Daz Studio - ZBrush question

tomasball

I'm trying to work through a process and running into a roadblock.  Perhaps someone who understands zbrush better can explain it.  Here goes:  I load a base Genesis figure.  I set it to high resolution and the most subdivisions.  I export it as an .obj file.  I re-import it.  I send the .obj to zbrush.  I perform a modification in zbrush.  Then I try to create a displacement map.  Zbrush says my subtool is at a higher subdivision and i need to switch to the lowest subdivision.  But this .obj file isn't subdivided at all, right?

Richard Haseltine

In order to bake displacement (or normals) you need a base resolution mesh and a divided version, the baking will reflect the difference between the two. If you have only a single, undivided mesh then there are no differences to bake. Aside from that, GoZ does not preserve any grouping and for the Genesis figuers you need to have the surface groups so that you can bake each group to its own map. What you need to do is export the base resolution mesh, because you want the displacement to capture the differences between that and your sculpt, then in Zbrush import that with the option to import mats as groups, so you have a way to split the geometry by the maps it uses. You then need to divide and sculpt that mesh, and when done you set it back to zero divisions and bake your displacement (I think the new versions of ZBrush may support UDIMs, which would simplify the process - otherwise you have to hide all but one group and create your displacement map for that for each group in turn).