Hi, I wanted some advice about creating a high res model. I recently create several assets that will be part of a bigger project. My supervisor likes the models, but wants them to have a higher poly counts to push their new engine. To make a model high res I need to use the smooth option in Maya, correct? If so, I was told that the smoothing a model in Maya didn't transfer into any other program and just made unnecessary lines. And should I make a model high res before or after texturing? Working on a low res model would make it easier to texture, but when I do bump up the poly count, it could mess up the texture.

Any advice will be most helpful.

My supervisor likes the models, but wants them to have a higher poly counts to push their new engine.

<big grin>

so you have a decent looking model with a nice low poly count, yet your producer wants more tri's?

isn't that just like a suit? don't they know those tri's could be used to draw another object?

well, subdividing faces won't get you much except more vertices. so no improvement in graphics, just an increase in poly budget.

probably best to spend some triangles modeling detail in 3d that might otherwise be done with shaders or textures. buttons, belt buckles, that kind of junk.

or maybe ask the advise of another artist on the team. they may be able to explain what your supervisor wants to see in the way of "more triangles".

hearing stories like this makes me glad i'm an indie and don't have to deal with idiots - around here, i'm the only idiot! <g>.