I tried to search for old discussions about this issue- but found nothing definitve- so apologies if the ground had been covered already.

My problem is that a single tri in the mesh will cause subdivisions to triangulate, and that running a meshsmooth to quadify everything before import is not always helpful.

If I sculpt in mudbox and significantly change my model, those changes will not be propagated down to the original low poly if I had to meshsmooth it before import.

Is there a plan to accomodate the odd triangle?  When working at game resolution, maintaining all quads is a pretty tall order.

I had this same dilemma and found a way to overcome it. You see I have a game resolution head in max that I have already set up blendshapes for so I cannot just change the topology without having to redo morphtargets. That mesh had tris and n-gons in it so I had to find a way to get it to and from mudbox to create other heads from the same topology that would still work with my phoneme blendshapes. I couldnt just mesh smooth it and then export it because like you said the changes would not propogate back down the the base mesh. What I found to be the solution was to:

export the mesh (in obj format of course) to zbrush, then subdivide it once from there.

Export that subdivided obj from zbrush (after saving the z tool) and import the once subdivided mesh into mudbox.

Sculpt, scupt , and sculpt some more in the best thing since sliced bread that is mudbox, then page down to level 0 in mudbox then export.

Import that level 0 mesh from mudbox in the saved z tool in zbrush, (at the correct subdivision level) drop down to the subdivision level that is your base mesh, then export that back into max.

Viola, you have a mesh that you altered in mudbox in your max scene that will work with any existing blend shapes you have already created.

I have used this workflow about 6 times now and because I have been able to use mudbox, my characters have done nothing but improve visually. The workflow sounds daunting but it really is not when you go though it. Damn I wish I could show the heads I have been working on. I really am improving dramatically and I believe its due to the ease of use that comes with mudbox. I am able to think almost exclusivley about the creation process instead of how to use the damn software or what topology is needed for the end result. I hope this workflow solves you problem.

Thanks Bryan.

I’d given some thought to going through z-brush, but thought that the pain might be too much to cope with.

It’s good to know that it’s worked for you though, and as long as the UVs remain intact (which they should do with .obj and .ztl) I might take the plunge.

Hopefully mudbox will expand to accomodate non-quads in a z-brush kind of style, and make us all happy.

Cheers

Is there a plan to accomodate the odd triangle?

Yes, Mudbox will support meshes with mixed triangles and quads.  Currently, subdivision in Mudbox supports only meshes that are either all quads or all tris.

Yes, Mudbox will support meshes with mixed triangles and quads.  Currently, subdivision in Mudbox supports only meshes that are either all quads or all tris.

Mud-tastic!

Thanks Bryan.

I’d given some thought to going through z-brush, but thought that the pain might be too much to cope with.

you don’t have to, because you can basicly just subdivide it in your normal software, that’s making wuads of it too, so you don’t have to go through zbrush.

This is true. They only reason I did go though Zbrush is to keep my morph targets working in max. If I had just mesh smoothed the model before export I would not be able to import the mudboxed mesh back into max at that mesh smoothed subdivision level and still be able to use it as a morph target that would work.

why you dont work the other way arround… modeling fist the highpoly and then the low based on the highpoly..?

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/christoph-schaedl/6/558/73b