Flow Retopology for Maya
What is Flow Retopology?
Flow Retopology works just like Maya's Retopologize tool, simplifying complex geometry, making it easier to work with. Flow Retopology leverages remote cloud computing to process mesh operations, letting you continue to work in Maya while the job completes.
Flow Retopology for Maya is only available to Maya subscribers. To install it, you need a valid Autodesk account and login details. You can set it up on multiple computers.
When do I use Flow Retopology?
Use Flow Retopology when dealing with high-resolution geometry, CAD assets from other Autodesk products, or even photogrametry (scan data) created from real-world objects. Flow Retopology lets you recreate this geometry with a cleaner quad-based topology, maintaining the overall shape and necessary details. The result is a reusable asset for continued modelling, texturing, or even animation.
How does this differ from Retopologize in Maya?
The main difference between Flow Retopology and Maya's Retopologize tool lies in the processing. Maya's Retopologize tool can be computationally heavy, causing Maya to freeze until the process is complete. Flow Retopology, however, offloads the computation to a remote job monitor, freeing up system resources and letting you continue your work.
With Flow Retopology, you can run several retopologize operations simultaneously, even on a single mesh with distinct settings for each operation. This parallel processing, separate from your work in Maya, saves time and increases efficiency.
Job Submission Details
Flow Retopology includes a Job Monitor notification system for tracking jobs. Once a job is finished, the result is saved to disk. You can then import this result back into Maya from the Job Monitor.
You can process multiple jobs as per the following job details:
Job Count: You can perform 30 jobs per calendar month. This number resets at the beginning of each month. You can perform multiple jobs at once, so long as you do not exceed the job count. Each computing or completed job counts toward this total. If a job fails for any reason, it does not count toward this total.
Job Processing Time: There is a 6 hour maximum processing time per job. If unfinished after 6 hours, the job will fail.
Job Storage: Completed job submission information is stored in the Job Monitor for 30 days from the date of submission. See Release Notes for information about handling your local data.