Z brush Z mapper config question

Harryscary276

Hay yall, got a question that comes from my lack of knowledge of Zbrush, kinda embaresed cause it seems so simple

When in Z mapper what config file do I use for a model I imported from Maya 2009 and plan to import the resulting normal map back into, as well as the general settings, I keep getting these weird results and the preview of the normal map when I close out of Zmapper looks like just a bunch of multi colored triangles bunched together

Thanks in advance for any help I receive, I greatly appreciate it

FAT_CAP

ZMapper has a number of different config settings for Maya in both object and tangent space varieties so choose which one you need depending on what you need.

The normal map being a "bunch of multi colored triangles bunched together" sounds less to do with the normal map config settings and more to do with your UV mapping. Did you use ZBrush to auto-generate your UVs using the GUV/ AUV generation method? If so these methods pack the polygon UVs into triangle shaped UV chunks and while they are OK to use as a quick solution inside ZBrush I would recomend creating your own UVs inside Maya and using these to generate your normal map with.

Harryscary276

Thanks Fat_Cap for the advice but no I made the map in Maya, it might be easier if I include some shots of the map and results in Z mapper

The test item is a handle to a stein

Here is the UV map



Now inside Zmapper after the Map is done generating



(that says *bump mapping not active* and *Cavity shading not active*)

And when I close Zmapper



And about the options, I am relatively new to Normal mapping as a whole, I played with it before in making them in Photo shop but other than that I really never read into it that much, how do I know if I need object space or tangent space, I know its a setting a texture node has

Either way I hope these images can help with my problem

Thanks again

FAT_CAP

The culprit looks to be the normal map itself. Form the images you posted it looks like the normal map that is being generated isn't adhering to the UV layout that you made in maya at all and looks like it has exploded.

A quick way to see what your UV layout looks like inside ZBrush to see if this is what is screwing everything up is to open ZMapper then under the MORPH MODES header in the middle of the ZMapper palette click on Morph UV - this should morph the mesh from your 3D object to the UV layout and let you check that the layout has been exported correctly and been imported into ZBrush fine.

Harryscary276

Did what you said Fat and guess what, it looked like it exploded



so it looks like an export/import problem, I swear I did it right, but I guess I didn't