Week 6: TopoGun, UVs and ZBrush

TopoGun:

The next stage once the scanned mesh had been cleaned up it to take it into TopoGun to create a new mesh. I wanted to make sure that the mesh created was of the correct structure so that is could be rigged. It took me a couple of tries to get a hang of the software are create a good flow line structure. I started with the mouth and eyes slowly filling up the face. 

Finished TopoGun mesh:

I decided that I would only retopologies one half of the model seeing as it is essinatly symmetrical with the only big difference between the left and right side being the diffract shape in ears. To save time the goenmatry will be mirrored and altered in maya using the soft select tool. 

Mirrored mesh:

Character with UVs:

In hind sight this uv map isn't fantastic. It is one of the best I have produced and I will be able to create hand painted testures form it but the is a create waste of space. I wanted to reduce as many seams as possible but it may have been better if the UVs were cut up in more sections, i.e neck and ears.

I think what would have made the UV mapping process a little easier would have been to create a mesh with a lower poly count but I was afraid of losing more detail than I already had form the original model.

ZBrush modeling:

Modelling with the base form already established was fairly easy, espsiclay with the original model to hand for reference. I could hold up the model to the screen and check the silohets to try and get them as close as possible. I wasn't able to do it spot on, the checks are still not exactly the same but it is a very close replica of the original model. I made sure not to model the face with symmetry on so I could achieve an asymmetric face with character enriching irragualities. 

Bellow are screen shoots form ZBrush coupled with photos of the original model so you can see the close resemblance. 

This is the first time I have been throughout this work flow in this way. Overall I am very happy with the end result. I feel that I have been able to create a loveable character which can be taken forward into a story of his own. I have also managed to create him in 3D and transfer this into the digital world and recreate him with a high level of accuracy. 

If I were to do this process again I would not use TopoGun. The software did it's job well but now having used it and gone throughout the precoess of creating clean topology I feel more comfortable in creating it form scratch in maya, including good flow line. I find the tecquiche we have been shown from extruding from a cube to not work well for me and doesn't process good flow lines.  A better way may be to model a series of planes around a scan recreating the shape but out of rings of geometry like in the image bellow. This technique will work very well with a scan as reference and will save cleaning the scan mesh and taking it to TopoGun.