Zbrush Decimator vs 3ds Optimize / Pro-Optimize

JustColorado · Mar 2013

I am going through some of the Eat3d Tutorials. I noticed in the one on Low Res Character Modeling he used ZBrush decimator on his hi-poly models. It seemed to have some cool features.

Is it worth picking up Zbrush for these or is the Optimizer in 3ds good enough?

Eric Chadwick · Mar 2013

I prefer ProOptimizer because it precalculates the mesh, then I can dial the % up and down and see in realtime what the results are.

Decimation Master kind of does this, but it's not as quick at showing the results. However it does try to keep symmetry which is nice, and you can use a Mask to control the density in areas.

QRemesher is also a cool thing to check out. Nice to be able to lay down spline guides, which it tries to match with the new topo. Very cool.

nyx702 · Mar 2013

Just for Decimation Master? Not at all.

Isn't there a stand alone decimation app? I think it's free. I can't for the life of me remember the name of it. Used alot in the toy/3d printing biz I think.

cptSwing · Mar 2013

^ You probably mean Meshlab. I can't get it to work properly half of the time, but some people swear by it (it has various tools for fixing meshes as well, AFAIK).

Fwap · Mar 2013

Mesh lab is cool, if you have the patience, i Primarily use Decimation Master, but now you have mentioned it i'll take a look at the max functions too!

nyx702 · Mar 2013

Yesssss.... mesh lab. I never got it to work great either. I hate exporting/importing to another program too.

oglu · Mar 2013

i think they are all based on the same tech...

Eric Chadwick · Mar 2013

Oh also... there are three decimation tools in 3ds Max.... Optimize is the oldest, so beware. MultiRes is newer, and pretty good. Pro Optimizer is the newest, and has more features.

oglu · Mar 2013

one of the best reducer should be the one in softimage...

cptSwing · Mar 2013

Yeah, tries to keep your topology intact..

SpeCter · Mar 2013

I think Reducto is also worth mentioning if you are using Mudbox.

Edit:
I think everyone else can use it to, it´s a standalone as far as i remember

Mark Dygert · Mar 2013

Decimation Master in Zbrush does a really good job of retaining detail while crunching polys, other poly crunch tools seem to just go based off of distance, if verts are XXX close to each other, weld. I will always run this if I'm going to go bake in another program like xNormal or Max, it gives the same detail but at a much lower count, it makes it absolutely useless in zBrush but a life saver in other programs.

ProOptimizer in Max was called polycruncher prior to being incorporated in max2011. This is great for the reasons that Eric outlines plus it can preserve UV's and materials and protect boarders which is really if you're working to crunch open geometry. The only thing I wish it would do was give preference to detail and allow masking. Although you can split the mesh into separate meshes, check on preserve boarders, crunch and then weld it back together with a really low threshold assuring that only those verts that share the same space are welded.

Meshlabs is great, but it's another program and I get roughly the same things from the in app tools in zBrush and Max so I hardly crack it open, still for maya users or mudbox guys its probably a good option.

Max also has Wrapit which has some great remeshing features, I prefer them to zbrush when I'm making the final low poly.

3DCoat has some good retopo tools but zBrush has good competing options also.

aajohnny · Mar 2013

Just from my experience I have no had any problems with Max's ProOptimizer, I haven't been too fond of Decimation master, but its not that bad :P

cryrid · Mar 2013

oglu wrote: »

one of the best reducer should be the one in softimage...

Agreed (though I stick with decimation master if I'm crunching a mesh in the millions)

JustColorado · Mar 2013

Lots of Answers. I think I will just stick with Max. Thanks. You guys are great

Minato · May 2013

Hey, just came about this thread through google(was looking for st else though, more of a poly reducer not a decimat'or per se), decided to revive this to point a few things about ProOptimizer and also MultiRes, especifically about masking, you can pass them a vertex sub-object selection and tell them to not operate on them, in other words mask them, in ProOptimizer you do this in the Sub-Objects Selection section in the Optimization Options rollout, and in the MultiRes you do this by selecting the verts in the Vertex sub-object of the MultiRes(click on the + sign next to it in the stack) and then checking the 'Maintain Base Vertices' option in the options...

Just in case someone else comes across this...

Dataday · May 2013

Another thing you can do is use Blender's Remesh modifier/decimate modifier. Both are pretty powerful and Blender is free so its a win win.

Zbrush is one of the most amazing apps out there though so its always worth using, but probably not just for decimating.

Going back the Blender modifiers: Remesh has 3 settings, sharp (crazy results), smooth (even topology, best option) and block (makes it look like a minecraft landscape). Remeshing is a lot like Zbrush's dynamesh.
See: http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Dev:Ref/Release_Notes/2.62/Remesh_Modifier

The decimate modifier does just that. It gives you the option to collapse and or triangulate, to unsubdivide, and some planar decimation (based on angle). Pretty good stuff.
See: http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Dev:Ref/Release_Notes/2.65/Modifiers

Zbrush Decimator vs 3ds Optimize / Pro-Optimize

Replies