GoZ ZBrush and nonstandard polygons....

IsaacNewton

There has for some time been an issue with some clothing items not being compatible with the process of sending them from DS to Zbrush using GoZ. Namely that when the clothing item is sent to ZBrush and back to DS (via GoZ) an error is reported that the topology of the item has changed and consquently this method can not be used for making morphs (usually corrections to autofit) to those clothing items.

I discovered that when importing the clothing item in to ZBrush, it requires you to convert polygons which have more than 4 sides into triangles or quads and triangles. Thus the topology changes. However when the import to ZBrush is done from DS via GoZ, it does not tell you that this change has been made, it just does it automatically. Thus, if an item has non standard polygons, though DS can cope with this, Zbrush can't and GoZ doesn't tell you that it has to change the topology.

How many hours of work has that cost me and others over the years??

Now the question is; is there a way to get Zbrush to change the topology back to what it was originally, so that the item can be sent back to DS via GoZ (or another way) in order to be used as a morph?

Of course, all this palaver would be competely unnecessary if DS had some simple Smooth, Move, Push and Pull brushes that could be used directly on the mesh in real time. (the D-Former magnets are, to say the least, blunt tools)

 

ParallaxCreates

My products are the types that require GoZ while I am creating them. I have never had this issue but I am aware of it. Here's the harmony that makes that possible.

ZBrush 2020

DAZ Studio 4.12

Export w/ deformations CHECKED

Export w/ current resolution UNCHECKED

ONLY using Smooth, Standard Brush, Move Brush, Inflate Brush or simply not using brushes/tools/features that add/remove geometry in any way i/e edges, polys or vertices.

Ensuring the names of the subtools never change OR in the event I need to split any I make sure I merge them again after while again checking the names. 

Ultimately, a tight workflow pretty prevents that notification from DAZ Studio unless you something wonky going on in any of your installations.

ParallaxCreates

I just re-read your post and know of the notification you speak of and that is the cause of bad topology. Whatever meshes you are sending to ZBrush have bad topo. Typically bad welding, rat nests and ngons can cause that. Are these your own meshes you are working on? If so, then you need to tighty up on your topology. If they are not your meshes then there's not much you can do about it. The only thing you could is send the mesh elsewhere like 3ds Max which will NOT flag bad topology as an issue on import but only on export.

IsaacNewton

Yes, that's the work flow I use and it works. It only fails if Zbrush changes the topology. Normally there is a warning, but GoZ seems to circumvent that warning, so you only find out that the topology has changed when you try to send the item back to DS (after you have spent time working on it.... thanks GoZ Devs... that was a good idea... NOT!)

The clothing item is an older commercial one. I guess that these days, vendors know that they should not use ngons where n is greater than 4.