High poly to low poly steps in 3ds max

[Kasigawa]

A couple of questions.

1. What are the steps to making a high poly to low poly model?

2. When creating the highpoly model do you need to keep the low poly model?

3. How do I add collision.

[Kasigawa]

OK, I noticed nobody posted yet, I believe there's a lack of knowledge to go around by this topic.

I did some research and talked with other artists. I found out how this is done in detailed information. I noticed there is a lot of effort that goes into this, so I don't expect anyone to hash out the steps; however, the basic steps are simple, depending which way you want to approach making the high poly to low poly.

Steps:
1. Make a high poly model
2. Make a shell of that high poly model; which will become your low poly model
3. Make a collision for the object
4. Unwrap the model
5. Bake the high poly model
6. Take it into Photoshop, texture and edit the maps
7. Export the low poly model
8. Bring it into Unreal

The only reason to make high poly maps is for details in the object. If the object is made with primitives then it doesn’t necessarily need a normal map. The primitives are already the low poly, there’s no reason to make it high poly.

Another way to make to make a high to low poly object is:

1. Create your low poly
2. Duplicate it and use the other to make it into a high poly
3. Make collision model
4. Unwrap the model
5. Bake the high poly model
6. Take it into Photoshop, texture and edit the maps
7. Export the low poly model
8. Bring it into Unreal

For easy low poly models that don’t need to be high poly, the process is simple:

1. Make a low poly model
2. Unwrap it
3. Bring it into Photoshop and texture it. (Maybe use Crazybump or NVIDIA for other maps)
4. Export model
5. Bring it into Unreal

To add collision, duplicate the low poly model and name it with UCX infront of the name.
Example: UCX_Object
A collision can be a collection of low poly objects attached together.

[UDKKutigi77]

Interesting,there are many ways to approach this.It's all depends on object in question. I personally appreciate the efforts you put in to post the above.

[Ghiest]

I do it entirely different :P

For complex objects

1. Base mesh, this mesh is usually quadded and the base mesh for the sculpt
2. Transfer to mudbox/zbrush/sculptris and sculpt details
3. trasnfer to topogun to make the low poly with a decent topology
4. Transfer the low poly to Maya for UV layout
5. transfer both high (sculpt) and low (retopo) poly meshes to xnormal and bake normal, occlusion and cavity maps
6. Polypaint the textures using Mudbox/zbrush and export the texture(s)
7. Export the low poly from maya into UDK and then import textures.

For non-complex or hard-surface items it really misses out the sculpting stage as you can generate normals for hard surface/non-organic allot easier.

[Brexer]

1) This is also way to create low poly from high poly, free tut at http://eat3d.com/meshlab-and-polygon-cruncher-demo
2) Yes and no, depends on how you want to do it.
3) free tutorial i found good at http://www.3dmotive.com/product-udk-mesh-collision

of course depends on what model and how complex..

[Codex]

1) This is also way to create low poly from high poly, free tut at http://eat3d.com/meshlab-and-polygon-cruncher-demo

This method is good for static meshes as its a quick way to quickly bring down the poly count. However not a good idea for characters that need clean topology for animation. Reason being pcruncher is usually pretty random at breaking down a mesh. And for characters that need tight clean topology around the joints (elbows, knees, ankles etc..etc...) pcrunch would destroy those polygons.

[Brexer]

This method is good for static meshes as its a quick way to quickly bring down the poly count. However not a good idea for characters that need clean topology for animation. Reason being pcruncher is usually pretty random at breaking down a mesh. And for characters that need tight clean topology around the joints (elbows, knees, ankles etc..etc...) pcrunch would destroy those polygons.

Yeah thats why i said depends on complexity, for complex characters i would most likely just export the base to Zbrush, increase poly count there, sculpt, export maps, and then find the best lowest poly mesh and save out.

Then depending on quality and how many polys, take it back into 3DSmax (or Maya for organic modelling), and fix what ever needs fixing.

How to do it intirely in 3DSmax is not something i would even consider (for organic atleast), but thats just me