I’ve recently gained an interest in the modeling possibilities of vertice reduction tools like Simplygon. The applications, especially when it comes to the bump-mapping pipeline are huge. I was wondering if anybody knew of a freeware version of such technology?
Nvidia’s Melody has a reduction tool. I’ve seen the option in the program but I’m not sure how well it works.
Well, blender’s decimate modifier is free as is the poly reducer script (mesh context). But I assume that’s not what you’re looking for - so, in which way is simplygon new/superior?
Regards
Heh, I’ve never had the need to play with the Deimate modifier, nor ever came accross explaination, so this is the first I’ve heard of its functions, and indeed it answers my question perfectly.
Thanks Bartleby 
Melody does have a mesh optimizer that removes verts… but it’s usually easier to just plan LOD versions as you model… then you can put the verts where the need to go…
I heard about a cracked version of Simplygon …
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I recommend “Meshlab”.
It’s FOSS recently had a major update and has various methods for mesh simplification. You need to read into it though and understand it, it’s no “one-click-wonder” but the results are generally very good.
Since we are reviving a thread that mentions Decimate I am obligated to mention the new (and generally superior) Remesh Modifier.
-rking
Except the remesh modifier is abysmal as a poly reducer. It is not designed as a poly reducer and shouldn’t be used as such
Kind of a side note, but is there anyway to use the Decimate modifier (or any other vertex reducing tool for that matter) without completely messing up UVs?
Mobious,
I cannot imagine that would be very easy to make.
If you are interested in preserving textures, for example, you can bake them from your old mesh to your new one.
-rking
Richard Marklew,
Surely you are not saying Decimate is a better poly reducer. (?)
-rking
On their website and on sourceforge there does not seem to have seen any update since a year , maybe you read february 2011 as being february 2012 
But that said Meshlab has some nice functions, my only problem with it is that it seemed to insist in triangulating some quad based OBJ model it imported.
To maintain detail with a lower number of polys, yes I am.
Lol, yeh, I haven’t used it for quite some time and just a few days back when I started it again the popup that a new version is available bugged me again. I usually click them away because I just need the tool fast for something. The long pause in usage must have made me forget to finally install the new version, and I just read february 