like the picture
Make the step at the base of the glove as straight as possible.
I would like to make one, but is it technically possible?
Hello @Zsun,
For the absolute cleanest, flattest results when doing something like this, the transition needs to be based on a single edge loop sliced cleanly through the mesh. To work this way you will need to be aware of the following:
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The shortcuts for polygroup visibility, and how to quickly mask or invert masking. From here on out if I say to “hide” or “mask” something, these will be the shortcuts I am using without explaining further.
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The need to periodically re-surface a mesh and check it for errors after performing any operation that redraws topology in a sub-optimal manner. Tools like the slice brush and Live Boolean may create localized geometry that performs poorly when sculpting or with other operations. This geometry should be seen as temporary, and redrawn in a better fashion with ZRemesher (cleaner) or possibly Dynamesh, and then checked for errors with Tool> Geometry> Mesh Integrity> Check mesh.
Note, this sort of operation would be pretty simple on a lower poly mesh with deliberate topology with ZModeler extrude operations. Simply cut a straight edge loop through the mesh and extrude the polygons on the hand up to that edge loop. Crease the edge so it starts sharp when subdividing. However ZModeler will not work well with medium to high resolution meshes.
Here are two approaches, one destructive and the other non-destructive, to create an ultra-clean, flat transition between the arm and the glove on a medium to high resolution mesh. Both will require re-surfacing and error checking at some point in the process.
Easier (Destructive): Transpose Action Line Extrude.
This approach is pretty quick, and will cut the detail into the mesh in a destructive fashion.
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I use the Slice Curve brush to cut a clean unbroken edge loop where you want the edge of the glove to be. This will result in a new polygrpoup for the hand with a clean border.
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The Transpose Action lines can do something that the Gizmo Manipulator cannot. They can scale-extrude at the same time. To activate the Action Lines you must deactivate Gizmo 3D mode.
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Hide everything but the new hand polygroup and manually position the Action Line end point in the center of the hole. Mask the hand, then un-hide all the geometry and invert the mask. Then press Ctrl while dragging on the center of the orange circle at the end of the action line. This will scale the hand slightly larger while extruding a series of clean polygons from the sliced loop. This edge can be Creased so it stays sharp when subdividing.
- Neither the triangular geometry near the sliced edge loop nor the long thin polygons of the extrusion will sculpt well. The mesh should be re-surfaced and checked for errors before continuing to sculpt.
Better (Non-destructive).
The following approach is slightly more complicated, but will leave you in a much better place. It does not alter the original mesh, and creates a new glove as a separate subtool which can be shaped or flattened independently of the body. It also creates an extruded/inlated surface which is more accurate to the situation than one that has merely been scaled.
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Start as in the previous example by cleanly slicing a loop through the mesh, and then masking the hand up to that loop.
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Use the Subtool> Extract function to create an entirely new mesh extract subtool extruded from the masked portion of the mesh.
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Select the new Glove subtool and enter Solo mode to hide all other subtools.
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Hide the interior polygroups of the glove one by one, and delete them with Geometry> Modify Topology> Delete Hidden.
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Once deleted, close the hole with Geometry> Modify Topology> Close Hole. This will create clean polygroups, but we still want to resurface it to imrpove the topology.
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Use ZRemesher with the “Keep groups” option to re-surface the mesh into clean quad topology. Now you have a completely separate subtool with highly useful topology that can be modeled, shaped, or subdivided without affecting the body at all. The polygroup edge can be creased with Geometry> Crease in order to stay hard edged when subdividing. Check for errors with mesh Integrity> Check mesh.
The new glove subtool can then be fused to the body with Live Boolean or Dynamesh, but you will again need to re-surface the resulting geometry and check it for errors. Or you can leave it as a separate garment than can be posed with the character by using Transpose Master.
Good Luck!
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Thanks！