Smoothing models

# 1 23-08-2011 , 02:31 PM

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Join Date: Apr 2009

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I was just wondering if there was a way to smooth objects with out sending poly counts through the roof. So far i've been using the 3 key preview smooth while i'm modelling to keep the poly count down and then smoothing the objects when it's finished at the end.

Are there any other ways to smooth them? I've heard of the round edges shader but I haven't tried it yet. I don't tend to texture my models, just put them on turntables with some nice ambient occlusion on them. What would people reccommend I try?

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# 2 23-08-2011 , 03:26 PM

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First the smooth preview 3-key does in fact smooth the model. By default it does a smooth with two divisions. So the poly count goes up just as if you did a mesh>smooth and upped the divisions to two.

If you are talking about a hard surface model you could use the mental ray mia round corners material. This does give the illusion that edges are rounded but then the model cannot be rendered in anything but mental ray and the result of the render is just a trick of lighting and from some angles it will not hold up.

You can always use edge bevels and not smooth as an option to keep the poly count lower.

You can also use edge normals to soften and harden edges but this is typically used for very low poly game models.

"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Isaac Newton, 1675

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# 3 23-08-2011 , 06:37 PM

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Join Date: Mar 2007

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If you plan on using mental ray you can use the approximation editor to subdivide at render time, as explained here:

https://simplymaya.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35000

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# 4 31-08-2011 , 03:28 PM

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Join Date: Apr 2009

Posts: 22

Thanks for the info.

As far as I could tell the 3-preview didn't actually increase the polygons, just showed what it would look like if you did, as if you export the model out of Maya to unwrap it or something like that it just goes back to it's original un-smoothed state. The polycount in the UI display also stays the same. Are you sure it actually increases the polycount?

Also i'm very sorry for taking so long to reply, I tend to forget that I post things. Sorry.

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# 5 31-08-2011 , 06:41 PM

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There is a bug where sometimes the face count in the heads up display does not update but, yes the mesh will be subdivide 2 times by default when you have the smooth preview on. If you export the mesh while the smooth preview is presses it will only export the unsmoothed mesh. To export the smoothed mesh you must actually smooth the mesh using the mesh menus smooth command.

smooth preview subds mesh - YouTube

NOTE: Just a note. You can show the actual mesh subdivisions by going to the objects attributes smooth mesh node and check the Display Subdivisions check box.

Hope this clears things up.

"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Isaac Newton, 1675

Last edited by ctbram; 31-08-2011 at 07:01 PM.

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