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Zip Merge

by hodgson3d·Modeling

Images © hodgson3d. Used for product review; image policy.

Why we like it

Zip Merge earns its place for solving a specific and recurring modeling problem: joining mesh islands, such as clothing seams, without triggering the unwanted merges of merge by distance or the UV damage of bridging faces. It comes from hodgson3d as part of the H3D Toolkit, and a demo video is available.

What is Zip Merge?

Zip Merge is a Blender addon from hodgson3d for merging complex geometry where merge by distance creates issues, or where you need to preserve UVs and want to avoid bridging faces. It is part of a larger addon called H3D Toolkit. One handy use case is merging seams together on clothing.

Merge by distance can join lots of unwanted components in these situations. Bridging faces and removing the unwanted edges is an alternative, but it destroys UVs, which is extremely problematic in clothing workflows where you blend from the UV mesh to the 3D mesh often.

To use it, merge a few vertices between your mesh islands (a minimum of three verts), select the start vertex, and run the ZipMerge operator under the merge menu, then set the desired iterations. Version 1.3.0 adds the ability to dial in whether the merging terminates on corner vertices, meaning verts with only two neighboring edges.

Who is Zip Merge best for?

Zip Merge is best for modelers merging complex geometry or clothing seams where preserving UVs matters and merge by distance or bridging faces cause problems.

How much does Zip Merge cost?

Zip Merge is completely free to download and use.

Key features

  • Merges vertices between mesh islands like a zip
  • Preserves UVs while merging
  • Handles cases where merge by distance would join unwanted components
  • Runs from a ZipMerge operator under the merge menu with a start vertex and a minimum of three verts
  • Adjustable number of merge iterations
  • Option to control whether merging terminates on corner vertices (verts with only two neighboring edges)
  • Documentation available

Tags

#Blender#vertex merge#mesh islands#UV preservation#clothing seams#H3D Toolkit#modeling

Frequently asked questions

Does Zip Merge work with Blender 4.2?

Zip Merge lists support for Blender versions 4.2 through 5.1, so it works with Blender 4.2 and later releases in that range. It is distributed under the GPL license. The addon is also part of a larger addon called H3D Toolkit from hodgson3d, so if you own that toolkit you already have access to this merging functionality alongside the other tools it includes.

How do I use Zip Merge to join mesh islands?

Zip Merge works by merging a few vertices between your mesh islands first, with a minimum of three verts. From there you select the start vertex and run the ZipMerge operator, which lives under the merge menu, then set the desired number of iterations. This approach preserves UVs, unlike bridging faces, and avoids the unwanted component merges that merge by distance can cause in complex geometry.

What does the corner vertex option in Zip Merge 1.3.0 do?

Zip Merge version 1.3.0 adds control over whether the merging terminates on corner vertices, which are verts with only two neighboring edges. This lets you dial in how the operation ends when it reaches those points. The developer points to the demo video for a look at this behavior, and a demo video is available on the developer's page if you want to see it before using the option in your own project.

Is Zip Merge free?

Zip Merge is listed as free here in our catalog. Licensing terms can change over time, so check the developer's page for the current details before you download. The addon is released under the GPL license and is also available as part of the larger H3D Toolkit from hodgson3d, which bundles it with additional tools should you want more than the merging feature on its own.

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