Auto retopology plugin for ZBrush - ZRetopoIt

Iterational auto retopology / cleanup plugin for ZBrush based on ZRemesher.

• Plugin was tested with ZBrush versions from 2019 to 2021 with updates.
  
• Full ZRetopoIt version 3.3 plugin documentation available here as ArtStation blog post.

How to use? Basic pipeline for perfect topology result:

• Dynamesh your model or use already ZRemeshed model without subdivisions. Your topology should be uniform enough.
  
• Define polygon edge flow via black color via polygroups, you can use classic PolygroupIt plugin for that or PGrFromPaint button.
  
• Press S5* retopology hotkey from Hotkeys submenu to begin retopology for Organic surface.
• Press H5* retopology hotkey from Hotkeys submenu to begin retopology for Hard suface.
• Press C5* retopology hotkey from Hotkeys submenu to begin retopology for Cloth meshes after simulation or Marvelous Designer.
• Scroll your undo history and choose clean enough ZRemesher step. Press S1* or H1* to reduce polycount. Done.

Retopology quicktip 1 min video demo:

ZRetopoIt 3.4. Quicktips. Quick trim emphasized edges for stylized meshes. 

ZRetopoIt 3.5 quicktips. How to set correct size for many ZBrush subtools for Maya and Blender? 

Showreel full pipeline tutorial demo video with english subtitles for ZRetopoIt version 3.0.

Quick cloth creation pipeline tutorial for 3D characters, in ZBrush and Marvelous Designer:

Plugin works for following mesh types:

• Organic surface: classic sculpting via Dynamesh and Polypaint polygroup edges later for full topology control.
• Hard surface: after Snapshot3D via Spotlight tool, or boolean operations, and Dynamesh.
• Note: this plugin for complex CAD triangulated topology from Autodesk Fusion 360 can generate artifacts.
• Cloth surface: after classic ZBrush Extract and cloth simuluation in Marvelous Designer.
• Lowpoly retopology for organic surface via LP hotkeys with relax function enabled.

My plugin is useful when:

• You are preparing your 3D game assets for retopology. Tweaking exisiting topology with good edge flow is much more easier, right?
• You want to improve your ZBrush viewport fps and simplify your sculpting process a lot.  Subdivs = more fps and full mesh control. Now you can freely move around your mesh shapes on blocking and middle forms via subdivisions without detail lose. 
• You are polishing mesh form. Sculpt freely with Dynamesh and refine your topology and form with polypaint.
• You are doing hardsurface in ZBrush with Snapshot3D, LiveBoolean and Dynamesh.
• You are creating clothes for 3D characters in Marvelous Designer.

Retopology key features: 

• Retopology hotkey presets for selected subtool for different mesh types.

For all hotkeys:

• Mostly common used hotkeys marked with * mark.
• Prefixes for various surface types: S - organic, H - hardsurface, LP - organic relax, C - cloth surface after extract.
• For all hotkeys bigger number after prefix = less points on final mesh. Use bigger number for dense meshes.
  
• Hotkeys are preconfigured for mesh type, ZRemesherIterations, CleanupIteration sliders and PGrRelax function.
• You can tweak plugin settings via AdvancedSettings and MainSettings plugin tabs for all hotkeys.

Other key features:

• Low polycount and saved polygroup edge flow.
• NO mesh distortion and smoothing too much.
• Saved mesh form.
  
• Retopo for all visible subtools via ZRetopoIt button, auto fix triangles and auto beveling.
• Scale your mesh in centimeters for all 3D apps without any position / size problems via ExportUtilities submenu. Use freely standart OBJ format without any common tool exporting problems in ZBrush. Just hit PrepExport or PrepExportNoScaling button in ExportUtilities submenu it will set automatically exporting settings for all visible subtools.

Fully dynamic mesh density analysys. Enabled by default.

• Now you can utilize all ZRemesher features like never before.

All old plugin versions are included in digital download in ZIP archive.

All plugin updates are free. Forever. 

Thank you guys so much for your tips and link sharing. I am very happy when i am recieving them <3.

