3.5 Zbrush export scale issues
polycounter lvl 13
I'm having an issue with Zbrush where when I export my model, it always imports into another 3d app super small, and centered at the 0.0 point (IE humanoid, would be feet below 0.0, upper body above it.)
I tried importing in XSI and Max and had the same result.
Changing the export scale in Zbrush has no effect on the mesh when imported.
Sometimes it does this, sometimes it doesn't.
How can I fix this? I usually would use a workflow of exporting a mid level mesh and retopoing in Max and reimporting to zbrush, but with these issues, I cannot do this because they will never line up properly.
I tried importing in XSI and Max and had the same result.
Changing the export scale in Zbrush has no effect on the mesh when imported.
Sometimes it does this, sometimes it doesn't.
How can I fix this? I usually would use a workflow of exporting a mid level mesh and retopoing in Max and reimporting to zbrush, but with these issues, I cannot do this because they will never line up properly.
Replies
when i used to do retopology with zspheres in that program that scaling thing would always happen. however it hasn't happened to me with anything that didn't involve using zbrushes retopology feature.
i've heard of issues sometimes occur when using the transpose/move/rotate tool.
if you delete any part of the mesh in zbrush as well it also messes with the pivot point.
the only advice i can offer if none of this has revealed why this is happening to you is to always align your model using a point helper at 0,0,0 space in max before sending back to zbrush and make sure that the pivot gets aligned at that point.
Yup this is a painful issue when this happens, especially since it is so hard to track down.
First advice : never ever touch the scale option in zbrush. It's only asking for trouble.
Then, always check your basemeshes in an external app like maya or max. I have never heard of a way to give correct, absolute scale to things in Z so if you create zsphere starter meshes for instance, always export them to max or maya, to scale them the way you want, then reset xforms/freeze transformations, and re-export in order to go on with the Zbrush sculpting.
If you take these precautions it should all be fine. I have been passing objs back and forth between maya2010, max2009, mudbox2010 and Z3.5 a lot lately and to my great surprise everything stayed perfectly at scale. Just be aware of any other app sitting inbetween. For instance if you do some retopo in Topogun on a obj exported from Z3.5, make sure to check the scale of this retopo in max (and resave it there) before sending it back to the sculpt workshop :P
Also if you want to retrieve your sculpt details after the basemesh has been rescaled (thus out of alignement), I would say try using the Zbrush displacement maps. It should carry over your sculpted detail rather nicely.
Good luck!
heres a link to a previous pc thread on the subject http://boards.polycount.net/showthread.php?t=62495
by doing that, if i want to change the scale in maya in case i change uvs, or say i don't like the scale or any reason, it will work fine.