LogInRolling out like ants and taking up the formation to cover the object's surface, there's something very satisfying about this experimental retopology framework using particles.
Blender tools creator and programmer Jeacom has shared a WIP of their new project, a custom retopology algorithm using particles for Blender.
While it's still in the early stages of development and can't compare to ZRemesher or conventional triangular remeshing algorithms, there's something beautiful in watching the particles cover the surface to remesh the object, similar to bugs swarming around the light or ants taking up the formation.
Each particle is both a vertex and a field sample that moves around. Jeacom describes the current algorithm as: for every particle, find some other random particle nearby, move away from it a bit, take the cross-field and try to see if they both align, then force them to align it a bit more and repeat.
In the past, Jeacom has made several Blender retopology tools, significantly improving the modeling workflow. SoftWrap is a nice add-on for reutilizing topology from similar models, which is faster than doing it from scratch.
It was created by accident during some random experiments with particle simulations that also led to the creation of Tessleator, another remeshing add-on that can easily create pure quads, pure triangles, and quad-dominant meshes out of sculpts with high control over the flow.
The addon simulates a particle system that can be guided by Grease Pencil and form a quad and triangle complex for the final mesh.
Image Credits: Jeacom
We highly encourage you to follow Jeacom on X/Twitter for future updates on the progress of the particle retopology algorithm. Also, don't forget to join our 80 Level Talent platform and our Telegram channel, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.