Import Polypaint/VCols to Maya and Out

[Deleted User]

Hello,

I just wanted to ask for some tips as I've encountered a roadblock in my workflow.

Usually I make a hi res mesh in Zbrush, use xNormal to generate AO, Cavity, Normals, then texture on that.

Now for this project, I decided to paint on Zbrush using polypaint since I have used vcol baking for making my texture maps and knew that I could bakie it using xNormal. No problem there. But often, I bring in my mesh to explode them in maya instead of having to export chunks into several files--Much easier and less clutter. Seems fine, but I just found out now that when I bring in an obj into maya and re-export it, the polypaint disappears. I looked around and people say that obj doesn't support polypaint, use fbx instead. Tried it, no luck with it as well, so I'm guessing the polypaint/vcols aren't imported with the obj when I bring it into maya.

So my questions are--
1) Is there a way for me to bring the polypaint/vcols in and out of maya so I can explode the mesh and make the baking much easier instead of having to export into different obj files?

2) If obj doesn't support polypaint/vcols, I was just wondering why zbrush is able to export it and xnormal is able to read it.

m4dcow

I think the way zbrush exports vertex colors into obj files isn't really a standard sort of thing, xNormal didn't always read them, but it was later implemented.

As for getting this stuff into Maya, I have run into this problem myself and for exploding I just end up using goZ and translate the different chunks in set units so I can easily match with my low.

[Deleted User]

@ m4dcow
Ah, so does it mean the vcols in xNormal was built specifically for the non-standard obj polypaint of zbrush?

As for your workaround, sounds pretty solid. I do have a dumb question though, I seem to be losing my UVs when using GoZ. How can I retain the UVs?

[Deleted User]

Ah, never mind, I just remembered, I don't need the uvs for my zbrush mesh. I could just disable the textures and apply it as polypaint, then paint it to the low res.

Thanks m4dcow!

But for future reference, I would still like to know how to retain the UVs when using Zbrush<->Maya GoZ.

m4dcow

paololazatin wrote: »

But for future reference, I would still like to know how to retain the UVs when using Zbrush<->Maya GoZ.

I wasn't really aware that GoZ messed up UVs, I probably wouldn't notice because I don't really use UVs on my high poly especially at that stage and I use dynamesh a lot.

Sorry to say that I don't have a solution, because GoZ also gets rid of any polygroup data, and I couldn't figure that out either.

[Deleted User]

@m4dcow

Ah, yeah. It's the same with me. I was just hoping to be able to make use of GoZ for future hi-res/non-gaming projects, or maybe changing my workflow into painting on the hi res rather than the low poly in order to avoid repainting in case there is a need to change UVs, but after finding out that it gets rid of UVs and polygroup data, I don't think I'll be using GoZ that much. Thanks!