AI Tool Eases The Worst Part Of 3D Modelling And Retopology

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This AI Tool Could Speed Up the Worst Part of 3D Modelling

Tractive AI: Saying Goodbye to the Tedious Retopology Process

AI is one of the most divisive topics in creative tech at the moment, but AI isn’t only generative models trained on artists’ work. There are lots of non-generative AI tools that automate time-consuming tasks without replacing artistry and craftsmanship, and the Tractive AI retopology tool looks like a good example. In 3D modelling, there are often parts of the job artists don’t enjoy, and this tool is built to simplify those tasks. The main goal is for 3D artists to be able to dedicate more time to their artistic creation.

Releasing soon in beta, Tractive is designed to speed up the tedious task of recreating a 3D model’s mesh to make it cleaner and more efficient for animation and video games. The tool automates the manual process, allowing 3D artists to dedicate more time to more creative parts of the job. It eliminates the “grinding” work that no digital artist truly enjoys.

Better Control than ZRemesher: Tractive’s Specialty

Tractive co-founder Mohsan Alvi compares the tool to ZBrush’s ZRemesher guides, but says the guides are stricter and provide more control over the exact location of edge loops and how they flow into other loops. This is a significant refinement that 3D modelling artists will immediately recognize. Edits in one part of the model won’t change the topology far away, and it won’t default into spiraling polyloops. This precision makes it a strong contender for professional use, especially when working on time-bound projects like video games.

The example above shows a relatively simple example rather than the kind of topologies that really take up time, but Mohsan says Tractive has also used the tool for outfits and armour-type meshes. A lot of 3D artists love sculpting and texturing and don’t want AI to replace that but would welcome a tool that can do smart retopology for animation or make optimized UVs. In the complex world of 3D modelling, such auxiliary tools can significantly increase productivity.

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The Artists’ View: “It’s Just a Really Awful Part”

“This is the first AI post I’ve seen that doesn’t make me want to flip a table,” one person writes on LinkedIn. They stressed that no one’s job is being a retopologist… it’s just a really awful part of modelling. They believe AI should be handling the unnatural parts of the creative process that working digitally has introduced as hoops to get what you want. No traditional sculptor ever had to worry about Ngons, but somehow as 3D artists we all just accept the limitations of 3D software and go through this heinous process.

Over on X, someone sums it up for non-modellers: “This is like AI taking someone’s job but the job is rubbing sandpaper on yourself and pouring lemon juice on top of it.” This analogy is spot-on, as the tool genuinely removes the part that no 3D artist does happily. The tool has renewed the debate about good vs bad AI since the term can apply to wildly different concepts

Non-Generative AI: A Helpful Tool

Tractive appears to be the kind of non-generative tool that might not even have been described as ‘AI’ a few years ago before it became such a buzz word. It functions only as a tool to make a tedious process easier and still requires human skill in the creation of the original 3D model. It does not take away from the core artistic work of 3D modelling, but rather provides a helping hand.

Tractive says it doesn’t collect any data unless artists explicitly opt-in on a per-model basis. You can sign up for news on an upcoming closed beta on the website. Their stance on data privacy is a positive step that will help build trust among professional artists.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Q1: What is Retopology and why is it tedious?

A: Retopology is the process of cleaning up the geometry of a 3D model so that the mesh is efficient for animation, deformation, and game engines. It is a manual, time-consuming, and technical job that requires a lot of patience and precision, which is why artists find it tedious.

Q2: Why is Tractive called a Non-Generative AI tool?

A: Tractive is called non-generative AI because it does not generate new content (like artwork or text). Instead, it uses Artificial Intelligence only to automate an existing manual process (retopology), ensuring it assists artists without replacing their core skills.

Q3: How is Tractive different from ZBrush’s ZRemesher?

A: According to the co-founder, Tractive’s guides are stricter than ZRemesher and offer more control over the precise placement of edge loops. This prevents the undesirable changing of distant topology, giving professional 3D artists higher accuracy.

Q4: How will this AI tool save 3D artists time?

A: This AI tool will save artists time by automating the work of retopology, which could otherwise take hours. In this way, artists can focus on the more creative aspects of their work (like sculpting and texturing).

Q5: Will the Tractive tool take 3D artists’ jobs?

A: No, non-generative AI tools like Tractive do not take the jobs of 3D artists. They only make a tedious and technical part of modelling easier. The tool is still dependent on the original model created by the human artist.

Q6: Does the Tractive tool collect data?

A: Tractive states that they do not collect any data unless artists explicitly opt-in on a per-model basis. This prioritizes user privacy.

Q7: What are Ngons in 3D Modelling?

A: Ngons are polygons in a 3D mesh that have more than four edges. In 3D animation and gaming, Ngons often cause problems because they don’t allow the mesh to deform correctly, so it is necessary to convert them to Quads (four-edged polygons) during retopology.

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