Zbrush Bridge forgets materials if Zbrush crashes

[crcjewelry]

I am having a problem with Zbrush Bridge to Keyshot.
(I am using Keyshot HD for Zbrush)

I sent a model to Keyshot through the Bridge, spent time applying materials, creating renderings, etc… and then went back into Zbrush to make a simple rotational geometry change on one subtool, and then zbrush crashed when I tried to reconnect to the bridge.

Reloaded the Zbrush project file, and tried to reconnect to the bridge.

All materials applied in Keyshot are gone and it has just the basic Zbrush matcap files applied to the model in Keyshot.

Tried Loading in the Keyshot saved bip file to regain all the materials I had applied.
It loads the old model with old geometry prior to the crash.

Basically, what I understand is, once a session of Zbrush ends, any work done in Keyshot cannot be reconnected to the zbrush model.

You don’t lose the keyshot file, but it can’t be relinked for any geometry changes.

Otherwise you have to start over and re-apply hundreds of materials.

So I guess my question is: WHY??!
What good is the bridge if it just destroys the link every time zbrush closes?

And finally, is there any way to correct this?

[Spyndel]

Hello @crcjewelry

Sorry you’re having some trouble.

ZBrush and Keyshot for ZBrush are two separate programs. The bridge simply automates the export from ZBrush. In order to save your work in Keyshot, you must save the file in Keyshot, the same way you need to back up your work in ZBrush. The less frequently you back up your work in an application, the higher the risk of lost work.

If you’d like to make a feature request concerning the way the Bridge works, that needs to be submitted to Pixologic Support. Suggestions made in any other manner are likely to be missed by the people who actually develop the program.

[crcjewelry]

Thank you for your reply.

The issue is that Zbrush when it exports using the bridge, it assigns a random string of characters to the subtool names.

Each time you open zbrush, this random string of characters changes.
(Export from Session 1 might say : subtool_AFG3SK32)
(Export from Session 2 will be differet: subtool_CRMS353)

So it doesn’t matter if you save your file in Keyshot or not.

When you load any keyshot file, it retains the old tool names and the old subtool geometry.

Thus the link is broken between any two sessions of Zbrush.

I think if I could stop the bridge from assigning these random session related characters, then the keyshot files may be able to re-align the materials by matching the subtool names.

But I can’t find anywhere a place to edit the way the bridge file exports.

[crcjewelry]

I also understand that Keyshot and Zbrush are two separate programs

But as the bridge to keyshot is the only way Keyshot for Zbrush works, then the bridge has to function on more than a one time basis. Otherwise, the rendering program becomes useless.

Every other modeling software has a way to store files in a way that stores their materials.

You can edit the geometry, close the program, reopen the program and then move stuff around, and re-render the scene.

The set up between Keyshot for Zbrush and Zbrush bridge does not allow you to do this.

When I called Pixologic to discuss this, they wanted me to post the question here, which is why this is where I posted it.

I also submitted a request to the Help center like you suggested @Spyndel, and I pointed them to this thread, so hopefully we can get some insight into why they designed the bridge to work like this.

Seems like an incomplete program that I bought for $150, at this point.
I would like to hear what is valuable about it if it only functions during one session of Zbrush.