Can I sculpt after I UV unwrap model?

HeatherLNunnelly

Hello,

So I unwrapped my figure and colored it in Substance painter. But, I realized I wanted to make some changes. Did so in Zbrush, but it completely changed the UV unwrap. Is there a way around this without having to redo all my substance painter work?

I figure I could adjust the model without messing anything up, but I guess it doesn't work like that.

thomasp

If you still have the model with the original UV map used for texturing and if the topology has remained the same then you can use UV master in Zbrush to copy/paste the UVs onto your new model: https://pixologic.com/zbrush/features/UV-Master/

You can also export your model out of Zbrush, unwrap any way you like and then back in Zbrush create a new layer, toggle recording mode on and import the newly unwrapped model at the correct subdiv level back in. Requires topology to stay identical.

Else you can usually transfer UV maps around in programs like Blender, Maya, etc.

Ghogiel

Another thing to note with substance is you can often completely change UVs when needed, and just rebake the mesh maps and most of the work you do in painter transfer to the new UV, this is because https://docs.substance3d.com/spdoc/uv-reprojection-28737554.html

gnoop

Blender can re-project UV  to a new changed  geo from original one   with data transfer modifier . if you haven't make a pair of extra legs, or extra head et least., With possible artifacts  although if the geometry along UV seams have changed a lot or if UV splits have hard edges/split normals.         Same with projection modifier in 3d max. 

Attribute transfer in Maya should does it too,

Sage

As long as you the same material assignment in your 3d program as your original file, when you import the new model most of the work should just update in Substance Painter. Sometimes you might have to fix some of the masks of the fill layers. Sometimes I forget what I name my material in Maya then I have to go back and fix it if I change the material assignment or I decide to change the name of the material in Substance Painter then I have to update the name in Maya so if I ever have to reimport the image everything works.