Best workflow option?

[sculptactive]

Since the 1st release of 3DC my workflow has been.

 

• Model in Modo/LW 
• Texture, Displace in 3DC
• Export as a low/high object file

 

I now want to add the sculpt room to my workflow.

 

 

I want to use my original low poly model later for animation, as I already have the low poly model with UVmaps should I "import it for Voxelisation" first or should I import it as "Perform Retopology"

 

If I choose  "Perform Retopology" and then send to the sculpt room, which option should I choose...

 

 

I have tried the Modo/AppLink without success hence my "Perform Retopology"  question

 

 

 

Anyway I suppose my main question is if you want to import an low poly object for voxelisation for high poly 3D printing and have a low poly version for animation what is the best workflow.

 

Thanks

 

 

 

[Gary Dave]

You don't need to perform a retopology at all, since you already have your low poly version with UV's. So using the "perform retopology" option from the splash menu is a little weird. But, it can still work I suppose. From that screenshot you would want to choose the bottom-left option and select your original mesh.

 

You will then go to the sculpt room and choose the import tool (note: Not the file > import option), a window will pop up and down at the bottom it has a button that says "pick from retopo", this will bring your retopo mesh into the sculpt room automatically. You can also specify on this same menu whether it imports as a surface or voxel object. Be sure to hit the "apply" button to add it, the object you're seeing at first is just a preview of what will come in.

 

If you import it without voxelisation, (by checking the "Import w/o Voxelisation" box) the result you'll get in the sculpt room will have the same triangle density as your original. Probably not ideal for your purposes, but you can always click on the "S" in the layer afterwards to convert it to voxels. Or just make sure Import w/o Voxelisation is off before you hit apply.

 

Lastly, some things to note. 3dc has a "conform to retopo" option, but only on some sculpt tools (like the move tool) which will try to adjust your retopo mesh to better fit your changes in the sculpt room. If a specific tool has this option in the sculpt room you'll see a checkbox for it in the top of the UI while the tool is active.

 

You'll also need to watch out for scale, when it comes to importing objects from other software they can often be reeeeaaaally small, or gigantically huge, which are both problems when dealing with voxels.

[sculptactive]

Thanks for the clarifications. Yes my Modo models come in really small so I usual hit the "Auto Scale" button.

 

So if it is not necessary as you have confirmed to use the Repo room in my case. 

 

If I 

"import my object for voxelisation"

Sculpt as desired

Texture/Colour as desired

 

How do I then get the Texture/Colour maps back onto the low poly object I created in Modo?

Do I just export the maps and use them on the low poly model?

 

.

[Tony Nemo]

If "Sculpt as desired" involves substantial changes, you would need to 'snap' the vertices to the new shape and bake the alterations.

[Gary Dave]

I didn't say you didn't need the retopo room, I said you didn't need to perform a retopology. You already have a mesh that you will want to use as your retopo mesh.

 

To clarify a bit, when you bring your mesh into the sculpt room, regardless of whether it's as surface or voxels, you will lose your UV's. This is because a normal workflow in 3dc usually starts with a sculpt, and then you'd retopologise it.

 

So what you want, is to import your mesh twice. Once for the sculpt room, so you can sculpt, and another in the retopo room so you can bake your sculpted details onto your original mesh and UV's.

[sculptactive]

So what you want, is to import your mesh twice. Once for the sculpt room, so you can sculpt, and another in the retopo room so you can bake your sculpted details onto your original mesh and UV's.

 

 

Thanks for the clarification.