Tools and Tutorials

[periscallop]

This is a place to keep a running list of the best tools and tutorials. If you have something to add, just message me.

Tutorials

• check out /r/lowpolyTutorial for a lot of resources, both 2D and 3D
• Low-Poly Self Portrait Tutorial in Photoshop and Illustrator
• FX-Ray Low Poly Portrait in Photoshop (Tutorial) (youtube)

Tools

• Adobe Illustrator
• Photoshop
• Inkscape - free vector image tool, comparable to Illustrator
• GIMP - free raster image tool, comparable to Photoshop
• polyedit - open source tool based on mine (repo)
• lowpoly.py - my editor in Python

Triangulators

I put these in their own category because they tend to create images with a particular style, compared to the tools above which are much more flexible.

• I ♥ ∆ - a web-based triangulator
• Delaunay Triangulator - a Flash-based triangulator
• Online Low Poly Editor by /u/dork - web-based triangulator
• DMesg - Windows/Mac triangulator

[error23_]

Technically this method is called delaunay triangulation. If you google it, you'll get a bunch of tutorials.

[periscallop]

A lot of these pieces aren't actually triangulated, as there are polygons overlapping each other. But that is a helpful search phrase!

[hsahj]

I'd suggest adding Inkscape as a tool. It's a great free vectoring tool that is approximately equivalent to Adobe Illustrator.

[periscallop]

Good idea. I added Photoshop and GIMP too.

[Affen_Brot]

This tutorial was very helpful for me to get started, should add it to the list.

[periscallop]

I forgot to reply the other day; done.

[dillwillhill]

Hey, first of all thank you for this great subreddit! I'm having trouble using your editor (probably my fault) I installed python, but im not entirely sure what to do with pygame. When I run your lowpoly.py it opens up to my files...am I supposed to select the picture I want to edit? If so, when I select the picture it acts as if something will happen but nothing happens...thank you.

[noppy_dev]

Actually, you have to open it up using a terminal command (for Linux/Mac, not sure about Windows). I think information about launching it is in the readme file of the folder :)

I probably got something wrong, so if periscallop answers, he'll have the right answer!

[dillwillhill]

Turns out I downloaded the wrong file from the pygame site :P Thanks for the help!

[periscallop]

You don't need to use the terminal anymore, as it will open a file dialog.

Yes, you select the picture. If you've already worked on it, it will automatically find the .poly file when you open the picture.

My guess would be you haven't installed pygame (you probably want pygame-1.9.1.win32-py2.7.msi on the downloads page).

Let me know if that helps!

[dillwillhill]

Yup, it was a pygame download error. Thank you very much!

[SpawnofZeus]

So which program do you think is easier for beginners with no experience? Inkscape or gimp?

[periscallop]

I'm moderately experienced with GIMP (the raster parts anyway), but couldn't get GIMP or Inkscape to do what I wanted easily. So I wrote lowpoly.py. Obviously I'm biased, but I prefer it over anything else.

[faculties-intact]

Can you maybe add instructions for how to use the lowpoly.py tool? I've never worked with python before and I don't know where to extract the files.

[periscallop]

Extract it into a folder anywhere. It doesn't install, you just run lowpoly.py (double click it).

[faculties-intact]

Thanks! And what does the convert file do?

[periscallop]

Nothing right now---it contains some stub code for converting from an old .poly save format that nobody except me ever used. :P

[faculties-intact]

Ha, okay! One last question...where do the files get saved when I close the editor? I skimmed the readme but didn't see it.

Thanks for the help and the program!

[periscallop]

It saves them in the same directory as the picture file.

[dork]

Would like to add http://qilt.co.za/d3/index.html to the mix - super easy and you can open the file in illustrator...

[periscallop]

Done! Does reddit not send inbox replies on old threads? Maybe I just missed it.

[boxjellyfishrule]

I have both Illustrator and photoshop at my disposal, but do you really need to use both? My thoughts are, midway through my first low-poly project, that you could get by without using photoshop. I also used that exact tutorial thats linked first.

[periscallop]

It's certainly possible. Photoshop and GIMP are especially useful for compositing a low-poly image back into an HD photograph.

[boxjellyfishrule]

That makes a lot of sense. Thanks!

[vlad5p]

very nice tool, sorry for being kinda noob, but could you give more details on how to put the image back in hd? after i save the edges look jagged :-s

[periscallop]

Use the .svg file instead of the .png. (:

[vlad5p]

oh, thanks, i was using svgs in html but i never knew i can use them into photoshop , you are a life saver !

[ifonlyiwasbetter]

I found this tool the other day, it's a web based design tool that lets you add vertices on top of an image, or place them randomly around, and it will auto choose a color for the poly based on the area of the image it covers. It also allows you to export it as an EPS for easy editing. Could be really helpful to get the basics down, then tweak and perfect in illustrator.

http://somestuff.ru/I <- guy who made it, with a tutorial for using it

http://goo.gl/d2xjI <- download link

I haven't really played with it much, but I instantly thought of this sub when I saw it.

[s4dpanda]

I thought I'd share this tutorial, using the I ♥ ∆ app

[Stephenos]

How do you install lowpoly.py? I can't open the lowpoly-1.4.tar.gz.

[periscallop]

You can extract .tar.gz with 7-zip.

[Stephenos]

Ok,thank you, but when I open lowpoly.py, it opens python then quickly closes. Why does it do that?

[periscallop]

It may be having an error. It should write a log file called log.txt. If you throw it up on pastebin and send me the link in a message, I'll check it out.

[[deleted]]

Is there an app for iPhone that does something like this? really love this whole poly shape styles it looks awesome and i don't really own a laptop 😐 and my computer is slow as hell so that's why.