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Subtools merge?

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

I’m having a bit of an issue at the moment and was wondering if anyone could assist?

I’m working with Mac Pro/2.66GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon/6GB (3x2GB).

I’ve built a model which will be appended to another model for finalization.
The problem I am having is when I “merge visible” all subtools to the first model and then rotate (under Deformation) after selecting the merged subtool some of the previous subtool elements do not rotate with the rest of the merged subtool.

Also when merging at 7.819 M polys I get the memory error, explaining that I have too many polys for my RAM to handle. I was wondering whether this was causing the issue above. I assume the only way out of this is to down each subtools polycount. when merging does ZBrush delete the hidden polys or does this need to be done manually.

I’m still having problems understanding the memory thing. I have set up Mem under Preferences, but it seems to be a little hap hazard.

Any help on this would be appreciated as I’ve put the project on hold until I know what the future holds (Appending this final subtool to the other final subtool).

Thanks
Mark

#2

OK I’ve solved the issue where one of the subtools do not rotate with the main subtool - There seemed to be a problem with the particular subtool. I couldn’t even change the material or colour, so I went back to the beginning and appended the problem subtool all over again. Problem solved.

I also managed to avoid the ERROR message on merging visible. I just closed all other apps hoping the RAM would have less strain. Not sure if this was the solution though.

Can anyone comment on the correct memory configuration (Preferences) for my hardware setup from my previous post to get the best performance from ZBrush?

Thanks
Mark

#3

6GB of memory. Less than 8 mil polys after combining subtools is not too much for that system. Run it w/ 3-4 GB dedicated to ZBrush (preferences>mem>compact mem) Just run it efficiently. Nothing else open but what you need. If the other apps you need require more ram, lower that setting, store config, and restart ZBrush.

Your undo settings can also be memory intensive. Resort to using 3d layers, morph targets, and the morph brush for non destructive sculpting rather than a high undo setting :wink:

Not managing your memory properly can result in corrupt ZTool files and lost work.

Also, closing other apps immediately frees up memory. There’s a widget for the dashboard you can download from the apple site called iStat Pro that will tell you exactly how much ram is free, as well as other useful system stats. :+1:

#4

Thanks for the good news jamespthornton. I think I need to study memory use a little more.

Thanks again for you feedback, much appreciated.

Mark

#5

I have noticed that when applying CTRL Z (undo) I get far more than the 4 which I have applied under preferences.

My settings are:

Compact Mem - 3009 (can only select 4096 total)
Doc Undo - 4
Tool Undo - 4
Max Poly Mesh - 18.1875
HD Preview Max Poly 6.0062

As I mentioned when I try undo I get between 10 and 20, which seems a little strange. I think I’ll have to get into the habit of using Layers and morph targets.

Thanks jamespthornton for the iStat Pro widget, brilliant!

#6

No problem. Those settings are fine. I also get more than 4 undo’s, whatever that means. Don’t worry about it, and use undo as much as you want w/ those settings. Learning to use layers and morph targets will also open up good workflow. Have you ever tried the 3d layers :qu:

My guess, depending on the background apps that you need running, is you can dedicate a full 4GB to ZBrush (4096 in compact mem). Use the iStat Pro to do some tests, but if you’re just using Safari, Preview, etc it won’t be a problem. If you need to run something heavier, find a good balance between their memory preferences.

Remember that even the OS uses memory, not just the apps.

#7

Thanks for the great feedback, it goes a really long way when you just starting out with a new app.

No I haven’t managed to get around to using 3d Layers as yet, but I will look into it.

The other app I tend to have open is Photoshop 7 (can’t afford an upgrade).

One thing I have noticed with the project I am currently working on is after merging into one subtool and appending to another subtool there is a delay/lag when adjusting scale, size etc under deformation. I do feel this is due to some problems with the initial subtools which make up the merged subtool. I am currently re-appending to see if I can solve the issue.

Thanks again jamespthornton, it’s nice to have help on putting the jigsaw pieces together.

#8

7.8 m polys after merging? Or in one subtool?

Why are you wanting to merge the subtools?

What version are you using?

Regarding 3d layers, I’ll give you a run down on them here in a bit. Easy, and incredibly useful.

#9

OK I’ll try and explain my workflow. I need a final pose of a character I have in mind. The pose will include the figure of a man holding a big gun. I have built the gun. To make it easier to position the gun on the figure in different poses I need to merge the gun, which is built up from various subtools.

The polycount on the gun is roughly the same after merging.

It may be possible that I’m doing this all wrong and perhaps it would be easier to build the gun in a different 3D app like Maya, however I really can’t afford maya and the like.

I’m currently using ZBrush 3.2, patiently waiting for 3.5, which would probably simplify this project.

Thanks
Mark

#10

Bam. Transpose Master Plugin. Third one down on the right :wink:

http://www.pixologic.com/zbrush/downloadcenter/zplugins/

No need to merge the subtools to simultaneously pose them. Check out the other plugins, especially the Subtool Master.

#11

Thanks yet again jamespthornton.

I keep forgetting about the really useful plugins. Looks like Transpose Master is the best option.

I quickly tried Transpose Master and ran into some difficulty:

“The selected mesh has not been saved”, “Please save mesh and try again”.

Is it possible to transpose subtools which have material and colour applied?
or do I possibly have a corrupt subtool somewhere?

Thanks again for lending me your knowledge. I’m really grateful for the inspiration.

Mark

#12

OK, I’m a fool. I just saved under a different name and then tried Transpose. Just need to learn how to use the rest of it.

Thanks for all your help jamespthornton, much appreciated.

Mark

#13

I’ve had some time to play with TransposeMaster.

However when transposed how do I save the subtool out?

When adding the subtool to another do I use TPose>SubT?

I can’t find any in-depth instructions on using the complete features of TransposeManager.

#14

You can find out about Transpose Master here:
http://www.pixologic.com/docs/index.php/Transpose_Master

#15

Thanks Marcus. I did read through these instructions, but am still trying to get my head around how Transpose Master works.

I’ll have a proper go when I get a chance.

Thanks again for the feedback. Much appreciated.

#16

I’m not really sure if Transpose Master will benefit my workflow.

I have just finished work on a gun, which I do not need to transpose. The gun contains several subtools.

I need to append the gun to a transposed character. However I will need to position the gun to the character, therefore I need the gun to be one subtool, which is why I was merging the gun subtools.

From my understanding, Transpose Master allows you to combine all subtools, transpose and then separates all subtools in the pose you wanted.

Would SubTool Master be more beneficial?