retopo

[PoopaScoop]

http://www.geometry.caltech.edu/pubs/ACDLD03.pdf

Can't remember who posted this link, but it's really does look like the future of retopologising. Tho it needs a way for the user to be able to lay doen guide lines that the remeshing will conform toO! Then dear sir would be the beez kneez. I'm sure thats the future.

[Nemoid_]

I think in the future there will be similar techniques generating automatically quite good meshes. a cool thing to add to shape evaluation to generate polys, would be also have the possibility to store as reference some example of good polyflow and allow the app to apply the identical pattern to a similar shape : for example a realistic man has quite the same features everytime, only proportions change actually and so, the right topology could be applied everytime to a differently proportioned shape. this, coupled to editing tools to fix topology where needed or to add other details,(and 3d coat has some awesome tools yet) would be a fantastic workflow and would save alot of time.

http://www.geometry.caltech.edu/pubs/ACDLD03.pdf

Can't remember who posted this link, but it's really does look like the future of retopologising. Tho it needs a way for the user to be able to lay doen guide lines that the remeshing will conform toO! Then dear sir would be the beez kneez. I'm sure thats the future.

[Jokermax]

this was brought up in new releases discussion and Andrew might be working on something like this for next alpha

[PoopaScoop]

I think in the future there will be similar techniques generating automatically quite good meshes. a cool thing to add to shape evaluation to generate polys, would be also have the possibility to store as reference some example of good polyflow and allow the app to apply the identical pattern to a similar shape : for example a realistic man has quite the same features everytime, only proportions change actually and so, the right topology could be applied everytime to a differently proportioned shape. this, coupled to editing tools to fix topology where needed or to add other details,(and 3d coat has some awesome tools yet) would be a fantastic workflow and would save alot of time.

Nemoid what your describing sounds like what the reprojecting tools do in Zbrush. Reffiting current topology to a new form. There will not only be a need for user control and some stage but demand for creative control. Thats the fear I hold at making things too automatic.

[Nemoid_]

Nemoid what your describing sounds like what the reprojecting tools do in Zbrush. Reffiting current topology to a new form. There will not only be a need for user control and some stage but demand for creative control. Thats the fear I hold at making things too automatic.

well yes, its a very similar thing, but projects a new topology onto an existing shape, using preexisting polyflow patterns to resolve known shapes.

The creative part would be the sculpting of that shape as this "projection" would be not artistic at all, you're right.

But i think that in several cases could be quite efficient tool.

Also, as i said, it could be coupled with possibility to have some kinda guides to allow obtaining a better polyflow where needed, but some shapes could still be resolved with preexisting polyflow patterns, especially regarding realistic organic shapes.

after all it's nothing more than a polygonal cage driving sculpted details.

If you don't go automatic, and need a very particular topology, then a manual retopology is what you actually need. despite how "clever" a program could be, i guess there's nothing better than a manual, well thought polyflow that allows you to add details where needed