How to reduce Triangle & Vertices count?

[crovanti]

I'm quite new to blender and was wondering how I can reduce my triangle and vertices count when uploading a mesh object to sl. I usually get a count of 20k for a simple dress.

[Luca Coeur]

The "decimate" modifier is intended to reduce the complexity of the mesh. Maybe that's what you're looking for?

 

Decimate Modifier in Blender Documentation

 

Have a lot of fun :-)

[Drongle McMahon]

If you wanto to simplify in a more controlled way, simply select redundant edge loops in edge select mode (Alt+right click) and use Delete->Dissolve. Check the dissolve vertices option when it appears at the bottom of the tool panel on the left of the 3D view. This method should leave the UV map intact.

[Chic Aeon]

My experience with the decimate modifier was NOT a good one .

It is easy to make your item too complex when it doesn't need to be. Hair designers do this a lot unfortunately. Drongle's advice is good (as always) but I would suggest that as an exercise you try making a simple tank top and seeing how FEW quads you can use and still have it look good. Even if you don't get a product you would want to sell, you will likely get an idea about topology.

 

For that matter, look up "topology" and Blender and you will find some video examples of "good building" techniques. There are some very good tutorials on clothes around for Blender too. Try looking at different mesh demos in wireframe and you can get a sense of how varied things can be -- all dependent on how simply you build. Some builders go for REALLY low topology. I am usually in the "keep it simple and stay away from modifiers" crowd. So more than the simplest by not overdoing it.

 

Good that you asked and best to figure out how to build with good topology now rather than getting into some nasty for the server habits .  I hope you enjoy your journey!

[Rahkis Andel]

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Chic Aeon wrote:

My experience with the decimate modifier was NOT a good one

.

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My experience has been consistantly good. Have you played with it enough?

 

For heavily subdivided all-quad meshes, use the "unsubdivide" method on multiples of 2 until it starts to generate triangles. From there, just apply the modifier and delete edges by hand, it saves you a ton of time on really dense meshes.

 

For triangulated meshes such as the default avatar, use the "collapse" method and just keep reducing until it doesn't resemble the original anymore. Collapse holds the original shape REALLY well and best yet, it preserves UV seams. I might use this for lower LODs, for example.

 

It's not always appropriate to decimate your mesh, so maybe the right circumstance hasn't arrived for you to use it properly, but when it is useful, it's REALLY useful.