Hard Edges and Even spacing of Meshes
 

Can someone point me in the direction of a Tute or Vid that will help me understand maintaining a manifold geometry (think thats the term) While adding detail.

Wanted to model the house I grew up in in Hong Kong, as the house is basically a box I didnt think I'd have any problems. I roughed out the shape easy enough, I then created a Sub Div proxy and started laying down new edge loops on the Rough poly one (proxy?) to harden edges around windows and balconies and such. Tying up ends of four sets of three edges defining the outer rim of the window sill and the four sets of three parrallel lines defing the recessed edges where the glass sits was easy enough as they looped and ran into each other, but with the corners as these edges come out to the wall they of course cut nice quads into 6 sided or even 8 sides polys. I tried to just run them from one window across the wall to meet the ones coming out of the next window keeping the mesh all Quads. This results of course in thin bands running off each and every edge and looks like crud. Its obviously NOT the way its meant to be done... Any pointers would be much appreciated.

what about bevelling the edges of the windows etc mate?? post a wire?

thx for a reply mate, My process is

- get a poly or group of polys the size of my window.
-Extrude and scale down a little.
-Extrude and move in a little.
-Extrude and move to depth of window.
-Extrude and move a little bit further back.
-Extrude and scale down a little.

This leaves my smooth mesh with sharp edges on a 'Rounded' window. Tried the bevel tool an a new window and I still ended with 5 sided polys on the four poly's off the corners. The bevel tool cut their corners just a little... LOL and just encountered another failing.. I'm not sure how to insert my wires in the message? "insert image" Button needs a http address. So I've attached one image. think I should just accept technology isn't my thing.

Umm ok so attach file IS the way.. just obviously need to work on resizing... Have to go to work now, will post new reply tonight with smaller more helpful wires of my probem areas.

Why smooth then mate?? why not just have your layers in such a way that you only smooth items that need smoothing...a wall really doesnt need to be smoothed does it??

cheers bullet

One thing to remember is your model does not have to be a single unified mesh. Things in real life are made up of separate pieces.

Breaking the model into smaller pieces allows you to localize the heavy geometry needed to hold edges. The resulting seam lines add a level of reality to the model.

For instance, put a simple square hole in the wall and then break the window into components like the frame, the sashes, styles, and such. Each part can have its own level of detail and you can focus on the parts individually without worrying how edges required just to hold that parts shape will affect the rest of the model.

While on the subject that is supposed to be one of the advantages to sub-d modeling. You can increase the subdivision level locally. However, Maya's subd tools are so sub standard that I find them nearly useless.

As an example you can spend hours creasing and adding localized division levels and then need to convert back to polygons for some reason and all your subd modification are lost and you have to do them all over again.

Yeah thx for the advice, its true I dont really need the house to be smoothed... Theres alot of uneccesary time wasted there... But I sort of knew that anyway. As for having a model made up of several meshes, it was my plan to model things like the actual window frames/air conditioners/the ladder that leads to the top of the water tower thing on the roof seperately. But I wish I'd been told that pearl before I started modelling my Char WIP 'Vegeta' He's all one mesh.... Argg I spent so much time on him.. This was before I knew what a smooth proxy was, I modelled him and then highlighted the whole mesh and hit 'Smooth' (not smooth proxy) He was still so damn rough no matter how many times I smoothed him he always rendered faceted?????..... Eventually he was made up of so many Polys my laptop kicked the bucket.

I currently have three WIPS. The apache from the tutorial on this site. My Vegeta. And its actually not just the house of my childhood I'm modelling but the entire complex (luckily each of the 18 houses are identical) Theres playgrounds and a swimming pool and all manner of things I need (think I need) to use the Smooth Proxy tool on. The problem I have with tying up the ends of 'Defining' edges is universal to everything I do. The more time I spend perfecting my meshes the worse and worse my geometry becomes. I only posted the house because the square windows on the square house conveyed my problem and I'm ashamed to show you some of the monstrous meshes I have produced.

Anyway I dont know how to insert an image and then write about it before inserting another one. here are some pics.

The first is where my water tank joins the wall. I have manually laid down every bloody edge and it looks neat until you look at the other side where I'm scratching my head what to do with all those edge ends. (The second pic)

then I'm hoping to show a pic of Vegeta and then a Pic of his heavy hands. (lets see)

Ok 1 pic at a time?

Other side of above

And heres the man himself...

Ahhhhhhhhh Vegeta....nice character man...I didnt really get in DZ but I loved the concept...Piccolo was my fave baddy/goody/baddy

Love Vegeta! would love a closer look.

PaH Piccolo? You're right you never got DB :)

From the shot you have, his calves look a little TOO beefy... I know the DBZ chars are a little bulky at times, but think SSJ Trunks vs 3rd Form Cell... just my opinion though. And its a long shot... I could also be goin gblind from this screen???

Bah...Piccolo rocks 3D!!!