ZBrushCentral

Saving and crashes for new user.

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

I am working on a new Macbook pro 4GB 1067 DDR3 and recently loaded Zbrush 3.2 as a first time user. (Also using a Wacom Graphire 3 pen tablet)
As a traditional clay sculptor in models and effects and now in the arts, I am finding actually using Zbrush quite exciting and as close as I can imagine to the ‘real thing’ on a computer. You only have to see the results that people have achieved on here to see its great potential.

I am however getting very frustrated at the problems I am having which are likely to be of my own making or even Mac related.

Firstly I am getting frequent crashes which seem to occur before I have had chance to save a lot of work. It happens without warning and with a click on the pen tablet. It can happen 2 -3 times in an hour.

I also sometimes get a 3D sphere suddenly appear on my screen with the tool I am working on (a head portrait) sticking out of it, sometimes more than one. I usually just cmd N that and drag the tool up again. (at least that is better than crashing.)

Regarding the head I’m working on, I went through a Scott Spencer book tutorial and have got on quite well with it (except for the problems) but I am now aware that from the early stages when the file size was 6mb, it is now 89mb. Is this a reason for the crashes? Each time I have finished work I have gone down the subdivisions after working at high levels, (524288 or sometimes more) and saved the tool in its most faceted state and yet the file size has increased so much. Is this normal or am I doing something wrong?

I really could do with some advice as the things I have mentioned are not covered in the online tutorials and the answers that come back from pixelogic support never really cover the whole problem after days of waiting for a reply. Many thanks.:mad:

#2

Have you tried disabling ZScript recording in the ZScript palette? You can even hotkey the button to make it really easy to turn off when you launch ZBrush. I’ve seen several cases where that has helped Mac users.

#3

You can turn off automatic zscript recording in the Preferences>ZScript submenu. Save the configuration by pressing Shift+Ctrl+i.

The file size can grow considerably depending on the number of polygons at the highest subdivision level, the number of layers, and the number of subtools. Saving at the lowest level is unlikely to reduce the file size (as all levels are saved), in fact sometimes there can be a small increase saving at the lowest level.

#4

Thanks very much for your advice and info, I haven’t had chance to try this, as its late here in the UK, but will give it a go. What does the Zscript actually do and will disabling it mean I will lose something important. How do I create a hot key? Thanks again.

#5

Sadly despite the advice, the crashes continue.The programme is not really useable like this Could it be the pen tablet?
Thanks anyway. Any advice gratefully accepted. :confused:

#6

Sadly despite the advice, the crashes continue.The programme is not really useable like this Could it be the pen tablet?
Thanks anyway. Any advice gratefully accepted. :confused:

#7

I suggest checking your ram with Memtest86+. Flakey ram will cause app crashes, and Zbrush uses a lot of memory, vigorously.

#8

The memtest also doesn’t seem to like macs! I am taking it to apple to check so thanks for the advice.