i have a mac and i am running 3.12.
i have googled around a bit, and discovered no information on this. zmapper is not on my mac (but it was on my pc version). have i lost it? do i have to download it? does it exist?
There has never been any implementation of Zmapper on OSX… you must fully restart into windows on an intel mac in order for it to function properly. Hopefully Zbrush 3.5 resolves this and gives the mac the same powerful normal mapping tools the windows side has.
The ability to export displacement maps is the entire reason I purchased ZBrush. Not only was I unable to find ZMapper on my Mac version, I’ve been wearing out the virtual “Create DispMap” and “Create NormalMap” buttons on my copy of 3.12 trying to export alphas. I previously thought it was my novice
status in ZBrush that was the problem. Are these functions also non-functional for OSX users?
You pretty much cannot get a decent displacement map or normal map out of Zbrush 3.12 on the Mac. They’ll probably play dumb with you at Pixologic support (the did with me . . .) What you’ll find is that the built in mechanisms have problems around UV borders (even internal to the map) and that there is no easy fix for them. (You can hand reprocess the map, but this is hardly automatic and error prone.)
The only choices for Mac users that are remotely conceivable involve using Windows based solutions:
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Load your hires model as an .obj into ZB 3.10 PC Version, recover your subdvision levels, and generate maps with Zmapper or Mulit Displacement3. (Don’t even think of trying to load a 3.12 ZTL into 3.10–it isn’t going to work.)
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Use xNormal (free) to generate your maps. xNormal tends to do a better job on Normal maps, but can also do displacements through UV matching as long as the jump from low-res to high res isn’t to many orders (e.g. doubling levels) away.
If you don’t have the Windows version of ZB, then you should contact Pixologic support. Some have found satisfaction in demanding (and getting refunds.)
The solution is allegedly Zbrush 3.5, which was originally announced for Q4 last year, but just a few days ago, they announced it as “in progress” and we will here more about it in Q1 of this year. Given Pixologic’s track record on this, I would not have much confidence in anything they say until you actually have the code in your hands, which means if you have a deadline, you should seek other solutions.
There’s a number of threads here which cover more of the gruesome history of ZB on Macintosh, but that’s our current status. I use ZB 3.12 Mac every day, but I have not found a satisfactory Mac-native solution to getting my maps for working with other apps, nor a satisfactory solution from Pixologic, which does not seem especially concerned about providing a solution anytime soon. (I’ve heard that there as a beta fix in 3.5, but Pixologic is very secretive about their betas.) Essentially you can wait it out, use windows fixes, or demand your money back–ZB 3.12 Mac is incomplete and unlikely to be fixed until 3.5, whenever that may be.
Sorry for the bad news,
-Kerwin
Hey Kerwin-
Thanks for the sage advice. I will probably deal with this by getting Windows (XP Pro, hopefully) for my Intel Mac. I’ve owned PCs in the past so it’s no huge deal for me. I just prefer OSX.
There is nothing that I’ve found in this life as frustrating as trying to learn a new software program by yourself, relying only on the publisher’s manual, and finding after weeks of struggling that the ‘geniuses’ that wrote the program and manual made it impossible for you to do what you have been attempting. I wish that I could bill Pixelogic for the many wasted hours of studio time.
I’m curious, why do you use Mac 3.12 if you’re also on PC? Is there some advantage to the Mac version (other than the vastly superior OS? 
)
Thanks for your help. More and better than I ever got from Pixelogic.
-Mike
I’m actually on macs and do 95% of my work on them. I have some licenses for WinXP that I use in Bootcamp and Parallels on my two main systems. I also have a couple of cheap PCs lying around to test web stuff for clients. (I can’t afford to get religious on the subject of operating systems with clients.) Pixologic, when they released ZB3 for PC (and not for Mac) offered Mac users a free upgrade to the PC version while we waited out the ZB Mac release (especially important since ZB2 doesn’t work on Intel-based OSX Macs.)
Most of my work has been in the ad business, so more of my stuff is film and photo work–3D is an element, but just one in the mix and our video editing platform is FinalCut Studio and our sound platform has been Logic and Digital Performer for a long time (before we did much 3D.) We used to use Newtek Lightwave for some of our 3D content, but we’re much more oriented to C4D (Studio setups) and Modo these days. Zbrush is more of a bit player in our pipeline, but I have a personal interest in it because I enjoy its digital sculpting capabilities which are much more fluid and natural than any other 3D sculpting system. (I trained as a traditional sculptor in my wasted youth and most 3D systems want to make me an architect instead. 
)
Long answer to an easy question. 
