ryankingslien
08-06-2008, 18:20 PM
A Topological Problem
http://gnomonology.com/blog/wp-content/gallery/topology/mainimage_template.jpg (http://gnomonology.com/tutorial/283)Recently while working on the sculpture to the right I ran into the one obstacle that we, in the visual effects and games industries, waste millions and millions of dollars in lost productivity, frayed nerves, sick days, dwindling eye-sight and murdered inspiration: TOPOLOGY.
Those people who have taken a class with me know that I loathe Topology right up there with Peanut Butter. I mean Peanut Butter isn’t butter and its no longer a peanut! How can you trust something so openly dishonest about its true nature?!
Well topology is right up there with it. First, topology is something that has been foisted upon us by the limitations of those who make our computers and the software running on it NOT necessarily the hardware or software itself!
If ZBrush 2, proved anything then it was that the book is not closed on innovation and new ways to think outside of the box and by box, I mean box modeling!!!!
Imagination Runs Free
Let’s imagine that we were given this amazing, shiny plastic box by an alien society. In this box, we could paint and sculpt anything we can imagine. In fact, all we had to do was think about it and it would appear on the box.
If we had this kind of power then I ask you, “Would you spend your time thinking about topology?” Would you sit there and visualize arbitrary lines all over the thing you just imagined and try to find ways to connect the dots like some 3rd grade picture book?
I wouldn’t!
Think Outside of the Box
Well, ZBrush 2 was from an alien society. Everyone knows that the main visionary behind Pixologic is actually from the future. How do we know? Meats Meier (http://www.3dartspace.com/) told us, of course, and if you have seen Meat’s work (http://www.3dartspace.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=category§ionid=4&id=13&Itemid=27) then you know that he alone is able to see the future!
Is Pixologic the only company capable of thinking outside of the box? Well, first, I admit that it is not an easy problem to solve. I have researched the problem myself and poured over many thesis filled with mathematical symbols that looked more like Mayan writing than the math I remember from College!
A quick google search reveals Afra Zomorodian’s Computing and Comprehending Topology: Persistence and Hierarchical Morse Complexes (http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~afra/thesis/twosidedl.pdf) and Robert Glenn Scharein’s Interactive Topological Drawing (http://www.knotplot.com/thesis/thesis_a4.pdf) thesis for a sense of the complexity behind it all.
A 3D Artist Charter
All of the above said, however, it must have been a touch more difficult to get someone to the moon, no? I know I risk sounding like a naive 3D artist to all the software programmers out there but I have been in the development community. I know it is possible to automate topology. It is simply a matter of will power meeting resources.
To date, resources have not been meeting with will power. So I propose that all 3D artists join me in creating a charter, based on the UN, for all digital artists!
WE DIGITAL ARTISTS HAVE DETERMINED
to save succeeding generations from the scourge of inhumane technology, which many times in our lifetime has brought untold workarounds to artists, and
to reaffirm faith in humane technology, in the dignity and worth of digital art, in the equal rights of all software applications and of artists large and small, and
to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the perspectives and humane workflows of all artists can be maintained, and
to promote humane technological progress and better software standards for the larger artistic freedom,
AND FOR THESE ENDS
to practice tolerance in all forums and live together in peace with all 3D and 2D application as good neighbours, and
to unite our strength to maintain inter-application peace and security, and
to ensure, by the acceptance of univeral hotkeys and the institution of humane technology, that work-arounds and insanely complicated technicalities shall not be used, save in the common interest, and
to employ inter-application machinery for the promotion of the artistic and personal advancement of all digital artists,
HAVE RESOLVED TO COMBINE OUR EFFORTS TO ACCOMPLISH THESE AIMS.
Till Then
Till then, I have created another free tutorial on how to adjust the topology from a sculpting perspective. This tutorial shows you how to use ZBrush 3’s topology controls to adjust edge-flow for your model and recapture difficult areas.
