Rapid Prototyping precision and sculpting...?


#1

A Client of mine wishes to make functional gun handles from Rapid Prototypes. Casting them into metal so they can be fitted onto the bore,hammer,etc…( Tiffany made some of these -extremely fine,intricate patterns!)
I have been challenged with the task of sculpting those details.
I have however ran into problems with the initial mesh I was given. The precision needed had him originally go to a CAD modeler/engineer who made this “base” mesh to somehow add those details to…I was given an STL from Rhino which has non-mudbox friendly topology when converted to OBJ.
It has multiple borders

                   lots of tris and is very heavy/high poly.                     

                                        SEE IMAGE.                     

                                        This mesh has scared me away from this project a  bit and I am wondering if anyone might have a logical solution to this. I  have been leaning towards sculpting onto another mesh                       and adding the details as a displacement map, then  converting to polygons so we can then take it to .STL for rapid  prototypes.                     

                                        I am only supposed to sculpt on specific areas  leaving flush the parts which would attach to the rest of the gun. a few  areas only will be left untouched
                 

                                        transferring that detail...via UV space? If so how  to?
                   Yikes!                     

                                        Thank you if you can help.                     

                                        :D                     

                                        [http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aId4xj_kJDc/TA1QngJy8XI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/TNQhI-d2nBg/s1600/HandleSculpt_example.jpg](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aId4xj_kJDc/TA1QngJy8XI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/TNQhI-d2nBg/s1600/HandleSculpt_example.jpg)

#2

Maybe you can use one of the retopology programs like TopoGun or the Retopology tools in 3D-Coat. This will allow you to create a new friendlier topology based using the original model as a reference.


#3

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