So I’ve ordered XP Pro for my Intel Mac. Spaz8 mentioned “starting into Windows for zmapper to function properly”. Will the copy of 3.12 that I have for my Mac launch into Windows or will I need a Win version of 3.12? In the ‘Olde Days’ a Mac app was a Mac app and PC apps were entirely unto PCdom. I have a request into Pixelogic support on this but I expect this forum will be several days faster to respond.
Thanks!
Yes… u need to have a WIN version of ZB 3.1 installed. I got a license transfer back when 3.1 first came out knowing some time could, and did pass before the OSX version would show up.
Here is the official response from ZBrush Support in response to my request for a switch to the fully functioning PC version of ZBrush:
“There is actually a cost associated with switching platforms, so if you prefer to use Mac, I don’t recommend switching. The map issues will be addressed with the next release, which should be ready soon. In the mean time, you could use the free 30 day trial on PC to create your maps, rather than paying the 50% cost to switch platforms just to use it until the next release, which as I said should be ready quite soon.”
Sincerely,
Pixologic ZBrush Support
This just amazes the hell out of me. If there were ever a case for the benefits of free market competition, this would be it.
Aurick commented today about THE displacement issue 3.12 in this thread;
http://209.132.96.165/zbc/showthread.php?t=64630&page=7&pp=15
“Version 3.1 can even be used for this if your computer has a Windows partition. Many of you already have temporary PC licenses. Because of this situation we haven’t disabled those licenses. Newer customers who bought 3.12 directly won’t have the temp PC license, but we would be happy to provide you with one if you contact support. Again, we understand that this is not ideal. But you’re still using ZBrush natively on your Macs for the majority of the work. That’s a lot better than not being able to do any of the work natively until 3.5, which would have been the case if 3.12 was not released.”
I would push getting a free WIN license to work with if that is how you want to work around the current situation.
Agree with Ken (Spaz8). Get your Windows license of ZB 3.10. We have no idea how long it will be before a Mac native solution presents itself.
I just noticed this today:
Autodesk adds Mac versions of Toxik, Mudbox and ImageModeler 2009.
To coincide with the annual Macworld Conference & Expo in San Francisco,
Autodesk has announced that it has expanded its portfolio of creative tools
for Mac OS X.
I want to be fair and give these guys at Pixologic a chance to sort this out. Some of the people I’ve contacted at support have been helpful, others have been arrogant asses. I’m going to want a resolution pretty soon here whether it’s a PC copy, Mac 3.5 or my money back. This situation desperately needs competitors like Autodesk to create some accountability. The “we’re the only game in town so you’re lucky to get whatever we give you” attitude is total b.s… That’s the sound a company makes right before it goes out of business.
This really sucks for me. I’ve been using 3.12 and been doing a ton of work. I really haven’t noticed until now that Zmapper wasn’t included. I’ve saved my .ZTL file with 3.12, and won’t even be able to go back to 3.10. Looks like I’ll have to wait until 3.5 which to me is lame. At least release the same freaking product as PC and not make it seem better by calling it 3.12. The Mac ver. to me is more like ver 3.05. Uncontrollable random crashes are also a problem.
I agree, Mac 3.12 was and is a half baked program. I’ve gone the extra step of purchasing Windows XP and installing in on my Intel Mac. Pixologic support gave me a license for PC 3.1 which I will be installing today. I’m cautiously optimistic.
I think Pixologic gets it that Mac 3.12 has been a bit of a disaster. Now they’re caught in the double bind of wanting to get a solution out quickly to all of the pissed off 3.12 buyers and also wanting to take the time to get it right this time. I know that I don’t want to see another Mac version that is lacking key features and in which none of the work arounds work either.
I’ll give PC 3.1 a drive around the block on my Mac and let you know how it goes. It seems that Windows XP has installed flawlessly using Boot Camp and works just like the old Dell tower I had (only much faster and better looking, of course! )
Thanks to Kerwin and to Matthew at Pixologic Support for all of their help.
You may also want to look into Parallels or VM ware to run 3.1 so you don’t have to restart. Ofcourse thats another $50 or something. 3.1 runs well in parallels, ive used it in version 3 and 4. There is only a bit of a lag each time you tumble the model for example you dont have with the native OSX version. You also cannot subdivide as high as in 3.12. And to use Zmapper you will have to restart/bootcamp.
Also there are often patches every few months for Parrallels etc, and each time you install those, if you choose to. Zbrush will need to be re-activated. Eventually you’ll use up your activations and have to call Pixo to give you a code. Hope that helps.
Zmapper won’t run properly under Parallels (V4) or Vmware Fusion (1 or 2). It need OpenGL stubs that aren’t there in emulators. To run Zmapper you really need to do it Bootcamp (sorry.) Wish the news was better on that front. You can run a lot of other things in the emulators (Parallels and VMware and sculpt–it seems to be primarily Zmapper that needs the OGL stuff the emulators don’t provide.)
-K