XGen not saving PTex files

[eworffej]

I'm working with XGen and when I attempt to save density and/or region maps I get the following errors:

// Error: XGen: Searched path includes:
/Users/jeff/Desktop/jw/xgen/collections/hair_01_COL/hair_01_DESC/paintmaps/hair_MASK/jw_final_head_xgen_model.ptx (Part of path doesn't exist)
/Users/jeff/xgen/hair_01_DESC/paintmaps/hair_MASK/jw_final_head_xgen_model.ptx (Part of path doesn't exist)
/Applications/Autodesk/maya2020/plug-ins/xgen/presets/hair_01_DESC/paintmaps/hair_MASK/jw_final_head_xgen_model.ptx (Part of path doesn't exist) //

All directories in the path exist. It just doesn't seem to want to create the ptex files. 

Before this project I tried running some tests on a different project, and it wouldn't create the directories but WOULD create the ptex (once I manually created the directories). But with this project, once everything was configured, it created the directories just fine, but now it won't create the ptex files.

I've scoured the internet for solutions: making sure the project is set properly, making sure there are no spaces in my filenames, making sure the project folder is on the desktop, etc etc. But for some odd reason it's refusing to save these maps. Others seem to have had this problem, but their solutions don't work for me.

Is anyone else experiencing this, or have any insight on a solution?

Details:

• Apple Mac, Big Sur 11.2.3
• Maya 2020.4

Thanks.

[yemaconazucar]

Hi. I'm not an expert nor experienced with Xgen, but I've had this same error, and in my case it was directly related to Xgen's way of recognising objects in a scene and its namespaces.

So if you import say an OBJ, the object will be named objectname:Mesh. You merge the namespace with the root and now the object is simply Mesh. You can bind descriptions and create Ptex maps to this object, however...

...if you duplicate Mesh so that you now have Mesh1, and Mesh1 is your scalp, Xgen doesn't like this for reasons beyond me. It also doesn't like if you import your scalp as an obj into the same scene, say scalpobject:Mesh, then after merging namespace it becomes Mesh1 (because you already have Mesh in the scene).

I would try exporting the meshes as mb. files or alembic, I have used alembic and it allows me to bind descriptions and attach ptex maps to them. Good luck. 🙂

[eworffej · Accepted solution]

Thanks for the thorough reply. So I figured out the solution to my problem.

This is kind of embarrassing, but I didn't have a material assigned. After I assigned a Lambert and began painting, it then allowed me to save without error.

I just wish the error messages were more descriptive. Then I wouldn't have spent all that time yelling at my screen.

So to anyone experiencing this problem, be sure you have a material assigned first!

Thanks again.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for this!!! I had the exact same issue and now I can finally move on!

[amelia.sturdy]

Hiya, I am having the same issues. I have tried no end of fixes. It has a lambert assigned. I cannot use the 3D paint brush or even plug in density maps painted in other softwares.  // Error: XGen: Runtime error while setting up paint tool (C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Maya2022\plug-ins\xgen\scripts\xgenm\ui\widgets\xgExpressionUI.py:971)

[kevincease]

Every single problem I have runs into a dead end in these forums. Auto desk has such terrible service and horrible programs. I have lambert assigned and density map works but region map doesn’t. Garbage. No help they don’t care

[kevincease]

Every single problem I have runs into a dead end in these forums. Auto desk has such terrible service and horrible programs. I have lambert assigned and density map works but region map doesn’t. Garbage. No help they don’t care

[yemaconazucar]

I feel your pain.  Agreed. This issue keeps popping up erratically over the years.

If you have a lambert assigned, and you are sure there are no duplicates of the same mesh in the scene that could be annoying Xgen, and you tried saving the textures FIRST on the tool settings and SECOND on the xgen panel, AND it still doesn't work-

...one last thing to check is your UVs. Of course you need UVs to groom, but Xgen will only work with UDIM tile 0001. So if you have more than one tile, or if your geometry has UVs elsewhere, it may not work. Try duplicating your mesh, and transferring the UVs to the first tile and the maps might just save correctly now.

I find Maya 2022 the most stable version in general.

good luck

[thekuzicartoon]

Have done all those solutions...but I am still unable to paint (my mesh does not turn black either which is the first indication that the paint will not work). I still get the 'Part of path does not exist' too no matter how many ways I create or recreate the folders and ptx file.
Anyone have any other possible solutions?