by Necropanik·Modeling
Images © Necropanik. Used for product review; image policy.
Currently a Windows-only beta covering Blender 3.6 to 4.5. It stands out in the Superhive library for keeping low and high poly meshes synced through linked subdivision levels, reducing the need for repeated manual retopology. A demo video is available.
Retopo Linked Subdivision is a Blender add-on that stores subdivision levels as linked layers instead of applying them directly to the mesh. This keeps performance high while letting you sculpt as if the subdivisions were fully applied. Each level affects the others in real time, except the Original Object, which always remains unchanged.
Sculpting on any level automatically propagates changes across higher and lower levels while preserving each level's poly count. Levels adapt to the highest subdivision shape, and a real-time face count per level is shown in the 3D Viewport sidebar. This makes high-to-low poly baking, LOD creation, and sculpt iteration faster, with little to no need for manual retopology.
The add-on works best when the mesh is built from scratch using its linked subdivision system; existing meshes still work, but their topology is subdivided and linked rather than fully rebuilt. It's currently a Windows-only beta covering Blender 3.6 to 4.5, with support for older Blender versions listed as a future update.
Retopo Linked Subdivision is best for designed for organic sculpting and game development, along with high-to-low poly baking and LOD creation without repeated manual retopology.
Retopo Linked Subdivision is completely free to download and use.
Retopo Linked Subdivision supports Blender 3.6 through 4.5. Support for older Blender versions is listed as a planned future update on the developer's page. The add-on lives in the 3D Viewport sidebar, where you select an object and it's detected automatically before you start adding subdivision levels. If you're running a version inside that range, it should work as intended; for anything outside it, check the developer's page for the latest compatibility details before installing.
Retopo Linked Subdivision is currently a beta released for Windows only, so macOS and Linux aren't covered at this stage. Being a beta means the behaviour may still change between releases. If you're on Windows and running Blender 3.6 to 4.5, you're within the supported setup for the add-on. For any updates on wider platform support or newer builds, the developer's page is the place to check before you install.
Retopo Linked Subdivision is listed as free here in the catalog, and it's distributed under the GPL license. Licensing terms can change over time, so it's worth confirming the current details on the developer's page before you rely on it. The GPL license covers how you can use and redistribute the add-on. For the most accurate and up-to-date licensing information, visit the developer's page directly rather than assuming a fixed arrangement.
Retopo Linked Subdivision works best when the mesh is created from scratch using its linked subdivision system. Existing meshes will still work, but the original topology gets subdivided and linked rather than fully rebuilt. The developer recommends starting with a base mesh, such as a cube, that already represents the final form of your desired topology. From there, the Original Object stays unchanged while Level 0 and above become linked subdivisions you can sculpt on.
Retopo Linked Subdivision adds subdivision levels through an Add Subdivision button in the 3D Viewport sidebar. Sculpting on one level updates all other levels automatically, apart from the Original Object, which always stays unchanged. You can duplicate a level to apply it for baking or LODs, delete the current level along with higher ones, or clear all levels at once. It also converts quads to tris and turns tris back to quads when adding subdivisions.
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