have always given me “interesting” results. They usually end up making pretty dirty meshes.
I would suggest not using them, but in an effort to try to solve your current problem, it looks like the normals have been reversed.
You can add an “Edit Normals” modifier in max to have a quick look at your normals, I would assume they would be pretty crazy.
Also, have you tried the xform modifier in max? I always use this on any object I am about to export, as it really cleans up the normals.
One other thing to suggest, maybe try turning off the “normals” check box on export from max.
Booleans are a creature unto themselves. You could achieve the same thing with a lathe - if all else fails you can probably do that. You could also try to flip the normals in Zbrush. Tool > Display Properties > Flip. It will do the same thing as a normal modifier in 3ds. Things get a little strange when you are bringing it back into max. You will probably want to unflip it before you export.
You can also try the import options Preferences > Import Export > here you have a bunch of options to play with - from this point you’re on you’re own. I am not quite sure which one of these will flip your mesh, but I would do a couple of tests.
My experiece with Zbrush led me to a mutiple testing philosophy. Basically I would bring things backwards and forwards lots of times at various stages of modelling, making sure things where working as I expected - especially when it comes to displacements maps :ex: :ex: You don’t want to put in hours of work, without testing things back 3ds I’ve had a few nasty surprizes that way.
Good Luck
The normals are flipped for sure, anyway try to collapse the modifier stack and convert to an editable mesh before exporting to obj, it might even work.
Hello all. I’m new here, but have been browsing for a few months learning how to make normals work in 3ds Max. But I’ve hit a bit of a snag. Here’s how I make the normals.
Export OBJ from max
import, subdivide, and detail in zBrush (i may or may not make a morph target depending on my goal)
goto subdividion 1, click GUV Tiles, and create normal
export tool / object and reopen in max
(i do exactly what was suggested in the first reply to this thread)
currently I am modelling a female character in Max with clothing. Her clothes are simply copies of the body mesh, cut and extruded to look like clothes. Using this method, I get perfectly fitting clothing and my Character Studio rig perfectly manipulates all of the “cloth” and her body without geometry passing through each other.
Ok, here’s my problem: when I import an object in zBrush, I make a morph target (to preserve the original geomtry) and carry on. When I import it back into max and apply the normal, it looks good. HOWEVER! The geomtry is still slightly edited (i’m guessing because zBrush doesn’t like some of my cuts?), and as a result, my character’s body and clothing geometry intersect and the integrity of my rig falls apart.
I guess what my question is is really this: is there a way to create a normal map for a 3ds max piece of mesh WITHOUT having to import an object from zBrush? Can I just make a map in zBrush and apply it to an already existing piece of geometry without having to import a similar (though very slightly modified) object from zBrush? Thanks in advance and I hope someone out there knows what the hell i’m talking about … brevity isn’t a strong suit of mine.
Good hints, I’ll give them a try, thanks.
jaylerd…
in zb subd and do your detailing then go back to subd 1 and reimport your original mesh at that level then create the map…don’t go up in levels or you will smooth it and slightly change it…just reimport and create the map.
Do I use a morph target at all?
Here’s what I tried and it didn’t work:
I opened the body tool which contained 4 subdivisions, detailing, and a morph target. I went down to level 1 and deleted the original morph target (the original model) so that all I had was the detailed version. I imported the older model, and I noticed that the figure changes. All is well, I think to myself. I hit GUV and create a normal map and FlipV as per usual and go in to max to see how the texture looks on my old model (which was the one I imported). It doesn’t fit. It’s all black with little blotches of tile all over.
Oh, and I did NOT export any geometry from zBrush, just the texture.
Any ideas?
Export from Max after boolean cuts and convert to editable Poly.
Import in Zb flip normals and texturing the Obj.
Export from Zb.
Import in Max and Attach the Obj-Groups.
Put a Smoothmodifier on top and get a fine smooth textured Obj.
You can make that without external progs.
[[attach=24702]sphereomatic.jpg[/attach]](javascript:zb_insimg(‘24702’,‘sphereomatic.jpg’,1,0))
Lemo
PS:Paint in 0,0,0 black the geometry on a sphere, then use the mask from texture option, hide the unmasked points, delete them in geometry ‘dlete hidden’, then store that as morph target, inflate or deflate, generate the diff and there you are. Takes less than it takes to write this once you done it once.
PPS:I did not subdivide the sphere and I did not take care where the poles are. If you divide to a fine mesh and then also pay attention how the sphere’s mesh flows… you get REALY good results. AND… of course… you can alt-smooth…
what im missing here is the morph target prosses…can you give us a tut on how you do this? (from the first sphere to the result)?
That would be helpfull!
Real easy. Just draw a sphere (must be a polymesh sphere, or cube, or any polmesh object) then simply ctrl-shift mask a part away. Does not matter which. When a part is invisible, got to the geometry tab and press delete hidden. You should have a ‘destroyed’ mesh. Then open the morphtarget tab and store this as morphtarget. A button shows up now which says ‘creatediff’. Don’t press that YET… Go to the deformation tab and inflate your mesh a bit. THEN go back to the morphtarget tab and NOW press the creatediff button. Voila, you have a mesh with thickness. Now play with painting masks onto the meshes and hide parts with the masks etc. etc… Lot’s of options.
Does this decription work for you?
Lemo
Very helpful description, thanks.
What? A bump map? Don’t you mean apply the normal map as a displacement map? Why would you use the bump field when you could use the displacement field?
I’m using GUV tiles for all my maps. When I do a 800x600 render I can see seams on my model, when I render at 3200X2400 they are greatly reduced. Also, in the front view of my model in the 3200x2400 render that has diffuse and bump maps there is a verticle black line.
Anyone, know why the discrepancy between low rez seams and high rez with greatly reduced seams? Also the black verticle line apparently caused by the bump map but not a bump. The seams are in the same spot on the diffuse and bump so they seem to be GUV related. All maps are 4096. All renders scanline, no MR.
Just wondering, does anyone use BOTH a normal map and a displacement map for use with their mesh? I find it gives much higher definition for meshes with very large deformations that require a very high smooth iteration.
HELLO UPHAM,
THE tutorial is really helpful.The core of Zbrush and max bridging for me was to create uv sets in max which i didn’t get a clear idea from any other tutorials.
Thanx
This is very nice and usefull, thank you all very much…
I’m useing max 6 and that importer from habware doesn’t work I get a message saying it’s not for my vesion when I start up. Does this happen to anybody else?