#retopology

[grimmgoetia]

MAKING PROGRESS IN RETOPOLOGY HELL

[yougashnaidu]

WIP: Retopology Completed + Starting Rope/Wrapping Details

Overview

At this stage, I’ve completed the retopology for the full prop, meaning the low-poly structure is now finished across the blade, skull area, handle, and supporting parts. With the low-poly complete, I’m moving on to the next detail step: creating the rope/wrap around the sword to match the reference.

Retopology Status (Completed)

Finishing retopology is a big milestone because it confirms the prop is now in a clean, game-ready state and ready for the next workflow stages. The main focus during retopo was keeping the silhouette accurate while maintaining efficient topology that will bake well.

Next Detail: Rope / Handle Wrapping

Now I’m starting the rope/wrap work to match the reference look. This detail is important because it adds texture and realism to the handle area and helps the prop feel more believable in close-up shots.

My main focus for the wrap is:

keeping the wrap pattern consistent and readable

matching how the wrap sits and overlaps in the reference

making sure it doesn’t look too perfect (small variation helps it feel real)

keeping it controlled so it won’t create problems later during UVs and baking

Next Steps

Finish the rope/wrap placement and make sure it matches the reference

Decide what needs to be actual geometry vs what can be handled in textures

Start UV unwrapping once the final low-poly details are locked

Prepare for baking after UVs are complete

References

Epic Armoury (n.d.) Bone Chopper – 100 cm. Available at: https://epicarmoury.com/products/1916-bone-chopper-100-cm

[yougashnaidu]

WIP: Handle Low-Poly Completed + Iron Piece & Small Details

Overview

Today I completed the low-poly version of the handle for my Bone Chopper hero prop. Along with that, I created a low-poly version of the iron piece that sits under the skull and connects into the handle, and I also modelled additional small details like bolts to support the design and match the reference.

What I Completed

For this update, I focused on finishing the handle area and adding the supporting elements that help the prop feel more believable and structurally connected:

Handle low-poly: Clean, game-ready topology that keeps the shape accurate while staying efficient.

Iron piece (under the skull): A separate low-poly part that makes the skull area feel properly attached and reinforced.

Extra details: Small elements such as bolts, added to break up surfaces and enhance realism without overcomplicating the mesh.

Progress Notes

My priority was keeping the low-poly clean and bake-friendly while still holding the important shapes. I’m adding detail in a controlled way—only where it improves the silhouette, supports the design, or will show clearly in the final renders.

Next Steps

Do a full low-poly check (blade + skull + handle + iron piece + bolts)

Fix any shading issues before UVs

Start planning seams and move into UV unwrapping

Prepare for baking once UVs are complete

References

Epic Armoury (n.d.) Bone Chopper – 100 cm. Available at: https://epicarmoury.com/products/1916-bone-chopper-100-cm

[yougashnaidu]

WIP: Blade Retopology Completed

Overview

Today I completed the retopology for the blade of my Bone Chopper hero prop in Blender. This is an important milestone because the blade is the largest part of the asset and it needs clean topology to avoid shading issues and to support a clean bake.

What I Completed

For the blade low-poly, my main focus was keeping it efficient, clean, and bake-friendly while still matching the high-poly sculpt. I focused on:

maintaining the blade silhouette accurately from the main angles

keeping clean edge flow around key areas like the blade profile and bevel transitions

adding geometry only where it supports the shape (especially along the edge)

avoiding stretched polygons and messy triangles in visible areas

keeping the surface clean so it shades smoothly when I apply normals later

Progress Notes

Now the blade retopo is complete, it feels much more controlled and ready for the next stages. This should help the bakes come out cleaner and keep the blade detail crisp without artifacts.

Next Steps

Retopo the handle next

Do a full mesh check for shading/smoothing

Start planning seams and move into UV unwrapping once the full low-poly is done

References

Epic Armoury (n.d.) Bone Chopper – 100 cm. Available at: https://epicarmoury.com/products/1916-bone-chopper-100-cm

[yougashnaidu]

WIP: Skull Low-Poly Completed

Overview

Today I completed the skull low-poly version for my Bone Chopper hero prop in Blender. This is a big step forward because the skull is one of the main hero features, and having a clean low-poly base will make the next stages (UVs and baking) much easier.

What I Completed

My goal for this stage was to keep the skull accurate and readable while still making it suitable for a game-ready mesh. I focused on:

maintaining the skull’s silhouette from the key viewing angles

keeping the topology clean around important forms like the eye sockets, cheekbones, and jaw

adding density only where it improves the shape (not everywhere)

avoiding stretched polygons and messy triangles in visible areas

Progress Notes

Now that the skull low-poly is finished, I’m happy with how well it matches the sculpt while staying clean and controlled. This should help the skull bake smoothly later and keep the detail crisp once I transfer information from the high poly.

Next Steps

Start low-poly work for the handle and blade

Plan UV seams and unwrap the skull when the full low-poly is ready

Prepare everything for baking once the full prop low-poly is complete

References

Epic Armoury (n.d.) Bone Chopper – 100 cm. Available at: https://epicarmoury.com/products/1916-bone-chopper-100-cm

[yougashnaidu]

WIP: Retopology Started in Blender (Skull Retopo)

Overview

Today I started the retopology stage for my Bone Chopper hero prop. After finishing the high-poly sculpt, I’m now creating a clean low-poly mesh that will be used for the rest of the pipeline (UVs, baking, texturing, and final presentation).

What I’m Working On (Skull Retopo)

I began with the skull retopology first because it’s one of the main hero details on the sword and it needs clean topology for a good bake. My focus right now is:

keeping the skull silhouette accurate from the main viewing angles

placing edges around important forms like the eye sockets, cheek area, and jaw

avoiding stretched polygons and messy triangles in visible areas

keeping the topology clean so it bakes smoothly and doesn’t look lumpy

Progress Notes

At this stage I’m prioritising clean edge flow and readable forms over adding too many polygons. I’m only adding extra loops where it actually improves the silhouette or supports the detail that will be baked down from the high poly.

Next Steps

Finish the skull low-poly mesh

Move on to retopo for the handle and blade

Start planning UV seams once the full low-poly is complete

Prepare the meshes for baking and texture work

References

Epic Armoury (n.d.) Bone Chopper – 100 cm. Available at: https://epicarmoury.com/products/1916-bone-chopper-100-cm

[littleinkling64]

Me, attempting to retopologize: *opening retopoflow 3 in blender* Retopoflow 3: uh oh! the model you're trying to retopologize is toooo big! Me: that. that's. that's the point you garlic-flavored crouton I'm trying to make it a smaller model

[practice1-amirgarusian]

A4_Week5.Light & Shadows

After two working days of retopology, I learned about the way of creating UV maps for my model, using this video:

I created all the UVs with no problem except the face's UV. I didn't understand the problem, and I will ask Mr. Gallaghar to help me by that. To continue my process, I just decided to use auto-unwrapping and make the face's UV automatically.