Sub-d or polygons for animation?

# 1 28-04-2007 , 05:25 AM

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Join Date: Sep 2006

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Which will have less of a strain on my computer, but keep the model smooth?
If they are both the same, how can I make it so that a lower poly model drives a higher poly, smoothed version while its hidden? Can I do somthing like that and unhide it when I want to render?

Here is the model

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# 2 28-04-2007 , 06:07 AM

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Ploy.

A great mod for Jedi academy www.moviebattles.com

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64-bit vista
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# 3 28-04-2007 , 08:40 AM

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Join Date: Jul 2004

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Hey there Kerragan,

if you smooth a poly model, providing you dont delete it's history, you can switch between the low and the high poly through the channel box. It is possible then to animate with the low poly and switch to the high poly when you come to rendering. it is also possible to connect the smooth node to a controller via set driven keys to make it easier to switch between resolutions.

Right Click And Save the link (7.5Meg) for a little tutorial on how to make the switch.

(apologies for the low volume by the way, my mic is knackered!)

IMPORTANT

One thing that I forgot to mention in the tutorial is how important it is that you don't delete the history of the model once you have smoothed it unless you are at level 0. If you do, you will be stuck with the model in high resolution.

I hope it helps,

Mat.

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# 4 28-04-2007 , 09:21 AM

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Will the skin still stay bound to the skeleton if I smooth it? and will the weights be messed up?

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# 5 28-04-2007 , 10:20 AM

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The skin will stay bound, I painted the weights on my character after I smoothed it though so I couldn't tell you about that one, sorry.

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# 6 28-04-2007 , 10:32 PM

Lead Modeler - Framestore
Join Date: Feb 2003

Location: UK

Posts: 6,287

Theres always a way around both.

If you are going to use poly to animate use the smooth proxy method as mentioned above. You bind the lower res and the hi res will follow.

If you wish to use a subd it can be done but it will slow you down unless again you use a low res poly version that can be broken up and parented to your joint hierachy or a good method is to use a wrap deformer over the subd. This is then weighted and bound 'over the subd' allowing you to animate an exact likeness of your character in lo res, but come render time hide the lo res and turn on the subd.

You can also use blend shapes to correct any bad deformations in the shoulder areas or elsewhere, these are fed in to the wrap deformer, similarly you can do this to the poly proxy as well.

Jay

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Sub-d or polygons for animation?

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