Deforming a complex mesh with the help of a lowpoly proxymesh?

[Nahaz]

WrapDeformer by M. Breidt.

http://www.breidt.net/scripts/

There's also a commercial plugin called Kelseus Cloth which can do this. I think Breidt's one above does a better job though.

[BrandonD]

This is one of the many reasons subdivision poly modeling is so popular these days. It allows you to very easily have a low-res and high-res version more or less within the same mesh. So for cloth collision objects you just make an instance and downres it or for fast viewport feedback you work on the low-res version. If it's part of the same mesh they you don't have to worry about deforming things exactly the same...you get it for free.

[Dreamsign]

Thanks for your replys!

Real subdivision modelling seems great, but how do I do that in max? I've looked into maya and it looks more usefull, but in max, I dont know how the workflow would be.

would this work for cloths?

(opt) edit mesh
(opt) meshsmooth
edit mesh
meshsmooth
simclothmod / flex etc.
Editable poly

So then I keep a very low poly in the base epoly, and meshsmooth and add detail with another. Would the deformations be correct afterwards? I dont think I wanto add any detail with the meshsmooth modifier as the tools there are very poor and ceases very ugly when you dont want razor sharp cease.

[Dreamsign]

sorry for not trying it before posting last post, but as I suspected the edit mesh doesnt work above deformation modifiers in stack.
That only leaves meshsmooth modelling which in my experience work well on top of deformations. But I meshsmooth less usefull as a modelling tool, the mesh gets very dense, and hard to handle, but I can see it usefull for less complex models when considering the benefit of deformations.

And another thing, if I were to model with meshsmooth, there is no way to make it symmetrical is it? And if you change the base mesh, all of your work is thrown down the sink? Please enlighten me about subdivision modelling in max, and how it's done.

I've downloaded wrapdeformer and I'll try that now, thanks.

[jadedchron]

"Please enlighten me about subdivision modelling in max, and how it's done."

There's a huge arse sticky thread at the top of this forum that goes indepth on that question :thumbsup:

[Dreamsign]

Originally posted by jadedchron
"Please enlighten me about subdivision modelling in max, and how it's done."

There's a huge arse sticky thread at the top of this forum that goes indepth on that question :thumbsup:

I've looked at that thread before and it doesnt answer my question, it only seem to explain basic features and nothing beyond epoly + meshsmooth. I know every tool in edit poly and how to make the mesh nice with meshsmooth. What Im thinking of is having a very low poly mesh with no detail, and the model in the details later down the stack. What I normally do and what seems to be explained in that thread is only polygonal modelling with a meshsmooth on top. As far as I know there isn't any "real" subdivision modelling in max. Im not saying max is bad because Ive tried both maya and lightwave and I think max's modelling tools is far superior, but I can see maya's subdivision technique can be usefull.

Im thinking about modelling like in this Stahlberg tutorial (he uses Maya): http://www.androidblues.com/rigtut.html

[BrandonD]

If you want hierarchical subdivision, then check out the HSDS modifier. It's not for modeling, but for adding details.

[Dreamsign]

thanks BrandonD, it seems more fit for the purpose than meshsmooth, as you would have to use several meshsmooth modifiers and mesh selects to acheive the same effect.

But there is still the problem with symmetri if Im going to use it to model characters... isn't there a way to implent lightwave's symmetri function into max? In lightwave it just selects and does the exact same thing on the other side of the X axis. It only works when your object is centered at the X axis but thats not a problem.

[Dreamsign]

HSDS - I cant get it working properly with skin. When I have skin on top of the hsds modifier it works on alle the levels (dense mesh) unless I put it down to level 1, but then agian is useless.
When having it on top of skin, the subdivided detail I put in doesnt respond correctly to the deformation and gets messed up.

Also I can't find a way to delete subdivided levels in the modifier.

Another bad thing is that if your model isnt completly made out of quads, and want to edit it as quads which is best, then you must "force quads" which subdivides the model without smoothing.

Is HSDS not ment for animation or am I doing something wrong?

Anyway, using a load of meshsmooths and mesh selects seem to be a better way of doing the same thing. Still, no symmetri.

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