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Transferring Polypaint from Zbrush


ShaneO
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Heya 3D Coat peeps,

My mind is currently boggled. Today at work, I swear I was able to import a poly-painted dynamesh from Zbrush as a voxelized object (using the app-link), and have it import into 3D Coat with it's polypaint in-tact.

Now I'm trying to repeat the process here at home, and I'm unable to bring the polypaint in along with it. I'm using the latest version of 3D Coat Beta 4.0 A13A.

Am I missing something? Did I forget to check some box when importing? The only difference I can think of is I'm using Zbrush 4r4 at work, and 4r5 here... but that doesn't make sense why it wouldn't work.

Thanks in advance for any advice,

-ShaneO

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I dont use the applink but trough "file-import for vertex painting" you will get your mesh in surface mode ready to paint in Paintroom with your zb polypaint on layer0. Also a few 3DC shaders dont show colors I think...Im not sure,so that could be that too or maybe it is an applink issue with R5.

btw welcome to the forum :) I like your work very much cant wait to see what you'll come up with using Liveclay.

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Also, adding to what Javis said...make sure to use the Pictmat Grey Shader. Some of the others won't display painting and even if they are lightly colored, for some reason, you just don't see it. I find the grey shader gives a full range of color

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Thanks for the quick responses guys!

@ BeatKitano: I figured out how to import Polypaint the way you described right after I posted. Thanks!

@ Artman: Thank you very much! I'm flattered. Your presets and tutorial videos are what made me decide to try sculpting in 3DCoat again (Along with Andrews fabulous updates of course)

@ AbnRanger: Yes, I use that basic shader all the time. Thanks for the tip! Also, thanks for helping out all of the 3D Coat users over the years. Both you and Javis have been pillars in helping 3D Coat be what it is today.

Speaking of which, is BeatKitano Javis?

So on to my next question.

Last night after I was able to bring in my Polypainted mesh (2mil polys in surface mode), I imported my low using Import Retopo Mesh, which worked great.

Then I followed Artman's tutorial on the front page of 3DCoat on how to transfer the maps using Retopo/Merge with NM. Thank you Artman! I then set up my cage and raycast distance. I have all of my Preferences set to Maya as far as exporting normal maps, since that's where I'm going with them. Then I hit go! And I can't believe how quick it pumped out all of the maps into layers WOW! They look great, way to go 3DCoat team! Fastest map generation I have seen to date.

Okay, so after that long-winded explanation of a process, I hit Ctrl +p so send it over to Photoshop. Even though the maps looked fantastic on my low-res version in the Paint Room, they were inverted in Photoshop (and the texture UV editor in 3D Coat).I would like to post an image, but this forum only allows me to point at one currently on the web? I could email it if someone would like to see what I mean.

Thanks again for all of your help.

-ShaneO

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Thanks for the quick responses guys!

@ BeatKitano: I figured out how to import Polypaint the way you described right after I posted. Thanks!

@ Artman: Thank you very much! I'm flattered. Your presets and tutorial videos are what made me decide to try sculpting in 3DCoat again (Along with Andrews fabulous updates of course)

@ AbnRanger: Yes, I use that basic shader all the time. Thanks for the tip! Also, thanks for helping out all of the 3D Coat users over the years. Both you and Javis have been pillars in helping 3D Coat be what it is today.

Speaking of which, is BeatKitano Javis?

So on to my next question.

Last night after I was able to bring in my Polypainted mesh (2mil polys in surface mode), I imported my low using Import Retopo Mesh, which worked great.

Then I followed Artman's tutorial on the front page of 3DCoat on how to transfer the maps using Retopo/Merge with NM. Thank you Artman! I then set up my cage and raycast distance. I have all of my Preferences set to Maya as far as exporting normal maps, since that's where I'm going with them. Then I hit go! And I can't believe how quick it pumped out all of the maps into layers WOW! They look great, way to go 3DCoat team! Fastest map generation I have seen to date.

Okay, so after that long-winded explanation of a process, I hit Ctrl +p so send it over to Photoshop. Even though the maps looked fantastic on my low-res version in the Paint Room, they were inverted in Photoshop (and the texture UV editor in 3D Coat).I would like to post an image, but this forum only allows me to point at one currently on the web? I could email it if someone would like to see what I mean.

Thanks again for all of your help.

-ShaneO

lol small confusion here. :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: ... Javis is GeoTheFaust ,abnranger made a mistake,he wrote Javis bur I think he meant me....

Tutorials on 3DCoat site are mostly Abnranger 's,I only did Presets and few speedsculpts video ... :)

about your issue...abnranger or Geo can probably answer this,also I think you can upload image using forum there shouldnt be any problem just use full editor or "more reply options" :)

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Okay, thanks for clearing up the confusion. Here is the example I made. On the left is what came out of 3D Coat, and on the right is what came out of Topogun. I'm trying to figure out what options I need to set in order for 3D Coat to output like Topogun.

Thanks again!

-ShaneO

post-32610-0-89091000-1365267335_thumb.j

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Swizzling options, go to prefs and check swap y and z.

Your normal map is proper, you just need to swap channels (you could do it in photoshop or any 2d software supporting modification to rgb channels).

You just need to swap the X vector. In photoshop it's done by selecting the red channel and putting it in negative (CTRL+I). It will work I just tried with your pic.

rrrandc1umd.jpg

You'll probably need to tweak the output calculation settings though since there's a slightly different calculation matrix.

You'll also need to adjust the cage since you've a few missed rays in some areas (Andrew added tools for this, I'm not familiar with this new method so I can't really help you here)

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Thanks for the tips BeatKitano! It looks like it will work by flipping the red channel, thanks for taking the time to do that. I'm looking for a process that takes as few steps as possible. So if I can get a normal map out of 3D Coat that I don't have to swap the red channel in, that would be the ultimate. Swapping the red channel is simple, but it's an added step. Still, it allows for some good testing, thanks again!

I've attached an image of all of the settings I used to get the results that I did. Please let me know if I've missed something? All of my prefs are set to Maya output as far as I can tell, yet I get inverted normals.

Also, I tried flipping the Y and Z, and I got strange results (image attached). I got a black sillouette of my mesh (presumably flipping the Axis to Z up like Max, then it only bakes where the flipped model crosses through my cage.

Thanks again,

-ShaneO

post-32610-0-65664600-1365269479_thumb.j

post-32610-0-17037600-1365269992_thumb.j

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I would say in preferences (not the import dialog which is what you did and why you get this black map as your target and source mesh are inverted on their axis now), try ticking swap y and z and see how it goes. Not sure this will fix it but I think it may work.

Swizzling is always an issue depending on your rendering engine and the baking engine... sometimes you get no other choice than batch process such photoshop tricks...

I'm sure there's a simpler solution to your problem and someone else has it if this swap option doesn't work.

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Thanks again for the tips. I can't seem to get the Pref Y and Z to work either... it flips a black silhouette the other way.

Flipping the green channel inside Photoshop did the trick for now though. The only difference between the two maps after the flip is the padding size, which is adjustable and doesn't really matter.

I've never heard the term "swizzling" before heh, but I think I get the meaning.

Thanks again,

-ShaneO

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1: You need to realign your two meshes first (i thought you checked the swap y and z in the import dialog, maybe that's not the case but if you did uncheck it). They need to be aligned for proper baking anyway.

2: You check swap y and z in edit>preferences.

It should work if you follow those steps.

As for the swizzling term. Not common I agree.

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