Best high poly workflow in Maya?

BradleyWascher

Hey guys! 

So working in Maya I've always done my high poly the traditional add edge loops, smooth mesh preview, and then convert smooth mesh preview to polygons. 

Is there a better faster way, plugins or tools you use to increase your workflow? More specifically in regard to hard surface models.

I was watching chamfer zone's video and in max he uses a chamfer all hard edges modifier, then a turbo smooth, anything like that you use in Maya? 

Any an all insight is welcome

FappaR

Check out ADN Tools and Crease Plus:
https://gumroad.com/l/adntools
https://gumroad.com/l/CreasePlus

Also boolean + Dynamesh(Zbrush) is a lovely way doing hard surface highpolys.
http://polycount.com/discussion/168610/proboolean-dynamesh-hardsurface-workflow-tutorial/p1

BradleyWascher

Awesome! I remember seeing these a while back and they slipped my mind! 

musashidan

Be  careful how you approach the boolean methods, though, as any time gained in high poly creation will be spent on manual retop (unless Maya is capable of working in booleans non-destructively as Max is)

Burpee

Also I might be prod but in many film production, ( for sure big ones ) they still want us to make full quad subdiv friendly mesh, even on crazy hard surface stuff ! 

good luck !

zachagreg

Burpee said:

Also I might be prod but in many film production, ( for sure big ones ) they still want us to make full quad subdiv friendly mesh, even on crazy hard surface stuff ! 

good luck !

I'd say it's necessary to the degree of knowing good topology versus bad topology, which is really important. It depends on what the work is for I'd guess, sometimes quads aren't necessary as long as you're not getting any visual artifacts in the hi-poly or your bakes and sometimes they are necessary. I think just practicing good topology would be the biggest takeaway.