Thanks Zev0. 

RorrKon: - I prefer to use displacement maps for fine details and to enhance what's already there. They shouldn't be a replacement for geometry because displacement maps are static and can't be deformed with a rig the way actual geometry can.

EClark: Thanks. Glad you like the result - and that you're learning. I've watched Johnathan Williamson's videos before too, and while they're good learning tools, he doesn't put a lot of detail in his mesh, probably because the meshes he builds aren't intended to be morphed a whole lot. Which is fine. If you don't need the detail then there's no reason to build it, just to smooth it out. But Poser figures require more attention to detail because of all the different shaping morphs they are expected to have, so they are a bit different breed of mesh than the average game or film mesh requires. And really, it just comes down to experience. The more time you spend experimenting with figure meshes and shapes, the more you learn what works and what doesn't work.

There is no single right way to build a mesh because every mesh requires its own topology based on its shape and what that mesh is expected to do. Beyond that, it's just a matter of not breaking certain rules of topology, in order to avoid problems later, or in other areas. That's why I equate topology to being a puzzle that you have to figure out as you go along.

 

~Shane