rules of modeling?

[Shonner]

http://www.shonner.com/drafts/images/polygon_smoothing.jpg

http://www.shonner.com/drafts/images/red_sub_render_wired_3.jpg

When using polygons to model with, I prefer to use only 4-sided ones. That way, I'm not surprised by any odditities when I smooth my mesh (which also uses 4-sided polygons).

In my opinion, working with 4-sided polygons is just easier on the eyes compared to using 3-sided ones.

Placing lines closer together will create better defined edges in your smoothed meshes.

[noShame]

Thanks for your reply! Not quite shore if I fully understand you. If there is poly with four sides, but the vertecies are aligned in a triangular form (or any other non rektangular) is that still good, or is that bad?

I am currently working on my first model. I am following blitsee's a3 tutorial, only I am working on a a4. Heres a pic of the process so far, how does it look? are there any obvious misstakes, how could it be better (dont mean the model itself, rather then if I should connect some vertecies, cut some faces, align them in other ways etc, to make a better render.

http://www.openmindedprojects.com/privat/a4.jpg
regards,
Boris

[ThomasMahler]

THINK before you work.

That's the single most important advice anyone could give you. Other than that, enjoy the ride! :)

[noShame]

ill try to do that if you point me in the right direction.
you cant do math if you dont know the rules, no matter how hard you think! :P

[benclark]

Dont worry too much about following these rules. Although most people tend to avoid using tris and 5-sided polys there are plenty of brilliant modelers out there that use them.

Its not like there is a secret society out there that is keeping these golden rules from you. It just depends how you like to work.

Some rules I always use for poly/Subd modeling are...

1. Only extrude outer edges (if you extrude an inner edge then you cannot convert to Subd)

2. Use MJPolyTools edge loop split to add geometry. As opposed to using the poly split tool. This tool makes sure you have a perfectly even mesh which is a lot better for export

3. Check Normal direction, and use poly cleanup regularly

4. Dont use diamond shaped polys

5. Dont use long thin triangle polys (they stretch textures) get rid of these as soon as they appear, dont try and fix them at the end

6. Never use 5 sided polys - or you will die!!

7. When extruding geometry in an organic model always use spinfaces/spin edge to maintain the flow of the geometry

8. Always try and close off the mesh. Dont have holes if possible

9. Plan out your topology thoroughly in advance

They are not golden rules but may be of some help to you:shrug:

[PizzasRgooD]

6. Never use 5 sided polys - or you will die!!I don't know what is so bad about 5 sided polys opposed to triangles, I use 5 sided polys on flat surfaces and it smooths just like a quad. Ofcourse dont use them on curved surfaces, but you shouldn't use triangles there either, so I don't see the difference.

[noShame]

Thank you very much!
Thats just what I needed, hardly knew any of those handy rules. They will for shure save me a lot of time and headache (spell?). Tried to search for poly cleanup in max, no results, where do I find that?

(feel free to add more like those, if there are any)

Kind regards,
Boris

[knellotron]

4. Dont use diamond shaped polys

I don't get this one. Isn't a diamond just a quad rotated 45 degrees?

[benclark]

Knellotron - the diamond shaped polys thing refers to using thin diamonds in organic models. It ruins muscle flow, especially in areas like elbows and knees. I know a diamond is just a rotated quad but that is my point, I rotate the edge using spinFaces to maintain muscle direction

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