Question For Pixologic: "Optimizing" An Object ???

[Kruzr]

'Morning all . . . :)

I was under the impression back in version 1.13 you could "Optimize" a certain area or areas of an object, by using the "Masking" option, in the same process as "Divide"? I could never get it to work, so I thought it was just a flaw in ZBrush version 1.13? Now I see it still doesn't work in version 1.23. Is this not possible, to "Optimize" just a certain area of an object? :confused:

If this is not a possibility, ( which would be of great use, instead of optimizing the complete object & losing a lot of detail in places unwanted ), will it be possible to implement this feature in a future upgrade? :qu:

Thanks in advance for an answer or any further comments on this subject & have a good one . . . :cool: Mark.

[Digits]

I may be smoking too much funny stuff and be completely off base but doesn't smoothing an object or part of an object remove vertices?
And thus optimize the object?

And if I am wrong, please! not the Bat!

[ZBC Moderator]

Hi Kruzr,

I'll get back to you on this as soon as we get back from MacWorld.

-ZuZu :)

[Kruzr]

Thanks ZuZu for the reply . . . :)

Have a great time & good luck at MacWorld! :D

OK Digits . . . Your gonna have to send me some of that stuff! ;) I see it's doing some wonderful things for you. Heheheh! :rolleyes:

Digits, in answer to your question regarding "Smoothing", "NO". :p Smoothing only does exactly what the name implies - to smooth the existing "Polys & Points". If you create a "Sphere3D" on the canvas & take note of the "Poly & Point" count, then apply the "Smooth" function to it several times & take another "Poly & Point" count, you'll see that the number has not decreased at all. :)

But I do thank you for your interest & concern on my behalf, :) sometimes I think you have a "Father Image" feeling for me. :D Even though I'm older than you! It makes me feel wanted & protected in this big cruel world! :rolleyes:

Have a good one & I'll see'ya later . . . :cool: Mark.

[chrisd]

Hello all,

"Optimize" in ZBrush reduces the poly count to about 1/4 of the original #, if you are using it on the whole object without masking.

I have also found that using it with a mask does not work in some cases, perhaps due to the way I have modified the surface geometry???

(I have had similar difficulty with masking and using the "Divide" function.)

I am curious if the way the objects are defined in ZBrush prohibits the type of optimization that is found in other 3D software.

I would like curvature based optimization, where flatter areas get bigger polys, and curved areas get smaller polys. This makes for better optimization without sacrificing much detail, and would make masking areas for poly reduction unnecessary.

If ZBrush optimization is tied to the way its objects are structured, perhaps Pixologic could incorporate curvature optimization in a limited fashion, where the the object then becomes incapable of further optimization or division, in the way that these functions won't work on imported DXF or OBJ objects.

Perhaps curvature based optimization is a function that could be incorporated with the export function???

ChrisD