page_title: MakeHuman
section_title: Evolution towards a universal model topology
hierarchical_section_title: MakeHuman / Evolution towards a universal model topology
caption_attribution_description: English: Evolution of head topology in the MakeHuman software
context_page_description: MakeHuman is a free and open source 3D computer graphics middleware designed for the prototyping of photorealistic humanoids. It is developed by a community of programmers, artists, and academics interested in 3D character modeling.
context_section_description: The aim of the project is to develop an application capable of modeling a wide variety of human forms in the full range of natural poses from a single, universal mesh. For this purpose, the design of a 3D humanoid mesh that can readily be parametrically manipulated to represent anatomical characteristics has been pursued, the mesh includes a common skeleton structure that permits character posing. MakeHuman Team developed a model that combines different anatomical parameters to transition smoothly from the infant to the elderly, from man to woman and from fat to slim.
  The initial mesh occupies a middle ground, being neither pronounced masculine, nor pronounced feminine, neither young nor old and having a medium muscular definition. Goal was to depict a fair-built androgynous form, named the HoMunculus.
  The current MakeHuman mesh has evolved through successive steps of MakeHuman project, incorporating lessons learned, community feedback and the results of considerable amounts of studies and experimentation.
  Evolution of the mesh for the human model:
  A first universal mesh prototype (head only), done in 1999 using makeHead script, was adapted for the early MakeHuman in 2000.
  The first professional mesh (HM01) for a human model was realized by Enrico Valenza in 2002.
  A second remarkable mesh (K-Mesh or HM02) was modelled by Kaushik Pal in 2003.
  The third model was created by Manuel Bastioni upon the Z-Mesh or HM03 in 2005.
  With experience from preceding versions, a fourth mesh (Y-Mesh or HM04) was done by Gianluca Miragoli (aka Yashugan) in 2007.
  The fifth mesh (HM05) was built on the previous one by Gianluca Miragoli and Manuel Bastioni in 2008.
  A sixth mesh (HM06) was also created by Gianluca Miragoli in 2010.
  Another mesh version was released in 2010 by Waldemar Perez Jr., André Richard, Manuel Bastioni.
  The latest and state-of-the-art mesh, released in 2013, was modeled by Manuel Bastioni.
  Since the first release of makeHead (1999) and MakeHuman (2000), a challenge had been to construct a universal topology that retained all of the capabilities but added ability to interactively adjust the mesh to accommodate anatomical variety found in the human population. This could have been addressed by dramatically increasing the number of vertices for the mesh, but the resultant, dense mesh would have limited performance on processing computers. Technically, the model developed for MakeHuman is:
  Light and optimized for subdivision surfaces modelling (15,128 vertices).
  Quads only. The human mesh itself is triangles free, using Catmull-Clark subdivision for extra resolution to base meshes, see also polygon mesh.
  Only E(5) Pole and the N(3) Pole, without holes and without 6-edge poles.
caption: Evolution of the head topology
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