Learning Blender: A Hands-On Guide to Creating 3D Animated Characters

What Is Mesh Topology?

Mesh topology is the method in which edges are distributed along the surface of a model. Two surfaces can have identical shapes but completely different topologies, so why is topology so important? Topology is especially critical when it comes to animated characters. When the character moves, the model is going to be deformed. A good topology ensures that deformations look realistic; otherwise, the mesh will pinch, stretch, or just deform incorrectly and look weird.

In Figure 7.1, you can see two different topology examples, one good and one bad. (These examples are very exaggerated and they are meant just to illustrate how a shape can be created with a badly distributed topology.) In the example on the left, the topology ...