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Questions & Troubleshooting for ZBrush 4R6 - read first post for P2 Patch instruction

ZBrush Usage Questions
#221

Hi all,

I’ve recently upgraded to 4R6 and I have some issues with dynamesh when trying to subtract a tool. I work with 3D printing and I use this feature a lot. The problem is that when I try to subtract a tool from a dynamesh it doesn’t subtract at all, I’ve checked that the tool to be extracted has white polygroup and everything looks OK, but it’s added instead of subtracted when I remesh. I’ve tried with 4R5 and it works properly.

I really appreciate if someone can help me with this.

Thanks in advance

#222

http://docs.pixologic.com/reference-guide/tool/polymesh/geometry/ There’s a section on Dynameshing, might help.

#223

SubWhen holding the Alt key while inserting a mesh, ZBrush will consider it to be a Subtractive (negative) mesh. This means that when the remesh is completed, the inserted mesh will be removed from the previous mesh and create holes. The result is similar to a subtraction Boolean operation, but without the messy polygons usually associated with Booleans.
You can insert multiple meshes and add or subtract them all at once via a single remesh operation. You can even mix additive and subtractive meshes, creating different combinations at once.

#224

Thanks Doug an Michel, I’ve already read that doc. I’ve been using this feature for a long time with 4R5 and it worked great but now that I’ve updated it no longer works properly, I’m doing everything the same way… any idea what’s going wrong?

#225

What OS are you using?

#226

Mac OS 10.8.5

#227

The only thing I can think is you’re trying to use Remesh All in the subtool palette instead of ctrl L click and drag twice on canvas.

#228

No, just Cmd+Lclick as always… I think I’ll try to reinstall, it’s the only thing I didn’t try…

Thanks Doug :wink:

#229

Does the function not work at all, for any mesh? Or is there a specific mesh that’s problematic? Have you tried with some simple primitives? Sometimes there are certain geometric intersections that will cause the operation to fail, requiring a bit of rejiggering.

Try just merging the mesh you want to be subtractive with the target mesh in a single subtool, make sure then hide all polygons but the subtractive mesh, the go to Tool> Polygroups > Group as Dynamesh Sub. Unhide all, then Dynamesh by Ctrl-left click dragging on empty canvas as usual, or twice in succession if there is any existing masking that needs to be cleared.

This should without a doubt determine whether or not theres a real problem, or perhaps an error involved in the way you’ve been duplicating or drawing in the negative meshes. Try it for other tools, not just the one that’s giving you a problem, as there might be something specific about that tool that is causing an issue.

[edit] Javi, I just tried this for myself, and it appears that the same operation that was successful for me in Zr5 is no longer working in Zr6p2 either. I have other reasons to believe my installation of Zr6 is supect, so it may in fact be an issue of needing to reinstall, though I have no way of knowing at this point whether this specific issue is a problem with r6 in general, or my R6 installation. If you’ve run the tests and are still having a problem, you may want to contact support to walk you through the installation, as there are other things besides just the main program that need to be completely removed to make any new installation completely clean (I don’t know what OS you are on ), and you need to remember to deactivate your license before uninstalling.

#230

In support of Javi, I’ll just show what I did here. A simple two cube extraction test, created by CTRL-ALT duplicating a mesh in transpose mode set up in ZBr5 works as intended (see attached pic). The same tool saved out just prior to dynameshing and opened in Zbr6p2 fails to produce any result when dynameshed the first time, and the second time merges the two cubes with separate polygroups. I attached the tool used for reference, but my attempt to recreate the test natively in r6 also failed to function as intended.

I have other problems with my current Zbrush installation, and am working with support on another issue. I cannot yet answer whether a re-installation will solve those problems, as I am waiting to get a hold of a standalone installer to bypass any auto updating. But I just wanted Javi to know that it may be possible that an installation of Zr6 can fail to function as intended on some systems. I cannot yet speak to any solution, but I suggest you contact support regardless, so they can walk you through the reinstall procedure and so they can be informed about how these problems might come about.

Attachments

dmeshsubissue.jpg

#231

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Attachments

ZBrushOSXÉcranSnapz001.jpg

#232

The second one is right

#233

…

#234

I’m sorry Michel. I just posted a pic showing how it doesnt work as it previously did on my installation, with a tool that works just fine in one version of the program, and not in the new one. The same tool. Works in one. Not the other. Clearly I know how to make a Dynamesh sub work in a previous version of the program. For the record , Alt-inserting a negative mesh with an insert brush seems to work fine. But Ctrl-ALT transpose-duplicating a mesh as a negative insert and grouping a merged mesh as a negative sub polygroup no longer seems to function reliably.

I don’t doubt it functions as you describe in your installation. Your installation probably doesn’t crash every time you try to try to turn on surface noise mode either. All Im saying is that my installation is not functioning as intended in a number of ways, and that it’s possible to experience unexpected behavior from one installation to the next. I don’t know if this is Javi’s problem or not, but I was letting him know that if he’s ruled out all possible user errors, it is possible the program is behaving incorrectly on a local basis.

#235

oops
Misunderstanding
Sorry :slight_smile:

#236

Thank you very much Spyndel, that’s the same problem I’ve been experimenting all this time. I’ve tried with diferent tools, primitives and more complex tools, in some cases it worked but not in others… even sometimes it subtracted just part of the tool :confused:, like if it had diferent groups (when it had just one white group)… I’m becoming crazy!!!

I’ve submited a ticket to see if they can help me with this.

BTW I’m having some other minor issues with this version, lets see how it ends. Meanwhile I’ll keep using 4R5 as it works perfect with this version.

Thanks for your time guys!!!:wink:

#237

Just a couple follow ups in here for anyone else who might be having the same problem. I fixed my Surface > Noise crash issues with a complete reinstall from a standalone installer (not an auto-update), after cleaning my drive of several Zbrush related directories in various locations. Thank you Zbrush support for the assist.

@Javi

I don’t know if Javi is still around, but I discovered that some of those specific Dynamesh Subtraction situations that used to work in r5 but don’t appear to work in r6, do in fact work, as long as you press the “groups” button in the Dynamesh menu first. Shrugs. Probably something to do with the way Dynamesh preserves the polygrouping by default now.

#238

Hi Spyndel. I submitted a ticket and the answer was: just read the documentation … not very useful at all:rolleyes:.

I’ve tried with the “groups” button pressed and it works!!! Thanks a lot for your help Spyndel!!!

Let’s see if I can handle other minor issues I have with Tpose master.

Thanks again.

#239

Once again, like me you fixed some problems by canceling the "update/upgrade and making a clean install from scratch after uninstalling the app. Thay should warn everybody to do that anyway. I think I’ve seen this but I do not remember when and where.

#240

Just a little question, where did you get your standalone copy?
Thanks