Exporting models out of Fusion as quads (and other helpful methods)

DustyShinigami

Hi

 

I did consider asking this on the Autodesk forum, but then realised Polycount would probably be better as the folk on the Fusion forums don't understand the game modelling workflows used.

 

Is it possible to export a model out of Fusion into another package so it's in quads? I've read varying things such as 'you can ...sort of' to Autodesk 'looking into implementing such a feature', which was a post back in 2015...?, to someone posting a link to ArtStation that uses some method I don't quite understand. I'm guessing that involves some other 3D modelling package I'm not familiar with; haven't really studied it properly.

 

I've finally finished the mech I've been working on in Fusion, but taking it into ZBrush and converting it into quads looks to be proving a bit tricky and time consuming. And that's with using ZModeller and Polygroups. :-\ That's the only method I've been shown, too. I'm curious what methods others have used. I'm sure there's some very useful approaches out there I'm not familiar with, so I'm more than happy to be educated. Just as a heads-up though, I've not used any sculpting methods within Fusion. It's mainly been Solids, Surfaces, and a tiny bit of Sheet Metal, which has now been converted to a Solid.

I suppose, worst case scenario, if there's no other ideal method I can use, the only thing that comes to mind would be to retopologise what I have, and then convert that into my new high poly by subdividing it. And then from that - get the low poly, too. Only downside I can think of, is that if I try to project any details to it from my original, it's going to transfer the faceted look it currently has. :-\

Thanks

Oh. And this is the mech I've made, which I've been covering in my sketchbook on Polycount:

poopipe

Haven't done this for a while but unless someone has written a plugin I think the answer is no. 


If you're using max you can import the object as a cad model and have some control over the surface parameters - this is handy as a starting point for your low poly mesh although iirc it still triangulates. 
 

 

DustyShinigami

Ahh, that's too bad. :-\ I've really not been having much luck at ZRemeshing. Smaller and simpler objects, like cylinders etc, haven't been a problem. But anything big with plenty of joined edges just become a mess. Even with different Polygroups and creases applied.

poopipe

You're not going to find anything that'll generate a decent clean mesh by pressing a button just yet I'm afraid. Zbrush is probably the most controllable remesher out there but ultimately there's no good general auto-retopology solution . 

Historically what I've done when generating my game mesh is try to clean up as best I can using quadrify or similar tools and then just rebuild or manually retopologise complicated bits. 

DustyShinigami

Is there nothing similar to how Marvelous Designer generates topology then? That's far from perfect, but it does a fairly decent job and makes ZRemeshing easier.

It's looking like I'll just have to retopologise what I've done and turn that into a high poly. At least there's nothing produced in Fusion that needs projecting from the original.

Neox

maya and max have auto remeshers nowadays worth a try?

pxgeek

So disclaimer: I have no idea how Fusion works...but for the sake of spit-balling some ideas that may help:

Can you export the fusion model in separate chunks so that the remesher has an easier time? Then just boolean the results where needed with some small manual cleanup. It looks like your model is mostly primitives anyway.

Taking a look through the tutorial you linked- the artist is using MOI3d to generate the low poly...which to me looks very similar to Decimation.  Maybe you can give decimation master a shot. His model is primarily angular and flat surfaces with some beveled edges sprinkled in which is probably easier to auto optimize, whereas yours is primarily spheres and curves...so ymmv. But for example, the feet on your model is mostly flat surfaces, so that part should decimate fairly well if I had to guess.

poopipe

Breaking the model up is a good way to control the remeshing behaviour if the masking/line drawing isn't working as well as you need



I was just reminded that Simplygon 10 has a quad remesher now - I sat through a demo of it all recently and completely forgot about it. 
It's very impressive although not exactly priced for the home-gamer 

DustyShinigami

Neox said:

maya and max have auto remeshers nowadays worth a try?

Yeah, I didn't think of those. Might be worth a try. Thanks.

DustyShinigami

pxgeek said:

So disclaimer: I have no idea how Fusion works...but for the sake of spit-balling some ideas that may help:

Can you export the fusion model in separate chunks so that the remesher has an easier time? Then just boolean the results where needed with some small manual cleanup. It looks like your model is mostly primitives anyway.

Taking a look through the tutorial you linked- the artist is using MOI3d to generate the low poly...which to me looks very similar to Decimation.  Maybe you can give decimation master a shot. His model is primarily angular and flat surfaces with some beveled edges sprinkled in which is probably easier to auto optimize, whereas yours is primarily spheres and curves...so ymmv. But for example, the feet on your model is mostly flat surfaces, so that part should decimate fairly well if I had to guess.

From what I've sampled so far, even when I've tried re-exporting a piece out, it's exported everything. But everything is in separate parts within ZBrush. Wouldn't Decimation triangulate it more though? When the models are imported, the triangulation looks similar to how Unreal would probably do it...? Actually, no, it's probably more similar to manually triangulating a mesh based on the placements of the edges. As mentioned above - some shapes ZRemesh perfectly fine, like spheres, cylinders and some blocky parts. It's just the bigger elements, like the torso and the head that are an issue as it's one big mesh.

DustyShinigami

poopipe said:

Breaking the model up is a good way to control the remeshing behaviour if the masking/line drawing isn't working as well as you need



I was just reminded that Simplygon 10 has a quad remesher now - I sat through a demo of it all recently and completely forgot about it. 
It's very impressive although not exactly priced for the home-gamer 

Oohh. Simplygon 10, huh... Not heard of that. Looking on the site, there's a free one...? I'll look into it. Thanks for the heads-up.

DustyShinigami

Okay, that free version of Simplygon looks to be pretty good. Also glad there's a free version for a change. However, despite remeshing a simple sphere, it looks to only be decimating. Would prefer it if it quadified the mesh. It could be I'm missing some settings...?

poopipe

I haven't got my hands on it yet - will do in the next week or two I expect. 


Judging by this it wants quads as input so you're back to square one anyway I guess.   
https://documentation.simplygon.com/SimplygonSDK_10.1.11000.0/concepts/quadreduction.html#overview

DustyShinigami

Ahh, that's too bad. Still, it's a useful tool to add to the toolbox. Plus, I'm going to be experimenting with LODs for this project, so this tool will simplify it very quickly.