ZBrush Polypaint to Texture
Turn painted vertex color into a texture map
Also known as: ZBrush export color texture · ZBrush polypaint to texture map · ZBrush Col>Txtr · ZBrush export polypaint · ZBrush UV master texture · ZBrush bake color
Quick answer
To turn polypaint into a texture map in ZBrush, the model needs clean UVs, made with UV Master or in your 3D tool. Then go to Tool > Texture Map, create a new texture at the size you want, and use Col>Txtr in the Polypaint palette to convert the polypaint to a texture. Export it with Texture > Export. Without clean UVs, the texture will have seams and overlaps.
How to fix it
Use the highest subdivision level when converting so the colors are sharp, and size the texture to the detail you painted. Hand-painted pipelines often paint in ZBrush, export a color map, and refine it in Substance Painter or Photoshop. Converting works the other way with Txtr>Col. The color is baked into the texture, so keep a copy of the polypainted model in case you need to repeat the process.
