zbrush saved doc?

NAIMA

Hi since I am experimenting with Zbrush for first times I am very noob still and I saved a doc the last time I played with it now I loaded up the document and its 2d and not 3d as it was b4 why this and hw I get it back to 3d?

thanks for any help ...

cryrid

Documents = 2.5d (exports as 2d photoshop file)
Tools = 3d (exports as obj)

There's no going back, depending on what you sculpted (a planar object might be salvageable to a certain extent, but not a character or object). Generally I only save documents when I want to save a viewport size and background gradient range that I like. Actual models should be saved under the Tools pallete as .ztl files

Its a mistake a lot of people make when they first use zbrush, but the program itself usually tries to warn you. From Page 19 of the Getting Started Guide:

Document (ZBR file format): Saves pixols, only! This format is meant for creating
illustrations. Any 3D data (if your model is in edit mode) is converted to
2.5D data when saving as a document. (Document > Save or Document > Open)

Tool (ZTL file format): Saves polygons. Use this format to save a model as 3D data that you
can continue to work with in edit mode later. This format will also save any maps that are
applied to your SubTools via the Tool palette. (Tool > Save As or Tool > Load Tool)

ZBrush calls anything that can be used to add pixols to the canvas or modify
pixols already on the canvas a “Tool”. Since 3D models can serve this purpose,
they fall under this classification as well. Even though some tools are called
“brushes”, they serve a very different purpose from sculpting brushes (which are
found in the Brush palette). Click the link at the bottom of this page to find out
more about Tools in ZBrush.

ZProject (ZPR file format): New to ZBrush 4 is a format that saves considerably more data
than the ZTL format does. This format will save the document settings including size and
lighting, all materials that are used, the model itself and even the size/position/rotation of the
model on the canvas, render settings, Timeline and more. In short, using this format allows
you to return to ZBrush exactly where you left off. Keep in mind that this also results in a
much larger file size than the ZTL or ZBR formats.
(File > Save As or File > Open)

NAIMA

Thankyou that was enlightning , so I lost my work but at least next time I will save as tools , I tought that tools was to have a handy base to start from ....

Valandar

You could also save as a ZProject, it's closer to what most people think of as "saving a file".

And if you haven't gotten the ZB4 upgrade... why the heck not?

8-Bit

Something handy to make note of. Zbrush saves every subdivision level of your mesh, and if you bring the mesh back down to a lower subdivision and save the tool it will generally create a smaller file. Not sure how that works out other than programming magic, but it's nice.