Distance

The Distance display toggle will color the retopo mesh according to how far away the vertices, edges and faces are to the corresponding reference mesh. When it is first turned on for a mesh, the maximum distances for above and below the mesh’s surface are set as the Range. Red indicates that the retopo mesh is above the reference mesh while blue indicates that it is below the reference mesh. The range can be recalculated at any time and can also be set manually. The colors update as the vertices, faces and edges are repositioned. The tool can be used to visually check the accuracy of the retopo mesh with the reference mesh. The work flow is as follows:

1.In Control Mesh display mode, retopologize the model.

2.Click Add Interpolation, , and wait for procedure to be completed.

3.Activate the Distance display dialog, .

The Range of distance the retopo mesh is from the reference mesh is color-coded with red being above the ref mesh and blue being below the mesh. Green is considered on the mesh within the Ranges shown.

Clear Shrink Wrap

Clear Shrink Wrap will reset the Shrink Wrap table and clear it out. This only works if you are using the Default Shrink Wrap. A typical workflow would be to do a Shrink Wrap, test the quality using the Distance command and then use Clear Shrink Wrap and address any problem areas.

The Control mesh, left, using Add Interpolation, one subdivision, and the range of distance of the interpolated mesh, center, the mesh showing high (red) and low (blue) deviation from the reference mesh, right

Distance Display

At any time, but especially during the Add Interpolation step, you may check the accuracy of the interpolation using the Distance display tool. This tool gives you visual feedback showing where the retopo mesh deviates from the reference mesh and by how much. The range is automatically calculated using the maximum deviations and is displayed on the mesh where green is on, blue is under and red is over the reference mesh. When using Add Interpolation, you should use the Recalculate option to update the range after adding additional divisions.

Checking the distance deviation in the dialog, left, and visually, on the SubD, right

1.In Control Mesh display mode, retopologize the model.

2.Click Add Interpolation, , and wait for procedure to be completed.

3.Activate the Distance display dialog, .

Clear Shrink Wrap

Distance

1.In Control Mesh display mode, retopologize the model.

2.Click Add Interpolation, , and wait for procedure to be completed.

3.Activate the Distance display dialog, .

Clear Shrink Wrap

A second subdivision producing a closer fit, with range not yet updated, left, before the updated color feedback, right

Distance (continued)

4.Observe the Range to determine the accuracy of the retopo SubD.

5.If it is not close enough, increase the number of subdivisions.

Two subdivisions will generally be enough. Be aware that more subdivisions will take more time to convert to SOLIDWORKS solids or surfaces.

Tip: For scanned meshes where the surface did not scan well, you may prefer to keep the default single subdivision to avoid unwanted detail.

6.When the model has been updated, press Recalculate to see the updated Range. Ideally, you will want to see several pale splotchy areas showing a fairly even distance variation.

A second subdivision producing a closer fit, with range not yet updated, left, before the updated color feedback, right

Distance (continued)

For problem areas, consider canceling the Add Interpolation, adding or adjusting edge loops for better coverage, and using Add Interpolation. If you have already accepted the interpolation, you can use Clear Interpolation before making changes.

Tip: The only time the Range is automatically updated is with the first use of the Distance tool in a session. A good practice is to click the Update button after Add Interpolation, unless, of course, you would prefer to use the previous values. An example would be after adding unconstrained modifications to the retopo mesh.

If a specific Range is required, you can set the minimum and maximum ranges manually.

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