If want to get employed, Is it crucial for a 3d character modeler to know retopology ?
polycounter lvl 5
Would it be fair if a 3d character modeler is not responsible for retopology but rigger or animator to be responsible for that part because they should know how retopo should be made because of the animating process..
I mean, 3d character modeler have already a lot of responsibility such as sculpting/modeling, organic, hard surface, details, clothes, props,texturing,grooming and + retopo
How much real is expecting a job as a character modeler without retopo skills or it s a MUST ?
I mean, 3d character modeler have already a lot of responsibility such as sculpting/modeling, organic, hard surface, details, clothes, props,texturing,grooming and + retopo
How much real is expecting a job as a character modeler without retopo skills or it s a MUST ?
Replies
If you are talking about concept art/design, 3d printing or similar than no. There are many freelance artists that make amazing characters/creatures that are not meant for final production so they don't do any retopo or UVs. Check out ArtStation.
However i think that it's still better to know how to create something from 0 to 100 without skipping any steps.
The artists that don't make production ready models probably know how to do the various technical tasks such as retopo and UVs but they are focusing on something else where they don't need them.
All the sculpting and other tasks you mentioned are optional. There are plenty of games that don't have normal maps or any kind of baked texturing. But every game has a low poly model.
Heck, I've been in sitautions where we had to repologize outsourced character art assets because a new tech artist that came on had significant improvements he wanted to make that required us going back into detail retopologize areas.
What you really need is quality.
Personally, I don't use retopo at all, and i only use the tools with 3d scanned/photogrammetry models. It's a boring job, but there's no choice.
For me, retopo it's not a must at all (it's not the most important thing). A must is for example all that know-how or technical aspects such as topology understanding. Traditional modeling, UV optimization, and ability to create clean and solid meshes with good topology for deformations and UV seams.
Each one use the method they are more comfortable with. I prefer to model a good subdivision model from the very beginning and later, work on a Zbrush or Mudbox pass for more details. I think it's a good practice and the best way to save time and effort, at least if you have a good concept/idea very well planned.
This is a -low effort workflow- without retopo i shared here a decade ago. hope it helps.
You can always learn something about how to properly build a lowpoly.
And with 'edge flow' I mean every triangle edge.
Just last year I had some fun time going through the edge flow of breath-of-the-wild-links fingers.
There are just so many ways you can do it wrong with a plain "nude" figure. Not to mention more complex armor / cloth / creatures topology.
I have to admit I'm bit picky regarding edge flow, though.
This really takes some time getting an eye for it. 2-4 Weeks will get you barely running imo.
If a candidate didn't know how to do this, I'd be asking serious questions about what other basic skills they don't know.