pro optimizer not really doing the trick

[RadioRahim]

I need to reduce the polycount of a model that is only about 4000 verts.. I would like to reduce the model to about 1500... I used to use milkshape directx Mesh tools which did a fine job of reducing the polycount in a mesh however it would destroy the bone mappings so I am not able to use this as I want to preserve the current bone mappings of my model.

As seen in the video below you can see how the DirectX mesh tools do a fine job of reducing the Polly's without leaving holes in the model. Also in this video you can see that the Pro Optimizer leaves all kind of gashes and holes in the mesh. I have tried numerous settings in the Pro Optimizer but none of which leave the model intact like the DirectX mesh tools do.

So what I'm wondering is if there is some setting I am missing in the Pro Optimizer, or is there another object modifier that might do the trick a little cleaner than the Pro Optimizer would?

[Alfred.DeFlaminis]

Hello @RadioRahim,

I've never seen it do that before.  Are those verts welded?  Can you attach the shirt or something to a message or PM me a link so I can check out out?   Thanks!

Best Regards,

[Alfred.DeFlaminis]

Hello @RadioRahim,

I just wanted to follow up here, any progress on this issue?

Best Regards,

[RadioRahim]

Thanks for your help Alfred. I did try to weld the verts. Remember we are dealing with the WW SMD importer here so there still might be issues, but im not sure why. 

I have sent you a PM. 

Thanks!

[Alfred.DeFlaminis · Accepted solution]

Hello @RadioRahim,

Thanks for the link to the file.  The reason you are getting holes I believe is because of the unwelded verts.  When I put an Edit Poly on the top of the stack and weld the verts with a low tolerance, then use a ProOptimize on it I don't get holes in my mesh as you were in your screenshot.  What was the result when you did it?

I also tried going down the stack and welding the verts under the skin and it seemed to have the same deformations which is nice and the bone vert assignments didn't get messed up.  

I don't know milkshape or WW very well and my experience in the games industry might be different from yours, but I don't think using ProOptimize is going to give you a well deforming mesh here.  You'll get something out of it but that something likely wouldn't get past art directors in a typical environment as is.  From my tests that creates a pretty messy mesh with lots of pointy silhouette breakers on bone rotation.  I didn't test a lot but I did notice it.  

Any time I've needed to do LOD's it was done by hand and with a fair amount of TLC to ensure silhouettes and edge flow was nice and clean.  Even with a 10% reduction in verts with an Optimize mod I'm seeing the knees and elbows get chewed up pretty quickly and that can't be good for the skin and bone deformations.  You might have to bite the bullet here and do it old school.  Optimize can be great for non-deforming meshes or sometimes heads because the silhouettes are easier to maintain, but I do want to express my skepticism about it in this case with the body.  That being said I still want to help you get it working properly if you want to do it with ProOptimize.  

I think it's easy to look at the model and see areas where the polys could be reduced by hand though.  That way you don't need to mess with edge loops and topology around the knees and arms too much which will still give you a strong silhouette.  I mostly see ProOptimize used for things like 3d Scans that are 6M triangles or a pre-bought couch model that needed to be lower poly because it was in the distance.  

Best Regards,

[RadioRahim]

thanks for your response Alfred. Here is some more:

Thanks for the link to the file.  The reason you are getting holes I believe is because of the unwelded verts.  When I put an Edit Poly on the top of the stack and weld the verts with a low tolerance, then use a ProOptimize on it I don't get holes in my mesh as you were in your screenshot.  What was the result when you did it?

Thank you for this. I was able to get the mesh to stay intact after making sure the verts were welded properly and applying ProOptimze, however after doing this my UVWs get all messed up. Applying a UVW unwrap does not make the texture go back to normal. 

Thank you also for all your other pro-3d mesh modelling know-how. I appreciate it. 

[Alfred.DeFlaminis · Accepted solution]

Ah I see @RadioRahim.  Because the mesh has each face broken into it's own element, the UV's are also broken up by face.  Annoying but not impossible to fix.  Here's what I would do:

1) Import the model, weld the verts and turn off the skin temporarily. 

2) Go to element mode and pick an element (just 1)

3) With that element selected, put an Unwrap on the model.  It'll only show the selected element.  

4) Select all the UV verts and go to Tools->Weld Selected. 

5) "Collapse To" the unwrap and then repeat this process for each element

6) Then optimize.  

That should do it, can you please try that for me?

Best Regards,

[Alfred.DeFlaminis]

Hello @RadioRahim,

I just wanted to follow up here, any thoughts on my previous post? Thanks for the update!

Best Regards,