DCC production guide
Retopology and Hole Filling Guide
Direct answer: Use local hole filling for small missing faces on otherwise clean topology. Use retopology when the edge flow, density, scan noise, or deformation support is fundamentally wrong. Filling a hole is a patch; retopology is a rebuild of surface logic.
RetopologyFill HoleHole FillingOpen Edge重拓扑填充孔洞リトポロジー
Classify the boundary
Inspect whether the hole sits on a flat panel, curved silhouette, joint, cloth fold, or hard-surface bevel. A flat hidden hole may accept a simple triangle fan. A curved visible boundary usually needs loops that follow the surface. A deformation area needs quads arranged for bending, not only closed geometry.
Open edge repair steps
Select the boundary, check normal direction, bridge or fill with topology that matches the surrounding density, then relax vertices without shrinking the silhouette. Add support loops if the surface needs a bevel or deformation. Recalculate normals only after the geometry is structurally correct.
When full retopology is better
Choose retopology for scanned meshes with noisy triangles, CAD imports with long thin faces, sculpt exports with millions of polygons, or characters that must animate. A quick fill can make a mesh watertight but still impossible to UV, rig, or bake cleanly.
Bake and shading checks
After topology changes, rebake normal, AO, and curvature maps if the low-poly changed. Check hard edges, UV seams, and cage projection around the repaired area. A hole can appear closed in geometry but still show a dent in baked maps.
Approval signs
The repaired area preserves silhouette, has predictable normals, unwraps without extreme stretching, and survives the target operation: animation, collision, subdivision, print, or engine import.
Worked review example
For a scan with a missing patch on a curved helmet, a single fill operation may close the mesh but flatten the curve. Trace the boundary, add loops that follow the helmet contour, then project or relax the new vertices until the silhouette matches the scan. If the patch crosses a UV seam or bake detail, rebake a small comparison area. The repaired wireframe should explain how highlights flow across the patch, not only prove the hole disappeared.
Multilingual production terms
Use this retopology hole filling guide terminology table when writing review comments, export notes, or handoff instructions across Chinese, English, and Japanese teams.
| 中文 | English | 日本語 | Workflow usage note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 填充孔洞 | Fill Hole | 穴埋め | Use these terms when deciding between local patching and rebuilding edge flow. |
| 重拓扑 | Retopology | リトポロジー | Use these terms when deciding between local patching and rebuilding edge flow. |
| 孔洞修补 | Hole Filling | 穴埋め | Use these terms when deciding between local patching and rebuilding edge flow. |
Term notes for multilingual briefs
Use the English term Retopology with matching Chinese/Japanese notes where relevant: 重拓扑 / 填充孔洞 / リトポロジー. Keep the technical term beside the local-language note so reviewers can map it back to DCC and engine settings.
Related pages and next step
Open SEELE AI workspaceFAQ
When is Fill Hole enough?
It is enough for small, non-deforming, low-visibility gaps where the surrounding topology is already clean.
Why avoid triangle fans?
Triangle fans can create shading pinches and poor deformation. They are sometimes acceptable on flat hidden surfaces but risky on curved or animated areas.
Does retopology always mean quads?
Not always, but quads are usually preferred for deformation, subdivision, and editable edge flow. Game meshes may still use triangles after final triangulation.
What evidence should be attached?
Show before/after wireframe, shaded preview, UV impact, and bake comparison if maps changed.