Changing Poly Count for CC characters


https://forum.reallusion.com/Topic295571.aspx
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By gogstudios - 8 Years Ago
Progress from this thread https://forum.reallusion.com/295436/Why-I-am-beginning-to-hate-3dxchange
Posted it as a separate post so that it will help the community.

What I was trying to achieve:

Modify poly count for characters created in CC in an external program(preferably blender but that wasn't possible due to 3dx bug). Then import this modified FBX into 3dx and convert it into a character to be used in iClone.

How this is helpful:

1. Making game character with different LODs(level of detail).
2. Make mobile ready characters by reducing vertex counts through decimation or other techniques.
3. Modify face morphs to make more realistic face expression.(Higher vertex counts in the face will help model the minute details like wrinkles etc.)

These things won't be useful if they can't be imported back into iclone to drive facial and body animation. So, adding poly count and making it compatible with iClone was the goal.

Steps:
1. Export from 3dxchange in FBX format with the preset "Maya_win32-bit_Optimized". Basically, delete source morph shapes should be enabled. I am not sure how much the other options affect the next steps.
2. Import FBX into Maya with the options camera and lights unchecked and Animation checked.
3. Go to face select mode and select the faces near the eye or wherever you want. Click on add divisions and make sure mode is set to triangles(not quads).
4. Go to edit->delete all by type->non deformer history and click on it.
5. Click export all, select FBX under type and uncheck camera and lights and check animation.
6. Import this into 3dxchange. It will automatically ask if you want to convert it into a character. Click yes and you are done. You can send this iClone by clicking on apply to iclone or save as iavatar.

In another example you could remove vertices as opposed to adding them in this example. Here is a crappy quick morph modification I did for my new mesh in under 2 minutes. This wouldn't have been possible with the low poly count around the eyes in the default CC model.(I added very few vertices, less than 15)
Before:

After:


I will be making another post with more vertices added and more realistic face morph examples. 
By VirtualMedia - 8 Years Ago
Great idea,  RL should add this as an option. I love IC realtime but would gladly sacrifice a few minutes of render time for more detail particularly around the eyes, mouth and fingers. 

RL... Any chance this could be built in to the next 3DX?

Please keep us updated and a video tutorial would be greatly appreciated!