How to Use Simplify Brush with Dyntopo in Blender

The Simplify brush in Blender is a specialized sculpting tool designed to reduce mesh polygon density while maintaining the overall shape of your model. When combined with Dynamic Topology (Dyntopo), this tool dynamically recalculates and collapses dense geometry in targeted areas. This guide provides a straightforward breakdown of how to enable Dyntopo, configure the Simplify brush, and optimize high-poly sculpts efficiently.

1. Enable Dynamic Topology (Dyntopo)

The Simplify brush requires Dyntopo to modify mesh topology on the fly.

  • Switch to Sculpt Mode using the mode selector in the top-left corner.
  • Open the Tool Properties panel (or press N to open the sidebar and select the Tool tab).
  • Expand the Dyntopo section and check the box to enable it, or press Ctrl + D.

2. Select the Simplify Brush

  • Locate the toolbar on the left side of the viewport.
  • Click on the Simplify brush icon (or press Shift + Space and select Simplify from the menu).

3. Configure Dyntopo Settings for Simplification

The brush behavior changes based on your active Dyntopo Detail Mode:

  • Relative Detail: The amount of simplification depends on your viewport zoom level. Zooming farther away from the mesh reduces poly count drastically, while zooming in keeps finer detail.
  • Constant Detail: Applies a uniform resolution across the mesh regardless of zoom level. Set the Resolution value lower (or increase the Detail Size in pixels) to merge dense geometry into larger triangles.
  • Brush Detail: Simplification scales directly with your brush size. A larger brush size creates lower-density geometry, while a smaller brush creates higher-density geometry.

4. Apply the Brush to Your Mesh

  • Adjust your brush size by pressing F and dragging the mouse.
  • Set the brush strength by pressing Shift + F.
  • Paint over dense areas of your sculpt. The brush will collapse unnecessary edges and recalculate the triangles to match your chosen detail setting without altering the core silhouette.

Key Differences and Tips

  • Simplify vs. Smooth: The Smooth brush reduces surface noise and flattens geometry while adjusting topology. The Simplify brush reorganizes and lowers vertex density without aggressively flattening the volume.
  • Global Optimization: To reduce the entire mesh density evenly at once instead of painting manually, set your desired Detail level in the Dyntopo menu and click Detail Flood Fill.