Quick start guide for:

Classic organic surface retopology:

• Dynamesh your subtool to high resolution (~ 2 Mil. Polygons) for most accurate results. 
• Press PaintStart or PaintContinue.
• Enable LazyMouse polypaint preset switch . Polypaint your polygroup edges with black color.
• Press PGrFromPaint button.
• Press S5* from Hotkey submenu to retopo your mesh to midpoly stage.
• Press S1* or ZRed from Hotkey submenu to retopo your mesh again and reduce polycount.
• Press S0* or ZSame from Hotkey submenu to retopo your mesh again and save current polycount.

There many different ways to create polygroups in ZBrush. Since ZRetopoIt is using polygroups for retopology now we have:

New everyday workflow usage:

• Use freely TrimCurve or other Trim brushes on your midpoly Dynamesh or already ZRemeshed meshes to create polygroups.
• Use hotkeys with S or LP prefix for organic meshes depending visually from your mesh density. (1 - lower density, 5 - bigger density)
• Use hotkeys with H prefix for hardsurface meshes depending visually from your mesh density. (1 - lower density, 5 - bigger density)

Lowpoly organic surface retopology:

• Dynamesh your subtool to high resolution (> 1500). Fill it with white color.
• Enable LazyMouse polypaint preset switch . Polypaint your polygroup edges with black color.
• Press PGrFromPaint button.
• Press LP5* from Hotkey submenu to retopo your mesh to relaxed midpoly stage.
• Press LP1* or ZRed from Hotkey submenu to retopo your mesh again and reduce polycount.
• Press LP0* or ZSame from Hotkey submenu  to retopo your mesh again and save current polycount.

Hardsurface retopology:

• Create your hardsurface mesh via Snapshot3D feature in ZBrush.
• Dynamesh your model to high resolution. I am using 512. 
• Press H5* from Hotkey submenu. https://youtu.be/ueilVYoWhZI?t=191
• Press H1* or ZRed from Hotkey submenu to reduce polycount.
• Press H0* or ZSame from Hotkey submenu to save current polycount.

ZRetopoIt 3.5 Installation.
Installation:
1) Remove previous ZRetopoIt plugin installation from this directory:
a) Go to directory: C:\Program Files\Pixologic\ZBrush 2021\ZStartup\ZPlugs64
b) Delete file: ZRetopoIt-3-4-2021.zsc (you can check file name in ZRetopoIt-old-versions.zip)

2) Install ZRetopoIt 3.5 for ZBrush 2021
Copy file ZRetopoIt-3-5-2021.zsc to directory:
C:\Program Files\Pixologic\ZBrush 2021\ZStartup\ZPlugs64

If you are using ZBrush 2020 copy file ZRetopoIt-3-5-2020.zsc to directory:
C:\Program Files\Pixologic\ZBrush 2020\ZStartup\ZPlugs64

If you are using ZBrush 2019 copy file ZRetopoIt-3-5-2019.zsc to directory:
C:\Program Files\Pixologic\ZBrush 2019\ZStartup\ZPlugs64

ZBrush DarkStd high contrast no transparency colot theme installation:

1) Install ZBrush 2021.6.2 update
2) Go to Preferences > IColors > Load Ui Colors
3) Choose file DarkStdColorTheme_ZBrush2021.6.2.cfg
4) Press Preferences > Config > Store Config to save color theme.

If you want to see perfectly sized buttons in Plugin UI in ZBrush 2021. Set Preferences > Interface > UI > Buttons Size > to 44 

Version 3.5 is final version of ZRetopoIt. I tested this version on 3D lowpoly characters on my new personal project.

With small amount of manual topology tweaks it works perfectly via classic diamond polygon reduction. Honestly, I have no more ideas on how I can improve further retopology pipeline for ZRemesher or reduce even more final polycount. 

Of cource if Pixologic will update ZBrush to 2022 version I will update ZRetopoIt too.

Since this is final production ready perfect version i am glad to present to you:

• Studio multi user license option.
• Since version 3.5 is perfect ZRetopoIt-old-versions.zip removed from distribution package.