Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Poly Count and Flow
I've seen hundreds of head models and doz-
ens of tutorials showing how to build them.
There are as many techniques for building a
head as there are people building them. But
regardless of how the head is constructed,
there are two inherent qualities it must pos-
sess in order for it to be “successful.”
Contrary to what you might think, looking
good is not one of them. Rather, the most
successful head models are those with a
reasonably low polygon count and an ideal
polygon flow.
harder than a low-poly object. But the quest
for minimal polygons isn't just about render
time. It's much more practical than that.
You see, when you sub-patch an object, you
are actually interpolating geometry
between each point in your object. Take a
look at Figure 14-2, which shows two
sub-patched objects.
The object on the left is a simple box
with a single cut running down the center.
Moving the points at the center of this box
creates a smooth arc from one end of the
object to the other. This arc is caused by the
interpolation of geometry that occurs when
an object is sub-patched. Now take a look at
the object on the right. It is the same box,
but in this case, there are six more cuts
running through it. Moving the middle
points on this object still results in an inter-
polation of geometry; however, since the
points on either side of those being moved
are now closer together, the arc is tighter
and more pronounced. Understanding this
Poly Count
The best modelers are always striving to
create their objects with the fewest number
of polygons possible. This isn't just an
obsessive-compulsive drive. It's a practical
quest. The more polygons an object has,
the longer it will take to render. Even with
the most modern processors, a high-poly
sub-patch object will hit the render engine
Figure 14-2: Low poly count enables broader changes to your model.
