What's your favorite way to make a lowpoly from a sculpt?
interpolator
To make a lowpoly from a sculpt I've always use 3D-Coat. However where I work I have to use 3dsmax or Zbrush for that, which is incredibly painful when you're used to the beautiful retopo tools of 3D-Coat.
So that made me think, are any of you used to make a lowpoly from a sculpt without awesome programs like 3D-Coat and Topogun? If yes, how?
So that made me think, are any of you used to make a lowpoly from a sculpt without awesome programs like 3D-Coat and Topogun? If yes, how?
Replies
Is it a technical issue or a money issue that your studio only allows max or zbrush for that ?
Topogun license is only $100 for one seat.
even the smallest of studios could easily afford one seat of Topogun.
The wierd thing is that the other character artists are totally fine with it and have their own way of making a retopo with these tools. That's why I was wondering if many other artist don't need topogun or 3D-Coat.
Have you asked if they will get you a license and use the tool or are you just assuming they would say no? If it speeds up your workflow I can't imagine a boss would turn you down on it. I wrote up a list of why 3dcoat would improve my workflow and how it would seamlessly integrate into our environment pipeline and presented it to our Art Director for consideration. At first I was the only one using it, but after others saw how fast I can UV and paint objects it quickly spread.
Justin Meisse & dustinbrown : I've been maybe a little too harsh on 3dsmax retopo tools as they feel so different from 3D-Coat. If you guys seem to be fine with it I should try to give it another chance. It just felt so slow and I was a little embarrassed as I'm used to be quite fast at retopo.
Long story short, I love it - I'm faster and more precise with retopoing in max than I am in 3dcoat or topogun. When I used to retopo in 3dcoat I would always have to go into max anyway and make adjustments, and I would always find some weird geo or holes somewhere. or even worse, I wouldn't find them until I've already UV mapped or something. Anyway, the extra precision and familiar tools of max have really helped me out a lot, especially when something I'm retopoing has some hard surface elements.
An example with the modifier stack;
I brought in a decimated model from zbrush then created a new mesh for retopo (I also had a basic rig with a test animation for deformation)
Mirror
Subsurf
Shrinkwrap
Armature (skins mesh to rig)
So this would mirror the geometry, which would then be subdivided. This new geometry would then be projected onto the source mesh to give the shape and details, and then it would all be deformed with the rig. The pose can be asymmetrical too as it takes place after the projection, and allows for editing the base geometry whilst the mesh in is a posed form and still see the projected details.
i use topogun exclusively, and its dirtcheap as MM said. Not sure about 3d coat, but if its in the same price range, just have a chat with your leads and im sure they will get a lisc for you. Just make sure to get across how much more efficient you would be in that tool.
Added bonus of going into Edit Poly, and tweaking shit without having to leave my software.
That isn't to say 3D-Coat is better than whatever other tool, it depends on the artists, and on what you are retopoligizing, but just because everyone is already doing it their own way doesn't mean you shouldn't try to show other options to people. Maybe they will like it, or maybe they will prefer their way and explain to you why, both end results seem positive.
same here...