Retopology Revisited

Well, it's been a while since I was last posting in this blog, and the landscape of 3D reoto'ing has changed a bit.  At least, the section that I use has changed.  I found a little program called 3D Coat, and I never looked back.

So I wanted to just mention some of the overarching things that I now do...  No details (yet).  I regularly use 3D Coat in my daily activities.  Truthfully, I prefer the tools within this program to be much more intuitive and easy to use compared to the other software that also does retopo'ing.  And I've done quite a bit of retopo'ing, let me tell you.  So far, I've looked at the bones of the arm, including the shoulder girdle, and every. single. muscle.  Seriously.

 

The muscles were segmented from grind data from a cadaver, edited in Maya to ensure accuracy, exported into 3D Coat, given a new topology, initially painted also in 3D Coat, refined in Photoshop, assembled in Maya, and then brought into Unity 3D for the (eventual) final app delivery.  

Both normal maps and the initial diffuse maps were created in 3D Coat.  The diffuse maps were modified in Photoshop for a better blend of tendon and muscle belly, but the placement of those elements was first conceived in 3D Coat.  Every model is definitely under 10,000 polys, and most are under 5,000 polys.  So, normal maps were essential in getting the look and feel that we wanted for each muscle and its fibers.

The same process can be used (and will be used) for the rest of the body.