Hello, everyone! First time post!
I have a question regarding proper analysis and repair of ZBrush files for production in China (using their infrastructure), and for stateside prototype output using the Form2 and Form3 printers. I am one of 8 sculptors for a company that recently began using ZBrush to render models for production. Our projects are typically very complex and often times organic in nature. The addition of the digital component to our pipeline has been a complete ground up endeavor, and needless to say there has been a few bumps in the road. We are committed to making it work, and understand that “growing pains” are part of the process of business evolution.
So we have one guy in-house that handles all our files. Both for the in-house FormLabs printers and for exporting to China. He uses Blender for all of his file analysis and repair. As our digital work began to increase he began complaining about the time its taking him to repair files using Blender. Speaking for myself, and few other sculptors, we do everything we know to do in ZBrush to make sure our files are manifold and ready to go before we send them to the printer. However, the printer guy continues to find issues with our files. The typical scenario goes something like this: Prep render in ZBrush using recommended functions and workflow, export render in both STL and OBJ format, send to print guy. Print guy opens files in Blender, runs Blender’s 3D Print Analysis, sees a bunch of problems, and then kicks it back to the sculptors to fix.
The problem is, most of the sculptors don’t know what else to do, and the print guy has the boss convinced the files cannot proceed to print, or to China, until they have been repaired by the sculptors. Some of us have started running our models through MeshMixer, and that’s helped a little, but the print guy is still seeing problems.
Its gotten to the point where the sculptors are recommending the company subscribe to a file repair service, but the feeling is that the print guy will continue seeing problems with our files so long as he continues using Blender.
So I guess I’m asking if Blender is appropriate for analyzing and repairing high poly complex ZBrush files. If not, what is recommended? Is there anyone out there that run into this issue before? Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!