Easiest way to increase vertices in certain areas of a mesh?

[mac2636]

I apologize if this is a dumb question or if it has already been answered elsewhere. I've searched via google and found some information, but nothing that I can get to work well. I'm trying to mimic a slight cameltoe and wedgie effect in a pair of shorts. I am able to get a somewhat desired effect using 3dsmax, but there are still some sharp edges that I don't really like. Does anyone know if there is an easy way to split a row of vertices in two or some other way that will help improve the roundness of the areas? Would I also need to edit the UV maps or textures?

 

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

Cheers,

[El_Duderino]

Hiya,

 

Visible sharp edges (in the exported .nif) can also mean a lack of normal smoothing, not necessarily a lack of detail in the 3D mesh. Load your file in NifSkope and check if it makes a difference when you run the "Smooth Normals" option. (Right click on your mesh in the preview window or the NiTriShape entry, go to Mesh > Smooth Normals)

 

While I could never afford Max myself, I suppose what I get in my 3D applications is true in Max, too. When doing things that change the vertice count of shape, you usually don't get around remapping at least the parts of the model that were directly affected by the edits. That doesn't mean you have to completely redo the textures, just map them back on whatever portion of the mesh lost their texturing or got badly distorted after your edits.

 

Though in more general terms I think a simpler way to achieve the desired effect might be to add the cameltoe with the help of a normal map and leaving the shape as it is. An actual 3D model will look superior than a normal map effect when viewed from (very) close up, but when in FO do you ever get *that* close to a character, anyway? As long as the mapping of the orginal model allows for such texturing trickery (and with a bit of luck), it might be as simple as taking a photo of the real thing, tweaking the light and shadow on it, creating the normal map, and pasting it into the existing normal .dds.

[Azazellz]

Blender have "Subdivide" and "Subdivide Smooth" tools, so I suppose 3dMax also should have something similar.

 

Usually after subdividing UV maps may stay un-edited, but you definitely should make skin for new (subdivided) vertices (attach them to the bones of the skeleton)

[Guest]

the easiest way is to add turbosmoot modifier then colaps to, or mesh smooth, but it will increase the polygon counts, so for a game ready mesh you need the lowest possible mesh (lowpoly)

 

if your geometry,mesh,object etc. has quads is the best to work with.

if you want to use the normal maps "optical illusions" trick then you need two mesh or object, one lowpoly and one highpoly,

on the highpoly you add the details and then you render to texture on lowpoly.

 

or you could also use chamfer on a specific area edge, or you could use switf loop.

many other ways....

 

the best in 3DSmax and tutorials is Arrimus 3D

  (in my opinion)

 

you should search through his tutorials.

 

i'm also learning this kind of stuffs, so i'm not your best teacher.

[mac2636]

Thanks so much to everyone for the responses. The smoothing in Nifskope did seem to help, but I still think I need another row or two of vertices to adjust. I will play around with the normal map route as well, but my expertise is very limited. Also, I've never done texture mapping, but I should probably learn it. Thanks again so much for your help. I did add some pictures in case anyone wanted to take a look.

[Guest]

adding new edges etc. dosen't change the uvw mapping but to be sure it fits in the area of unwrap uvw add a unwrap uvw in the modifire list and scale etc if needs to.

 

in the last screenshot you should deselect vertex mod and just select the model then click geometry all then quadrify all to have quads and you can work better with the model.

 

and a different option to make that area more dens to have more round edges is to select some edges then connect.

 

i'm also working on something similar.

 

Spoiler

[mac2636]

1 hour ago, Gamoholik said:

adding new edges etc. dosen't change the uvw mapping but to be sure it fits in the area of unwrap uvw add a unwrap uvw in the modifire list and scale etc if needs to.

 

in the last screenshot you should deselect vertex mod and just select the model then click geometry all then quadrify all to have quads and you can work better with the model.

 

and a different option to make that area more dens to have more round edges is to select some edges then connect.

 

i'm also working on something similar.

 

  Reveal hidden contents

Thanks so much. Will give it a go.

[Guest]

also if the mesh get distorted or something :

 

click on that little arowdown show full ribbon and select the freeform tab then select the relax/soften brush

change the size and strenght as you need to.

 

another tip:

 

if the some polygons are black apply a turntopoly in the modifier list then colaps