Autotopo Fish Tail

[Rob]

I'm learning how to use the autotopo tool and figure I'm adding the wrong lines somewhere. The mesh starts as an all quad mesh with zero problems (via Modo) and is exported as an OBJ file, then merged in the Voxel window. This is all before using the autotopo tool, but when finished the tail is a mess. Any help or ideas or suggestions will be appreciated.

[digman]

It's the very thin voxel material on the fins of the fish that is the problem. There are a few ways to approach this.

You can import your low polygon modo model in the retopo room by using Retopo Menu \ import.

Import your modo mesh, it will be placed over the voxel model. When asked if you want to snap the mesh to the voxel surface click "NO" otherwise you will end up with the same problem in the tail areas. You can always adjust the modo mesh in the retopo room after importing.

2:

Hide the thin tail sections before auto retopoing.

Run the auto retopo routine then unhide the thin tail section and finish the tail manually. Turn off Auto-snap in the top menu when working on the thin areas this will keep the vertices from shooting off at weird angles.

Also you could increase the voxel resolution to create higher density voxel material in the thin tail fin sections. This will help too unless you already are at a very high voxel count.

[Rob]

Thanks digman! I can't wait to try these ideas.

[artman]

-Make a copy of your voxel volume

-Use Extrude from voxtree rmb menu , it will inflate your fish along normals

making the fins thicker,(use a value that gives fins a nice thickness)

-Use Autopo on that volume.

-Once autopo is finished you can delete the extruded volume,

unhide your original mesh and use "snap" in retopo room .

[digman]

Nice artman, I had forgotten about that method...

If still had some snapping problems at the fins, you could snap all but the tail fin vertices and the use the transform tool to bring the tail fin polygons close to the fins...

[AbnRanger]

This is a god example where using the Manual Retopo tools is actually faster than tinkering with Auto Retopo. Using the Stroke tool, you can quickly create a cylindrical shape, covering 90% of the model. Then use the Strokes tool to trace the topology of remainder. I consider it something of an Auto Retopo tool, in it's own right. That's why I generally try to start with the Strokes tool and take it as far as I can. Then use a combination of the others to tweak things.

[Rob]

This is weird - I see the documentation for "Snap", but the version I have of 3D Coat (4th Beta) does not have the "Snap" command in the Retopo room. Any ideas where I can go from here?

[artman]

This is weird - I see the documentation for "Snap", but the version I have of 3D Coat (4th Beta) does not have the "Snap" command in the Retopo room. Any ideas where I can go from here?

It is under "command" section of side screen tool bar but it only shows itself if specific tool are selected

(like Select,Add/Split,Quad,Points/Faces,Cap ect...)

[Rob]

Thanks! Found it.

It is under "command" section of side screen tool bar but it only shows itself if specific tool are selected

(like Select,Add/Split,Quad,Points/Faces,Cap ect...)

[Rob]

Thanks. I appreciate these sorts of insights, AbnRanger, and took everything everyone had to share with me as critical - great help. Thanks everyone. I ended up with about a 5K mesh, took it into Modo and plan to add the fins, and then I plan to come back to 3DCoat for the UV step. Then texturing...

This is a god example where using the Manual Retopo tools is actually faster than tinkering with Auto Retopo. Using the Stroke tool, you can quickly create a cylindrical shape, covering 90% of the model. Then use the Strokes tool to trace the topology of remainder. I consider it something of an Auto Retopo tool, in it's own right. That's why I generally try to start with the Strokes tool and take it as far as I can. Then use a combination of the others to tweak things.