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just played with this a little . redrawing the topology in maya
monkey head took maybe an hour .native Z .made simple to test out this idea i had .’ topology brush ’
in maya
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there is no intention of completing this model .the new mesh is raw .a rough draft to experiment with this technique .i assume most are familiar with the topology brush in silo .what is here then is an entirely similar method of creating a lo res mesh .worked through in maya
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where can we find that brush 
joebount
not a brush at all .i simply borrowed the term to convey the comparison
do you use maya ?
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LOL ok ok, I mean, where could I find this tool for Maya, I’d like to give it a try
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no specific tool .but a very simple concept and process .though can be time consuming
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. import your high res mesh into maya
. put it on a new layer for clarity .and make the surface live
. using linear splines .define the edge loops of your lo res mesh
. when you 're mostly happy with the placement of these .loft your curves to generate surfaces
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i would use this method to create the overall shape .and define the flow of edges .moving vertices across the live object to edit the form .refining further using split poly and other poly tools
hope this helps
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i keep losing this thread
Can someone elaborate on this concept. If I follow you mean make your model live in maya and on a hidden layer with another copy referenced on a seperate layer (for clarity) then using the CV curve tool you draw the loops you want.
Do you draw the crossing “splines” as well in the topology? I assume you use a regular loft in which case I dont think you use paths, I thought that was the birail tool.
this sounds like a great technique if someone would be so kind as to post some more information or point me to a thread with more coverage.
Thanks!
Scott
scott .
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check this thread tomorrow .i’ll elaborate on the process .and give another example
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Hey Nil,
Juct checking in on that update if you have the time : )
Scott
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i 'm away from my machine .so i can 't show you anything right now .but the method .as i put forward earlier .i can elaborate on
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bring your reference mesh .that which you intend to build new topology of .into maya .hi .lo res .whatever .assign this to a new layer .for clarity i mean simply .so you can turn its visibility off and on more easily .to check your progress .since now .as you make the object live ( select the object and click the little magnet up amongst your snapping functions ) you cannot select it in the viewport
using the CV curve tool .yes .set to linear ( since our intent is to create polygonal geometry ) go in and define your edge loops .the splines you draw will snap to your live mesh .adhering to the shape .i most commonly start at the eye area ( assuming i 'm working on a character with eyes ) .get in and describe the flow .close the loop ( this would be easier to convey with images ) .duplicate this curve .scale it inward .or outward .edit its place .then loft the two curves .with the poly option set to points
hide the live mesh .and you will see that you have a nicely formed piece of geometry .one row of polys .which is beginning to describe the eye socket .if you started there
the same approach should be used to block out the mouth .and any other significant loops
from here .the idea is to extrude edges and such .dragging verts across the live surface to further the model
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i know this might be tricky to visualize from these words alone .but i will post some images .soon as i get back home
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another example .beginning to block out the lo res mesh in maya .a first edit
notice the edge loops around the eyes and mouth .the character is obviously quite simple .but you can see how the more efficient topology is laid down .the same will hold true for a more complex figure
the real strength of this approach .building on the live surface .is that with the form already in place it becomes a simple matter of sliding verts across the hi res mesh .concentrating on the structure in quads
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if you want to look at other examples .using this technique .see :
posts started by skycastle http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/search.php?searchid=34829
he was using this method long before i .and has a valid reputation to support his work
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Thanks for the info! The link does not seem to work tho : / Can you repost?
Thanks!
Scott
Another thing you can also add to make the topology rebuild a little easier is to sketch out your wireframe in Zbrush directly on your model, that way you have a quicker guide to go by when you pull it into Maya. Actually, it may be easier to just use Maya’s artisan for that.
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scott .i couldn 't get it to work either .run a search for skycastle .and view all posts started by him .his work 's pretty tight .what you would expect from someone skilled enough to work where he does .worth checking out
chadtheartist .yeah .i 've used that also .sketching out the topology in maya artisan .a good place to start
rebuilding a mesh in this way .the idea is so elegantly simple .that i wasn 't aware of it sooner makes me feel kinda silly .and when endorsed by a modeller of his calibre .it 's a technique all maya users should at least sample
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lets see how silo has improved its ’ T ’ brush in 1 .3
I agree. Using this technique brings a sort of “sketch” option for modelers. If I didn’t own Silo this would definitely be the way I’d model. In my opinion this is much better than working from image planes, mainly because you have a 3D representation of your model right in front of you!
There are all kinds of possibilities with this, so hopefully folks will recognize it’s potential. Using this technique also doesn’t mean you can’t utilize your current worflow. It’s perfectly compatible with box modeling, poly by poly, edge modeling, etc… Just set your high-poly Zbrush model as a reference layer, and you’re good to go.
By the way, I like the little creature you designed in your last post. Very cool!
chadtheartist .if you 're interested in further discussion on the topic .and being a silo user .folks have added some intriguing points ( is that a polygon joke ) to a thread i started over at http://www.silo3d.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1965
as for that little guy .kind words .thanks .he was my second model made straight up in Z .from Zspheres out .just to play at getting to terms with the app .he has no feet .is incomplete .kinda cute .he served the learning purpose well
and your Forest Djinn .is coming along real nice .a very involved piece .i bet that rig 's gonna give you a headache .but the rewards will be massive
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Sorry for hijacking your thread Nil, but I wanted to share a technique that may be useful for those folks whom are using a Zbrush model for reference in their other modeling app. I started using a new technique this weekend that I think is going to work out pretty good. I figured I’d share it here, as this is perfectly doable in Maya as it was in Silo. I’ve thought about working this way before, but it wasn’t practical at the time because it was hard to get proper proportions and volume.
Basically what I did was create a 3D “sketch” of what I wanted to model in Zbrush. You can see this model here:
http://homepage.mac.com/chadtheartist/.Pictures/spaceopera/vetialtmodel1.jpg
After that, I started working on drawing the different muscle groups and adding them together after I have finished the different muscle groups. As you can see here, I created the “edgle loop islands” of the pects, neck and stomach muscles.
After I got the islands to look the way I wanted them too, I began attaching them, and redirecting the flows in order to keep quads throughout the model. In actuality, I had to do very little tweaking at this stage. This technique is kind of a hybrid of techniques, but I think it works pretty good.
I just thought I’d share this info for those whom may be looking for an easier way of modeling an organic figure. Actually you’ll probably need a 3D model to work from, as that makes it much easier to draw out the islands. Hopefully this will inspire someone, and if anyone has any other ideas or techniques, please post them up!
sorry .don 't be .that 's exactly the type of constructive i would want to promote
a clever technique .chadtheartist .almost taking the concept of edgeloop modelling to its ultimate end .defining full muscle groups .independant of the next .and put back together
the beauty of the .form first .topology later approach .as you have described .is the freedom and confidence to experiment with ideas like this .building and scrapping flows with little worry .the shape of your underlying mesh waits patiently
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