wired stag

thingiverse

I've been experimenting with creating wired animals similar to those produced on Shapeways.com, like the stunning Wired Life Stag Large model, made possible by Dotsan's skillful crafting (http://www.shapeways.com/model/902138/wired-life-stag-large.html?materialId=6). Using Sketchup as my go-to 3D modeling tool, I imported a stag module and painstakingly reduced the edge count manually. The result is satisfactory but somewhat time-consuming. Now, I'm seeking advice from fellow makers – is there an efficient automated way to produce wired 3D models that might expedite this process? Perhaps there are add-ons or plug-ins within Sketchup that can simplify edge reduction without compromising model integrity? Alternatively, if someone could recommend a different 3D modeling software capable of performing such tasks with ease, I would greatly appreciate it.