blender-retopology-uv
Retopology and UVs in Blender 5.2 - auto retopo (Quadriflow, Decimate, planar), deformation edge flow, seams, unwrap (Angle Based, Minimum Stretch, Smart), pixel-margin packing, texel density measure/set, lightmap UV2, UDIMs, mirrored UVs. Use to turn sculpts/scans/AI meshes into game meshes or prep UVs for texturing/baking.
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Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/el4cteo/blender-skills --skill blender-retopology-uv- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads blender-retopology-uv automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
Retopology & UVs
The execution model is in blender-core.
Retopology
Automatic (scripts/auto_retopo.py -- --objects Sculpt --tris 8000 --method ...) makes <name>_low and leaves the source hidden:
| Method | Use for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
quadriflow | organic props, static characters, scans | clean quads. Voxel-remeshes first so the input is manifold; UVs are lost (re-unwrap) |
decimate | background props, LODs, AI-generated meshes | keeps UVs/shape, gives triangles. Fast |
planar | hard-surface CAD/boolean results | dissolves flat areas; keeps seams/sharp/material/UV borders |
Manual (hero characters, anything that deforms). Set up a new mesh object with a Shrinkwrap modifier (PROJECT, target = sculpt), snapping to FACE_PROJECT + use_snap_project, and the source in a different viewport color/x-ray. Auto retopo isn't good enough for deforming hero meshes, because the edge flow below matters.
Edge flow rules for deforming meshes
- Concentric loops around the eyes and mouth (≥3 rings). The nasolabial loop flows from the nose wing to the mouth corner.
- 3 loops at every bending joint (elbow, knee, finger knuckles), plus a loop on each side to keep volume. The shoulder needs extra loops for raising the arm.
- Keep poles (3/5-edge verts) out of bending areas. Put them on flat, stiff regions (chest, back of skull).
- Distribute quads evenly, with density where deformation and silhouette need it. Use triangles only in hidden, non-deforming spots.
- Character tri budgets in 2026: mobile 5–15k, Roblox body ≤ 10.7k total, console/PC third-person 30–80k, hero/cinematic 100k+. Check the target in
blender-game-optimization.
UVs
- Seams: hide them (under arms, inner legs, back of the head, under parts), follow hard edges, cut cylinders on the back side. Rule for game meshes: every hard edge (>~60°,
sharp_edge) must be a UV seam, or the normal map shows artifacts.scripts/uv_pack.py --seams-from-sharp 60does this. - Unwrap:
--method seams(Angle Based with marked seams),--method min_stretch(SLIM, 4.3+, least distortion on organics),--method smart(hard-surface/auto,--angle 66). - Straighten rectangular islands (Follow Active Quads, live only) so trims and pixel grids line up.
- Average island scale + pack with margin in pixels: 2k → 8 px, 4k → 16 px, mobile 1k → 4 px.
--shape CONCAVEgives the tightest pack (slow headless). The defaultAABBis instant. - Texel density (
scripts/texel_density.py --res 2048): keepspread≤ 1.3 within an asset. Set it with--set <px/m>; iffits_0_1is false, change res or density. - QA:
blender-asset-qareports zero-area UV faces and overlap %.
Texel density targets (px/m; studio baselines, not laws)
| Context | px/m |
|---|---|
| First-person hero / weapons | 1024–2048 |
| First-person environment | 512–1024 |
| Third-person games | 512 (console/PC), 256 (mobile) |
| Top-down / strategy | 128–256 |
| Roblox | ~256–512 per texture: 5×5 studs → 256², 10×10 → 512², 20×20 → 1024² |
| Everything in the same scene should share one density. The exception is hero assets, kept within 2x. |
Special cases
- Mirrored/stacked UVs save space but break unique bakes. Move the duplicate islands exactly +1 U (outside 0–1) during baking, then move them back. Their normal maps must be mirror-safe (tangent space handles it in engines with MikkTSpace).
- Lightmap UV2 (
--lightmap, givesUVMap_Lightmap): no overlaps, every island inside 0–1, generous margin. Unreal/Unity can generate their own; ship one only if the engine pipeline wants it. Keep UV0 active for texturing. - UDIMs (film/hero): islands in tiles 1001+ (U offset 1 per tile). Texture node image
source="TILED". Game engines mostly don't support UDIMs. - Trim sheets: unwrap the strips, then scale/move the islands onto the trim rows (V positions from the trim layout). Islands may exceed 0–1 in U for tiling.
- Roblox: exactly one UV set, all inside 0–1. Overlaps are allowed.
Gotchas
- 5.0+: UV selection is shared across UV maps (
.uv_select_*attributes). OldBMLoopUV.selectcode fails. uv.*operators run in Edit Mode and act on selected faces. Select everything first (scripts handle this).- Headless
uv.pack_islandswithCONCAVE/CONVEX+ rotation can take 2–25 s even on tiny meshes. UseAABBwhile iterating. - Unwrap warning "failed to solve island": the island has no seams (closed shape). Add seams.
- Apply scale before measuring texel density, or the density reads wrong (the scripts use world space and already account for scale).
FAQ
What does the blender-retopology-uv skill do?
Retopology and UVs in Blender 5.2 - auto retopo (Quadriflow, Decimate, planar), deformation edge flow, seams, unwrap (Angle Based, Minimum Stretch, Smart), pixel-margin packing, texel density measure/set, lightmap UV2, UDIMs, mirrored UVs. Use to turn sculpts/scans/AI meshes into game meshes or prep UVs for texturing/baking.
How do I install blender-retopology-uv?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/el4cteo/blender-skills --skill blender-retopology-uv in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/blender-retopology-uv/ (personal) or .claude/skills/blender-retopology-uv/ (project).
Which AI agents can use blender-retopology-uv?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is blender-retopology-uv safe to install?
No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.
Who maintains blender-retopology-uv?
It is published by el4cteo in el4cteo/blender-skills. It has 91 recorded installs.
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