For those who don’t know the tool: 3ds Max is a DCC for modeling, animation, and rendering, often paired with Arnold and OpenUSD for lookdev and pipeline handoffs across VFX, broadcast, and realtime.

The newsroom tries to explain Max to itself

Over in the Digital Production newsroom, there is a special kind of silence that happens whenever I say the words modifier stack. Half the team nods like they understand. The other half quietly searches for a button called “Make It Pretty”. So here is the deal. 3ds Max 2027 lands with new modeling tools, new deformation noise, selection upgrades, performance work, viewport cleanup, and a few foundation updates that matter to pipeline folks who like their tools modern and their crashes vintage.

Smart Bevel: post Boolean intersections, less cleanup

Boolean modeling can be fast, brutal, and wonderfully irresponsible. The new Smart Bevel feature targets post Boolean intersections and focuses on creating cleaner bevels with less fuss. Smart Bevel is designed for post Boolean intersections and is presented as a way to create cleaner and more intricate bevels with ease. It is framed as a dedicated approach to getting better looking edges after Boolean work, aimed at reducing the need for manual cleanup.

This fits neatly into the hard surface rhythm a lot of artists know too well: cut the shape, stare at the resulting edge spaghetti, then spend quality time repairing the part that was supposed to be the fast part. Smart Bevel tries to make that edge repair step less of a ritual. And yes, Bela asked if this means booleans are finally safe. The answer is still no. But fewer sharp edges turning into a bveel shaped tragedy is a welcome upgrade.

Extrude and Spline Chamfer: splines get better directions

The Extrude modifier now supports a custom direction workflow. Splines can extrude with orientation and direction rather than only local Z. For spline driven workflows, that is a practical change, because it reduces the need to pivot objects around just to make an extrusion behave.

Spline Chamfer also gets updates, including the ability to use a fixed radius for consistent circular corners. This focuses on predictability, which matters when spline corners must stay consistent across revisions, instancing, or exported geometry. If you have ever watched a single inconsistent corner ripple into five downstream fixes, you already know why this is worth caring about.

Noise Plus: more fractals, animation, tiling controls

A new Noise Plus modifier arrives with new fractal types, animation ability, and tiling controls. It is positioned as a more capable procedural noise option for pushing results further. The legacy Noise modifier also gets updates. It now uses a modern Qt interface and supports Paramblock2 for user-defined defaults. The animated Phase parameter now uses linear interpolation rather than ease in and out, for more predictable animation behaviour. For deformation work, predictable interpolation is the unglamorous hero. It keeps animation curves from feeling like they are fighting you.

Field Helper: more precise component selections

A new Field Helper is introduced for more precise component selections for manipulating items, including driving selections.

This is paired with a performance note elsewhere in the release that Volume Select soft selection performance has been improved for polys. The stated goal is smoother, more responsive soft selection performance on high poly objects. In practical terms, selection quality and selection speed both matter. Selection is not just a click. It is the start of most modeling and deformation decisions, and it tends to multiply into every other step you do.

Viewport grid and display improvements: cleaner and less annoying

Viewport grid and background display have been refreshed to provide a cleaner, more focused environment. This is the part where the newsroom says, “Cool, so the background looks nicer!”, and searches for snacks.. Then a Max user quietly smiles, because they live in the viewport. The viewport is where time goes, and small friction reductions add up quickly.

Arnold for 3ds Max: MaxtoA updates

The included Arnold for 3ds Max plug-in is version 5.9.0. Updates since 3ds Max 2026.3 include lightweight OpenUSD instancing, a new hair scattering mode, more flexible light sampling, plus other enhancements and bug fixes. If your pipeline touches Arnold, these plugin updates matter because they affect how features show up inside the host.

Retopology and Shape Map: faster processing, better targets

Flow Retopology has been relocated to Tools and is now under Tools > Flow Retopology to make it easier to find and access as part of core modelling workflow. Retopology performance is described as improved via faster ReForm processing. It is presented as providing quicker results and improved support for meeting quad target goals, with more reliable and consistent outputs.

Shape Map performance is also described as much faster, reducing wait times when working with shape keys and morph targets. This is a more responsive shape-based workflow, especially with complex character rigs or detailed morphing operations.

Colour management: sampling and OCIO

Colour management gets updates. You can sample underlying colours from the scene space in windows that support it, including viewports and the Rendered Frame Window. The Colour Selector eyedropper includes options to sample display colour or sample scene colour. The software also uses the latest version of the OpenColorIO library (OCIO v2.5.1).

Autodesk Assistant: tech preview help inside the app

A tech preview called Autodesk Assistant is included. It is described as an AI-powered tool / LLM that helps you quickly find information about features and workflows directly within the product. This might be cool for beginners, or if you are looking for that feature you know is in there, but can’t find. Only time will tell if it works.

Bela asked if it can also explain why someone would stack twelve modifiers and still sleep at night. No promises were made.

Autodesk prices Subscriptions are at 255 USD per month or 2,010 US Dollars a year. In many countries, artists earning under 100,000/year and/or working on projects valued at under 100,000 Dollars per year can get the Indie subscription, which now cost 330 US Dollars a year. Before you roll this into a pipeline, do the boring but essential checks. Open hero scenes, validate modifier stacks, confirm export paths, and compare renders. New tools and innovations should be tested before use in production.

https://help.autodesk.com/view/3DSMAX/2027/ENU/?guid=GUID-7CC2F041-F797-4DB9-B2F9-326AAB994F37

P.S. If you are asking yourself, “Where does he get the cat pictures?” Be in a chat with Bela for any amount of time, and you’ll have them, too.

