Edge loops running through mesh

DiamondDog

Im fairly new to modelling and now i am starting to question my workflow. I am always trying to model in only quads using edge loops. Thats way when i try to add some detail to certain part of the mesh i create an edge loop that runs through entire mesh and creates a lot of new vertices even in places when its not needed.
I am just looking for advice: Is that ok way to model?  Or do i need to change something?
Thanks in advance and excuse me for mistakes: im not a native speaker

poopipe

It's fine to work like that but before exporting the final asset to game you want to remove anything that doesn't directly contribute to the shape or UVs

DiamondDog

I was thinking about that. So i need to optimize it, that means that ngons are ok?

FrankPolygon

@DiamondDog The answer is it depends. Is there a workflow specific technical limitation or requirement for all quad grid topology?

If this type of topology isn't a hard technical requirement then the answer is: Yes, there are more efficient topology layouts and modeling strategies. Leaving extra geometry (that's a byproduct of modeling with automated tools) in a working mesh is one thing but manually adding in all of that extra geometry is something that should be avoided. Flat areas are arguably the lest effected by topology changes. There's minimal benefit to extending edge loops across flats and in most cases this will only complicate things and slow down any edits that need to be made in the future.

If this is a low poly mesh that needs to be cleaned up and optimized then a quick way to do this is to run a limited dissolve, triangulate the mesh and covert the triangles to quads. It's fine to leave the mesh messy until all of the shapes are finalized but there can also be some advantages to periodically cleaning sections of the mesh with a limited dissolve. Unless there's a specific shading or normal baking error then it's best to simplify the low poly mesh as much as possible, while still maintaining the overall shapes and desired smoothness.

If this is a high poly cage mesh that won't need further editing then it might be fine the way it is. However, if this is still a work in progress or if this needs to be sent to another artist then it would probably be best to selectively dissolve some of the excess edges. An important concept behind subdivision modeling is being able to control complex shapes and smoothing behavior with a minimal amount of geometry.

Here's a comparison of a similar shape with different topology layouts. The column on the left is the working mesh topology. The column in the middle is the final mesh topology and the column on the right is a shaded subdivision preview.

The first row is a low poly model that has a very simple and loosely organized working topology. To maintain consistency between applications the mesh shading is controlled by hard edges and the final mesh is triangulated before it's exported.

The second row is a high poly model that has a loose grid topology layout and the support loops are added to the working topology with a modifier that's controlled by edge weights. Support loops and working topology can be adjusted with minimal effort until the modifier is applied. Triangles and n-gons are kept within the flat areas and have a minimal impact on the mesh when subdivision is applied.

The third row is a high poly model that has support loops placed in the working topology. This provides direct control over the supporting geometry but also increases the complexity and amount of effort required to make any major changes to the shapes. Triangles and n-gons on the flat areas of the mesh subdivide without causing any major smoothing artifacts.

A great resource for learning about different modeling and topology strategies is the "How do I model this?" thread in the technical talk section. Here's a link to a couple of recent discussions about topology layouts, triangles, n-gons and quad grids in that thread:

https://polycount.com/discussion/comment/2715417/#Comment_2715417

https://polycount.com/discussion/comment/2719843/#Comment_2719843

https://polycount.com/discussion/comment/2733812/#Comment_2733812

DiamondDog

wow thank you so much for such in depth answer, this is really helpful