Polygon Reduce

Polygon Reduce Example A

Polygon Reduce Exanple B

Polygon Reduce Panel

The Polygon Reduce tool iteratively removes edges from the mesh while trying to maintain as much of the original contouring as possible.

Polygon Reduce

Number

Displays the total number of polygons in the currently visible mesh layer. When you drag the tool in the viewport, Modo adjusts this number here and in the mesh. You can also type in an exact number of polygons.

Boundary Weight

Determines how much emphasis should be given to preserving the details around boundary areas of the mesh.

Material Border Weight

Determines how much emphasis should be given to using polygons to preserve the integrity and detail of the mesh along edges that define a boundary between materials groups.

Legacy Mode

When enabled, uses an alternative edge evaluation method available with older version of Modo. When disabled, Modo uses a polygon reduction method that is based on Quadric Error Matrices to produce better overall surface quality. You can enable and disable Legacy Mode to evaluate the differences between the two algorithms and determine which method you prefer.

Polygon Reduce in the Procedural

Modo has a procedural Polygon Reduce mesh operation available in the Mesh Operations list. In the Model layout, you can find the stack in the lower half of the Mesh Ops tab on the right side of the interface.

Note:  For information on how to use the Mesh Ops tab, see Using the Mesh Ops Tab.

You can add the tool by clicking the Add Operator button above the Mesh Operations list. Under Mesh Operations > Polygon, double-click Polygon Reduce.

You can expand the Polygon Reduce item in the list by clicking the small arrow in front of it. This reveals the inputs the operation uses. Polygon Reduce requires the following inputs:

Selection - Allows you to select the elements to which you want to apply the tool.

Tool Pipe - Allows you to add falloffs and sub-tools to the operation.