The post 3ds Max 2027 is here. first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Mike Kuhn.

For those who don’t know the tool: IDA BEST RETOPO TOOLS by Dmitriy Ismailov is a collection of Python-based add-ons for Blender 4.5 and higher. Built around the Vulkan branch of Blender, these tools provide fast, modular retopology functions inspired by Maya’s Quad Draw system. If your daily routine involves cleaning up dense ZBrush or photogrammetry meshes, these scripts might fit neatly between standard Blender tools and full-blown commercial retopo suites like RetopoFlow or TopoGun.

The News: Vulkan Retopo, the DIY Way

Ismailov’s toolset, IDA BEST RETOPO TOOLS, is a hand-built collection of modular Python add-ons that rethink Blender’s retopology workflow. The author’s motivation was simple: most existing Blender retopo add-ons rely on legacy Python operators originally derived from early tools such as PolyQuilt. While functional, these older scripts become memory-heavy when dealing with multi-million-poly meshes.

The new suite instead uses Blender’s Vulkan rendering backend, introduced experimentally in Blender 4.5, to speed up viewport updates and reduce lag when editing complex models. Each function is distributed as a separate .py add-on rather than a monolithic package, allowing artists to install only the tools they need.

Modular and Explicit Installation

Every Python file in the pack acts as an independent add-on. Users must install them one by one via Install from Disk rather than adding a full folder. After installation, the tools appear in Blender’s N-panel. This modularity allows per-tool debugging and selective updates, at the cost of some setup time.

The Core: Quad-Based Interaction

The heart of the toolkit is a Quad Brush system designed to emulate Maya’s Quad Draw behaviour. With hotkeys such as Ctrl, Shift, and mouse drags, users can place vertices, generate quads, or extrude retopology strokes directly on high-poly geometry. The operator runs in modal mode, reacting to viewport input until manually switched off. Performance considerations are explicitly addressed: undo operations can be unstable when combining reverse and smooth functions, and the author warns users not to press Ctrl Z during some modal interactions. These caveats underline the project’s in-progress nature and its focus on function over polish.

Visual Feedback and Vulkan-Specific Display

The set includes a visual overlay module for highlighting non-manifold geometry and isolated vertices, updating in real time with camera movement. The overlay only works in Vulkan builds and disables itself automatically when switching tools to avoid frame rate drops on heavy meshes. This approach mirrors professional viewport isolation found in Maya or Modo, though it still lacks per-object wireframe isolation. The author notes plans to refine this behaviour later.

Geometry Creation and Snapping

One of the notable features is dynamic snapping to face normals. The Project Along operator reprojects newly created quads onto underlying high-poly geometry, fixing floating polygons common in manual retopo. The process can be triggered manually or bound to custom hotkeys using the PAMenu Editor, a fork of Blender’s abandoned Pie Menu Editor project now maintained by the community.

Additional Operators and Controls

All parameters, including vertex display thickness and overlay colours, can be modified in the N-panel. Several secondary tools extend the base functionality:

The Selection Circle generates loops or cuts across multiple separate objects, aiding hard-surface retopology such as armour pieces or layered clothing.
Smooth Iteration acts as an incremental vertex smoother applied via hotkey S.
Cylinder and Stroke Tools create curved or circular retopo patches with adjustable density using mouse scroll input.
The Flip Normals Script fixes inverted faces, particularly common in imported high-poly ZBrush meshes.

Practical Notes and Warnings

The developer stresses that these tools are designed exclusively for Blender 4.5+ Vulkan builds. Functionality may partially work in earlier versions, but the visualisation layer will not. Users are encouraged to assign custom hotkyes via PAMenu Editor or Blender’s Keymap Preferences for efficient access. Undo behaviour remains limited in modal tools, and certain combinations (Reverse + Smooth) can trigger state loss. The author calls these “known quirks” of the early build.

A Maya-Style Workflow Inside Blender

Functionally, the set delivers a familiar workflow to artists used to Maya’s Quad Draw: click to place vertices, drag to fill quads, Shift to smooth, W to toggle wireframes, and F to flip normals. The result is a more tactile retopology experience than standard Blender’s tools, which still rely on traditional transform operators.

While not as integrated as dedicated commercial solutions, IDA BEST RETOPO TOOLS brings much of the same speed and clarity to Blender’s open ecosystem.

Development Outlook

Ismailov notes that future versions will expand with features akin to Petiq, a now-abandoned Blender retopology tool. The project’s direction remains open and community-driven, with feedback encouraged via Gumroad comments. Given that these tools touch low-level input and viewport operations, users are advised to test them on non-production builds first. Stability, especially under Vulkan, may vary between Blender nightly versions.

Bottom Line

IDA BEST RETOPO TOOLS is not a polished consumer product but a working production hack, a coder-artist’s attempt to make Blender’s retopology as immediate and predictable as Maya’s. For retoop specialists handling multi-million-poly meshes, it is a surprisingly competent and fast addition to the toolkit, as long as you are comfortable installing Python scripts manually and living with occasional visual oddities. Always test such innovations thoroughly before relying on them in live production.

The post Quad Draw Comes to Blender first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

New Folder Rules: Asset Directory System

ZBrush 2026.1 introduces a centralised Asset Directory System on desktop. All user data including custom UIs, hotkeys, brushes, materials, plugins and Lightbox assets now lives outside the installation path.

