79 lines
3.7 KiB
Markdown
79 lines
3.7 KiB
Markdown
# RetopoFlow Quick Start Guide
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This guide will help you get started with RetopoFlow {[rf version]}. More detailed help is available by pressing {{general help}} after you start RetopoFlow.
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You can also watch the full RetopoFlow 3 course for free on CG Cookie:
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[cgcookie.com/courses/retopology-with-retopoflow-3](https://cgcookie.com/courses/retopology-with-retopoflow-3)
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## The Short, Short Version
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To start retopologizing for the first time:
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1. Switch to Object mode
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2. Click on the "RetopoFlow" menu
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3. Either click the "+ Cursor" or "+ Active" buttons next to "New"
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- "+ Cursor" will create a new target mesh located and oriented by the 3D Cursor.
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- "+ Active" will create a new target mesh located and oriented by the active source mesh.
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- Note: RetopoFlow follows Blender's convention where symmetry is based on the origin of the object.
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To continue working on a previous retopology session:
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1. Select the low-poly retopo target mesh
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2. Switch to Edit Mode
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3. Either click on the triangle over square button next to the "RetopoFlow" menu or choose one of the tools from the dropdown menu
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## Other Help
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The following documents provide additional help.
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- [Table of Contents](table_of_contents.md)
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- [A Welcome to You from Us](welcome.md)
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- [General RetopoFlow Help](general.md)
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## Terminology
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| --- | --- | --- |
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| Source Object(s) | : | The original object(s) that you are re-creating. These meshes typically have a high polygon count with poor topology and edge flow (ex: result of Dyntopo in Sculpt Mode) |
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| Target Object | : | The new object that stores the retopologized surface. This mesh typically has a low polygon count with good topology and edge flow. |
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## Target and Source Objects
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- In RetopoFlow 1.x you were required to select the source and target objects explicitly.
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- In RetopoFlow 2.x you were required to have the target mesh active, selected, and visible, with all other visible meshes considered as sources.
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- In RetopoFlow 3.x the target mesh is what you are currently editing (Edit Mode), and the source meshes are any other visible mesh.
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Any mesh object that is visible and not the target object is considered a source object.
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This means that you can hide or move objects to different scenes to change which source objects will be retopologized.
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Note: only newly created or edited target geometry will snap to the source, but you can snap the target vertices to the nearest surface point in Options > General > Target Cleaning > Snap Verts.
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## RetopoFlow Mode
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Notes about earlier version: the tools in RetopoFlow 1.x were set of disjointed tools, where you would need to quit one tool in order to start another.
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Also, because we wrote RF 1.x tools separately, the visualizations and settings were not consistent.
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Furthermore, the only indication that a tool was running in RetopoFlow 1.x was a small "Click for Help" button in the top-right corner, which is easily missed.
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In RetopoFlow 2.x, we completely rewrote the framework so that RF acts like any other Blender mode (like Edit Mode, Sculpt Mode, Vertex Paint Mode).
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Choosing one of the tools from the RetopoFlow panel will start RetopoFlow Mode with the chosen tool selected.
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Although the underlying framework has changed significantly, RetopoFlow 3.x uses a similar workflow to RetopoFlow 2.x.
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When RetopoFlow Mode is enabled, all parts of Blender outside the 3D view will be darkened (and disabled) and windows will be added to the 3D view.
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These windows allow you to switch between RF tools, set tool options, and get more information.
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Also, a one-time Welcome message will greet you.
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