Hi all,
I was trying to see how Z-Brush interacted with Truespace 5.1. I made a quick model in TS using subdivision surfaces (a finger?) and brought it into ZB. I ran smack dab into a wall. I couldn’t use ZB to texture the model at all. After putzing around with it for about 2 hours I realized that I had to remap the UV coordinates. After this I tried brining a textured model into TS from ZB and it wouldn’t show the texture there either, same problem. It had to be remapped but then the ZB texture couldn’t be made to fit properly. I finally settled on converting to 3ds format to bring it into TS and the ZB texture map worked perfectly. Phew! Anyway, I don’t know if anyone else uses ZB to model and texture and Truespace to assemble models and animate but I thought I’d share the info so you wouldn’t have to go through what I did for the last 2 hours. Here’s the finger textured and rendered in Z-Brush. 
And (for those of you who are interested)here’s what the original looked like in Truespace before I used ZB to tweak the model and texture it. 
The one on the left is the control mesh for the sub-d surface. If anybody is interested I’d be happy to give you the finger------errr----model, heheh, just let me know and I’ll post it.
Cya,
Tony
is that how Truespace model look like?
looks chopey or does it get that way once you import it into zbrush?
ok give us the Middle finger if you have it larger finger are easy to work with.
that Truespace finger looks way off of looking like a finger or am i missing some thing.
sorry never used the program.
ummm i think i would of just made one in zbrush
Hi Tony.
Thanks fo giveing us the finger (hee-hee) 
I’m not to clued up with Truespace, but can you assign UV cords to certain parts of the original polymesh? If you can, you MUST give the texturemaster Script a try! Especially the Rino tutorial!
It works OK with Max. What program do you use to convert 3d file formats?? (does TS import .obj files?) Questions! questions!
Upham. 
It really looks like ZBrush is starting to get recognition as a tool that compliments other programs very well. Truespace is a new one for this group, so we’re all going to be learning with you.
A question for you: When you say that the texture wasn’t showing up, what exactly was happening? Was it truly refusing to map to the model, or was it getting mixed up when applied so that nothing was in the right place? If it’s the former case, then I’m not sure what to say.
But if it’s the latter, then it’s quite possibly that the UV coordinates get flipped during the import/export process. This same thing happens with Poser, and for a long time it was thought that ZBrush couldn’t use Poser maps. Then we learned that all we had to do was flip the texture vertically, and it mapped perfectly. So if you’re seeing a mixed up texture, try flipping it vertically, horizontally, or both. Hopefully, that will solve the problem!
If it doesn’t, then if you could give us some more info it might help out. One thing that would go far would be that OBJ model, as it is when it is output by Truespace (no UV Mapper work done). After looking at it, I may be able to figure out what’s happening, even without having Truespace, myself.
Z-ya! And welcome!
I’ve actually got, and still use TrueSpace 2!
:rolleyes:
I bought it a long time ago, but I think you can get #2 for free now. I use it to rough out a quick approximation model to check out lighting setups and stuff, and for that it works well… 
Hi again,
EZ- the second picture that shows the models is rendered at a mediium setting. The model on the left is used to create the model on the right. It lets you use very few faces to represent a more complex model. As for the second on the right I didn’t bother modeling the finger in more detail because I knew I was going to bring it into ZB where I could do the detail modeling much, much more easily and quicker to boot. That’s why it looks like a hotdog with a fingernail in that second picture.
Upham- I have been messing with the TextureMaster Script since Pix released it, as a matter of fact I have it set-up as my default script. The problem I was having was that when using texture master to do my texture when I clicked the pick button all my painting that I had done would not be picked up by the texture at all. Neither would any material changes ‘stick’ to the model. I decided to try it manually, wondering if it was the script but markering the model and then painting and using 3d Copy didn’t work either (which you probably know is what TM does anyway, but much faster and easier). When I decided to press the UVS button (UV spherical) and then tried TM it worked perfectly! I believe Truespace has a problem importing and exporting .obj files directly which is why I used 3d Exploration to convert to .3ds format from .obj format output by ZB. I’m pretty sure that it isn’t ZB that’s screwing up the UV’s in it’s .obj files because Poser imports them perfectly with no conversion. Any-hoooo, The textured example that you see in the first picture was (finally!) done with TextureMaster and a material using a little negative color bump to make the wrinkles on the knuckles look, well, bumpy. I then added the hairs on the first joint using the fiber brush after baking the image. The final render was done in Z-Brush. To answer your other question, Truespace 5 can handle per face or per vertex UV mapping as well as the usual standard methods. It also has a special method called Shrink-Wrap UV where the UV space is shrunk around the object until it approximates the object’s shape which helps to keep the distortion down. Honestly, I much prefer using Z-Brush to do my texturing.