Each user can assign or change the folder location in Preferences → Asset Directory. Three functions are available: Open Directory, Change Location, and Reset to Default. A restart is required after changing the directory, triggering automatic generation of a clean folder structure. This design supports environments where multiple users share the same ZBrush installation, such as classrooms or studio workstations. It also allows artists to maintain separate configuration sets for different projects or clients by switching between asset directories. Plugin loading has been restructured, user installed plugins load after Maxon’s native plugins and appear under ZPlugin, beneath ZColor, clearly separating custom tools from built ins.

IMM Foldering: Order in the Chaos

Insert Multi Mesh (IMM) brushes can now contain internal folder hierarchies. A large IMM brush can be subdivided into named groups such as Cylinders, Capsules, Clothing, or Accessories, visible in the brush’s M popup menu. To build a foldered IMM, users organise SubTools into SubTool folders, then execute Brush → Create Insert MultiMesh. ZBrush automatically generates IMM folders corresponding to the SubTool folders. This process no longer requires external plugins. Foldered IMMs are especially useful for large production brush libraries, where hundreds of mesh variations were previously stored as flat lists.

Retopo Brush: A Dedicated Topology System

ZBrush 2026.1’s headline feature is the new Retopo Brush, available on both desktop and iPad. It introduces a topology specific mesh type that snaps across all visible SubTools and supports symmetry, full vertex, edge, and polygon editing, and iterative rebuilds.

Core interactions:
Tapping places points. Holding Spacebar previews polygon fill and adjusts draw size. Pressing and holding Alt on an edge extrudes geometry, releasing Alt switches between quads and triangles. Holding Alt on a face deletes a polygon. Control dragging in empty space removes unused points. Control while extruding sets segment counts. Spacebar + drag on an edge adds loops. Alt + drag draws temporary guide lines, drawing two lines in sequence auto fills the space between them with a quad strip.

The brush uses a two size system, a normal Draw Size for editing and a secondary Spacebar Draw Size for temporary polygon previews. In Brush → Retopology, key parameters include Snap Threshold, Move by Brush Size, Smooth Border Behaviour, Adaptive Draw Size and Edge Flow Drawing.

A Smooth Retopo mode is included. It automatically conforms to underlying geometry across all visible SubTools, maintaining surface continuity during smoothing. Holding or releasing Alt determines whether boundary vertices remain fixed or move. Existing meshes can be converted into retopo meshes by tapping them and selecting Convert Mesh instead of Create New. This allows refinement of ZRemesher results or cleanup of extracted geometry without restarting topology work.

Patch System: Templates for Rapid Topology

The Retopo Brush now includes a Patch System accessible via its IMM folders. The set contains predefined square, circular, and multi resolution patch templates.

To use patches, place a single point, hold Alt and drag to draw a patch, then tap to confirm. The patch automatically snaps to the surface. Additional loops can be inserted and smoothed after placement.

Each patch can switch to Lattice Mode by tapping Alt on its preview gizmo. This mode adds a deformation cage for adjusting form before confirming the patch. Lattice controls are non symmetrical by design, but patches themselves respect symmetry on placement.

ZModeler Integration: Old Meets New

Retopo meshes remain fully compatible with ZModeler, allowing direct access to ZBrush’s polygon editing operations. Supported functions include Slice Mesh (multi cut), Inset, Weld, Bridge, and loop deletion. ZModeler’s Slice tool is particularly relevant for defining seams or redirecting topology flow before final projection. Because Retopo meshes use native topology structures, they can be refined or combined with existing ZModeler workflows without conversion.

Photogrammetry on iPad: Capture and Sculpt

ZBrush for iPad now supports photogrammetry capture using the device’s LiDAR sensor and camera data. The workflow begins from a new Capture mode on startup. Users frame an object within an on screen bounding box, then perform multiple passes, typically 40 to 100 photos for best results.

ZBrush generates a dense point cloud and a textured mesh with automatic UVs. The resulting asset includes both geometry and colour data.

A suggested post processing pipeline includes converting the texture to an alpha map (Texture → Make Alpha), extracting displacement detail to a subdivided mesh, cleaning geometry via Dynamesh, and re projecting fine detail through Project History or Extractor. Artists can then unwrap with UV Master and transfer PolyPaint data back to texture. The feature is primarily intended for matte, non reflective subjects such as props, rocks, sculptures, shoes, or vehicle parts.

Quick Search: iPad Only Navigation Aid

A new Quick Search system, currently exclusive to iPad, provides a global search interface for palettes, buttons, sliders, brushes, and actions. Keyboard users can navigate results using arrow keys and adjust slider values directly within the search window. Search history is preserved between sessions. This tool can accelerate demonstration setups and help new users locate hidden interface elements without scanning menus manually. The feature is not yet present on the desktop version.

Compatibility and Feature Parity

Both the desktop and iPad editions now share the Retopo Brush and Patch system, providing near identical topology workflows across platforms. IMM folders also behave consistently in both environments. The new search system remains iPad only for now. The previously previewed UV Editor and desktop UI overhaul, shown at the ZBrush Summit, are not part of version 2026.1. Likewise, a Substance Painter bridge is mentioned in roadmap discussions but not included in this release. All features described are part of the verified 2026.1 release build at the time of publication.

Production Reminder

As with any structural update, particularly those affecting topology, file management, and plugin loading, teams should verify stability and compatibility with existing pipelines before deployment in production. Testing should include multi user directory switching, plugin load order, and mesh conversion integrity under the Retopo Brush.

