Possible to replace reference mesh with slightly modified mesh, without redoing entire mesh retopo?

[kdoto]

I have just completed a mesh retopo (the new retopoed mesh has ~10k triangles without symmetry).

I just realized that I have part of the mesh as a separate material, and I want to weld the two materials together (outside of 3D coat), and then use the new welded mesh as the reference mesh.

Of course, I'd prefer to do this without having to retopo the whole mesh again, since the mesh shape will not actually change.

What is the best way to use a slightly modified reference mesh in place of my existing reference mesh?

P.S. I really wish that there were more written tutorials for 3D coat, instead of so many video tutorials

If anyone has a link to good written tutorials, I'd love that.

[AbnRanger]

I have just completed a mesh retopo (the new retopoed mesh has ~10k triangles without symmetry).

I just realized that I have part of the mesh as a separate material, and I want to weld the two materials together (outside of 3D coat), and then use the new welded mesh as the reference mesh.

Of course, I'd prefer to do this without having to retopo the whole mesh again, since the mesh shape will not actually change.

What is the best way to use a slightly modified reference mesh in place of my existing reference mesh?

P.S. I really wish that there were more written tutorials for 3D coat, instead of so many video tutorials

If anyone has a link to good written tutorials, I'd love that.

You should be able to re-import the mesh into the Retopo Room and have it snap to the voxel model, without issue, as long as you didn't make any dramatic deformations

[kdoto]

You should be able to re-import the mesh into the Retopo Room and have it snap to the voxel model, without issue, as long as you didn't make any dramatic deformations

Well, I don't have a voxel model (unless 3D coat always uses voxels behind the scenes for mesh retopos), in fact, I can't remember exactly what I did to get my model into 3D coat.

If I go to the retopo pane and do file->import->reference mesh, then I lose my current retopo mesh.

Maybe I didn't import my model as a reference mesh to begin with, and so I've been doing this wrong from the start?

Can I convert my underlying mesh to voxels in 3D coat in order to do what you're suggesting? (or something akin to this).

[artman]

1-Export your Retopo from retopo menu.

2-Import your welded mesh as Reference mesh.

3-Reimport your exported retopo work.

[kdoto]

Well, I don't have a voxel model (unless 3D coat always uses voxels behind the scenes for mesh retopos), in fact, I can't remember exactly what I did to get my model into 3D coat.

If I go to the retopo pane and do file->import->reference mesh, then I lose my current retopo mesh.

Maybe I didn't import my model as a reference mesh to begin with, and so I've been doing this wrong from the start?

Can I convert my underlying mesh to voxels in 3D coat in order to do what you're suggesting? (or something akin to this).

Thanks guys, that worked!

However, in the UV pane, I can't see my model (although the brush still conforms to an invisible model when I move the cursor around).

If I import a mesh for vertex painting, I lose the retopo mesh. So how do I start creating UV seams on my model after importing the reference mesh and retopo mesh?