DX Mesh Tools Sometimes Doesn't Work

[metal_head]

OK, so I bough a character model from turbosquid, it looks awesome and in turbosquid it was written that it's 2000+ (don't remember how much exactly) polys, but when I opened the actual model, it turned out to be 5900 (LOL) so I started DX Mesh tools and pulled the switch left in order to reduce the polys, but as I pulled it, nothing changed, the model stayed 5900, where is the problem, is it in the model? I've got this problem before with other models, but this one's important.

[Allanon]

You might try MeshLab, it imports: PLY, STL, OFF, OBJ, 3DS, COLLADA, PTX, V3D, PTS, APTS, XYZ, GTS, TRI, ASC, X3D, X3DV, VRML, ALN and exports: PLY, STL, OFF, OBJ, 3DS, COLLADA, VRML, DXF, GTS, U3D, IDTF, X3D. It also has a good poly reducer, just load your model and go to Filter->Remeshing, simplification, and reconstruction->Quadratic Edge Collapse Decimation then just type in the number of polys you want the model to be and hit apply. If you have a texture then select Quadratic Edge Collapse Decimation (with texture) and it will preserve the texture coordinates.

[metal_head]

Thanks man, but when I did this the MeshLab just deleted some polygons, yeah the model's polys was reduced, but look what it looks like now :D
It's like this model's polys are unreducable somehow...really strange...and bad!

[bernie]

That's the sort of thing you get with polygon reducers they seem to be indiscriminate as to which polys they remove. Best reduce them manually in milkshape or some other modelling proggy. Take out the ones YOU think are not necessary. You should be able to get rid of a lot from around the head, chest & back areas.

[metal_head]

yeah, but then I'll heave to retexture the model and I won't be able to do it, I can delete polys, but not much else

[Allanon]

In MeshLab if the filter is used when faces are selected then only the selected faces are affected. So you can select different parts of the model and reduce each area separately to get a good balance. Just make sure the "Simplify only selected faces" option is checked in the filter. Also checking the "Preserve boundary of the mesh" option might help. And raising the "Quality Threshold" couldn't hurt.

[metal_head]

well it's still the same, Meshlab just deletes polygons... maybe it's something wrong with the model... guys, if you want I can upload the model so you can take a look at it too, I just don't understand what's wrong.

[Allanon]

Post the model and I will take a look.

[metal_head]

Link Removed
Here it is, guys, whoever wants to use the model, please download it now, because it's not free and I don't want people, who are not members of the RF forums to be able to download it, cuz that makes me kind of a pirate

[bernie]

ok got it down to 1228 polys in milkshape. go to model cleaner in tools and clean up takes a while. When eventually a dialog appears it will ask you if you want to split the verts say no. then go to direct x tools and it will work ok. if you have trouble i can upload the copy i just made for you.

[Allanon]

I had trouble loading the provided .3ds model in to MeshLab so I opened Milkshape and reassigned the texture then exported the model to the COLLADA format. Then I imported that in to MeshLab and executed the Quadratic Edge Collapse Decimation (with texture) filter with the settings shown in the picture and it seems to work fine. You could probably go lower than 1000 polys but it starts to look a lot more angular.

PICTURE

[bernie]

No need to reassign texture. It will go lower than 1228 but it seems good at that. The problem with the model is that the vertices need welding thats all, it will then reduce with no effort at all and it doesnt affect the uv's at all.

[Allanon]

I reassigned the texture because when opening the cyborg.md3d file the assigned texture is named diffuse2.bmp and the provided bitmap was named diffuse.jpg.

[bernie]

Yes you're right. I must have reassigned it on auto pilot or something never realised I had done that. Altzheimers setting in

[metal_head]

The provided deffuse.jpg is te same as the one that's assigned, so you just can change the path to the texture, that's in the archive guys

1228 polys! lol, that would be perfect for me, I'll try that model cleaner thing, thanks!

EDIT: Yay, it works, now I can reduce the polycount to whatever I want! Thanks guys, you're a life savers (yeah, I was gonna kill myself if I the model was unreducable, just kidding )