Production Supplement: Pipeline Implications and Testing Advice

In production, the new Asset Directory System should be integrated carefully with version control and profile management. Studios maintaining multiple artists per workstation can now define consistent folder hierarchies on network volumes without touching program directories. For automated deployments, the Change Location option can be configured through startup scripts, although a restart is mandatory. This behaviour simplifies backup and restores but requires new onboarding procedures for workstation images and classroom templates.

For topology artists, the Retopo Brush replaces the need for third party retopology plugins or external hand topology tools. However, it introduces a new data structure that behaves differently from traditional subtools. Retopo meshes do not respond to deformation or subdivision until converted, and certain sculpting features remain unavailable until confirmation. Pipeline TDs should test retopo mesh export behaviour with Alembic and FBX before committing the workflow. The photogrammetry pipeline on iPad is promising, but the mesh density and UV precision require evaluation before using scans for high end texturing or displacement capture.

The post ZBrush 2026.1: Retopo & Assets first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

RetopoFlow, the long-standing retopology add-on for Blender, has entered its 4.0 Beta phase. This new version doesn’t reinvent your topology workflow – it just tries to make it suck a little less. The update focuses on UI tweaks, feature consistency, and a reworked PolyStrips tool. Still, the tool is under active development, which means production users should probably keep backups of their nerves and meshes.

A Retopo Tool That Stays in Viewport

One of RetopoFlow’s main draws remains unchanged: all tools operate inside Blender’s Edit Mode, using custom widgets. Unlike Blender’s native tools, you don’t need to switch modes. That alone keeps your RSI count slightly lower. The 4.0 Beta continues that approach, but introduces better UI consistency across tools and cleans up several visual glitches.

PolyStrips Rebuilt

The PolyStrips tool – the go-to for quickly laying down edge loops – has been rebuilt from the ground up. That means better responsiveness and more consistent behavior, though no new core functionality has been added yet. But since this is a beta, expect a few kinks while trying to block out your topology. You might still wince mid-loop.

UI Tweaks & Behavior Improvements

RetopoFlow 4 Beta brings better visual consistency to the tool overlays, interface elements, and tool workflows. Nothing dramatic, just a range of small UI-level quality-of-life improvements. For example, you’ll see more consistent color and behavior in tool outlines, previews, and manipulators. The devs also improved how the tools handle edge snapping and interactions with Blender’s geometry.

Performance: Still Under Construction

No official benchmarks or performance numbers were announced. Since this is a beta, stability and performance may vary depending on your hardware setup. The developers are still actively working on optimization and bug fixes, so don’t throw it into a deadline-sensitive project just yet.

Blender Integration and Version Notes

RetopoFlow 4 Beta supports Blender 4.2. The add-on is being developed by CG Cookie, and is available via their GitHub repository for testers who aren’t afraid of a few commits and crashes.

Price Tag

RetopoFlow 3.x costs $86.00 on the Blender Market. The 4.0 Beta is free for existing users and available for anyone to test via GitHub.

Final Warning: Beta Means Beta

While the new version brings welcome tweaks and a refreshed toolset, it’s still in beta. Artists working in production environments should treat it like fresh sushi: maybe tasty, maybe risky. Stability hasn’t been guaranteed, and features are still being refined. For now, use with caution – and maybe don’t uninstall your stable version just yet.

The post RetopoFlow 4 Beta: Now With Less Pain Per Polygon first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Pilgway has released 3DCoat 2024.30, bringing a suite of new features and improvements tailored for digital artists in VFX, game development, and CGI. This update focuses on enhancing workflow efficiency and expanding creative possibilities, all while keeping the user experience as smooth as a well-polished mesh.

Photogrammetry Integration with RealityCapture

A standout addition is the integration with RealityCapture, Epic Games’ photogrammetry software. Users can now generate 3D models from photographs or videos directly within 3DCoat, streamlining the creation of digital assets from real-world references. This feature is particularly beneficial for artists seeking to incorporate realistic textures and forms into their projects without the need for external applications.

Enhanced Volumetric Boolean Operations for 3D Printing

For those venturing into 3D printing, 3DCoat 2024.30 introduces the ability to perform volumetric boolean operations with an additional shell. This function is crucial for creating matching parts in 3D models, ensuring that components fit together seamlessly. By accessing the “Remove intersection with…” option in the SculptTree’s right-click menu, users can set up subtractions with an additional shell, facilitating the production of prototypes and complex assemblies.

New Array Tools in the Sculpt Room

The Sculpt room sees the introduction of two new tools designed to enhance modeling capabilities:

• Array Tool: Allows the creation of various arrays of volume objects along curves, enabling the efficient duplication of elements in a controlled manner. This is particularly useful for generating repetitive structures such as chains, fences, or architectural details.
• Surface Array Tool: Enables the distribution of objects across a created surface or selected faces of a low-poly mesh, providing flexibility in populating surfaces with multiple instances of an object, which can be invaluable in creating complex surface details or patterns.

Map to Mesh Conversion

In the Painting room, a new feature allows the conversion of normal maps to actual geometry. This reverse workflow enables artists to reconstruct high-poly source models from low-poly meshes adorned with normal maps. It’s particularly advantageous for refining AI-generated prototypes or enhancing existing models by adding intricate details that were initially represented only in normal maps.

