SubD examples and models

derei · 31 Jan 2016, 23:18

@alvis said:

Can you explain to me, why the first attempt fails. Why I should select one edge of triangulated face, that the second attemt must be fine.
https://youtu.be/XiUtriWV_lo

The Convert triangulated Mesh to Quads function doesn't always succeed. It's hard, impossible, to reliable determine exactly how the mesh should be converted as it would require AI understanding of the mesh's topology. In your example it's easy for use humans to see what should be a quad, but not for a script. The script doesn't even take into account soft/smooth/hidden properties - it just sees a set of triangles.

In the case of your mesh there it looks like you have hard edges and then some soft+smooth edges between triangles pairs. Then you want to use the Convert SandboxTools Quads to QuadFace Tools quads instead. (left to the monkey icon). If those edges where hidden you you'd want to use the Blender Quads to QFT Quads function (the monkey icon).

Humm, i was in similar situations... means that either more documentation is needed to make it easier to understand when to use each function, or maybe if you would think appropriate, to make the quad-detection script to be more "intelligent", so it can take into consideration multiple parameters at the same time. For example not all Fredo Tools are good in creating or preserving quads... but they do smoothing. So, would be good to rely better on conversion.
Thank you! Keep up the good work !

thomthom · 31 Jan 2016, 23:42

Yes, better documentation is indeed in need - as well as improving the tools. But docs are on the top of my list when I get home from my travels next week.

I plan to set up a new site for QFT - move away from the BitBucket wiki.
Better text and visuals describing the various features of QFT. GIFs to illustrate common topology pattern.

And extend SUbD's site to include more examples of how various topology patterns subdivide.

cuttingedge · 2 Feb 2016, 04:32

I was thrilled by the panton chair example shared by Ithil3d on youtube. I thought I'll build one trying slightly different method. A good few minutes and here's what i got.

HornOxx · 2 Feb 2016, 06:33

@cuttingedge said:

... I thought I'll build one trying slightly different method. A good few minutes and here's what i got...

This is a very good SubD example!
how often and unsuccessfully I tried exactly this chair

pilou · 2 Feb 2016, 10:55

Yes the difficulty with Subdivision modeling against the Nurbs modeling where you have yet all the curves of the model, is to imagine the "rustic" cubic form before it's transformation!

miikka1978 · 2 Feb 2016, 15:32

Is there any plugin working like Blender's Add Loop cut, see link below? I think that this would be really useful when using SubD.

https://www.blender.org/manual/modeling/meshes/editing/subdividing/loop_subdivide.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f4XKe8lZEU

ely862me · 2 Feb 2016, 15:38

If you look back a little you will see that we talk about that too, it's called Quad face tools, you can find it in the plugins library.

HornOxx · 3 Feb 2016, 21:29

...completed the wing to a plane - certainly not a beauty

plane4_proxy.skp

JQL · 3 Feb 2016, 21:32

@hornoxx said:

...completed the wing to a plane - certainly not a beauty

Not bad either... but it was a very promising wing

HornOxx · 3 Feb 2016, 21:40

@jql said:

... but it was a very promising wing...

thanks
ok - give this wing an other try

pilou · 3 Feb 2016, 22:44

@unknownuser said:

certainly not a beauty

Yet a charm certain!

Stinkie · 4 Feb 2016, 08:40

@thomthom said:

There are talks going on with various render engines to allow for them to render high-poly variants from the low-polys.

Nice!

optimaforever · 4 Feb 2016, 11:27

In the same order of idea, can you thomthom develop a quadchamfer4SU?
Ideally it would be a mix between the editability of SubD and the easiness of RoundCorner...
Roundcorner is good but it doesn't allow for editing. I have to keep a non-chamfered version in a temp layer if I need to edit it again. And SubD need manually offsetted lines to control the distance of chamfering. On complex models, it can quicky become a time-consuming burden, just to create chamfered edges, not to mention the file size and the memory footprint.

This TTQuadchamfer would be a quick 3D chamfer/fillet tool that automatically creates the needed lines offsets according to pre-entered parameters, which in return could allow easy re-editing, should the need arise. And afterward, one could tweak the fillet values edge by edge for more flexibility.

What do you think?

thomthom · 4 Feb 2016, 12:05

Got some visuals to illustrate expected result?

optimaforever · 4 Feb 2016, 13:15

@thomthom said:

Got some visuals to illustrate expected result?

Have you seen http://www.mariussilaghi.com/products/quad-chamfer ?

gilles · 4 Feb 2016, 13:45

Streamliner, based on Norman E. Timbs 48 buick.

JQL · 4 Feb 2016, 14:39

@optimaforever said:

This TTQuadchamfer would be a quick 3D chamfer/fillet tool that automatically creates the needed lines offsets according to pre-entered parameters, which in return could allow easy re-editing, should the need arise. And afterward, one could tweak the fillet values edge by edge for more flexibility.

What do you think?

Actually I'm simply not using SubD, because it would be the most fun plugin I'd have, but it's not really useful for what I need right now. I would have yet another toy to have fun with and deviate my attention for what I do for a living... I must resist...

If you'd do it, it would be extremelly useful if you'd integrate it with SubD methodology and chamfer it only when subdividing, keeping UV's, allowing for creases worflow to be integrated too and, probably integrate it in the rendering workflow too.

I didn't know it yet but if SubD would be able to produce that, it would turn into the most useful toy an architect that deals with archviz needs apart from the renderers themselves.

Thanks for that feature request Optimaforever, I really hope Thomthom pulls that one off!