Complex UV Layout in Maya
Over the last couple of years UV layout in Maya has changed for the better. In this course we're going to be taking a look at some of those changes as we UV map an entire character
# 1 12-08-2013 , 06:27 PM
CardboardBread's Avatar
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Hard Edge Issue

Hello there,

I have some hard edges that I can't seem to make smooth. I've looked around the internet (including a thread in this forum) and tried various solutions but nothing's worked so far..
These hard edges are where I've combined several planes and merged the verts together.

The left shows the mesh selected displaying hard & soft edges. The middle is just shaded. The right shows what happens when I double click on one of the hard edges.

user added image

I just want the hard edges smooth like the rest any ideas?
I think I've had this problem before and I probably ended up remaking the mesh..

I'm using Maya 2014 Student on Windows 7 and have been a user for about 2 years.

Thanks

# 2 12-08-2013 , 06:56 PM
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You should be able to simply use soften / harden edges.

If this does not work then you should check to be sure you do not have flipped normals along that edge. This is a common problem especially if surfaces were joined.

If that does not work try mesh > cleanup and check lamina faces, nonmanifold geo, edges with zero length, faces with zero area.

If that does not work than I don't know what else to try.


"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Isaac Newton, 1675
# 3 12-08-2013 , 08:31 PM
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Hey, thanks for the speedy reply!

I tried all those things and they didn't work at first however after a bit of fiddling I managed to fix it.

It was caused by half of the normals (the ones on the right in the image) being reversed.
To identify this I turned off double sided in the attribute spreadsheet and selected all of the invisible faces then reversed the normals.
Once this was done I selected the entire mesh (Not just the hard edges) and softened the normals.

Hopefully if anyone else has this problem this'll help em out. I've lost count of how many times an 8 year old forum post has saved me hours of headaches lol.

Thanks for your help man, I probably would've given up by now..

# 4 13-08-2013 , 09:17 AM
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That is exactly what I meant by this .....

... you should check to be sure you do not have flipped normals along that edge. This is a common problem especially if surfaces were joined.


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