Sculpting Topology (link) (http://gnomonology.com/tutorial/283)
More... (http://gnomonology.com/blog/sculpting/topology-for-sculpting/)
http://gnomonology.com/blog/wp-content/gallery/topology/mainimage_template.jpg (http://gnomonology.com/tutorial/283)Recently while working on the sculpture to the right I ran into the one obstacle that we, in the visual effects and games industries, waste millions and millions of dollars in lost productivity, frayed nerves, sick days, dwindling eye-sight and murdered inspiration: TOPOLOGY.
Those people who have taken a class with me know that I loathe Topology right up there with Peanut Butter. I mean Peanut Butter isn’t butter and its no longer a peanut! How can you trust something so openly dishonest about its true nature?!
Well topology is right up there with it. First, topology is something that has been foisted upon us by the limitations of those who make our computers and the software running on it NOT necessarily the hardware or software itself!
If ZBrush 2, proved anything then it was that the book is not closed on innovation and new ways to think outside of the box and by box, I mean box modeling!!!!
Imagination Runs Free
Let’s imagine that we were given this amazing, shiny plastic box by an alien society. In this box, we could paint and sculpt anything we can imagine. In fact, all we had to do was think about it and it would appear on the box.
If we had this kind of power then I ask you, “Would you spend your time thinking about topology?” Would you sit there and visualize arbitrary lines all over the thing you just imagined and try to find ways to connect the dots like some 3rd grade picture book?
I wouldn’t!
Think Outside of the Box
Well, ZBrush 2 was from an alien society. Everyone knows that the main visionary behind Pixologic is actually from the future. How do we know? Meats Meier (http://www.3dartspace.com/) told us, of course, and if you have seen Meat’s work (http://www.3dartspace.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=category§ionid=4&id=13&Itemid=27) then you know that he alone is able to see the future!
Is Pixologic the only company capable of thinking outside of the box? Well, first, I admit that it is not an easy problem to solve. I have researched the problem myself and poured over many thesis filled with mathematical symbols that looked more like Mayan writing than the math I remember from College!
A quick google search reveals Afra Zomorodian’s Computing and Comprehending Topology: Persistence and Hierarchical Morse Complexes (http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~afra/thesis/twosidedl.pdf) and Robert Glenn Scharein’s Interactive Topological Drawing (http://www.knotplot.com/thesis/thesis_a4.pdf) thesis for a sense of the complexity behind it all.
A 3D Artist Charter
All of the above said, however, it must have been a touch more difficult to get someone to the moon, no? I know I risk sounding like a naive 3D artist to all the software programmers out there but I have been in the development community. I know it is possible to automate topology. It is simply a matter of will power meeting resources.
To date, resources have not been meeting with will power. So I propose that all 3D artists join me in creating a charter, based on the UN, for all digital artists!
WE DIGITAL ARTISTS HAVE DETERMINED
to save succeeding generations from the scourge of inhumane technology, which many times in our lifetime has brought untold workarounds to artists, and
to reaffirm faith in humane technology, in the dignity and worth of digital art, in the equal rights of all software applications and of artists large and small, and
to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the perspectives and humane workflows of all artists can be maintained, and
to promote humane technological progress and better software standards for the larger artistic freedom,
AND FOR THESE ENDS
to practice tolerance in all forums and live together in peace with all 3D and 2D application as good neighbours, and
to unite our strength to maintain inter-application peace and security, and
to ensure, by the acceptance of univeral hotkeys and the institution of humane technology, that work-arounds and insanely complicated technicalities shall not be used, save in the common interest, and
to employ inter-application machinery for the promotion of the artistic and personal advancement of all digital artists,
HAVE RESOLVED TO COMBINE OUR EFFORTS TO ACCOMPLISH THESE AIMS.
Till Then
Till then, I have created another free tutorial on how to adjust the topology from a sculpting perspective. This tutorial shows you how to use ZBrush 3’s topology controls to adjust edge-flow for your model and recapture difficult areas.
Sculpting Topology (link) (http://gnomonology.com/tutorial/283)
More... (http://gnomonology.com/blog/sculpting/topology-for-sculpting/)