Trying to teach myself this skill and it's pretty tough, there are few clear guidelines that I can find. I don't want to just copy someone else's mesh, I'm trying to learn the right concepts in the first place, with good rules that work in most situations.
Given that:
- I am modeling in all quads (more predictable subdivision, easier UVmapping, safest export/import)
- I want to end up with a fairly low poly base control cage
- I am working with Catmull-Clark subdivision and am familiar with how it behaves
- I am working with symmetry
- I accept that a model built on edge loops wherever there is a major muscle mass or fleshy bit that will show on the surface of the model during animation will lead to better subdivision and deformation when animating
Does anyone have information on character topology with these caveats?
Some things nobody taught me, but seem to be true:
- A pole on the border area of a muscle loop can lead to a bump or pit; this is OK where two border areas come together into a corner (e.g. quadricep and bicep) but can be troublesome in "straightaways"
- Having more than one pole (whether 3 edges or 5+ edges) sharing an edge seems like a very bad idea, except in certain places like the rib cage where you want the mesh to be especially bumpy
- (on that note) Adding a loop of edges between a pair of adjacent poles produces safer deformation and subdivision
My Freebies
