ZBrushCentral

Normal Map Problem (Zbrush 2 3DSMax)

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

Hi there,

Ive recently started getting into Zbrush and must say this program is flippin great! :slight_smile: I can see myself converting tottaly in no time!

My current project for university is to animate a character in 3dstudio max. It isnt in the guidelines to use Zbrush but i thought what the hell, its something i really want to look into so why not? Well, ive got the hang of the modelling side of things no problem so far. Then I begin use projection master and thats when things begin to get a bit ugly.

Basicly I want to export a low rez model from Zbrush into Max…thats fine. THEN I want to create a nicely detailed normal map to lay over my low rez model in 3dstudio max using Zbrush on a higher subdivision level. Now ive tried quite a few things to get what im looking for and to be honest will just get me jabbering on for hours so if someone knows a clean cut way of getting exactly what I need then please do share this information, it will be greatly apreciated if not to me, to others who have the same problem.

Oh and if you have questions about any settings as such go ahead and fire away. :slight_smile:

Heres some screenshots just to show what i mean, the first is how i see sub level 5 in Zbrush. You can see the veign in the arm nicely and other little details. Then the screenshot in Max once i have brought the normal map in there, see the banding, or seams giving that horrible rugged torn look? Phew! Well, any help will be great! Over and out. Thankyou

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#2

What is happening is that you’re getting seams across the the UV seams, which are caused by the fact that normals change when crossing them. This is very common with Tangent Space maps. The only solution with that type of map is to hide the seams in places where they won’t be visible.

Alternatively, use an Object Space map. That mapping method does not depend on the normals in the same way, and does not have this seam problem.

#3

Before posting I’ve searched around the post alredy present on the forum but nothing seems to help
I wanted simply to detail a model in 3dsmax and then reimport in zbrush but with no lucky at all.
The step was
=>Import OBJ
=>create a texture the same dimension of the displacement I want to
create as displacement normal
=>Store mesh
=>subdivied to level 5
=>detail using projection master
=>switch to store mesh after going to level 1 subdivision
=>create displacement and map and normal map
and now here come the pain
the mesh (even if before creating i used fix seams) has noise and disturbs…
I add thwo screenshot to see the problem hope anyone can help… we are trying to model our character for a competition and we are
getting crazy with that !
Any help appreciated
IS THE SAME PROBLEM ALSO HERE ???

#4

Sorry if I post the message twice I will try to delete as answer in the other thread as reply

#5

Your UVs are not exported correctly from 3DSmax. Make sure you are using the Max2Obj export settings from >> This << thread and try performing a Reset XForm in 3DSmax before exporting to ZBrush.

#6

Thanks for the suggestion… i will try this weekend and send example of what i can achive Thanks a lot in advance
jojo

#7

Thanks Aurick, sorry i havent replied in a while I actually thought this post wasent posted for some reason, only to find today it had! lol , I will give that a try later on today and see if i can figure it out…again thankyou very much!
Sean

#8

Oh Sir! hello aurick, long time no see.

I think you need the plugin 3dsmax8modifiedE.zmp, i was playing around Zbrush last night and 3dsMax … I had a similar problem

See:http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/showthread.php?t=32119

#9

With reset XForm things worked… I’m trying to understand how zmapper work and so I will use the new configuration file
it’s seems I have to discard old UW or for using zmapper I already have to have an obj with a map made in 3ds.
I will post example when I will make displacement (even if things work well :slight_smile: )