ZBrushCentral

zbrush 3.5 R5 (PC) vs zbrush 3.2 (MAC)

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

with exactly the same workflow i get total different displacement / normal results!?!?!?!

anybody got similar issues?

#2

I’m pretty sure 3.5 has different algorithms than 3.2. Some like them, some don’t. :confused:

#3

Could you please share your Zb displacement settings, and the results ?
It will help

#4

right now i am back on pc with zbrush 3.5. my problem was rather a workflow issue.

i guess i am still a noob.

#5

I guess I’m one too since I moved our 3D systems to Windows 64-bit to get away from Mac workflow issues we were having. :wink:

#6

what kind of issues ?

#7

>>>what kind of issues ?

Before 3.2, Normal map and displacement map support was broken. Before that, version 3 (and support for current Macs with Intel processors) was 15 months after V3 on the PC with no real Intel support. Before that, there was no Zmapper and no Multidisplacement, so no Normal map and Displacement Map generation. With each of these flaws over the course of 3+ years, Pixologic made vague promises "simultaneous" releases of parity features on Mac and PC, first with 2.5, then 3, and now with 4 . . . It hasn't happened, has it? So, my choices had boiled down in our shop to one of three practical and one impractical solutions:


  1. Run ZBrush PC version in a Virtual Machine (such as Vmware)
  2. Run Zbrush PC in Bootcamp
  3. Convert to 64-bit PCs
  4. Continue to live with the incompatiabilites, workflow failures, and feature failures of Pixologics Mac product.
The fourth was rejected since 3+ years was long enough. We couldn’t use ZBrush naively on Intel macs for nearly two years and when ZBrush 3 finally came to the macs, it was broken as far as map generation was concerned. In order to generate maps, we had to go to solutions like xNormal and the PC version of Zbush, so we needed to do that on PCs anyhow.

The first way was using Virtual Machines for the PC version version--we did this extensively during the the first year of ZB 3 when there was no Mac version. This limited us to 2GB of RAM per session (half of what we could get on Win64 and native Mac versions which allow 4GB going to ZB.) Also, ZB's goofy authorization system would "loose" activations ever time the virtual machine or OS needed updating, which seemed to be close to once every other month. Ultimately we were never sure when ZB would break and I'd be on the phone with Pixologic to get new activations. The second way, Bootcamp, was more satisfying, but it required constantly rebooting between our core apps (like Photoshop) and Zbrush. Bootcamp itself had memory limitations and Apple was reluctant to fully embrace Vista64 or XP64 on their machines, so we would have to hack bootcamp or Vista install systems to fully use 64-bit hardware. Reboots would cost about 5 minutes or more to switch applications. This was was clearly a time killer and constant rebooting seemed to be raising new issues between Windows and OSX. Hence, this solution, also heavily tested when it when it was the only choice for Intel-based Macs, was rejected. So that left us with the third solution. Convert everything to a Windows 64-bit workflow. Painful, but in our case, necessary, if Zbrush was going to be a primary player in our character development workflow. We tried everything we could to stay on Macs. We were *extremely* patient with Pixologic despite broken promise after broken promise. We even investigated Mudbox seriously as we were approached by Autodesk when the the Mac version was earnestly in development. At the end of the day, we had more faith in Pixlogic's Windows roadmap and their ability to stay ahead (on Windows.) For my personal systems, I converted over to Windows after about 20 years of Macs last year. I still have a couple Macs around and have a nice iPhone, but it doesn't look to me like there would be reason to switch back (at least vis-a-vis Zbrush) anytime soon. -K
#8

I have been running Macs for 15 years now and the occasional PC, as all my other workflow pasrts are based on OSX software. This year I have really found myself grinding my teeth awaiting for the MAC update of Zbrush and with my workflow demands I have been driven towards rebooting to bootcamp on many occasion. Now I am willing to give up on Pixologics promises about the MAC updates but not the software itself as it is a main part of my workflow. So your right, it doesnt really leave us much choice, but to shift over to Windows in order to stay ahead and maximise prodcutivity. hmmm, maybe this is the plan huh

#9

mmm. rr. windows = bad times

#10

ugh, any word on an OSX 3.5 release?

#11

I wish I knew the reason for these delays, is it apple being to slow to adapt the latest OpenGL (I understand that Pixologic uses a proprietary engine though…)

Is it the change to cocoa development? Or is it just that pixologic dont have resources to keep up the version parity.

Not knowing these things is the worst thing in my opinion, If pixologic could just be frank about it and tell up-front that version parity will not happen due to whatever, then people can just pack their bags and make a permanent bootcamp or buy a pc for 3d.

#12

maybe ZB will be 64bit in the next OSX release, that would call for a decently massive rewrite of ZB for mac, and take a fair amount of time, just an idea