[zBrush] Polygonized texture (or bugged UVs)

ksenias

Hello, I usually model objects both in 3ds and zBrush (making base shape in 3ds, throwing it inside zBrush to make details, then unwrap in 3ds again and make textures if needed in zBrush) and sometimes face this annoying problem: map becomes "polygonized" with UVs completely messed up if i'd try to reunwrap it back. Does anyone know how to solve it? Don't want to make it all from the very beginning. Once solved it by projecting details into nicely unwrapped model from a bugged one, but now it refuses to work. Here is the example: model itself and its bugged texture from polypaint in max division. Why does it happen?

Noors

I think It happens if you change the topology in max and vertices get reordered. The uv verts get shifted when you replace a previous model in ZB.
You can fix it in ZB, under UV Map>Adjust>cycle UV.
It will "rotate" each uv face by 90°.
Press it till your bake looks good.

Elithenia

looks like your UV's aren't actually connected.
Merge the edges of the UV's so that each uv isn't a single island.

ksenias

Nice, Ill try cycle UV then if it happens again! I was also sure that I didn't touch the topology, but it still happened. Thank you!

Edges seemed connected in 3ds, but they exploded in zbrush somehow. I don't know how to merge them back in there.

Anyways, thanks. I also solved it by just letting zBrush unwrap it as it wants and then merging all parts into one in 3ds max.