GOZ only works half the time with Zbrush. (partially resolved, solution available)

Flortale

UPDATE Mar 5, 2020 - DAZ Studio 4.12.0.86 / Zbrush 2019.1.2

After vigorous troubleshooting, I found a work around to the problem. Here is how you ensure GOZ always works with DAZ. Brace yourself.

1. Open Zbrush first. Trust me.
2. Click the cylinder subtool and draw it out, then click edit. Trust me.
3. Now click GOZ. This will cause Zbrush to open DAZ Studio, which means Zbrush now has a tried and true link with that DAZ Studio session. Note: If this doesn't work, click GOZ button again and again until it opens a new session of DAZ Studio. If it still doesn't open DAZ, close Zbrush and reopen it, then try again. Important: Once Zbrush can open DAZ, then you'll know for sure the GOZ bridge will work. This action is what fixes the problem and ensures 100% GOZ reliability.
4. In the newly opened DAZ Studio, load your scene and select the figure or prop you want to work in in Zbrush, then do File-> Send to Zbrush
5. Do your work in Zbrush.
6. Now, when you click GOZ in Zbrush, because it already established a clear link with DAZ by literally opening up the application, it ensures GOZ works EVERY TIME.

So all you have to do to solve this problem is use Zbrush to open DAZ Studio. *facepalm* .. This work around will probably work for other 3d applications too, not just daz.

 

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Original stated problem (old)
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Problem: Goz only works half the time.

DAZ Studio 4.12.0.86
Zbrush 2019.1.2

I have to keep restarting DAZ and testing GOZ until it works before doing my work. Very annoying.

In Zbrush, when you click GOZ, in which DAZ Studio doesn't show the GOZ import screen, this is what you do.  Close DAZ Studio (trust me) and keep Zbrush open with the sub tool you were working on.  Once DAZ Studio closes, go into Zbrush and click GOZ again, that will open up a new session of DAZ Studio.  In that new session of DAZ Studio, load the scene file you had earlier.  Now, in Zbrush, click GOZ again.  This time it has a clear connection with this new DAZ Studio sesssion, and you'll get the GOZ import screen, then just choose Update an existing project, and choose the model you were working on. 

1. In DAZ, I select Genesis 8 Female.
2. I click File-> Send to Zbrush with export deformations checked and export at current resolution unchecked. 
3. Zbrush automatically opens and receives Genesis 8 Female and everything fitted and parented to her (ANNOYING).
4. I sculpt her geometry with the standard brush and click GOZ. Here is where the problem is. Zbrush  will begin shuffling through all of Genesis 8 Female's fitted items, then just stops and ends by showing a scroll cursor in Zbrush.

When this problem happens, I have to save, close DAZ and Zbrush, then re-open DAZ and attempt to GOZ again, and just pray it works.

I tried reinstalling GOZ.  I made sure Zbrush GOZ has a path set to DAZStudio64.  I tried the clear cache files under GOZ in zbrush.   The problem won't go away sadly. I need to figure out a solution to this asap.

edit: it is VITAL that I fix this problem. I will be watching this thread over the next few months carefully, hoping for a solution.  If I find one, I'll update this post. This is a catastrophic problem.

smaker1

What modification did you do ? Do you have the same version of GOZ plug as your DS4 version ?

Try with only a G8F base resolution in your scene . In Zbrush : just do a simple move of polygons with the move tool and get back to DS4 to see if it work.

I couldn't understand the logic of import from DS4 to Zbrush. Sometimes I have all characters and clothes, sometimes no (even the one I wanted to modify). If I have too much objects I use the solo mode

But I'm a basic user of Zbrush!   

I had trouble with Zbrush 2020 (made a post but no feedback). I had to reinstall 2018 so I use it with Goz. Never found the reason. 

Flortale

smaker1 said:

What modification did you do ? Do you have the same version of GOZ plug as your DS4 version ?

By modification I meant suclpting the geometry with the standard brush. I edited my post to be more specific.

Try with only a G8F base resolution in your scene . In Zbrush : just do a simple move of polygons with the move tool and get back to DS4 to see if it work.

Hmm, I can try that. I'll set G8F base resolution before using GOZ.   Yes, in Zbrush I just did a simple move of polygons during my testing. 

I couldn't understand the logic of import from DS4 to Zbrush. Sometimes I have all characters and clothes, sometimes no (even the one I wanted to modify). If I have too much objects I use the solo mode. But I'm a basic user of Zbrush!   I had trouble with Zbrush 2020 (made a post but no feedback). I had to reinstall 2018 so I use it with Goz. Never found the reason. 

What is solo mode? I would love it if I could export only G8F and not her fitted clothing.

Hmm, I do have an older version of Zbrush I could try.

smaker1

Solo mode in Zbrush ! There is an Icon on the right (sorry, not in front of my computer) click on it and it hide all objects except the selected one. Click again and everything is visible again. Very convenient if you have plenty of objects in your scene (those you need or not) and you want to work on one without being disturbed with the others.

my experience is that Goz is very "sensitive" and before making any hardwork in Zbrush and find I can't goback, I do a small modification just to test goz. I also found some old clothes that systematically create a new object with no possibility to make a morph.

  

duckbomb

I get this problem too, exactly as you described.  From what I can tell, ZBrush creates a temporary file that contains the stuff you send to it, and when you send over additional files with the same name (or meta data?  Don't know) ZBrush has problems.

I usually have to save my scene, make sure DAZ is completely closed out in the running tasks, and then I clear my GoZ cache in ZBrush.  Then, when I open DAZ and try again it works.

It is annoying, but at least it works.  I'd be up a creak if it didn't.  

Flortale

duckbomb said:

I get this problem too, exactly as you described.  From what I can tell, ZBrush creates a temporary file that contains the stuff you send to it, and when you send over additional files with the same name (or meta data?  Don't know) ZBrush has problems.

I usually have to save my scene, make sure DAZ is completely closed out in the running tasks, and then I clear my GoZ cache in ZBrush.  Then, when I open DAZ and try again it works.

It is annoying, but at least it works.  I'd be up a creak if it didn't.  

Sadly the problem came back despite me clearing the cache files after every use. 

Everything was working smooth for a while, but then I recently began to work with a new G8F, andt he problem came back.  In other words, I still have no idea what could be causign this. The only thing that changed since the last time it worked stable was me working with a new G8F for my character, meaning the names have changed? Maybe Zbrush GOZ needs a certain naming scheme or else it breaks?

update: after a grueling two hours, I found a partial work around to the problem, it's in the original post.