Problem with .obj files from Zbrush

[sandrokaza94]

Hello everyone! It is being impossible to import obj files from zbrush in 3D MAX. I don't know what to do anymore.

Here my initial model using a standart primitive box object.

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My configs to send to Zbrush

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Inside of Zbrush, sculpted and decimated.

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Now I need to import the .obj file. This is my configs:

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And now, my biggest problem:

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This happens with any .obj files from Zbrush. Zremesher don't help too. Any ideas  In Maya it works perfectly. What I may be doing wrong? does anyone have any solution? Thanks!

[10DSpace]

It looks to me like the the decimation you did In Zbrush was too extreme and wrecked the mesh.   I don't think the problem is with Max.   I am not sure how hi poly you took it in zbrush before decimation, but you decimated it all the way down to around 23K active points and the topology looks pretty bad to me.  If you try to run Zremesher after decimation like that it doesn't work because there are actually holes in the mesh.  Also, when you sculpted in Zbrush were you using Dynamesh periodically or were you just subdividing the triangulated mesh that you sent over from Max?  That can create a real mess, since sculpting is best with even quads which is what dynamesh creates.  I cannot explain why this mesh imports fine into Maya, but the workflow for me from Max to Zbrush and back would not use decimation at all for this mesh, but rather after import from max, use dynamesh with enough resolution to preserve your details (but not more than you need either) and sculpt as you want making sure that you periodically refresh the quad topology with dynamesh.  Then when you are done with that, turn dynamesh off and Run Zremesher to your desired polycount.    In my experience, the resulting mesh should then import fine into Max.  You can also run the Mesh Integrity Check in Zbrush to make sure it's OK before exporting.  Hope this helps. 

[sandrokaza94]

Thanks for taking the time to respond! So, I did it in a simpler way now, really, I was damaging the mesh the way I was doing before. But now I've done a pretty simple test, very basic thing just to test how 3D MAX would behave, with a good topology but unfortunately, even in a very simple process the mesh is imported defective.
I am posting 2 videos of the process I did, one on 3D MAX and one on Maya. Correct me if I'm still doing it wrong. I was so used to this process by Maya, I thought that in 3D MAX would be the same thing.

[video]

[sandrokaza94]

I exported in FBX format from zbrush, and opened without errors in 3d max!

[10DSpace]

I exported in FBX format from zbrush, and opened without errors in 3d max!

Great!  I assume you mean the version with the good topology here? 

FYI, I pretty much always use the GoZ transfer between Max and Zbrush and back.  I think that the GoZ script uses the .fbx format under the hood and for me it works great with the (good topology) geometry coming back into max exactly as it was  in Zbrush.    The only annoyance I have with GoZ (Max 2020 and Zbrush 2020) is that in the send back to max, GoZ unchecks the Enable Gamma\LUT Correction in Max which I always have enabled in my linear workflow.  It is easy enough to go into preferences and re-enable it in Max, just an annoyance.  Anyway,  it sounds like you have worked out a good workflow.  Good luck.   

[sandrokaza94]

I found that the problem is related to the size of the object that exports from 3D MAX. The object is extremely large for zbrush. I am getting a solution now. Later I post something definitive to this problem.

[marc.pat]

Try to set the SM group when import the obj in 3ds max.

I find some problem with obj in 3ds max, the last version that work well for me with obj is 3d smax 2016.

other version look like 3ds max 2017 - 2018 - 2019 - 2020, with some object create problem in my case.

[10DSpace · Accepted solution]

@sandrokaza94 

I found that the problem is related to the size of the object that exports from 3D MAX.

Yes, sorry I forgot to mention the scale issues between zbrush and Max. (See below)  But please do post what you come up with as a solution.  What I do now may not be the simplest or best but at least it works reliably. 

For the scale issue (with Max 2020 and Zbrush 2020), it is easier to keep track of the size of the object in Zbrush relative to Max via the Geometry>Size tab.   But you still have to check the original dimensions of your object in max (Measure) and you will still likely have to scale down your mesh in Zbrush so that the size of the brush spans the range of from fine details to large areas for sculpting purposes.   I scale down the mesh using the Deformation tab in Zbrush (using the "Size" fader).   Each complete pull down of the Size fader is a 2 fold reduction in size. (i.e., the mesh is half of it's original size.)   After you get the right size mesh for working in Zbrush, check the size again via Geometry>Size and then put the appropriate scale factor in the export Scale setting before sending back to max via GoZ.    

For earlier versions of Zbrush , there wasn't that handy tab for size (although a plug-in was available) and you had to keep track of exactly how many complete pull downs of the Size fader you did on your mesh, because for each pull down you had to multipy Export Scale by 2 to restore the correct mesh size in Max. 

It probably sounds worse than it actually is, because it doesn't take much time (under a minute) to get it set up.   But it is an annoyance for sure and if you come up with a good workflow, please post it. 

[domo.spaji]

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@marc.pat wrote:
Try to set the SM group when import the obj in 3ds max.

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There's no smoothing groups in ZBrush so cannot get normals from that.

Looks like you ended with completely  unsmoothed  model...

No probs. with Max versions. On import options check Auto Smooth (with default 30).

Or in Max apply smooth mod., autosmooth with default option

[sandrokaza94]

@10DSpace @domo.spaji @marc.pat 

Guys, thank you so much for your help!

I was using the 2020 version of MAX and couldn't find any solution to this problem. My workflow was being hampered because I would have to use GoZ, go to the deformation settings in Zbrush, and scale my object two or three times; when I finished sculpting, I would resize my object again to be the same size from 3D MAX. Although this worked, I found it very bad. Now, in 3D MAX 2019, I just export and import normally. I asked Simon Fuchs for help, he is the artist I study, I bought his courses at Gumroad, I highly recommend it. He sent me some settings for importing .obj files, if anyone is interested:

Simon Fuchs feedback .obj file import settings

My result using 3D MAX 2020My result using 3D MAX 2019, with the same process