Max 8 and ZMapper - Does it work for you?

Fordy

Hi all

Just wondering if anyone has managed to create working normal maps with ZMapper and Max 8?

I have followed all the steps

1) reset xform on low poly base model from max
2) import to ZBrush and subdivide a number of times and do the sculpting
3) enter ZMapper load in the correct config file (tried ones for max 8 and 7) and create tanget or object space normals.

All I get is some weird triangular mess.

Anyone had any luck with them yet?

Thanks,

Husch

Sounds like an UV Problem. Did you check the UVs of the OBJ file? I use OBJ from XSI together with Zbrush and Zmapper without any problems. Did you try other configs for Zmapper?

sinistergfx

You might need to set the '# of digits' higher on the obj exporter. This is the coordinate accuracy; something like 6 usually does the job.

Fordy

@Husch : The UV's while not a work of art ar ok, there arnt any overlaps. I did try a few other configs but i'll try em all later, just to be sure.

@Sinistergfx : I did set the exporter to use 6 digits. Do you think more would help?

The model is a head and it was mirrored but I did restet xforms before exporting.

Oh well at least the old way still works fine lol

MoP

Set the number of digits to 12, which I think is the maximum. I think that's your problem.

sinistergfx

Yeah, might as well try more. Usually whenever something is wonky with an obj, that's the problem. Also, there's a 'relative' something or other that is usually a good idea to turn off.

Fordy

Hi MoP. I set the digits to 12 but no luck.

Heres the model, its just a quick n dirty test setup:



Any clues? Pretty please!

Thanks

headengine

Try reset XForm on your model in Max, Fordy. Flip normals if needs be.. then try export again. If its not the max normals, it will be your export settings - and probably not zmapper.

MoP

Mike, I think he's already tried Reset XForm (as mentioned in first post) ... I heard of other people getting this problem but I'd always thought that changing the digits up to 12 fixed it - hmm.

Have you checked your UV map to make sure nothings wrapping around the 0-1 area (which might happen if you just did an unmodified Cylindrical UV map)?

Anyone who's had this problem before, can you post with info on how you fixed it? I remember talking to someone about the exact same problem as seen here recently, but I can't remember who it was, or what the solution was.

thnom

That looks like the problem I was having the other day. When exporting set it to 'triangles' fixed it for me. As you can see the model has triangles in it - I believe it was me MoP, on IRC the other day..

jec1183

MoP that was me. Never got it to work in either max or zbrush even with zmapper. So now I just use xNormal and Melody.

rooster

I ran into this also but the xform fixed it.. have you tried opening the weird uv obj back up in max to see if it shows up fudged?

my obj settings that work for me are as follows:

group by object
use materials yes
create material library no
rotate model yes
faces polygons
texture coords yes
normals yes
smooth groups yes
vert scale 1
digits 12
other 2 unticked

try making the whole thing one smoothing group, you could try exporting and importing the model back into max using 3ds maybe, then resetting xform. Try exporting a straightforward box with nothing done to it and see how zmapper handles it

Fordy

Thanks for all the replies guys!

Getting too late here to try anything tonight, so i'll give all your suggestions a go tomorrow!

Cheers!

headengine

Sorry Mop I was half asleep!

Rooster - I'm using those same settings (except faces as 'quads') and it works grand for me too.

Fordy

Hi All

I think I found my problem - Old Nvidia drivers (66.93) Doh!

Anyway, now I have the Normal map in Max, to get it to display properly (in the normal bump parameters) I have to flip the red(x)and use the tangent method.

I suspect the tangent method is whats usually used but is the red flipping what you guys use also?

cheers!

Ruz

jsut to add to this , you can send you zbrush base model back in to max, edit the uv's and rexport back in to zbrush, but as long as you keep your mesh as 'edit poly' or you will get a weird triangular mess.

Fordy

Hi Ruz

Didnt do that! Was definatley the drivers in my case. Gotta say though iv been trying to sculpt the model with my Wacom thinking it would be fairly easy but the result looked crap lol. Gonna be harder than I thought.

stoofoo

That fucked zmapper render can be caused by approximately 30000 things. One of the problems that causes it most is the size of the file. the OBJ exporter from max doesnt like small files. Scale the model up a very significant amount and then reset the xforms and it will stop blowing up your uvs.

sinistergfx

Stoof: if you don't want to scale stuff up, you can just turn up the coordinate accuracy by setting the '# of digits' option higher in the exporter.