Assignment 1.4

🎥 Video Outline

• What is Topology?

  • The flow and organization of edges, faces, and vertices in your mesh.
  • Good topology = easier to animate, unwrap, and texture.

• Key Topology Principles

  • Use quads (4-sided polygons) whenever possible.
  • Keep edge loops flowing around joints (shoulders, elbows, knees, mouth, eyes).
  • Even distribution of faces — avoid stretched or pinched areas.

• Tools in Blender

  • Adding loop cuts to improve flow.
  • Merging vertices to remove excess geometry.
  • Using the knife tool for manual adjustments.

• Why Clean Topology Now?

  • Saves headaches in rigging and animation.
  • Makes UV unwrapping and sculpting more predictable.
  • Provides a stable foundation for detailing in Unit 2.

📚 Resources

• Topology Basics PDF — Download Here
• Edge Flow Reference Sheet — Link to Document

⌨️ Hotkeys to Remember

• Ctrl + R → Add loop cut
• K → Knife tool (manual cuts)
• M → Merge vertices (at center, at last, by distance)
• Alt + Left Click → Select edge loop
• Ctrl + E → Edge specials (mark seam, bevel, etc.)
• Shift + Tab → Toggle wireframe/X-Ray

🛠️ Workshop Goals

Workshop 1

• Open your refined mesh from A1.3.
• Add loop cuts to joints and major forms.
• Remove unnecessary geometry and merge stray vertices.
• Check edge flow around key anatomy landmarks.

Workshop 2

• Clean up the rest of the mesh for consistency.
• Ensure quads are used in most areas (limit triangles/ngons).
• Save .blend file and export a test .fbx for backup.

If you finish early:

• Color-code edge loops with temporary materials to check flow.

📑 Deliverables

• Blender Project File (.blend) with clean, organized topology.
• Screenshots showing edge flow (front, side, wireframe view).
• Upload to Canvas