Plasticity workflow? Is it better?

Mixu

Hi. Recently, plasticity has been making a splash on the 3D modeling market. High Poly modeling has never been so easy and enjoyable despite some limitations of the software itself. However, the problem is getting Low Poly from a model imported from Plasticity. Isn't a subdiv-based workflow faster than retopo with plasticity? What do you think and is it worth switching to this software?

sacboi

It depends...

Personally from my limited experience testing this CAD NURBs biased app modeling realistic HS content, for the time being I've fallen back upon conventional high flow subd method of doing things i.e. generating a proxy via the high poly version by simply deleting applicable control loops, while preserving an intended silhouette.

Fairly straightforward, without sometimes additional nuisance of having to learn yet another toolset and/or workflow however, on the other hand if you've funds. Then perhaps might be an option to download a Pro license, if you'd hadn't already? which afaik comes bundled with a Blender bridge addon, therein making retopo at the very least, potentially less of a grind.

Anyway, I'll suggest trial a comparison for yourself weighing up either technique, in terms of pros v cons?!           

Eric Chadwick

A couple related threads fwiw

https://polycount.com/discussion/233389/plasticity-is-it-viable

https://polycount.com/discussion/233944/struggling-to-model-blade-in-plasticity

pior

Well, it's isn't *that* complicated really : export the CAD model as OBJ at low settings, and then tweak/simplify the geo from there to end up with the final low. Then UV and bake.

It really all comes down to one one's ability to do the raw polymodeling needed for a clean retopo - and that's just as true if the high is a subdiv or a CAD model.

myclay

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOftfx05l14&t=43s

No need to manually export OBJs, just use the official Blender Bridge which even has live linking.

Inside Blender you can use Refaceting (auto triangulate//N-Gon).
https://doc.plasticity.xyz/blender/install-blender-addon

Since 1.3, both Indie as well as Studio have the bridge included. (before it was for the Studio only)
Plasticity 1.4 is the last version till 2.0 comes out.

pior

Right, but that's largely irrelevant though ... Once the OBJ/mesh is imported, one has to work with it Shaving off about 2 seconds of export time is not what's going to help with retopo.

poopipe

This is the main reason i've stuck with fusion360 and max for CAD based stuff rather than grabbing plasticity or using MOI. 

Fusion is a pain in the arse but being able to load the CAD file directly into Max allows you to adjust surface parameters before mesh conversion which can save a lot of time in the basic mesh cleanup you normally need to do before you can even start removing geometry you don't need. 

myclay

pior said:

Right, but that's largely irrelevant though ... Once the OBJ/mesh is imported, one has to work with it Shaving off about 2 seconds of export time is not what's going to help with retopo.

Fully agree, after the first couple tries, my interest on Plasticity has waned quite a bit upon that realization which you eloquently put into words.

Personally while I love to look at new workflows and tools, testing them out, satisfying the curiosity itch, I prefer to have a lean pipeline which gets regularly reevaluated and trimmed down.
Concentrating on only a couple complimentary programs means less to know shortcuts, less fatigue, other unexpected woes like possible breakage points due to I/O and most important aspect; more time for art creation.

Sub-D + some slight workflow/ thought changes are (to me) the way forward.