The model used in the previous chapter will serve our purpose. It has 28K polys and could be skinned directly, but it's a nice trick to first skin a low-resolution version and then copy the skinned data to the high-resolution model. For this we'll use ProOptimizer , which is a modifier that decimates unnecessary polygons according to the user's specification.
This section takes us through the workings of the ProOptimizer modifier, which is useful for polygon decimation of a mesh so that you can quickly give it a target poly count.
Open the file
\Packt3dsMax\Chapter 10\Creature_SkinStart.max
and select the main meshCreature
. Press Ctrl + V to paste it in a clone and be sure to set the Copy and not the Instance option. Hide the new model.Convert the model in the scene to an Editable Poly, and in the Ribbon click on the Selection tab, and at the Polygon sub-object level (press 4) click on Select by Half (using the symmetry axis)....