I remember using those (the ATI one)…not quite the same as using Zmapper…kind of looking for the next step…or at least one step back…this is like…3 steps back.
Ugh…
Anyway people,we all know that when all this little problems will be resolved(and i’m sure will be relatively soon and this time at a profesionists level)…well… 
…then who can stay against the mighty ZB3???who??? 
We can see it’s a gourgeous program…and all for us… 
actually these guys have the better idea of using the Nvidia normal mapping tools… but if you want to stick with what I said then I can’t help you, I sort of just learn by messing around so I never really found any particular setting to be correct and there are some errors in the way it creates normal maps with Auv Unwrapping. So i’d go with the Nvidia normal mapping complete package that allows you to import both low and high resolution meshes.
Most of the errors in ZB3 when generating a displacement map seem to be from camera/ray distance errors when projecting is happening (at least I think that’s what the problem is). I need to figure out how to set that distance…
Well I just “re-realized” that XSI has VERY nice remapping tools for displacement, normal maps and such with plenty of control (esp of things like ray distance/camera distance). No plugins needed- tiz a main feature. I just don’t know if my lowly XSI FND will take an 8 mill poly mesh on XP home! I’ve only gone up to 3mil per object…
I guess I just got lazy thanks to zmapper…oh zmapper…boo hoo…
Yup, I’m also putting XSI’s “giga-polygon core” through its paces to generate N and DMAPS - hitherto pretty unexplored by me, as I’d become so reliant on ZMapper et al. Ta also to those who suggested the Z2 re-import workarounds.
hey all,
It kinda sucks that zbrush does not have normal maps. and not sure about displacements. But a good work around I found is to take the High mesh from Z3 and export it out to Z2. then reconstruct the surface in Z2 and do all the maps there, only prob is that Z2 cant handle all the geomety Z3 can handle. anyway my friend is getting his DVD version of Z3 in June 1, they said they will have all the updates and plugins then. Hopefully they will fix these problems.
Not much to add to what everybody else has to say, except for my own vote for an official statement, other than “soon” on this.
The method of exporting a subtool as an obj into z2 and reconstruct / lower res works great for rebuilding the tool. Then make the map from the rebuilt tool. But if the object is anything over 6 million poly its a slow method.
Hi, I am quite disapointed by this as well, but to help a bit I use http://www.xnormal.net/, a free normal map generator, so this might help, but I really need zmapper in ZB3 .
So will there be a bug fix for the normal map button?
And yah the displacement map doesn’t take the HD geometry data, why?
I think for the time being until a bugfix is posted. I think we should go back to Z2 for production pipelines.
WARNING — RANT MODE RANT MODE RANT MODE — WARNING
Yeah it’s kind of frustrating…we have this application that is supposed to compete with other applications out there, and in many ways it blows them (one really) out of the water…except on a little issue of actually using it outside of Zbrush…
Until Zbrush comes with a complete game engine and dev kit, until it has robust animation and particle effects- until it has production level rendering fit for animation- until it has expressions- until it is on the level of Photoshop with image editing, the lack of these tools will be a major issue. Hell even if it had them it would be! Thankfully I hope it never has much more of these and just continues to do what it does so well- model like nobodies business! But that leaves us here…
Right now Zbrush 3 is mainly JUST an extremely powerful illustration tool. While everyone who is fanatical about zbrush is preaching on to everyone who will listen of its greatness (I am…but not fire and brimstone like some), the lack of these tools is just silly- and the longer it goes the less funny it gets.
I mean- if they had the beta team using something that still “worked” why not put those on the site with a disclaimer stating that there are beta tools for people who need them to use while they work on a better version? NO SUPPORT- USE AT OWN RISK! I can dig that- for now while I wait a bit (key work here is bit).
Think about it too from a new user or MB user point of view- they see the amazing videos on CGtalk and go and check out the program…make something amazing with this amazing tool…go to export it and…wait it doesn’t work! Then they come here to find out…well it just didn’t make the cut!?!
It’s almost like selling a copy of MAX, MAYA, C4D, XSI, etc. etc. without a render engine…or animation tools…or modeling. Something considered so basic, so fundamental by now that to NOT include it is ludicrous.
And that’s why I’m going to have to use ZB2 for 90% of my work until this is all sorted out- what a shame.
Anyway- I have a hard time thinking that Pixologic doesn’t see this issue as enemy #1 in terms of being competitive- so I think it’s entirely probable that they’re going to release it REALLY REALLY SOON! right?
I am sorry to say, but “Amen” to the last post! At the very least a beta version would indeed be a good start.
the reason i think z2 plugins dont work on z3 is that z2 worked on a jave environment and z3 uses visual basic or something like that…
not work for me too! 
windows xp pro
amd 64
1 gig ram
… it wont be as good as z mapper… but maybe is a temp solution for now.
Hey…
Clever! Thank You.
Ganymedes
hay guys these are two links for the normal map generation in z brush 3 these liks wre given to me by sinmania vbmenu_register(“postmenu_369059”, true); hope they help
http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/showthread.php?t=46231
http://3d-tips.blogspot.com/
vbmenu_register(“postmenu_369059”, true);
Regards
kunwar nikhil
Hi, I am a new ZBrush user, (very cool program, picked it up in hours) but I am having issues when I am creating Normal Mapping… while I get my map just the right intensity, I am still getting seams in the texture… I keep playing with the Seam Overpaint by using small amounts but I still get seams on some spots where the UV’s meet…
I am using ZMapper to do my NM’s and using the texture in XSI…
Hey Halo, glad to have you on board, no pun intended! When you are seeing these seems issues is it when you tried to render it in XSI? because Zmapper always produce great normal maps with no seems. What you see in Zmapper is what you should get.
Now, I’m thinking that your settings is probably not correct when rendering. I’m a Maya user so it’s a little different. I do know that in Maya you can’t render using the default rendered because you get seems. Maya 8 and up I can render correctly with Mental Ray.
So I’m guessing that your renderer is probably either not set correctly or your normal map is not set correctly in XSI. Try looking online to see if there is a proper tutorial of how to set up and render normal maps in XSI.
Hope this helps somewhat.