ZBrushCentral

Questions and Troubleshooting for ZMapper

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE POSTING:

This thread is meant to bring together all troubleshooting questions for problems that you might be having with ZMapper. When you post, be sure to include the following information:

  1. A detailed description of the problem that you're having. Help us duplicate the error.
  2. Which platform you're running (PC or Mac)
  3. Which version of the OS you're running. Please give the full version number.
  4. Which application you use as your rendering engine (including its full version number).
  5. Your system specs, such as CPU, RAM, and free disk space on the ZBrush drive.
If you have suggestions regarding Displacement Exporter, please do not post them here. Instead, send them to [email="[email protected]"][email protected][/email]

Thanks! :slight_smile:

New Configurations:

MAYA 7_SURFACESAMPLER_TangentSpace_BestQuality

3DS Max8_TangentSpace_BestQuality

Attachments

3DS Max8_TangentSpace_BestQuality.zip (229 Bytes)

#2

Big thanks to Pixologic for this, I’ve been eagerly waiting for it since they first mentioned it.

But I can’t get it to work properly. When I load a tool, go into edit mode and then run zmapper, it expands the canvas and the model spins around. I don’t have the control panel box for zmapper. If I click anywhere outside the canvas it closes the zmapper preview and takes me back to the editing view.

I redownloaded and ‘reinstalled’ it, but I keep getting this same problem. Anyone have any ideas (I’m pretty new to Zbrush)?

#3

The control panel should appear at the bottom of (but still on) your canvas.

What are your system specs? Specifically, what video card are you running? What is your display resolution?

Can you post a screen shot of your ZBrush window with ZMapper active?

#4

Hi,

My specs are: Athlon XP 3200+
1 Gig PC 3200 ram
Radeon 9800 pro
Display resolution is 1024x768
OS is Windows XP SP 2
And about 30 gigs free on the partition containing Zbrush.

Here is a screenshot. I drag the bottom of the canvas up to make room for the zmapper controls, but when I run zmapper it just pushes the lower border back down to the bottom of the screen. Trying to drag it back up exits zmapper.

#5

p.s. can anyone get the cavity map to work when projecting onto different base topology (like the tutorial on page 54 of the new manual) ? i’m not having any luck so far (though the normal maps work great)

#6

junkville, the manual addresses that issue (bottom of page 11.). If you have cavity in the original you can project that, but you can’t recreate cavity from scratch whilst projecting.

“When setting values for projections, note that you cannot incorporate bump maps or cavity shading when creating normal maps via projection. Bump maps [and cavity] can be used when generating the initial normal map, and their effect will then appear in the projection”

(I think the original post asked that troubleshooting be limited to the questions and troubleshooting forum)

#7

having the exact same problem my control pannel does not appear any where
pentium 4
512 ram
windows xp sp2
display ress 1280 x1024

#8

I find that the ZMapper panel won’t display if your document view is too small width ways. Try hiding the left/right shelf and maximizing the canvas (TAB).

#9

Well spotted marcus. :slight_smile:

#10

Works fine here. Expand your view port.

#11

I am assuming this plugin does not work on computers that do not support OpenGL?? The computer I use at work is getting the following error when I try to use ZMapper:

No GL_ext_texture_env_dot3 support!

Then it goes on to give a Display error over and over again and I am forced to close Zbrush:

GL_invalid_enum:

So I am assuming this plugin is not meant to work on all computers.

#12

no luck here, still the same problem.

#13

posted a question over in the main forum by mistake so thought i’d repost in the right place!

“can anyone get the cavity map to work when projecting onto different base topology (like the tutorial on page 54 of the new manual) ? i’m not having any luck so far (though the normal maps work great)”

i got this reply from antimorph >
"junkville, the manual addresses that issue (bottom of page 11.). If you have cavity in the original you can project that, but you can’t recreate cavity from scratch whilst projecting.

“When setting values for projections, note that you cannot incorporate bump maps or cavity shading when creating normal maps via projection. Bump maps [and cavity] can be used when generating the initial normal map, and their effect will then appear in the projection”

This still doesnt make much sense to me - so what are the steps i need to project a cavity map?

#14

The ZMapper panels don’t appear in the ZScript window.

Instead, they are displayed within the canvas proper - like all ZScript notes - thus, there would probably be a necessary minimum width for the canvas in order to accomodate the ZMapper display.

Sven

[Edit: Wrong. After testing, it seems that ZMapper temporarily initiates a larger canvas width so as to accomodate the display… then reverts to the original canvas size on exit. TRICKY! ]

#15

barbapapa,
If you’ve maximized your document view and have the ZMapper view of your model (greenish, rotating) try hitting TAB.

junkville,
If I understand correctly, in order to project cavity shading on to a new base mesh you need to have added cavity shading [by setting the Cavity Intensity slider to greater than the default zero] to the normal map generated from the original (captured) mesh. In other words the cavity shading (and/or bump) have to be part of the normal map you are trying to project. You can’t add them separately later.

#16

thanks marcus, i already did that and no luck so far… Dont know what else could be.
Damn it …Icant try this goodie!

#17

that’s an awesome plug!! if you setup the right option, you can get a fantastic normal map …i tryed to back the bump map made seperatly as well and it’s just fabulous!..the only thing is the prohjection to different topology model…I have a problem with the placement of the second model (the changed topology one) …the scale is right but the position isn’t…it’s slightly different…I tried to move my model using the preview window but cant make it happen :frowning:
if someone can help me on this ill be the most happy of all :slight_smile:

#18

Symptom: Pressing a ZMapper interface button activates its neighbour, the button hotspot is displaced.

Steps to reproduce:

  1. Open the left hand side folding shelf by clicking on the “Divider”.
  2. Load any tool for use in zmapper.
  3. Launch ZMapper, and play around.
  4. Exit ZMapper
  5. Collapse the left hand folding shelf
  6. Launch ZMapper again, the interface items hotspot areas are displaced.

Geforce 4 Ti 4400

The button hotspots are returned to normality by returning the interface to the same configuration it was in at the time ZMapper first launched.

#19

Well spotted Antimorph. :slight_smile: Just noticed that myself.

EDIT:

The drawback is if you experience the problems outlined above where the ZMapper interface won’t show. In other words, if you try launching with a shelf showing, no interface appears so you then click the divider to expand the doc view, on relaunch of ZMapper the buttons are out of sync.

#20

Can you try a larger display resolution? It might be that your setting is too small for the menu to be able to fit.

Best to eliminate the obvious before we start really digging. :slight_smile: