ZBrushCentral

Imported Mesh Exploding.THE FIXX.

ZBrush Usage Questions
#73

Here is a dramatic case,

I am working on a creature head at the moment and I have needed some fixes outside ZBrush. I exported the model from ZBrush, imported in to Modo. And I did some test changes and test uving to see if ZBrush would explode this mesh before I spend my real time for real work in Modo. I exported from Modo, it is all good Zbrush imports fine, no explosions and I was happy. Great story is not it?

Well since Zbrush was not exploding the mesh I thought I should work on the fix and uving. I imported the very same model into Modo. I did proportional fixes and some other changes that was similar to ones in the test. I exported the model when I was done. Well you think that it should not explode right? It actually exploded and wasted just my 2 hours. Is not it great story?

#74

The FBX solution doesnt work for me and I’m not going to be able to import high rez models into max …
When are we going to have a decent workflow between Max and Zbrush ? :frowning:

#75

" If you do these steps the mesh will not explode because you are using a virgin model directly from the application. note:"

Actually I do not agree with this particular finding. Virginification of high or low model has nothing to do with this. You wont get explosion not because you have a virgin mary model, but because most likely from high res to low res(downresing) wont explode any model. Explosion most likely happens during up resing your model. So in your case since you cannot go higher than the highest resolution you wont get explosion. You were just lucky to find out that this method works, but your final finding is not quite the only explanation to this issue.

Try actually exporting 3 versions from zbrush, lowest, medium and the highest(a model that gives you explosion headache) .Then import into Max and export them out of Max and do the same method you just explained. But this time once you have established your subd levels goto medium res and import your medium max exported version. Most likely you will get exploding polygons.

#76

I tried the “virgin model” technique.

I open an OBJ with properly unwrapped uv’s . . . when I import the highres (finished sculpt) model over my subdivided unwrapped model it will not explode into a porcupine mess . . . .

however it still has the crummy old uv’s that are no good to me.
I even applied a texture . . . that worked on the properly unwrapped piece and dissapeared when I threw the highres mesh over it.

Am I missing a step?

Is it stupid to try and uv a piece after you sculpt it?
Is everyone else just unwrapping before they put all their detail into the meshes?

#77

I have the same problem except I’m not even importing into a 3rd party application. I simply export my low res, export my high res then:

Import low res to new
Sub Div low res to same as high res
Import high res

When I adjust to the lower sub div levels it looks fine and then as I go back up it explodes.

Again, this is when I’m simply exporting directly from ZBrush and importing straight back into ZBrush.

#78

Kosher

Thank you for confirming my points!! They need to fix this …crap.

All these solutions in Zbrush forums regarding this problem are all accidental . None of them are real solution. Zbrush has mental problems when it comes to importing into existing geometry. It can not even handle its own geometry-image formats properly(I had very same issue you have in the past as well) . This is very much overlooked issue and I would say that ignorance plays some part in this particular problem. People are b…thing about this for quite sometime and I have not seen anyone from Pixologic to comment on this problem. Only god knows why they have choosen to do so.

#79

I’ve noticed something that might be related. In the original mesh, I hide a certain polygroup and then as I slide down to subdiv level one, part of the polygroup becomes unhidden.

Could this be some indication that the UVs from the very lowest level are different than the levels above it? I have also tried just exporting from subdiv level 2, where the issue mentioned above does not occur but I still have the exploding mesh dilemma…

Yes, this is no fun.

Could it also have something to do with the detail painted in layers at the higher sub div level?

#80

Ah ha! Got it! It had something to do with the fact hat I was hiding polygroups and exporting.

I was unable to use the delete hidden button until marcus responded to my recent post about being unable to get rid of the HD layers, where he says to use the SubTool Master. I duplicated my tool using subtool master and the HD layers vanished.

I then opened up the new ZTool I created from the SubTool Master, went down to my lowest subd level, hid the polygroups that I didn’t want exported, then used the Geometry>Delete Hidden function (this was the key). Before I was just exporting without deleting hidden.

