Topology & Flow Lab

[chabah]

nice stuf rastaman kep them coming:D

[Plakkie]

That’s one clever tip Andreseloy! Nice workaround for not being able to add points in blank space.

[Grotius]

I’m having trouble with the Edit Topology function. I’m trying to retopologize a simple sphere to create a base mesh for a head.

First, the mouseover-help says that CTL-click starts a new point. But when I do this, I get a mask. I have better luck just clicking outside the model to deselect all. Is that what I’m supposed to be doing?

Second, I don’t understand what shift-click does. When I try it, I no longer see any of my geometry. Yet I see people in videos use it all the time.

Third, if I move a point, it moves OK, but the frame view doesn’t change. Is this the redraw issue I’ve heard mentioned?

Finally, is there any easier way to get a decent base mesh for a realistic human head, one that can be reused?

[womball]

I will see if that will work tonight. If not could we set up a Adobe captivate session so I could show what’s going wrong for me? Is it also possible to export out the unifinshed topology into another program so the holes can be cleaned up quickly? Than reimport it as a topology so you can convert it to the base mesh of the high poly model?

[MarioBlanco]

here is the zscript.
Hope you can found of help:D
Andreseloy

[system]

Is there a way to use x-symmetry when adjusting the topology with an imported obj? Symmetry works ok If I draw topology directly on the model. But if I try to use a imported obj as new topology, actions do not affect the other side. For example, if I try to add or delete an existing vertice on one side of the model, the vertice on the other side is not changed automatically. (The mesh is 100% symmetrical). I get the same problem with all retopologized meshes I import).

[MarioBlanco]

i dont understand, can you post some images?
Thanks in advance
Andreseloy

ps:Womball can you show an example of your needs?

[Rastaman]

@ Seph:

Try it with y- or z-symmetry instead of x.
Sometimes simply the axis has changed when you had opened and saved it in an external app.

[MarioBlanco]

“Symmetry works ok If I draw topology directly on the model. But if I try to use a imported obj as new topology, actions do not affect the other side.”

this is specifically what i dont understand, is supposed he is on symmetry on.
Andreseloy

[Rastaman]

As I said, sometimes another app seems to change the axis of an .obj.
Try it with the other axis.

[MarioBlanco]

That’s one clever tip Andreseloy! Nice workaround for not being able to add points in blank space.

Thanks Pakkie i forgot to mention that you can use all the feature of the subtool menu in this condition, this extend the power of the topology tool.
finally, you can use the zscript for the topology main page and also the image below
Andreseloy

[Crusoe_the_Painter]

This would imply to me that you could add your multi-subtool tool as a subtool of a zsphere, and then retopo all over the whole thing.

[MarioBlanco]

actually you can use different subtools with the zsphere.
In this moment im playing with a zsphere mesh append another zsphere mesh, could be great helpfull if we can join points from two zsphere also.
Andreseloy

[Crusoe_the_Painter]

It DOES work!

Select zsphere. Make your multi-subtool model a subtool of the zsphere. Make sure zsphere parent is selected, then you can retopo over all of them!

But projection doesn’t seem to work.

But, if you take your retopo, and make an adaptive mesh of it, then add it as a subtool of the other tools, and make it active, using the zproject brush, you CAN ‘shrink’ it to all the other subtools!

PMulti still doesn’t seem to do anything in the projection menu.

Maybe if you use Insert Mesh to make one mesh of all the subtools, then the projection button will work?

This is SCHWEET.

[Rastaman]

Hmmmm…, don’t you think that my way that I posted in july is a lot easier to handle ?
It also provides a complete detail-transfer.

Here it is again:

Solution for retopoing high detailed merged meshes:

1. You have two (or more) separate meshes with high-poly-details, whether they have lower subd-levels or not,whether they are mostly identical in their subdivision or not, this doesn’t matter.

Make one the active tool and all other parts the subtools (Tools -> Subtools -> Append) of the first and sculpt, move and scale them just as they should be in the later merged final mesh. The border where they connect should be sculpted as good as possible to already match the later outline in this area. This saves you some extra work when you later retopo.

