What it does
Retopoflow adds drawing and brush tools for rebuilding a dense model as a lighter mesh in Blender. Version 4 works inside Edit Mode, with tools for loops, strips, patches and vertex adjustments. Its public repository contains GPL-licensed code, while Orange Turbine also sells a packaged version through Superhive.
Start a retopology object
With a reference object in the scene, open Add > Mesh in Object Mode and choose Retopology at Active or Retopology at Cursor. The first aligns the new mesh to the active object; the second places it at the 3D Cursor with world orientation. You can also enter Edit Mode on an existing retopology mesh and select a Retopoflow tool.
Hold Ctrl while clicking or dragging to create geometry. Ordinary clicks and drags select or adjust it. A separate visible object must be available for the new surface to snap to. If the overlay protrudes through the reference, reduce its offset distance in General options.
Contours wraps loops around cylindrical forms. PolyStrips draws connected strips, while Patches fills a selected boundary. Tweak moves larger areas and Relax evens the spacing. Source filtering can limit snapping to an object or collection; switching to Blender's native source-vertex snapping removes that filter.
Code, package and support
The repository's code uses GPL version 3 or later. Its non-code assets have separate copyright restrictions, so permission to redistribute code does not automatically cover those assets. Use a packaged release rather than GitHub's automatically generated Code ZIP.
Orange Turbine sells Retopoflow 4 per seat with 12 months of support and updates. An extra 12 months costs 50% of the product price. Superhive states that these support periods do not renew automatically and that received files remain available after expiry. The current product listing names Blender 4.2 through 5.2.
Strengths
- Retopoflow restores the previous Blender settings when you switch away from its tools.
- Tweak and Relax can keep different brush sizes while sharing masking settings.
Watch out for
- Retopology tools need another object to use as the reference surface.
- Non-code repository assets cannot automatically be redistributed under the code's GPL terms.
Best for
- Blender artists drawing deliberate edge loops over sculpts or scans
- Modellers refining an existing mesh with surface-aware brush tools
Sources
- Retopoflow | Official Repository (Oct 28, 2026)
- Retopoflow | Repository Licence (Oct 28, 2026)
- Retopoflow 4 | Quick Start Guide (Oct 28, 2026)
- Retopoflow 4 | Mode and General Controls (Oct 28, 2026)
- Orange Turbine | Retopoflow 4 Product and Pricing (Oct 28, 2026)
- Superhive | Support Periods Overview (Oct 28, 2026)