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Importing .OBJ crashes Zbrush! help

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

I searched the forum for a thread that contained the same issue Im having, but I cant find one, so here goes… (hope its a simple problem)

I made my basic model in Lightwave (v9) and saved it as an .OBJ file. When I launch Zbrush and go to Import and find my .OBJ file to import it, I get an error message about the Zbrush executable. After that, of course, the program crashes. Ive tried this a couple of times, even hoping that restarting the comp would help but I cannot import my model. I saved a model with sub-D and one with no sub-D, but both have the same results.

Are there any other ways of importing a model, or can anyone shed some light on my problem? I was so excited to add some fine details to my model too! :mad: :frowning:

Help_4.jpg

#2

most likely something strange is going on with that particular model, try exporting some simple primatives from lightwave and importing them into zbrush to see how that goes first.

#3

I gave it a shot with another model. I made a simple primative cone in LW and saved as an .obj. This time when I hit import in ZB I recieved a different message; “error encountered while importing a file”.

Atleast ZB didnt crash! The glass is always half full.:rolleyes:

#4

i’m not a lightwave user and until someone who is chimes in i suggest playing with lightwave’s export settings, also try a cube or sphere instead of the cone.

#5

Thanks for the suggestions thus far. I did try to import a primative cube that I made in LW but that didnt work. Just for grins I flipped the polys inverted and tried it, since opening a ZB in LW the model is inside out; but that let me down too.

#6

Bit of an update: I was able to import my model into Zbrush. My mistake was that I was just saving my LW model as an .obj and not exporting it as an .obj…

Now my current problem is that the primatives I used in the model have more than 3 or 4 sided polys (one end of a cylindar is about a 48 sided poly). I just need to figure that out some more.

The only other issue Im having is when I import my model and subdivide it, the mesh shrinks and creates gaps, and parts become “deleted” or dissappear. Ill try and post some screenshots if I can after class.

#7


  • Shrinking is caused by sudivision smoothing. This will always happen, and is most noticeable with a low poly mesh.
  • Gaps are caused by unwelded vertices. Basically, you have polygons that are adjacent to each other, but aren’t actually connected. So when the mesh is subivided and smoothed, the contraction causes the unwelded edges to pull apart.
  • Disappearing polygons are probably going to be those that have 5 or more sides. Those polygons don’t subdivide correctly, which is one of the reasons they should be avoided.

#8

“Shrinking is caused by sudivision smoothing. This will always happen, and is most noticeable with a low poly mesh.”

So I should further subdivide my model prior to importing it into Zbrush? In Lightwave, I tried exporting my model in the sub-D mode (by hitting tab, if youre familiar with LW) but when I import in ZB, its the regular unsubdivided model. Sometimes this stuff just gets really complicated lol.