Additional Enhancements

• Blender 4.2 Applink Support: The update includes support for Blender 4.2 Applink, facilitating smoother interoperability between 3DCoat and Blender, which is a boon for artists utilizing both platforms in their workflows.
• Real-Time Non-Modal Search/Filter: A new real-time search and filter function has been implemented for all item containers, including alphas, materials, objects, layers, and presets. This enhancement allows for quicker access to assets and tools, reducing downtime during the creative process.
• Improved RAW Voxel Export/Import: The RAW voxel export/import functionality has been improved to support PBR (Physically Based Rendering) data, including color, gloss, and metalness. This improvement is particularly useful for developers looking to integrate voxel data into proprietary engines while maintaining material properties.

Pricing and Availability

3DCoat 2024.30 is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux platforms. For individuals, perpetual node-locked licenses are priced at €379, with subscription options starting at €20.80 per month or €169.85 per year. Studio licenses and additional pricing details can be found on Pilgway’s official website.

Fact Check Note: While these new features enhance 3DCoat’s capabilities, it’s advisable to thoroughly test them within your specific production environment to ensure compatibility and stability before integrating them into critical workflows.

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The post 3DCoat 2024.30: New Year, New Tools for Your 3D Arsenal first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

The Blender Conference 2024 presentation by Jonathan Lampel delved into best practices for topology and retopology, essential for 3D modelers aiming to create efficient, versatile models. Topology refers to how vertices, edges, and faces (the building blocks of 3D models) are arranged to define a model’s shape and functionality. Good topology makes models more effective across applications, from gaming and VFX to 3D printing. For those eager to refine their technique, a comprehensive guide is available for free download, covering Lampel’s insights and universal principles for effective topology across multiple 3D platforms like Maya and Cinema 4D.

Understanding Good Topology

Effective topology aligns with the intended use of the model. In gaming, lower polygon counts optimize performance, while in VFX, more complex topologies may be tolerated if they enable easier edits and high-quality subdivisions. For 3D printing, a watertight mesh (without holes) is critical to ensure a stable output. Regardless of the project, good topology minimizes polygon usage without sacrificing detail, supporting efficient shading and ease of animation.

Common Pitfalls in Topology

Lampel’s talk underscored practices that 3D artists should avoid, such as “broken faces” (distorted quads or polygons) and “concave quads” (quads that cause shading errors due to uneven faces). Models with dense geometry can slow down performance in rendering engines, while long, thin faces complicate editing. Retopology—simplifying a dense mesh—is essential, particularly in VFX and game design workflows where high efficiency is a must. Lampel emphasized that “manifold geometry,” or a completely sealed mesh, is often necessary for 3D printing but less critical for other applications, allowing for more flexibility.

Techniques and Tools in Blender

Blender offers numerous tools that help simplify topology workflows. Lampel highlighted essential modeling functions, including the Knife and Bevel tools for creating and refining edge loops, and the Subdivide tool for adding detail where needed. These tools provide modelers with precision over their mesh’s final structure, supporting efficient modeling without excessive geometry. More advanced techniques like Boolean modeling (using one object to cut or merge with another) and procedural modeling (using nodes or Python to create adaptable models) open further possibilities.

Advanced Topology Elements: Edge Loops and Poles

A key focus of Lampel’s presentation was edge loops—connected edges that define a model’s structure. Correctly aligned edge loops follow the details of the model, reducing unwanted artifacts. Poles (vertices with three or more connections) help direct these loops, but excessive connections (over five) create deformities, especially in animation. For animation work, quads (four-sided polygons) are ideal because they support smooth deformation and allow edge loops to pass through. Triangles can help reduce polygon counts but can complicate editing, and n-gons (polygons with more than four sides) work well for flat surfaces.

Subdivision Surfaces and Their Influence on Topology

In Blender, using subdivision surfaces converts all polygons into quads, facilitating a smoother model. However, subdivided models can create high-density areas, especially around poles, resulting in pinching or unwanted details. Properly placed support loops help prevent distortion and enable better control over shape during animation. These principles are invaluable for maintaining model clarity when subdivided, a common need in high-resolution visual effects.

Tools for Precision Modeling in Blender

Blender’s suite of tools simplifies topology management, from basic functions like Inset and Edge Slide to more advanced features like Grid Fill and Mirror, enabling modelers to iterate faster and focus on detailing. Lampel noted that while modeling, the emphasis should be on flexibility, maintaining separate objects, and using modifiers until the final stages to avoid locking in changes prematurely. Finalizing models may involve merging objects for performance, especially for animation projects.

Real-World Application: Retopology Techniques and Tools

Retopology—remodeling a high-poly model into a simpler one—is vital in workflows where performance matters. Lampel suggested tools like RetopoFlow and Blender’s snapping tools, which allow artists to draw over dense models, creating a more optimized, low-poly mesh without sacrificing the visual quality of the original. The presentation encouraged modelers to experiment with tools, balancing efficiency with functionality.

Summary: Download the Guide

For those interested, the Blender Good Topology Guide offers detailed insights into these concepts, available for free with an account on the Blender website. While these techniques can enhance modeling efficiency, professionals are reminded to evaluate each approach’s suitability to ensure it aligns with project-specific requirements, especially in commercial and production settings.

For more information and to download the guide, visit Blender Good Topology Guide.

The post Blender Conference 2024: Mastering Topology and Retopology first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

The “Quad Maker” add-on is designed to optimise the retopology process in Blender. It offers functions that enable more efficient modelling. The main features are the automatic recognition and adaptation of topology patterns and the simplification of complex meshes. This promises to improve the way VFX artists, game designers and other users work.

