Correct Topology - The Holy Grail?

[ZavenH]

I've actually been making more organic models lately, and I've foudn it helps quite a bit to draw out the planned topology on the reference images if you have them. Eventually you won't actually need those guidelines, but they'll still help. Generally I've found that now I think about the topology in my head when looking at something I'm going to model, and it speeds up my modeling and makes it all a more efficient process. It helps with some planning even before you set foot in max/maya/etc.

My earlier organic models had such horrid topology in places like the face and neck area, because I just kind of modeled as I went. I think some planning would go a long way for you, figure out where stuff should go before you even start, and your modeling will work itself towards that.

Good luck, hope this was helpful.

[PartisanFox]

Thanks ZavenH, you're right, many times I first act and then think. :banghead:

[Peter Johansson]

Yeah, ZavenH is right. Nowdays i can "see" the topology of the object im going to model. So its very much like learning to draw. "There are no shortcuts" just model model and model and the topology comes naturally. Atleast for me it did.
Also trying other artists approaches on a model could help. Maybe their work could push you forward to use other techniques that uppgrades your way of modeling. In other words, references is priceless.

And as ZavenH said, planing your model is a good idea. If you dont have that "click and go to work" as many overworked 3D artists in the business have. :)

[MPoretti]

I percieve topology like elastic bands around a face, placed for tension and relaxation

[Scott Ayers]

Although topology is sometimes important for animations and everyone likes to talk about it a lot. You don't see the topology when it's covered with textures and rendered.
The thing that makes a model maker great to me isn't topology. It's the ability to give your model "character".

Pencil and brush artists know all about this. But I find few modelers who understand how important it is to CG as well.

[Peter Johansson]

I agree somewhat what Scott says, but there is a reason why people talk so much about topology. It is very important to get it right, both for the animators and to me when I sculpt for example the head to look realistic.
Im currently working on a to me "correct" topology male. And for all the tests I have done with it and some of my other work, it is important to get it right.
And when you have done one correctly you could just use it over and over again for diffrent human characters.
So if you do it right from the start you dont have to change it that much for each character work your doing, and that pays in the end.

[twedzel]

The thing that makes a model maker great to me isn't topology. It's the ability to give your model "character".

You are absolutely right, topology does not make a model great. But good topology does make a model usable. Bad topolgy makes it an unusable pile of stinking crap even if it does happen to look good.

You want to make better topology? It is simple rig it and Deform it. Learn why you actually need the topology you are making. You'll find that getting your edge flow right helps you to model the shapes you need and teaches you all about whether your edges in an area will allow you to sculpt the shapes you will need when the mesh is deforming.

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