I’m working on a project where we are creating temple ruins and I’m trying to figure out the correct way to take the low poly models and get them ready for sculpting. I think that dynamesh is the way to go, but it’s maintaining the angles of the low poly model.
Here is the low poly mesh
And here is the high poly mesh
It still looks like it’s low poly.
Here are my dynamesh settings
It’s not perfectly clear what you are trying to accomplish but it sounds like you are going to add fine detail, and that you wish to start on maybe a round column, not one with obvious faces. I wouldn’t think dynamesh would be helpful for you with that object. I would probably play with ZRemesher first to get a better quad poly starting point. You might then create polygroups of the base and the cracks and the parts you want to be rounded before subdividing, putting them into different polygroups, this will be very helpful as you work.
Then you would divide the base mesh that has some unwanted flat parts on the column the amount of times you need for whatever final detail you plan to sculpt onto it. Then you mask out the cracks and base or hide them by polygroup, then apply polish and or smooth from the deformations sub pallette in the tool palette, and or use masks to protect areas you want to keep sharp edges on. You can apply the deformations (polish/smooth) at different subdivision levels to achieve the best result.
2 things you can try…
Make sure “Smt” beside the “Divide” button is on before you subdivide.
or if using DynaMesh, make sure “Polish” button is on in the DynaMesh settings.
If number 1. does what you want, then you won’t have to use “Polish” in the DynaMesh settings.
with these settings
It’s looking like this.
It’s not turning into a smooth round cylinder.
You didn’t subdivide the mesh. All you did was turn on “Smt”. You should subdivide the mesh 2 or 3 times after you turn on “Smt”. Press “Divide” button a couple of times to subdivide. It looks like you already have creases where you want to keep sharp corners, so that should be OK.
You might have problems also if your mesh is all triangles like it is in first image you posted. ZBrush works much better with 4 sided polygons. You can use ZRemesher to easily get a cage that ZBrush likes.