Perform Tool -> Make PolyMesh 3D for all in their highest possible detail-level.
If you have lower subd-levels on them, do that again for all in their lowest subd-levels.

2. Now we bring them all together into one single model ( a high-poly and if available one further low-poly-model). Therefore choose one Polymesh you just created and insert the others of the matching poly.level with the Tool -> Geometry -> Insert-mesh-command.
3. Do that for all the high-level as well as for all the low-level Poly3D-Meshes.

Now you have one single high-poly-model and if available furthermore one low-poly-model.

4. If you have the low-poly-model, then do the retopo-work just as I describe it in the tutorial, make Adaptive skin and

5)+6) use it for the described detail-transfer-procedure in conjunction with the high-poly-mesh.

If you have only a high-poly version, then you have to use this what means you will not be able to use the quick Shift + LMB-Drawing method but instead you must create all topo-lines by freehand onto the already high-poly-surface. But you can already use the Tool -> Rigging -> Projection function and transfer all details directly onto your new retopoed mesh.

On very complex and fine details, sometimes wired result can occur in the ‘a’-preview. In that case lower the value of the Tool -> Rigging -> Projection strength.
You can later reveal missing details with the Morph-Brush if you previously stored the morph-target in your high-level mesh before you enter the detail-tranfer-setup.

7. If you worked according to the procedure described in my tutorial, you will have now at least all desired subd-levels with all details transferred to the new clean merged mesh.

One further explanation:

My descriped setup for the detail transfer will produce a new mesh with all subd-levels, regardless if the high-poly-mesh had lower subd’s or not.
This is the reason why this method also works in this special case as well as with any mesh of any poly-count. When calculating the final projected mesh, ZBrush also calculates all Subd-Levels downscaling from the high-poly-status if you set the slider in the Topology-Tab.
All you need is a high-detailed mesh where all parts are thrown together into one model that can be choosen in the Select-dialog of the Rigging-panel for the zsphere-setup.

The low-poly-version is not a must, it just makes the whole retopo-process much easier and quicker because you can use the quick-retopo-drawing-method along the low-poly-structure instead of doing all the work by freehand. But you definetly don’t need it to transfer your high details into a new retopoed mesh.

[MarioBlanco]

It DOES work!
Select zsphere. Make your multi-subtool model a subtool of the zsphere. Make sure zsphere parent is selected, then you can retopo over all of them!
But projection doesn’t seem to work.
But, if you take your retopo, and make an adaptive mesh of it, then add it as a subtool of the other tools, and make it active, using the zproject brush, you CAN ‘shrink’ it to all the other subtools!
PMulti still doesn’t seem to do anything in the projection menu.
Maybe if you use Insert Mesh to make one mesh of all the subtools, then the projection button will work?
This is SCHWEET.

Yes, Crusoe the painter not only work also is very simple, taking all the benefit from subtool .
Something i have been experimenting is your painting mesh usefull tip, let say you can (with the zsphere as a master tool and a select mesh in the rigging panel) both paint the areas you need all the details and construct manually does areas that not need to be high res! then press projection and make adpative skin, if you want you can also make a new mesh with this two areas low and high res.

Look this…
Andreseloy

Attachments

[Crusoe_the_Painter]

Since they remain seperate subtools, you don’t bump into your max polymesh limit either.

[MarioBlanco]

Since they remain seperate subtools, you don’t bump into your max polymesh limit either.

a.-In the second image you have merged then and reworked with the smooth brush
b.-Probably if in the future we can use two active zsphere to merge point will be more easy
c.-yes im in a laptop with 1GB XP!!!
Andreseloy

[Jettatore]

Guys, I’m looking through all of this and what I’m trying to do I can’t find in here but Aurick said it was possible.

I have a ZBrush mesh that is detailed, and in Maya I have a mesh that is simillar but has some added geometry.

(basically the same mesh only I added toes in Maya on geometry level 2)

I want to take the detail from the original mesh and project it onto the new mesh.

If someone could copy and paste the steps of the process or write it out for me I would greatly appreciate it. -Derek

[MarioBlanco]

can you post the image specifiyng wich part you wan to add, let say obj A and B ?
Andreseloy