GoZ is a new toolset within ZBrush that creates a seamless connection between ZBrush and your 3D application of choice. As of this writing, GoZ supports a link with Cinema 4D, modo, 3ds Max, and Maya, with more application support in development. GoZ allows you to transfer your work to and from your 3D modeling and rendering application with a single button press. All maps are sent from ZBrush to the application and any changes made in the application can be transferred back to ZBrush.
Installing GoZ
GoZ comes preinstalled with ZBrush. All you have to do to enable it is to click the GoZ button. ZBrush will run through, looking for all the applications that are capable of connecting with it through the GoZ plugin. When you encounter an app that ZBrush cannot find, it will give you the option to browse to its location or select Not Installed. So if you do not have, say, 3ds Max installed on your machine, select Not Installed. This installer will copy scripts into a common folder for the 3D application to use. This will require that you use administrator privileges on your machine during the install.
Exporting to Maya Using GoZ
In this section we will look at how to export a mesh with color, displacement, and normal maps to Maya using GoZ.
We will begin by loading a new ZTool and generating color maps from polypaint as well as displacement and normal maps from the high-res details. GoZ will automatically export any active texture maps with the mesh and link them correctly in the Maya shader network.
1. From the accompanying DVD, load the ZTool alienForGoz.ztl. This is a ZBrush sculpt with multiple subtools, polypaint, and high-resolution details applied.
2. Any maps you have created and applied to the model will export to Maya with the mesh and be correctly linked in the Maya shader. When the map finishes generating, make sure it is loaded in the Tool + Texture slot (Figure 9.3).
Figure 9.3 The texture map for the alien head loaded into the Tool +Texture slot. This map will export to Maya with the mesh when using GoZ.
3. To generate a normal map, choose Tool + Normal Map and click the Tangent button (Figure 9.4). This selects the Tangent Map style as opposed to Object Space. Tangent maps are by far the most common and most suitable maps for deforming meshes.
4. Step down to the lowest subdivision level and click the Create Normal Map button to generate the map. Again make sure this map is loaded in the active slot before you proceed.
5. At this stage you have your ZTool with both a normal map and a color map generated (Figure 9.5). Both maps are loaded into the associated slot in the Tool menu. At this stage you are ready to transfer to Maya using Goz. If your GoZ is set up properly, simply click the Tool + GoZ button to switch from ZBrush to Maya (Figure 9.6). If you want to export all your subtools instead of just the active tool, then click the All button. If you only have some subtools visible and you want those exported while leaving the rest alone, click the Visible button.
6. This file will open in Autodesk Maya with all normal and color maps automatically set up and ready to render (Figure 9.7). You may notice that, depending on your settings, the mesh appears with no color or normal map detail displaying. In this case enable Hardware Texturing under the Viewport menu as well as High Quality Rendering (Figure 9.8). These options will allow your normal map and color maps to render directly in the Maya viewport (Figure 9.9).
Figure 9.4 The Normal Map menu options
7. To render the image with basic settings simply click the Render button at the top of the Maya screen (Figure 9.10).
Figure 9.5 The mesh at the lowest subdivision level with normal and color maps generated. You are now ready to transfer to Maya.
Figure 9.6 The GoZ button under the Tool menu
Figure 9.7 The alien creature loaded into Maya with GoZ
Figure 9.8 Enable the Hardware Texturing as well as High Quality Rendering options in the Viewport menu
Figure 9.9 The Alien with normal and color maps displaying in the Maya viewport
Figure 9.10 The Render button in the Maya interface
That completes the process of exporting a model with normal and color maps from ZBrush to Maya using GoZ.
