How does one retopologize?

respira

So from what I understand, its basically a fancy way of saying your creating a low poly version of your high poly sculpture? If so, am I right in assuming you could make the low poly version through a general program like Maya or do you have to make it in a program like Topogun? 

Sunray

Yea you can use maya moddeling toolkit. Topogun is better in handeling an extreme amount of polys tho.

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respira

Aah good to know them!

kanga

It depends on what stage you are working at. Modelling, or even organizing uvs in a sculpt program like zbrush is good for creating the high res reference model, but the final low poly cage is easier for me to do in an external app that has modelling tools i am familiar with. I know that well known artist swear by retopo in ZB.

DeathstrokeFTW

Ive heard Topogun is best for that but I have used 3dsMax's Graphite tools and even 3dCoat's for retopo too.

kanga

I've tried topogun and couldn't get used to it. Doing retopo in a standard app gives me modelling tools I am used to so I can flip in and out of retopo mode when needed. But then again, I was using polydraw as a plugin in max before it became part of the software.