Smooth Brush - Focal Shift
:qu: I noticed the Focal Shift changes automaticly, what controls this, and why would that be useful?
FIXED
By holding down Shift and resetting focl Shift to = 0
OK, let’t try the followings…
1. Right click on the ZBrush folder and select Properties
2. In the dialog box, select the Security tab.
3. Give Full control to all the groups and user names
When done, try to launch ZBrush with and without selecting ‘Run as administrator’
Also, “Run as Admin” doesn’t work reliably from a shortcut. On top of that, Windows doesn’t always remember the setting after you’ve done it from the actual executable. The only way to guarantee that the setting gets remembered is to right-click on the executable and go to Properties as said above. Then go to the Compatibility tab and click the checkbox at the bottom for running as admin. Click Apply to save the setting. Windows will remember the setting from that point forward, and it never has to be thought about again. (Including when launching from a shortcut.)
Good, looks like it is time for some ZBrushing:)
I’m having a heck of a time getting this latest ZBrush running. I’m having the same problem as post #36 (i think it was - with the two screenshots of dialogs). I fixed the memory thing by manually creating a “vmem” directory in the “ZBrush 3.5R2” directory, but I’m still getting the file write issue.
What makes matters a WHOLE LOT WORSE, is that I FINALLY got it activated after a half-dozen tries, all under “Run as Administrator”, and I messed that up by running ZBrush.exe ONCE not as administrator, and lost the activation. Running as administrator no longer works, and I can no longer activate.
I have UAC on (never turned it off), originally activated while logged in as the administrator user. Vista x64. I’ve opened up the ZBrush directory to regular users, myself, and administrators. Cleared the “read only” flag of the directory and subdirectores.
As to the other error message (file write error), it looks like creating a “Tempfiles” directory under “ZBrush 3.5R2\ZStartup” might do the trick, but my ZBrush is no longer activated so I don’t know if that works.
So far it seems that ZBrush is not written to the MS UAC guidelines. You’re not supposed to put per-user data under Program Files. It should go under the user’s profile directory. Per-machine configuration should go under the “All users” profile directory. Read-only config can go under Program Files. You should not have to always run an application like this as administrator.
Vista’s been out for what, over two and a half years?
Apologies for the rant, but it was a pain getting the thing activated in the first place, and lost the activation painfully easily. I’ll try it one more time tonight, then put this away for a few days for me to cool down.
ETA: Just tried activating again. First I set the compatibility to always run as administrator. Deleted ZActivation.zsc, started ZBrush, got prompted for the admin password. Went through the web activation, got the copy of my ZActivation.zsc, put it in the ZBrush directory, and it was accepted. Since I’ve got the compatibility thing set, I’ll always be running this as admin, but it is disturbing that running it once not as admin will screw up the activation.
And creating the ZStartup\Tempfiles directory does work with the other error.
As cool as it is having the new ZB3.5R2 (I seem to be one of the few who had no problem downloading & activating) I have found what seems to be a pretty serious bug. You cannot have more than 1 subtool in a retopology state or the tool & ZB will crash. The tool is permanently corrupted after that. I lost 3 days of work because I was brought in a Ztool with multile subtools from 3.1 to start playing in 3.5. 
. My bad for not stringing together a series of rotating saves but still sux. After discovering the issue I found the new “Auto File Recovery” option under Preferences:Perfomance tab but was unable to get it to work (crashes ZB & no file in the “Recovered Files” folder to recover. Thankfully there is a workaround… don’t do it & save multiple iterations like crazy! seems silly
I’ve attached a couple ztools to demonstrate what’s happening.
Load both then append the “topo2.ztl” to the “topo1.ztl” as a subtool, toggle the adaptive skin by hitting the “a” key & kaboom! ZB crashes & the appended subtool is permanently corrupted.
If you just load & append them without toggling then save as a new ztool, ZB doesn’t crash but the file is permanently corrupted without you knowing it until you try to reload it which will then immediately crash ZB…ouchy
This is particularly bad if you have a file with multiple subtools that you’re working in respect to each other rather than individually. I think this happens in 3.1 also but thought I’d put it out there in hopes of a fix.
Also-all the cool new plugins (decimation master, stl exporter, paint stop, etc) all gone til ZB4 or can we get updates? 
