3D baking workflow

What is high and low poly?

High poly and low poly is simply a reference to the number of polygons that are used to make up a model. All models are made using polygons but where do we define the line between low and high poly? Answer: there is no definitive answer. It all depends on what you’re modelling. For instance, a small object such as a bottle could have 300 polygons and be classed as high poly. On the other hand, a player model could have 3000 polygons but be classed as low poly.

What is the workflow?

The workflow of high poly to low poly is quite simple. A person will make a very low poly model. They will then create some extra geometry around the edges of this model in order to keep its shape. This model will then duplicated and subdivided until it has thousands — sometimes millions — of polygons. This high poly model will be taken into a sculpting software where it will be manipulated to have lots of detail. The creator will then bake this high poly model onto the low poly model. This is so the low poly model remains low poly but has the detail of the high poly model. This method is used in games every day as it saves a lot of rendering time and allows for smoother gameplay and larger worlds.