The Quad Maker integrates seamlessly into Blender’s existing user interface and complements it with new tools for the creation of topology quads. Using the add-on saves time and effort by automating repetitive retopology tasks. Another feature is the option to analyse and improve existing topologies. This can be particularly useful for optimising existing models for animations or game engines by removing unnecessary polygons and making mesh structures more efficient.

The tool offers various presets that can be customised depending on the application. Users can define specific topology presets to maintain precise control over the final result. These presets are helpful when different requirements are placed on models, such as organic shapes or technical models. In addition, Quad Maker can be integrated into existing Python-based scripts, which increases the level of automation.

Another highlight is the add-on’s ability to retain the original shape of the model while adapting the topology. This ensures that the artistic expression of the original is retained in the retopology. The automatic recognition of edge loops and polygon areas helps to further reduce working time. The tool makes it possible to focus on the creative aspects of modelling instead of wasting time on technical details.

Before using Quad Maker in ongoing projects, each function should be thoroughly tested to ensure that it fulfils the requirements and does not cause any unexpected problems. The results of the add-on are based on algorithms and techniques that, although advertised as efficient by the developers, may not be optimised for every possible requirement.

Licence model and pricing

Quad Maker is available as a paid add-on. Licensing terms and pricing vary, with both single user and team licences available. Details on prices and licence models can be found on the manufacturer’s website.

More information about the Quad Maker add-on.

The post Blender add-on “Quad Maker” for more efficient retopology first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Retopology

Updates to Maya’s Retopology toolset include Retopologise with Symmetry, which creates an even edge structure on both sides of a mesh. Other changes include the ability to selectively preserve features in areas of meshes, including options to preserve edges according to their angle or component tags. There is also the ability to scan the mesh for potential issues such as non-manifold geometry before running Retopologise and retain the original mesh in the scene graph. For manual retopologisation, Make Live now also supports multiple objects.

3D modelling

With Maya 2024, modellers also receive the Unsmooth command to reset Catmull-Clark-subdivided meshes to a lower resolution. Other changes include support for the MikkTSpace standard for tangent space when baking normal maps, improved performance in the UV editor and new tool shelves for UV editing, curve and surface tools.

Materials

Look Development Artists receive LookdevX, a new toolset for creating USD shading graphs in Maya. Unlike materials created with the existing Hypershade Editor, materials created with LookdevX can be used in an entire USD-based pipeline without the need for conversion.

Character animation

Character riggers and animators also receive some specific changes, including the ability to display skin weights created with the Paint Skin Weights tool as numerical values in the viewport. In addition, multiple skin clusters can now be used on a single geometry. There are also 36 new math nodes for creating more complex rigs.

Simulation

Are you looking for a new way to simulate realistic icing, ketchup or melted chocolate? Then you’ll love the Bifrost 2.7 update for Maya! With the new source_mpm_gel node, you can now also simulate gel materials such as soft ice cream. NanoVTT is now used as the default renderer for volumes in the preview, which significantly improves the preview in the viewport.

Plugins: Updates for USD for Maya, MtoA and Substance in Maya

Maya’s other plugins have also received an update: USD for Maya 0.22 now supports relative paths for USD files in Maya scenes and improves the display of layers. MtoA 5.3, which integrates Maya with the Arnold renderer, updates the physical sky to separate light contributions from the sun and sky. The Substance plugin for editing materials in Substance format within Maya has also been updated. With Substance 2.3.2 there is now native support for Apple Silicon.

Price and system requirements

Maya 2024 is available for Windows 10 , RHEL and Rocky Linux 8.6 and macOS 11 and can only be rented. Subscriptions cost $235 USD per month, an increase of $10 USD over the previous release, or $1,875 USD per year, an increase of $90 USD over the previous release. In many countries, artists earning less than $100,000 per year and working on projects worth less than $100,000 per year can purchase Maya Indie subscriptions at a price of $305 per year.

Click here for the documentary with all the new features

The post Autodesk releases Maya 2024 first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

In nuce: The two-headed company Sparseal has released the latest version of its retopology software CozyBlanket – version 2.0 of the software, as I reported on 80.lv on 7 November this year. CozyBlanket is an app for the iPad. According to the product description, the software is particularly suitable for preparing 3D models for animation, real-time rendering or surfacing.

Pricing: CozyBlanket is available in a free version; however, this has been reduced to include the save and export functions. These two functions can be activated with a one-off payment of 19.99 US dollars. A standard licence for CozyBlanket is priced at 89.99 US dollars.

In toto: CozyBlanket has been divided into three levels. Each level is assigned to a different task – namely: Retopology, Unwrapping and Baking. These three levels and their respective tasks are listed below – along with some of the newly added functions. For a full list of features, please refer to the CozyBlanket 2.0 announcement on sparseal.com .

• Retopology level: The viewport rendering has been revised in terms of contrast and readability. In addition, wireframe drawing is now GPU-accelerated and has been enhanced with new animations. In addition, the target mesh can now also be rendered with smooth shadings and vertex colours – imported from .obj vertex colours or from ZBrush-Polypaint. In addition, semi-transparent overlays and a shaded preview of the retopology mesh are now visible – which should increase the readability of models in development.
• Uwrapping: UV seams can be drawn, deleted and extended by drawing over the mesh edge. In addition, the UV stage now also supports the realignment of textures via multi-touch; users use the so-called tweak action for this. A texture that is intended for further processing can be adjusted with regard to wrapping – without further processing in the 2D UV view.
• Baking: Either tangential space normal maps or colour maps can be created from the imported target meshes. Furthermore, ZIP files with baked maps, the model and the MTL files can be exported – for example to other software. There is also the option of displaying imported target meshes and low-poly baked versions next to each other in the multi-viewport; the scene light remains mobile, which opens up further scope for design.
• Incidentally, one of the smaller new functions is an updated Python network programming interface. The advantage of this is that CozyBlanket can now be integrated into any digital content creation software, according to the developers.

