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Project Data loss after zbrush crash

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

Hi, I need help desperately, please

I was working on this model, and when I tried to perform a mirror from SubTool Master, Zbrush crashed.

The problem is that when I open the last saved project file, it is empty, it only shows me a polymesh star, and a cilinder.
The strange thing is that the file is 400mb, so I can only assume that the data is there, but somehow zbrush can’t display it?

When I re-save this project with only the star and cilinder, the new file also has a size of 400mb. whats going on?

I checked the QuickSave files, they are 400mb too, but they appear to be empty aswell when I open them.

I am using Zbrush 4R7 64bits
I tried to open the files in zbrush 4R7 32bits, but the same happens.

I have a back-up file that works, but I would lose several hours of work.
Is there a way to recover the project?
I would REALLY appreciate some help, please.

#2

ZBrush 4R7 has had 3 patches since the release. Are you fully up to date? It should say ZBrush 4R7 P3 if you are…

#3

thanks for the reply

I just checked, and yes, it does say “4R7 P3”

#4

I suppose you had deactivated the auto save feature that saves periodically a snapshot of the project in the quick save project.

#5

No, quicksave was on.
And the last file before the crash was saved manually.

#6

Zbrush crashes often, obviously depends of what you do, but anyway crashes is a routine. I always save manually after 10 minutes and sequentially, I mean instead overwriting I append a version number: v001, v002 etc. When I don’t do this or I forgot I always pay the consequences.
Anyway I understand that you case was rather that Zbrush was not saving properly with manual saves or automatic saves, which is unfortunate and there is little that you could do to prevent it. I doubt that the file can be recovered as I never had heard that it can be done in Zbrush. File corruption where all saves are bad is rare but it has happened also to me. Sometimes you can open the file but it is broken. Anyway it is so rare that doesn’t really affect productivity.

#7

yeah, I also save sequentially, but not as often, maybe every 1 or 2 hours.
I’ve always had the impression that zbrush is one of the most reliable software out there, so sometimes I relax with the save paranoia haha, but this time it backfired.

In 3dsmax I can end up with 100+ sequential files because the crashes are so frequent,
but in zbrush, having files sizes around 1GB, you can eat up 1TB hard drive really fast.

I think I’m going to take a couple of days to mourn for the lost work… luckily is a personal project.

#8

You could turn on Preferences>Undo History>Skip Loading and then try loading a file. That may enable ZBrush to open the file correctly.

ZBrush project files can get very large if you save the Undo History. You can turn this off in the File menu. For QuickSave you need to turn it off in Preferences>QuickSave. Press Shift+Ctrl+i to store the changes.

Also, you can always save the model through the Save As button in the Tool palette. This will only save the selected model (and all its subtools) but is a good way of creating a back up without saving the whole project.