Hello, I’m sorry for this likely simple and begginer question, but what role does retopology have in rigging? And how do I set my model for rigging after I’m done with the retopology, so I can pose it?
Retopology, usually used after a model sculpt is to reduce the number of faces to something more manageable, and also, make a better topology that is affected when the model is animated so that areas aren’t stretched or distorted like arm-pits, crotch, elbow, and knees, etc.
HOW? Watch these as both subjects are far more than a simple answer…
I’ve already watched the first video and finished the retopology for my model, so right now I have a low-poly version of my model, and the high-poly version.
Now I want to pose my high-poly model, right? Now what must I do so that rigging and moving the low-poly model also moves the high-poly?
(Not sure I’m using the right nomenclatures here, sorry, english is my second language)
Generally people only pose one model at a time, which in this case would be the low-poly. One of the reasons you retopologize in the first place is for better deforming at joints.
The step you’re missing is where you UV-unwrap the low-poly model, then “bake” the high-poly details into a normal map that is applied to the material of the low-poly model. It’s hard to summarize but there are many tutorials on this. This allows you to work with a lower-poly, better-deforming and lighter mesh in the rest of the workflow while still having the appearance of detail of the higher-poly mesh.
Here are a few videos about this process, from Grant Abitt:
