Retopology creates a new surface over an existing shape so its edge flow and density better fit a downstream task.
- Creates
- New connectivity
- Preserves
- Reference shape
- Common use
- Animation and games
- Often followed by
- Texture baking
Retopology versus remeshing
Retopology prioritizes intentional edge flow. Remeshing usually redistributes surface elements more automatically. Decimation primarily removes faces while approximating shape.
Plan for attribute transfer
A new topology usually means new UVs. Bake or project base color, normal, roughness, and metallic data from the generated source onto the optimized mesh.