Well, hopefully I haven’t forced anyone into unconciousness with all that and for those of you who actually read all the way through it here’s the finger…er, file (I may never get tired of that, heheh)
finger3.zip
Cya,
Tony
Aurick- It actually refused to accept any paint whatsoever ( the nerve!). Once I applied spherical mapping in ZB it behaved like it should. When I go the other way, from ZB to TS with a textured model a similar thing happens. It will pick up a color from the texture but not the whole texture. When I applied new mapping in TS it would accept a texture(see above). Anyway I am using a conversion program to convert TS .cob format to .obj format to go from TS to ZB (TS doesn’t export .obj format, only imports it)and the other way I am converting the ZB .obj file to a .3ds file which imports perfectly into TS with the correct UV mapping.
Stonecutter- I started using TS in version 2, I remember how thrilled I was to find it because I had been using POV Ray which you might remember was a pain at that time. I have faithfully upgraded since then and TS is really begining to come into it’s own with version 5. I was also thrilled to find Z-Brush because it allowed me to model organic things in a fraction of the time it took me in TS, or Lightwave or Maya for that matter.
Zya,
Tony
oops forgot heres a finger i did a while back http://www.renderosity.com/viewed.ez?galleryid=96766&Start=1&Artist=E%2DZ&ByArtist=Yes
i am actually getting TS 5.1 and hope to make it work with zbrush. but it seems there needs to be a lot of tweaking with the file formats to go back and forth b/w the apps. so if you want to export obj files from TS you need some file conversion program? if so, are there progs whose sole function is to convert file formats?
anyways, i just called caligari tech support and the guy told me it is possible to export obj format from TS5. though,i have not received my copy of ts yet and the demo wont let me save or export files.
here is a Real good file formatt converter for 3D http://www.us.righthemisphere.com/products/3dexplore/index.htm
its cool you can all so Rotate your object in there and alot of other stuff.
anyone that messes with 3D should have this.
wow, $250 for translating files is kinda steep…chrismas wishlist
http://home.europa.com/~keithr/Crossroads/index.html
Here’s a good, simple, FREE 3D file format converter program.
Hi Ken B . . .
I just wanted to thank you for the link to “Crossroads”. I also kinda think that, “$250 for translating files is kinda steep”, myself. Heheheh. :rolleyes:
I was noticing on their site that the latest version is dated back in March of 1998, I hope it still works with files today? Oh Well, I’ll find out after I install it.
Have a good one . . . 
Mark.
Hi LXIX,
I too have been using trueSpace since version 2. As you’ve stated there is a problem importing obj into trueSpace and the problem lies within trueSpace’s import preserving the UV - ZBrush does a fine job on the export. I’ve used both Okino’s Polytrans and 3D Exploration to convert obj to cob without any troubles. I’m not sure why you have to go the extra step of converting to 3ds - obviously the triangulation will up the poly count and in larger models you may end up with 64K+ of polygons. Try using 3D Exploration again, I used all the default conversion settings and it worked fine.
As Ken mentions, Keith Rule’s Crossroads may also be an alternative. I haven’t used it in so many years I can’t comment on it.
talos72 and Kruzr, $250 may be a lot if you are just doing a simple file conversion but the better translators will tackle a huge number of formats including nurbs from within various apps - they may also provide for entire scene translation - lights, materials etc. And as far as how old the apps are, most file formats haven’t changed in ages so it doesn’t matter. I use a 5+ year old version of Polytrans, it looks like a Win 3.1 version including 8.3 file convention but it runs like a champ under Win2K. I’m sure you could find a used version on the net for cheap.
Good luck with the import Tony, ZB & tS make great companions!
jd
I have tried several converters that i couldnt get to work with converting
from ZBrush to .cob format, and finally i found som shareware program that worked.
Its called Accutrans 3d from MircroMouse Production. Price about 20 usd.
I havent tested it on another formats, and it comes with lots of features,
recommended.