Draw Xray
Addon for Blender 4.2+, that will show retopology overlay on top of your mesh. The paid version comes with custom snap engine and retopo stroke tool.
Free Version (addon):
Video guide from Jayanam - showing the retopo Xray overlay (feature in both free and $ version)
Pros compared to build-in Blender retopo overlay:
- This tool allows for clearer visualization of how your retopo mesh interacts with your high-poly model. You can easily identify which areas of the retopo mesh protrude beyond the high-poly surface and which areas lie beneath it (unlike built-in retopo overlay, which obscure this information)
- customizable: faces overlay color, opacity,
- supports drawing in: Sculpt, Edit, Paint, Object modes
- option draw with-or without modifiers applied
Cons:
- slower - it is coded in python, so it wont be as fast as native C++ code.
How to use:
- Install DrawXray like any other Blender add-on - see Blender docs
- In 3D View Top Bar > Viewport Overlays > 'Enable Xray' - if you go to mesh edit mode, you will se new overlay rendered on top of your mesh
- Xray Overlay can be enabled in following modes: Edit, Sculpt, Paint, Object (Shift+Click to select multiple modes).
- Paid version has Snapping section, where you can set snap target (All scene objects, single target or collection)
Paid version (extension) comes with custom snapping engine and retopo tool:
- Xray snap engine takes into account mesh curvature: sink lowpoly mesh into valleys, push outside on peaks. See this YouTube video below for details
- Xray will negate mesh shrinking effect caused by subdivision modifier (see same video above),
- Quad stroke drawing feature (new in 4.0)
- Strip Wrap around joints feature (new in 4.1)
- paid version comes with built-in auto-updater (new in 4.0)
Note: I included fixed version of F2 add-on (mesh_f2_xray.py) - which wont crash when using F2 together with DrawXray. To use patched F2 addon: disable the build-in F2 version and replace it with fixed version (it is named 'F2 Xray Fix'). For your information, I provided patch to blender devs, with the fix, but it got ignored...
Update 2.3 Blender 2.8 only (23.08.2019)
- fixed crashes on scripts reload, and other bugs.
- by default per object snapping is now set to 'Global' . Saves few clicks: when you enable global snapping, all objects will use now global target. You can still change it per object in: 'Object Viewport' panel to: Disabled or Local (different snap target for each object)
Update 2.7 Blender 2.8 and 2.9 (19.11.2020)
- addon draws more uniform edges now
- more snapping options (based on shrink wrap modifier)
- Simplified UI (there is no longer separate panel in object properties)
Update 2.8 for Blender 2.93 and 3.0 (01.12.2021)
- Added compatibility with Blender 3.0
Update 2.9 for Blender 2.93 and 3.x (12.09.2022)
- Added compatibility with Blender 3.3
- remade snapping - only selected vertices will snap (in past - whole mesh would be snapped to high-poly obj)
Update 3.0 for Blender 2.93 and 3.x (17.02.2023)
- Code refactor. Hopefully it will fix some random issues people are experiencing
Update 3.1for Blender 2.93 and 3.x (1.04.2023)
- added compatibility with blender 3.5
Update 3.3 for Blender 3.5 and up only! (1.04.2023)
- moved whole open-gl drawing to new GPU module in blender 3.5
Update 3.4 for Blender 3.6 and up only! (8.08.2023)
- option to draw in Edit mode and/or Sculpt Mode and/or Object Mode and/or Paint Mode
- Xray will show now shapekeys on object correctly
Update ver 3.6 (for version with snapping (24.11.2023) :
- improved snapping behavior on concave areas
- nicer results when using subdivision modifier on your retopo mesh,
- ability to snap to any object (not just mesh types)
- new - snap to: selected object, collection of objects, all objects
- ability to affect neighbors of selected geometry, for nicer retopo mesh interpolation
- added new - projected snapping method
Update ver 3.8 (for version with snapping (2.3.2024):
- Fixed 'Projected snapping' method when using Orthographic view
- fixed not being able to snap in mesh edit mode, when Xray overlay Mode was set to Sculpt only display method,
- other fixes and tweaks
Update 4.0.0 for Blender 4.2+ (version with snapping only - Released 9.10.2024)
- Added Draw Quad Strips option,
- addon converted to extension,
Update 4.1.0 for Blender 4.2+ (version with snapping only - Released 21.10.2024)
- Added Wrap Limbs - Shift+W,
- improved searching for adjacent snap edges,
Update 4.1.1 for Blender 4.2+ - Released 24.10.2024,
- Added 'Screen Space' Wrap option,
- improve generation of last quad face (support more cases),
- smoother first quad generation (thanks to introduced warmup period - help in calculating smoother stroke tangent)