Reducing polygons count

#1 Here is a link to Charles Bloom Galaxy 3 utility : it can do automated polygon reduction from a hi poly model as well as generating a normal map (this last feature not supported in Torque atm, but you can still use the low poly model if you want to)
Or at least, you can learn about the topic.
cbloom.com/3d/galaxy3/index.html

Edit : It's free and open source, including commercial use (just credit Charles, that's all he asks for). Some interesting stuff for game development on his site

#2 I personally like to use ProgMesh (P.S.=> it's Free!)

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You know, the more I think about it, the more I feel the need to give you a little tip.

It is MUCH MUCH better to build a low poly model AS a low poly model from scratch, than to reduce high poly model.

The reasons for this are numnerous. Going from high to low poly, you will find that most algorithms, while complex and articualte, will "optimize" the number of faces in some pretty strange and brute force ways.

The end result is that you wind up with vertices and facial seperations that you would never have built that way on purpose. In many cases, it is easily worked around, but you usually wind up making more quality compromises than it is worth.

The best way to get the results you want (IMO) would be to do some renders of the high poly models, and then use those renders to "rotoscope" the image.

If you're not familiar with the term "rotoscope" it *basically* means to build a mesh from a series of pictures.

While I understand your attraction to these nice looking models, I would encourage you to take a second look at your intent. I think you'll find that you'll be better off modeling yourself, or getting someone on contract.

Just a tip... skinning can do alot to make up for lack of detail on a low poly model, but UV mapping a model that has been "poly crunched" is NOT fun at all.
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#3 Hello, I've just tried ProgMesh but I can't open high detail models (100,000 polygons count).
Do you know a professional software like ProgMesh?

#4 Try PolyCruncher, its not free but they have a 15 day demo. Full price is about $100.00

http://www.mootools.com/plugins/us/commun/download.htm

#5 I am almost guarantee you NONE of those tools will reduce a 200k poly model down to a real time count of 2 - 3k and have it be "useable" ( which means animating them and not having pinching and binding problems ) this is especially difficult on organic models, which I assume you are talking about buying.

Most of those high poly models are designed for static rendering or movie quality animation and rendering which requires a completely DIFFERENT build design and structure.

Building lowploy models is not just for poly count cosiderations it is to position the points and seams for optimal animation, duing poly reduction of that magnatiude is nowhere nearly intelligent enought to do this.

You will end up spending more time fighting with a reduced model than building it from scratch.

Just some real world experience, take it for what you want.

#6 Hi,

I use an old version of Nvidia's MeLODy for nice polygon reduction. The newer versions have dropped that feature though. Unfortunately, it has a tendency to crash with very large source files. But when it works, it works very well.

But I agree with Kirby, you will probably get better results by building up from scratch and adding detail where you need it rather than trimming down a huge model.

Aaron E.

#7 I believe Milkshape has a polygon reduction feature too.

#8 Lightwave has one built in, you can set the target number, or %.

#9 GameSpace has a polygon reducer built-in as well, but in my opinion, it is pretty horrible. :(