Glad to see a dedication to revise quickly. 
Here’s a few things I’ve noticed so far:
-
‘Brush>Modifiers>Smooth’ has no effect when an Alpha is selected. (This was also a problem in ZBrush 3. However, it did work on the Alt Brush in ZBrush 3 if the main brush had both Auto-smooth and an Alpha selected.)
-
Alt Brush cannot be changed from a Smooth brush. (I’m sure this was intended but it’s a sad loss for me.)
-
The ‘Focal Length’ setting for Perspective in the ‘Draw’ menu is reversed (lower ‘Focal Length’ settings should result in a wider angle if the setting is meant to simulate camera focal length).
Consider getting Norton UAC tool: http://www.symantec.com/norton/theme.jsp?themeid=labs_uac&header=0&depthpath=0
This lets you on a program by program basis say: “Don’t ask me about this again.” (Make sure that “Run as Administrator” is checked in the properties for zbrush.exe.)
-K
I haven’t been able to activate 3.5 or 3.5R2. I just keep getting the activation failed message. Anyone else having trouble? Any suggestions? I have already read and tried everything from the support site. And I have submitted a support ticket and called support, but I thought I would check here just in case. thanks
Hello Paul.
Before creating a displacment there is no sub tool texture active, or global texture active to the left.
Whats happning is apon creation of displacment maps, Zbrush is sellecting that displacment map as a sub tool texture when it shouldnt. This is why im getting this effect.
Thanks.
How do I get it back? I have deactivated Zbrush 3. 5 now
Thx
I have paid for a CD of 3.5, will I automatically get 3.5 R2?
I’m having a bit of trouble exporting an OBJ file. This is with version 3.5 but as it’s not mentioned in the bug fixes for 3.5r2 I assume it’ll be the same.
Exporting an OBJ of a subtool containing multiple objects and several Polygroups and importing it into Maya it imports at 1% of the size (have to scale it by 100% to bring it back to full size. Also the pivot is centred to the models centre not where its originally place.
I went through this same process with a different object and it exported/imported fine.
Edit: And I can’t change the transparency/ghost colour in preferences.
Any ideas?
MX
Why isn’t it possible to use the smothbrush like a normalbrush without holding shift?
How can I assign the flattenbrush or anyother brush to shift, like in ZBrush 3.1?
Hi Support,
thanks for this great update!!
can I use downloaded 3.1 compatible brushes ( like cloth, fold , brushes) and materials without problems and install them in the 3.5(2) folders?
Hi, when running zbrush 3.5r2 for the first time (not yet activated) i get this error message.
I can cancel and continue but i did not get this error with the original 3.5 install. I have read through this thread and not found this error so thought id bring it to your attention.
If i cancel will i not have zproject working?
I would like to install this version without internal errors!
running on Vista 64bit|Intel i7
New subforums have been added.
If you have trouble launching ZBrush , please use Startup Troubleshooting for ZBrush 3.5R2 Windows
If you can launch ZBrush but having difficulties with activation, please use Activation Troubleshooting for ZBrush 3.5R2 Windows
This thread should only be used if your problem does not fit one of the above categories.
I am having trouble downloading Zbrush 3.5 R2. When I press the download link in my email that contains the cleverbridge reference number and serial number for ZB3.5 the file called 'Zbrush 3_5.zip is downloaded. Does this file contain the ZB 3.5 Release 2 file?
I have also deactivated 3.5 and restarted my system. What can I do
I have the same prob as roger_01
After reading the initial post I clicked on the download button on the CleverBridge email, I installed the files from the 3.5 folder downloaded, and it doesnt seem to be the updated version.
I tried transpose masking and its not defaulted to ‘visible’…
is there another way to download this installer?
When you unzip the ZBrush 3_5.zip file that you just downloaded you should find that it contains the ZBrush 3.5R2 folder.
For people who’ve lost that email already, you’ll need to submit a support ticket so that we can resend the info to you.
I notice a bit of lag after using the smooth brush when the main brush has blur applied to its alpha. I think ZBrush is recalculating the blur after the smooth brush is used.
I’m getting around it by using ‘make modified alpha’ but I just thought I’d mention it.