Now all is well and I was even able to keep my high details that were in layers.

Good luck!

#81

I just wanted to post today`s Zbrush art.

[greenshot_2008-04-06_13-19-44.jpg]

#82

Yeah, mine ended up breaking again too. Exploding mesh is back even though I thought I resolved it about two posts ago. It’s weird that I was able to get it working with some magic combo but now it’s not.

Sorry to see so many people having trouble.

I am trying out Silo now, which has a topology brush. www.nevercenter.com

UPDATE

Silo won’t even run on my Vista x64 machine. Trying on my Mac now.

#83

Kosher I told you, you are wasting your time to find an ultimate solution to this. Trust me I wasted tens of hours on this, there is no light at the end of the tunnel. Best thing you can do is keep complaining about it until they fix it which is the path I have taken at the moment.

#84

Hey I use maya and I was having a very similar problem. The whole reason that massive explosions like those occur is because the vertex order changes. So one fix I found is that when you import your model into maya make sure to uncheck “Create multiple objects” all the way on the bottom of the import options.

#85

Hey everybody! I think I have aged a year in the last 24 hours, but thanks to this forum and some keen suggestions by garycrump and Boa, it worked! :lol:

I was getting exploding meshes and tried all kinds of options to no avail. This is what worked for me, using ZB 3.1 and max 9, SP2:

If you are using 3ds max 9, get SP2. It’s free and easy to download. I think there is something wrong with the obj exporter in max 9.


  • Export sDiv 1 from ZBrush as an obj.
  • Import in to max 9 and tweak UVs.
  • Be sure to use Edit Poly to ensure face count is the same. (I noticed several people could not import their obj files in to ZB due to a different face count. Edit poly should resolve that. Right click to get Object Properties in max and check vert and face count - compare that to sDiv 1 in ZBrush).
  • Export tweaked model from max as .fbx with options as Boa suggested.
  • Convert .fbx to obj with both Force Tri and Compute Link unchecked.
  • At sDiv 1 in ZBrush, import the new obj file.
Thank you everybody!! The dark clouds above me are clearing away now.
~Scott

www.martinarts.com

#86

amazingly simple and effective workaround thank you so much. :+1:

#87

Another masterpiece from Zbrush today.

[greenshot_2008-07-10_12-37-33.jpg](javascript:zb_insimg(‘99246’,‘greenshot_2008-07-10_12-37-33.jpg’,1,0))

#88

I think u guys who can’t fix your problems should post those tools and ask nicely if anyone will have a look?
Sounds like you may have merge vertix uv’s on, wither in import or export?

#89

hi everyone, been having this exploding obj thing for while and the only thing I found to work is converting the mesh to a editable poly, here’s my work flow

  1. model in zbrush,
  2. export to obj all standard settings
  3. import to max 9 sp2
  4. repose/edit uvs, or what ever you want to do, except not changing the vertex count
  5. convert to editable poly (i found converting to poly before or after makes no difference.)
  6. export back to obj
  7. import to the same subdivision you exported at then move up to the highest subdivision and every thing is updated correctly.

This seems to work for me, I hope this helps someone as its a very frustrating problem.

#90

Weird. I used to have this problem with almost every model. Now I can’t get the same spiky result even if I tried… This is so random…

Make sure that on import to max you have “normal” checked and “unified” unchecked.

#91

Just FYI the Max to FBX, then convert FBX to OBJ worked for me with Max 8 (PC) and Zbrush 3.1 (Mac)… nothing else had worked previously…
Thanks for the help guys

#92

Hey guys, I was having the exact problem today and I managed to fix it without changing import settings in either app. I’m not sure if this is what is happening to all of you, but give it a try and see if it works.

Basically, the mesh had a hidden vert in the model. If you go into vertice mode (in max) and click unhide all in the roll out options, it will unhide all of your hidden verts. Delete the isolated verts and export again. Hope it helps some of you out.