Click further: More detailed information is available at sparseal.com . CozyBlanket can be downloaded from Apple’s App Store.

Source: 80.lv ( news from Gloria Levine)

The post New version of the retopology software CozyBlanket! first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Patrick Poti.

In nuce: Every week we present you with the best tutorials that will help you polish your workflows with the hottest digital content creation tools in the world! This tutorial is aimed at all Blender 3.0 users.

Getting started with retopology: This time we show you a tutorial by Grant Abbitt, freelance 3D artist and YouTuber, showing you how to approach the retopology of a 3D face. The video is intended as a generalist guide. Grant uses a stylised female face for demonstration purposes. The video is only seven and a half minutes long, making it perfect for your midday tea break.

What does Grant Abbitt have to offer didactically? The video below is just one of seven so far, in the course of which Grant Abbitt familiarises you with various design areas of Blender 3.0. These include hair, textures and the lighting of your 3D character. One of the tutorials even sets out to recreate the popular comic book character Wolverine. We ask: Can learning with someone be more fun than with scissor-handed snipper and whisker fetishist Wolverine?

Face to face: If you want to flex your 3D character’s face but prefer to leave Blender to the professionals, we’ve dug a similar tutorial out of the mothballs on 19 April 2017 – provided you’re working with 3DCoat: You work with 3DCoat.

Click further: Click through to YouTube for Grant’s complete tutorial series. If you like Grant Abbitt as a lecturer, it may also be worth checking out his (paid) educational programmes on gamedev.tv . Grant is also looking forward to your visit to his homepage, where 3D modelling and graphic design (in Blender) go hand in hand.

Farewell! Check back next week when it’s Tutorial Tuesday again!

Retopoligise a Face – Retopology Guide – Blender 3

The post Retopology Guide | Tutorial Tuesday first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Patrick Poti.

In nuce: Every week we present you with the best tutorials that will help you polish your workflows with the hottest digital content creation tools in the world!

Retopology Reloaded: This time we show you a tutorial by Jan van den Hemel, who shows you his unconventional approach to retopologising objects in Blender. Hemel uses the BSurfaces add-on, which is already included in Blender. And this is how it works: Hemel sketches retopology guides using the annotate tool, which are then converted into actual geometry.

What can the tutorial do? According to Hemel, his approach is an important building block for anyone looking to expand their retopology toolset. In the course of the tutorial, Hemel also shows you how to set up Blender so that his method works optimally. He also demonstrates how to adjust the settings or add additional processing loops to your workflow.

Blender Secrets e-book: For anyone who wants to delve deeper into the design possibilities of Blender, Hemel’s e-book, which you can buy for 35 euros on Gumroad, could be suitable. Just as exciting as a novel by Ian Fleming? For Blender fanboys, yes!

Click on: Visit Jan van den Hemel on his YouTube channel, where he regularly publishes useful video tutorials on Blender.

Goodbye! Click in next week when it’s Tutorial Tuesday again!

Blender Secrets – Retopology with BSurfaces and Annotation

The post BSurface Add-on | Tutorial Tuesday first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Patrick Poti.

1. UI changes

Users can now customise their workspace and tools. Customising window layouts and using multiple modes in different 3D windows at the same time is now possible. In addition, your most frequently used tools can now be dragged out of the menu bars and placed freely on the screen.

2. Retopology improvements

Retopology is the process of simplifying the topology of a mesh to make it cleaner and easier to edit. New in version 11 are retopology “ghost points” that allow users to align their custom topology to a previously drawn topology across sewing relationships. This ensures that the vertices are aligned with the seams. In addition, the patch topology tool has been added, allowing users to quickly hide a uniform topology in rectangular or triangular patches with specified subdivisions.

3. Partial “freeze”

You can select a part of meshes with the brush tool so that these selected sections remain solidified during the simulation. This allows the user to keep the desired fold details in one area while designing other areas.

4. Clothes shopping

Clothes from the store can now be purchased or downloaded directly from Marvelous Designer (Windows only)

5. Changes to the animation user interface

The animation editor is now located at the bottom of the user interface. It now includes frame rate and playback options, allowing users to preview their garment animation at the desired frame rate before exporting.

You can find more information on the Marvelous Designer website

The post Marvelous Designer 11 released first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

by Philipp Staab & Calvin Bacon

Who? What? Where?

InstaLOD is a software product for the automation of work processes in 3D production. In contrast to other, typically industry-specific 3D software, InstaLOD is used by a wide variety of companies: from entertainment customers (LOD, retopologisation, beacons …) to enterprise customers (CAD tessellation, decoring …). The cost- and time-saving software is developed by the Stuttgart-based company InstaLOD GmbH and was presented for the first time at SIGGRAPH 2017 in Los Angeles after several years of development.

Within a very short space of time, the company has successfully established itself with the largest game developers and enterprise customers. Managing Director Manfred Nerurkar brings a wealth of experience in the field of real-time 3D to the company. Many years of experience in game development as well as the development of a commercial 3D engine help the company to understand the processes and develop automated solutions that deliver convincing results.

Optimise it well

InstaLOD’s optimiser is designed for the highest quality and extreme speed. The idea behind it was not only to be able to optimise as much as a 3D artist can do by hand, but to go even further – automatically and in just a few seconds. InstaLOD therefore has an intelligent optimiser and knows exactly where edges are needed and where they are not in order to achieve a perfect silhouette, maintain perfect shading or counteract texture skewing. InstaLOD’s advanced control options and vertex painting or selection sets allow you to define where the optimiser should optimise more or less of the mesh to achieve the perfect result for each type of mesh.

With the “Maximum Deviation” option, a threshold value can be specified that optimises up to a point at which certain changes to the mesh are reached. This allows you to automatically optimise any number of files in batch processing to a consistent quality and save different numbers of polygons per mesh as required. For example, automotive assets can often be thinned out by up to 90% of the data while maintaining the same shading.

InstaLOD has solved many problems in the area of optimisation that other optimisers have previously failed to solve. From the optimisation of skeletal meshes, where skinning weights are automatically transferred, to the optimisation of faulty geometry such as non-manifold geometry. There is no limit to the number of polygons. The InstaLOD Optimiser can process meshes of any size.

Remesher

In the good old days, creating UVs and remeshing were probably rather unpopular tasks that interns were allowed to do when they spilt their boss’s coffee again. However, remeshing itself is a process that has hardly been used in the 3D industry to date, as only low-quality results can be achieved despite long runtimes. With InstaLOD, we can carry out a complete retopologisation of a mesh within a very short time, creating new UVs and baking all the desired textures at the same time: Displacement, Curvature, ID, Normal Maps and whatever else your heart desires.

Here too, InstaLOD is able to process huge amounts of data without any problems. The first step in remeshing is to analyse the input geometry and the objective of the remesh. In this case, we have a large and dense amount of data and want to make it usable for a VR application. With large amounts of data, it is typically difficult to determine how many polygons are needed to achieve a good result. We therefore use the fuzzy face count target here, with which InstaLOD itself determines how many polygons are needed to achieve a result with the right quality for the subsequent use case. The “Normal” target set here automatically creates a quality that is suitable for VR applications for PC or console. After only about a minute of running time, we have reduced the previously unusable bust to approx. 5,000 polygons. The remesher thus saved over 99% of the data volume.

At the same time, the remesher created the UVs with the required high quality and saved all the textures needed for renderings or real-time engines. The asset is therefore completely finished and can be transferred to any render engine without having to be further processed or improved.

Kitbash workflow

InstaLOD’s revolutionary features make completely new workflows possible. One of these workflows is kitbashing, in which several high-poly objects are put together (kitbashed) and the scene is then remeshed with InstaLOD. This allows a game-ready object to be created from several unusable high-poly objects within minutes, including all UVs and necessary textures. The creation of such assets usually takes several days, even for high-end studios, as all steps from sculpting to UV unwrapping, baking, texturing etc. have to be carried out manually. This also applies to working with photogrammetry.

The problem with the gravestone elements shown here is that we have a scene with several million polygons, which cannot be easily transferred to a game engine. This is where InstaLOD’s Remesher can help enormously. The remesher is the perfect solution here, as it creates a single object from several objects. At the same time, we get UVs for this object and also bake all the necessary textures so that we can configure our materials quickly and easily in the next step within a texturing programme such as InstaMaterial or Substance Painter.

For this scene too, it is difficult to estimate how many polygons are needed to achieve a good result. Therefore, we will use the Fuzzy Face Count Target again, with which InstaLOD’s smart algorithms independently determine how far the amount of polygons can be reduced. In this case, the remesher was able to reduce the scene from around 1.5 million polygons to around 6,000 polygons. As we baked the Normal, AO, Diffuse, Position, Curvature, Thickness and ID maps at the same time, we can now use Smart Materials within our texture programme very quickly, which use the respective textures to achieve good results. We went from a high-poly scene to a game-ready object in just 10 minutes. This is just one of the many time-efficient workflows that InstaLOD makes possible.

InstaLOD Standalone

InstaLOD Studio XL allows users to work independently of other 3D software, with numerous enhancements and new features. One of the central features is the import and automatic tessellation of CAD file formats. This support ranges from generic CAD formats such as STEP to industry-specific formats such as CATIA V5. InstaLOD’s CAD workflows offer numerous innovations to fundamentally improve standard processes in the industry. But what if the CAD file has been modified by an engineer? Building on the CAD workflows, InstaLOD’s rules engine provides the ability to automatically prepare data in the event that the CAD file has changed.

Other improvements include a new occlusion cull algorithm that works exponentially faster, especially with extremely large objects such as CAD objects. InstaLOD Studio XL also offers something for the eyes: The PBR (Physically Based Rendering) viewport has been developed to allow users to visualise object materials as they will later be displayed in modern render engines.

InstaLOD Studio XL is more than just an application, it is a platform. A sophisticated plug-in architecture is used by major studios to use their own file formats with InstaLOD Studio XL and InstaLOD Pipeline. However, the possibilities for plug-ins go far beyond file formats: custom algorithms, rules for the rules engine and much more.

And what does the future hold?

We are always working on new products, such as a completely independent photogrammetry solution. We hope to be able to launch a preview on the market in 2019. Of course, we are continuing to improve our technology. We currently have five PhDs working in our research department, but we are still planning to recruit new researchers.

The post InstaLOD: Time is money first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Alexandra Kaschny.